Setting Small Goals

One of the principles I try to follow when trying to accomplish a big goal, is to set smaller, readily attainable goals or milestones that build into something bigger.  After Friday’s frustrating start, I decided to start over Saturday with two goals:  finding a café Liu Liu recommended for a pastry and a coffee for breakfast, and later going to the supermarket to find peanut butter, yogurt and fruit to have for breakfast in my room. 

Unlike my friend Juliann, I am not blessed with any sort of internal navigation, so figuring out my way around this campus is a challenge.  This is not Phoenix, and is not in any way built on a grid.  I have a campus map and know a few landmarks already (especially the gym/track, which has signage that looks like it was from the Olympics, although it couldn’t have been – this is very far away from Beijing).  My approach is to try to retrace my steps as often as possible, noting landmarks (buildings, business, etc) along the way.  I knew that the café was out the south gate of campus, and it actually only took two turns along the path to get there.  I successfully bought a breakfast sandwich looking pastry and ordered a cappuccino.  I didn’t understand what the woman told me my total was, and the cash register didn’t show any numbers on my side, so I extended my hand with a bunch of cash to her and she picked out what I should have given her.  Not too bad an outcome.

Buoyed with success, I then decided to try to find the lotus pond near the north gate, which I recalled seeing twice on Friday.  The path was more circuitous, but I kept trying to remember what I had passed yesterday with Liu Liu:  the gym, the bank of Chengdu, the elementary school, the business building, the soccer/football field.  And voila : there was the pond!  I had a lovely breakfast sitting on a bench, listening to “This American Life” on my ipod and watching the variety of people enjoying the morning.  There were people of all ages walking, talking , reading, and even jogging around the pond.  I found my way back home with ease, and felt my confidence rising.

After taking a break to do some work in my room, I headed back out for goal #2:  operation peanut butter!  I had been told that there was an inexpensive supermarket out the West gate and across the street.  I found it:  Trust Mart.  Does anyone have any guesses what Trust Mart means in China?

That’s right:  WalMart is here.  And it was like every WalMart I’ve ever been in:  crowded, chaotic, loud, full of merchandise, and very inexpensive.  It took me a while to wander the aisles and figure out the layout of the two story store, but I eventually found what I was looking for:  Skippy Peanut Butter and strawberry jam, along with some bread and some more Coke Zero.  I’m beginning to think that Coke Zero is the only “diet” coke here.

On Sunday morning, I found my way to the last main gate of campus, the North Gate.  This gate seems to be the most official gate, as it has formal traditional gate structure and the university administration building is directly in front of it.  It creates a beautiful courtyard, but unfortunately the lotus ponds in this area were drained.  I left the gate and explored the commercial area surrounding it, and found my way back to campus via the west gate.  I was so happy to have been able to determine my way. Who needs a map they can read or GPS?  Ok, ok, me.  But for now I'll take this as a win.