Kids

I hear bits and pieces from my students and China friends this summer.  I'm increasingly grateful for internet, that makes this keeping-in-touch possible.

Alicia is in Sri Lanka with many stories and promises to give me the full report once she's home.

Emma's mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

Simon tells me about what food his family has been making, about tutoring a kid in English, about all kinds of other pieces of his life.

Grant spent a while teaching and found that he loved it.

Victor is back at school already.

Bridge has been traveling.  When they arrived somewhere that her phone worked, I woke up to quite a few messages from her.

I miss them, and when I look at their class pictures, I miss even more of them!  In a few weeks, they should all be back at school, beginning their junior year.  Please keep them and their new teachers in mind.

Marketing -- my craziest (and probably most fun) class 

Charles, who has decided to go to grad school in two years 

Mom, Jill and me!

I need to write a last newsletter, but I'm not sure yet what to write about, how to wrap up a year full of so many stories in a way that honors it and still leaves space for how much is ongoing.  

Thoughts

I like being back in Pennsylvania.  I love how the sunlight filters through the trees and how the land rolls up and down.  I love that I can understand what's happening around me and I love running into friends at the store.

I'm not exactly sure what's next yet.  Moving in a few weeks and looking for a job... I'm curious to see where I end up (as is everyone who's asked me about plans, because I have very little answer for them.)  I want to work with people.  I want to learn new things.  I also want to make enough money, but what's "enough" is probably open for debate, or at least discussion.

I don't like having to skype my teammates or email them instead of just seeing them all the time.  I don't like trying to catch students and friends on qq and wechat instead of bumping into them in the dining hall, teasing them, teaching them, hanging out together.  There are pros and cons wherever I am in the world.

Tonight I miss my friend Dominic.  Mom and I ate dinner with him and one of my students, Cassie, and the meal went on for so long that they were turning out the lights in the dining hall and had locked some of the doors by the time we left.  (It reminded me of my first semester at Geneva.)  We talked about many many things, especially his volunteer work in Cambodia.

His heart is broken for the poverty of the people he was serving.

And listening to him, my heart was broken for the poverty that he's living in.  He can see ways that the world is wrong and broken, but doesn't yet know how it will one day be made right.

Anything But Congee

This spoof has been building in me for a while.

Because...

Well, you'll see.

Congee, for the record, is commonly translated as "gruel".  It's extra watery rice, often eaten for breakfast.  Except not by me if I can help it.

My brother helped me with the lyrics.

More random notes:

"I really think I love you all" is a shout-out to the other team at HuaQiao, who really did love good food.

Zhen hao chi = really delicious.

Di san xian is an awesome vegetable dish.  One recipe can be found here:  http://cookingsimplechinesefoodathome.com/2011/04/1-di-san-xian-three-fresh-vegetables.html

(to the tune of Backstreet Boys' As Long As You Love Me)

Although Chinese food has always been my favorite kind
I'd trade it for eggs and ham
People say I'm missing out on culture and food
But I'll pass anyway
How you guys eat this is a mystery
I don't ever want to try it
My taste buds say that they do agree
I just can't stand congee

Just give me some omelettes
Whole-wheat bagels
Nice fresh oatmeal
Anything but congee
Cereal
Danishes
Yogurt's fine
Anything but congee

Every kind of food is zhen hao chi
I really think I love you all
Di san xian or spaghetti
As long as it ain't congee

Just give me some omelettes
Whole-wheat bagels
Nice fresh oatmeal
Anything but congee
Cereal
Danishes
Yogurt's fine
Anything but congee

I've tried to hide it so that no one knows
But I guess it shows when you look into 
My bowl...