Over the Chinese New Years, I escaped to Old Europe.
LONDON
My first stop was to observe Max, James, Chloé, and Priyanka in their native habitat, the quaint island of Great Britain.
Hiking with James and Chloé in the hills of northern England. If you squint into the distance you may just spot King Arthur, or at least that's how I imagine it.
After living together for one year in Shanghai, Max could no longer stand my company and fled to London, where he’s flourishing in his role as a budding shipping tycoon. Shortly before I arrived he closed a 4am deal for shipping thousands of tons of iron ore, and my mind flashes to scenes of Wall Street and Jerry Maguire: “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!!” And his Chinese continues to put mine to shame, even though he no longer lives surrounded by 1.3 billion native speakers.
My Petaluma childhood buddy Jacob was also coincidentally celebrating his 25th birthday in London over the weekend. It’s fun to see friends outside of a familiar context too. We went out to a hipster bar and bowling alley, where we Yanks showed the British how we roll.
I also visited Priyanka at the storied Cambridge University, even donning robes for a formal college dinner. Whereas Stanford dorms were so plain and bare to require manufactured themes (Cedro = “Ced-rodeo”), every day at Cambridge is Harry Potter day. Many students live in bona fide castles. The tradition was wonderful to experience but I wouldn’t want to live it. Between my hippie parents, bay area culture, and the tech industry, I’m naturally averse to cultures that are too formal or serious.
GERMANY
Karl and I!
Next stop was my German hometown of Hannover, where my best German friend since the 1st grade, Ole, just had a fiendishly cute baby with his lovely partner, Daniela. Needless to say, Karl, the 5-month old baby, was the primary attraction. It was also my first experience in a baby household, though it is now the age at which many of my friends are getting close. Gulp… I still plan to wait a while.
On the other end of the age spectrum, I’m blessed to have a physically and mentally fit grandmother of 88 years–she still rides a bike! We took long walks (Hannover is the greenest city in Germany), traveled to Hamburg to visit an art exhibit (or “culture” me as my grandmother would say), and revisited family history. It’s astonishing to consider the transformation the world has seen in her lifetime. Her father and upbringing was steeped in Prussian military tradition in a nationalistic Germany. Today, her two American grandchildren are most often found in China and South America.
Even my busy aunt and uncle managed to take time out of their busy lives an drive up from Frankfurt for the weekend with my two young cousins, Julia and Sofia. I’m grateful that my mother worked so hard to make Germany a second home for Maya and I by establishing such strong family ties.
It’d been 3.5 years since I’d last been to Germany, but I felt at home again, even thinking and dreaming in German. In fact, I’m jealous that Maya will soon spend a full year on a biodynamic farm there!
LEEDS AND GUILDFORD
A visit to Leeds in northern England was my chance to catch James and Chloé before they graduate and get the insider tour. My favorite evening was one at a local pub where we consumed fish and chips (better than expected!), Trivial Pursuit, and the magical sounds of Irish folk instruments.
James cooks a mean sheperd's pie
The final stop was Guildford (or Beacon Hill), James’ hometown to the southwest of London. His parents hosted eight of us for a succulent birthday dinner (James’ 24th) of roast Welsh lamb leg. Yum.
It was awesome to experience such a cross-section of England: from metropolis to city to university town to countryside, a trip to remember as well as to revisit my old German haunts.
So, when are you gonna visit DC?? (when I’m here, of course). China this summer though!
Maybe Boston sometime?