Thanksgiving reflection

By Novella Elam | For The Olympian • Published November 27, 2008

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This is the first time in a while that I've been back in Olympia for Thanksgiving, and I do have much to be thankful for. Still, I already miss so much about China. As much as I enjoy being in the company of family and friends in the Northwest, like any 20-something person looking to find or continue to build roots, "home" just isn't the same.

Mostly I miss my friends and companions, the stability of conducting ongoing research, and the feeling of speaking a language that I love on a daily basis. Over the months of September and October, the tense situation with the "demonstrations" in town stunted my research. It didn't stunt my relationship with my friends, however. Instead, we've grown in our exchanges and support under pressure. One friend, Tan, I'm especially thankful for.

Since my first trip to Hunan, my friend Tan has provided a personal haven from the hazards of academia and, in the last few months, local tensions. She still can't decide on an English name, but long ago, she decided to start sticking up for me. Tan has stuck up for me in so many areas of my life that I will be beholden to her for a long time to come. As for the name, Willa seems to be her top choice.

Tan, like any of us, can't always express what she wants, but she knows it when she sees it. Our friendship has been one of those things. We keep in close contact, and as soon as I choose my own new Chinese name (I have the same problem as she—too picky!), I think I will take her surname as my own to solidify a bond that we've taken a few years and a few trials to forge.

During the latest trial in our relationship, the last few months of "demonstrations" in Hunan, Tan did what she could to see that my research moved along, even as I was so severely limited in my movement and human contact. Tan's husband works for the local government, one of the (often deserved) targets of "demonstrators'" frustration.

Since the beginning of September, their residence, an apartment building catering to local elites with government jobs, has been guarded by both riot police and army. Tan and I both know full well that in China, appearances are paramount.

Especially this year, Tan has taken a bit of a risk in being my close friend. During the past few months, she risked even more by inviting me almost daily to her home. With reinforcements against the "demonstrators" coming from Changsha, Hunan's provincial capital, Tan's friendship with me raised more red flags than it had before. She and I stuck it out, though, and our friendship is better for it. That, I am truly thankful for.