Surprise!

There were a lot of things about being a teacher that I didn't expect.

On Tuesday, I suddenly had a lot of messages on qq.

"Happy Teachers' Day," said my student Tmac.  One of the girls who I studied with sent me a similar message with a picture of a rose.  Chelsea, who I haven't heard from in ages, sent this:  "Hello, hannh, today is teachers' day.  Good luck to you." My student Emma sent me an e-card.

I felt a little overwhelmed.

Sometimes I miss them a lot.  Mostly though, I'm grateful to still be involved in parts of their lives, that so many of them are willing to take the time and effort to stay in touch and let me know what's happening with them.

Tmac... in our non "Titanic" pose picture.  Trust me.  It's better this way.  ^_^

Six weeks later...

I wouldn't say I'm in culture shock about coming back to America.

However, there are a few things that still throw me for a loop.

1. Toilet paper goes where?  (I don't know why, but it does.)
2. Water from the tap is potable? (Although now I'm living with uber-chlorinated water, so that isn't so much of an issue.)
3. Everything. Is. So. Far. Away.  (Okay, so maybe that is more shock of living off campus.)
4. There is so much space between things.  Aisles in the grocery store, houses, etc.
5. Riding the bus cost $2.25, not 18 cents.
6. I don't see any Asians.  Or hear any Chinese.
7. There's no one around to speak Chinglish with me.
8. Time zones.  My gracious.  It was simple in China: if I was talking to students or teammates, they were the same.  If I was talking to someone in America, they were most likely about 12 hours off.  But now I barely know which country I'm in, some students are in America, and some of my American friends are in America and some are in China.  Confusion....

In other news, I finally wrote my last newsletter today, and it should be in the mail soon, thanks to the phenomenal Comm Department.  :D

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...

On Being Song-ed

The last Sunday night at HuaQiao, before I left for good, to take the train to Shenyang and then fly to Xiamen with my mom -- that was a hard night.  I said goodbye to my friend Peter, and my student Savis pressed last gifts into my hands -- a necklace for me and a fan for my mother -- and claimed a hug (which is uncharacteristic for Chinese guys); my dear friend Alicia at dinner with Mom and me, and Bridge and Caston came by to say goodbye.  I think I shoved Bridge out the door after I hugged her because I didn't want to sob in the middle of cooking.  Or with so many people.

After dinner, Mom and Alicia and I walked to the store inside the stadium to get some kind of icecream on a stick and met up with a few of my students, who had put together a photo album for me.  Then I gave the key to Simon and walked Alicia back to her dorm.

It was a night filled with giggling and thank yous and goodbyes and tears.  But then there were things that needed to be done, because no matter how important and emotional goodbyes are, backpacks still must be packed and the bunny's room ought to be cleaned up.  It was a beautiful night because it was full of so many of the students who are really dear to me.

Alarms were set and we went to sleep, planning to leave around 6 the next morning and get ourselves to the train station.

It was a few minutes after my alarm went off the next morning that there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door and found no one there.  Which made me think that it was either Bridge or Alicia.

I looked around the door.  Alicia!  And Peter!

They came in and sat with us while we ate breakfast and finished getting ready to leave.

Then they walked us to the metro.

Then they rode with us to the train station.

Then they sat with us in the train station until it was time for us to board our train.

In China, it is a very honored tradition to song people who you are close to.  To see them off.

And while, as an American, it is not nearly as strong as a tradition for me, I felt incredibly loved by these two dear sibs waking up so early and going out of their way to take us as far on our journey as they could.

And I still totally cry when I read Alicia's goodbye to me...

But as she told me when I cried, "We're all in His hands."

I delight in knowing of the dear friends who I will absolutely see again.  When we won't have to see anyone off, because there won't be goodbyes.

Same Same... But Different

So a lot of people have done posts about things that are strange about being back in the US.  However... here are a few things that are weird to me.

Drinking water from the tap.
Flushing paper in the toilet.
How clean everything is... especially the floors at the grocery store... I bet you could eat off of it.
Traffic.  There's so little of it... and I'm pretty sure drivers would freak out if I meandered halfway across the road.
Everything is in English.
There are so many people who I know!  It's kinda crazy....

I miss my students and friends from China and my teammates.  I skyped with Hilary and G and called Danielle and keep sending ridiculous messages to Simon on wechat.

It's awesome to see my family again and to run into friends and get to hear about what they've been up to this past year.

One thing I don't have to miss is the quotes.  ^_^

Ib, flipping through my notebook:  "Hannah, I've been trying to crack your code for months."
me:  "Ib, that isn't a code.  It's Hebrew."
Ib:  "I KNOW THAT.  I meant the Elvish."