'I get it!!!'

Well we all remember it well, Tom Hanks in his famous role in the film 'Big',
when he said at an all important meeting... 'I don't get it!'. Well, it is now my turn, albeit, as of yet not as famous (or rich) as him, but I will steal his one-liner
and say the opposite - 'I got it!!'. I now have finally understood why people of all
ages travel, especially the young. It is exciting, adventure-fying, terrifying and all the other 'fyings' combined.

Having taught non-stop, at all hours of the day and evenings, I finally find myself with hours on my hands. It is not necessarily because I am working less
(well - a bit if I am honest), but with no private pupils to speak of at present, my
days which in the past would end at 22.00 or 23.00, now end at 20.15!! Taking
into account the taxi home, I am indoors at 21.00 and a long evening stretches
before me. When my computer works and is not having 'cold' problems and being tired and unco-operative, I will be able to use it till the early hours, but
if not, the night is long for an insomniac.

So, it was with pleasure that I accepted an invitation to a birthday bash, at the
house of a fellow colleague and her partner, whom I also happen to work with.
Afraid that it would turn out to be a 'Berlitz' affair, I planned on not staying too
long. Armed with a gift and two friends, we set off for the event.

Now, finding the place was not so easy, I must admit that I am happy to say that, as it is good to see that there are others who are having the same difficulties in understanding the exact address of where they live! So when the taxi driver, chinese friend and us failed to understand the directions given, a phone call was made. What was the landmark - 'the 7 - 11'! Arguing over the exact entrance to the building, we found ourselves in a typical chinese building, somewhat like my own, a rabbit's warren of passages and doors. Feeling a little like 'Alice in Wonderland' following the rabbit, we followed our friend as he wove his way in and out of doorways, knocking once or twice at the wrong ones, till be found our correct one.

The appartment, furnished, had a nice friendly spread. Chunks of bread spread around a jar of 'Nutella', for those of you uninformed, this is only 'the' chocoholic hazelnut spread of all time!, cheese chunks (extreme luxury in china), each piece a guilty bite of a few yuan to say the least, cocktail sausages (not the regular size cut down), assortment of pringles (potato chips) and finally in all its glory, the booze.

Now for those of you who know me, I am not a great drinker, but do like a tipple now and again, but it is wine, usually on the night of Passover, that inevitably sends me into fits of hysterical laughter, to the yearly amusement of my children. The array of bottles, admittedly did not tempt me at first, a mix of
Gin and Vodka flavored for taste, in my opinion spoils the taste, but I understand this is a young persons taste.

The party got off to a slow start, latecomers being the norma as opposed to us early birds (we came straight from work). Beer bottles were opened and the spirits of those present began to lift. Music was playing in the background and as more guests arrived, I began to understand.

As I looked around the room, we were a salad bowl of nationalities. Israeli, Romanian, Turkish, Australian, American,Russian, Chinese and Canadian. A mixture of ages between 22 - 57 (I was thankfully not the eldest there), it was
a mixture of accents, level of voices and of course laughter. I could not believe how much I was enjoying myself. It was not only the conversation that became heated as we discussed politics and the American elections, but religion too.

It was fun, it was interesting, I now get it, travelling does 'broaden the mind' or if not the mind, then the circle of people that you know and meet. A good chunk of the younger crowd there had met up on their previous travels and had decided to reaquaint in Beijing. All of you would be travellers out there, all I
can say is take the opportunity when it arises. If you can't afford to travel without working like me, then find an opportunity to work for a company else where. However hard it is to leave your loved ones, so far, I promise, it is worth it.