Patterns and Colors

One day not too long ago I walked into the school wearing a new scarf  I picked up when shopping with some friends at a minority village outside the city. It was a steal. I just couldn't resist.

"You have so many scarves," was the first thing Bear said when seeing me. 

Guilty.

I have a weakness for beautiful textiles that I can tie in my hair or wear around my neck. People randomly started giving them to me for various reasons several years ago, and as I travel, I always pick up one or two. They're light and inexpensive, a wearable way to remember the places I've visited. By now I've accumulated quite the collection, and apparently my Chinese friends have noticed. 

I have a bit of a bohemian streak, and when it comes to fashion in China everything goes. I love it. I even saw a woman on the street one day wearing pajamas with high heals, her face and hair made up like she was going somewhere important. 

In China I feel no need to be matchy, and today on my way to yoga class I realized I was wearing a bandana, scarf and satchel which were all clashing colors with busy patterns. I just couldn't get away with that in the States. 

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week because neither my friends nor I have to work. This allows time to hang out longer and do things that are harder to make happen when we have to teach at night. Today we went to an Indian shop down the road from my apartment, which had been recommended by another foreign teacher for Aston. 

As we perused this eclectic little nook, Bear grabbed a bandana off the shelf and said, "Lauren, this looks like you." I admit, it was beautiful. My others friends agreed, and laughing at how I made them promise to not let me buy anything, continued to try them on. I'm happy to announce each of my Chinese friends bought an Indian bandana today.

I don't think I talk enough about my Guiyang friends in this blog. I just really love them, and I can't imagine how hard the transition to China would be if not for their friendships. In the last week, I've noticed how much of their mannerisms I've picked up. We have inside jokes and conversation comes easily. In some ways I feel myself becoming more and more Chinese as absurd as that statement may sound. My interests and preferences are evolving as a result of my time with them.

And as little a thing as it may seem, my heart really melted today as my friends tried on the bandanas and talked about how much these simple accessories reminded them of me. I realized then that I am not only learning from them, but they are learning from me. It's cool to observe this reciprocity. I can't wait to see my friends fashion their bandanas in the weeks to come. I'll give you a sneak peak.