So since I got back from China I have a new man in my life. I know I didn’t go on this trip with any thoughts of romance at all and after I met the crew I knew that it wasn’t going to happen. I was not attracted to anyone; in fact I didn’t look at G.G. (his name for blog sake) at all. Actually the whole first half of the trip we barely spoke, he had just come in from Hong Kong after a meeting with the world trade center (he’s the VP in the University’s chapter on the island) and he was with the masters in international business crew, (M.I.B.) I swung with the MBA’s. The gangs rarely intermingled, not trying to seem like a sequence from west side story, to top it all off, we physically could not be more different. You see the boy is half Irish; tall, white, with blue eyes and I am pure Latina; Black hair, brown eyes and tan skin.
It all started on a weekend trip through China, a break from classes. When we got to Xi’an with no plans, no hotel and no train tickets to Shanghai I took hold of the situation and got both gangs a place to stay, transportation to the Terra-cotta soldiers the next day and the tickets to our next destination. He later told me that this was the moment he took a liking to me. He was the only one out of the whole group to come up to me, and as he looked me straight in the eyes he said “in case no one has told you this, thank you very much for everything.” And just like that he left to his room and that was that. The next day in the Terra-cotta soldiers for some reason we found ourselves alone together, the rest of the group had forged ahead after what seemed like an eternity of buildings with no soldiers. When we entered the shelter he said “when are we going to see the actual dig,” just as soon as the words came out of his mouth there we were surrounded by 6,000 soldiers of Shi Huan Di. My response was “my mother would love this.”
At the emperors mausoleum when the group was poking fun at a newly formed couple overlooking the Chinese country side the talk turned to marriage. GG jokingly gave me a flower a proposed, all in good fun. We all had a hardy laugh and were on our way. That night we all had the culture shock of our lives. You see when you get overnight train tickets in China you buy soft or hard beds. Soft beds are four bunks in a small space. Hard bed are six bunks without a door in a closet… there were not enough soft bed tickets for all so we said fuck it, hard beds it is. We all imagined that the tickets for all would be in the same “closet space” when in fact all we had purchased was only the top bunks that are assigned by numbers so the group was scattered throughout the wagon, two Puertorricans per four random unknown Chinese.
I have to be honest. Every one freaked out at first especially the girls. Sleeping with four unknown men of any race is enough to make the common girl squeamish. GG remained cool and solved the problem. We switch tickets and a boy was to stay with every girl. After that was settled everyone calmed down, viewed the experience as an adventure, brushed their teeth and went to sleep. That’s when I started to de him with different eyes, the guy that kept his cool when all hell broke loose, now that’s attractive to me.
Shanghai was amazing, Yiwu not so much, just business. But GG was never far; on the train to Yiwu there was a passenger that could not keep his eyes off me. You have to understand we were very different, the only foreigners on the train. GG sat facing me and made sure no one made me uncomfortable in dishonest ways. Now I am a very independent woman but I have to admit in this instance I liked being watched out for.
When we finally got back to Beijing the whole group went out to this club called Propaganda. It was really wonderful; everyone was having a great time dancing and whatnot. GG turned to me and said some of the most simple and insightful things any man has ever said to me, not stereotypical or cheesy, just sincere. I really wasn’t expecting it but I didn’t have to give it much thought. Later that night I just leaned in and kissed him, the rest is history. The rest of the trip we spent together getting lost in Lama temples while wondering the streets of Beijing and talking to random strangers. There was not a day I did not laugh by his side. And just like that the trip had ended, we were delayed to the point that we missed our connecting flight and decided to stay an extra day in New York. On our plane he turned and said to me “I don’t want this to end here.”
And it hasn’t. We’ve seen each other every day since we’ve been back. It’s just so weird, it feels so comfortable; it feels like it has always been like this. Our conversations flow like water and at the same time there’s no anxiety, no faking anything, I can truly say I am myself with him. After all, the boy has already seen me without a drop of makeup, without sleep, without a shower and cranky…
I have been in so many crappy relationships that this is a bit scary. Where’s the drama? Where is the “dark side”? Two people can’t get along this well its just not possible! Where is the catch?
Maybe I shouldn’t look for one, maybe there is none, maybe this is just nice and maybe I should just sit back and relax. After all, it’s been a while since I’ve felt so fresh and so clean.
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