Change of Pace

Do you know that nervous frozen up feeling that comes when you're waiting for life-changing news to arrive? It struck me so badly last week that I couldn't open my inbox for a whole evening. When I forced myself to click the mouse the next morning, prepared for failure but with a glimmer of hope underneath, the news was good. I got accepted by the university in Brussels for the biz course in September! I was SO relieved by this. Rejection would have meant studying in the UK (as this year WILL be the year Sam goes back to school) and piling up a heap of debt. Tuition is heavily subsidised for EU　students, a bargain at 540 euros per year. My course in International Business Economics and Management sounds rather a mouthful, and will certainly be challenging to cram into one year.

Should I wish to, I can continue for a further year and finally graduate with an MBA. I'm thrilled at the thought of living in Belgium as it will be everything China isn't. After almost four years here I'm pining for things like; cheese, real bread, tasty beers, proper chocolate, peace/quiet, personal space, politeness on the streets, no staring/name-calling/laughing, stylish clothes/shoes readily available, beautiful old buildings, reliable hygiene/safety standards. My standards have dropped so much that the smallest, pokiest student room in Belgium seems like heaven compared to some of the apartments here in Dalian...But I know I'll miss many things about Dalian. It's been a major part of my life and I've had lots of really worthwhile experiences here, also made some exceptional friends. When leaving a place forever becomes imminent, you begin to look upon everything with sentimental eyes - "the last time I'll ever walk down this street/eat at this restaurant/get stared at on this corner" etc.