Kaarina Mackenzie
High School Diary
Zai jian, Beijing
From babes in Beijing to citizens of the world
“For third-culture kids who often relocate, starting over in a new environment should be easy… but I will never get used to leaving”
Dear Graduating Class of 2009,
This point of life launches us into an uncharted world filled with new responsibilities. We’ve all come a long way. For those of us who grew up in Beijing, we’ve witnessed this city grow from hutongs to compounds to Olympic grounds. I remember when I flew lantern kites at the Forbidden City and had my hair cut by a man with a mirror on his rusty bike. I remember when I threw wet clay on the ceiling in Grade 3 and stole the grape-scented marker out of the new Crayola box. But even though I’ve grown up during my 12 years here, I am not so different now – I throw oil paint across my canvas and occasionally sneak a smell of the new paperback books.
Saying goodbye to high school is easier said than done. Leaving this comfort zone frightens me as much as when, years ago, I saw older students walk down these very hallways casting their daunting shadow over my tiny frame. They moved slowly with an air of authority and competence. But now that I am coming to the end of my secondary education, I realize that their swagger was simply the result of hormones and carrying heavy textbooks. In time, I know all my current fears will be relieved; it just takes a little effort and experience.
