36. A Jar of Memories. By Natasa Vujicic

36. A Jar of Memories. By Natasa Vujicic

About me

I was born in Serbia and brought up in Montenegro. That is where I met my husband, who moved from Germany to start working in the same company as me. After a few years living in Belgrade, we decided to move to Hangzhou. We spent four and a half years living in this magnificent city before moving again, this time to Mumbai.

However, two months before we left China, on my 40^th birthday, I realized I had something to say, and I needed to say it quickly. So at that very moment, I pulled out my laptop and started writing a book. As my family was putting on their shoes and getting ready to head out for my birthday celebration, I was still finishing the first chapter. It took me less than four weeks to finish the first draft of the book. I named it “23 Reasons to Fall in Love with Hangzhou,” because the first time we arrived in Hangzhou all those years ago, on the way from Putong Airport, the driver took highway exit 23 to enter Hangzhou. That turn marked the beginning of the best chapter of our lives.

So here is one of the reasons why we love Hangzhou so much.

Jar of Memories

That first year when we moved to China, we spent seven days in Hainan for Golden Week. Right after coming back, even though it was still warm outside, we could feel autumn at the doorstep. There was something in the air that reminded me of furnaces burning wood, some sort of smoky smell that seemed to announce that soon we would all be wearing sweaters and gloves. The pollution level started rising, and on days without rain we could smell it. It smelled faintly like burnt rubber and acid. But all around Hangzhou, all the time, wherever we went, we could smell something else as well. It smelled familiar and exotic at the same time.

For days I was trying to discover the source of that delicate, yet intense smell, until I ran into a neighbor who had lived in China for years. Through laughter she said it was Osmanthus flower, and it was now in full bloom. I had never been that interested in flowers, but the fact that I hadn’t even heard of this one shocked me. What kind of flower can make the whole city smell like a perfume shop? Not to mention this was a city, with concrete, traffic, construction sites and all.

The smell stayed for weeks, and it made autumn my favorite part of the year. All around the city you could find Osmanthus-flavored coffee, snacks, and sweets. My favorite until this day (even though I tried many) was a very traditional lotus root with sticky rice covered in Osmanthus flowers.

Starting with the New Year, we were already counting the days until October and planning routes we would walk. So, following that very plan made in the beginning of the year, we decided to spend one October weekend in a small guesthouse in Manjuelong Village (满觉陇村). At checkout, we were handed two jars of dried Osmanthus as a gift. I planned to search Xiaohongshu (小红书) for recipes and bake something with Osmanthus flower, but after unpacking my bags, “assisted” by my three-year-old and one-year-old daughters, only one jar survived. I opened it and felt my throat tightening. I was quite literally on the verge of tears. It smelled sweet like apricot jam, announcing the cold weather and evenings spent at home. It brought back countless memories of our autumns in China, pierced with memories of home.

By then we already knew we may not be staying for another year. We were missing our families and home country, but at the same time it seemed unreal, even impossible to leave China. I honestly wondered how we were going to survive this goodbye. I felt homesick, for both of my home countries and for China at the same time, even before we left.

In the end I never made any of the dishes with Osmanthus flower, and I decided not to use it. Of course I could always buy another jar, but it would be a different jar, bought, not gifted. It may not contain the essence of that weekend in the mountains, the long-into-the-night conversations with our friends and giggles of our kids while planning another trek to the ice cream shop.

If you visit Hangzhou in October you will understand. During the Osmanthus season, all around the Manjuelong Road (满觉陇路), Zhongshan North Road (中山北路), or really anywhere around the Shangcheng (上城), Xiacheng (下城), and West Lake (西湖) districts, the smell is so unique and overwhelming that it will paint your every moment. Whenever you smell Osmanthus in the future you will remember Hangzhou. That is why I keep my little jar safely locked away from everyone.

It was as quick as snapping your fingers, and despite the unfinished contract, our time in China has actually come to an end. What was left was longing for this magnificent city that gently embraced us at every corner. When we tried to explain the situations we got into to friends and family back home, it was impossible. The words were scarce and inadequate to express all our feelings, and truly describe images and sounds.

It was only when we met someone, quite often a complete stranger, who too lived in China, that we could be understood. This understanding felt complete and intimate because we had both once felt the same deep, unexpected love towards this country. We will forever be grateful.

 

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