Sports Meet Grand Finale!

Last night I meet with a student from old campus. We went out to dinner and I'll be helping her study the word on Monday nights. Her English level is quite low, but she is eager to study the word. Perhaps you can lift her up?

This morning we were picked up and driven to the new campus for the closing ceremony of the sports meet. Thousands upon thousands of students and school officials had gathered in the stadium by 8 a.m., when we arrived. Instead of leading us in the back way, we had to walk half way around the track to get to the other side. It was the closest thing I felt to being a celebrity ever. I felt like I had either just been elected president or that I was a four star general about to review my army.

All eyes were on us as we made our way around the field to very dramatic martial music. The stands and the field were packed with students. In one corner stood a million of my students, and they were dressed in silky gold outfits, with red fans in their hands. They screamed as we walked by them, and I waved furiously. I'm pretty sure all 200 of my students were clustered there. It was the best thing ever.

When we got to the other side, nobody knew what to do with us. We stood below the stands attracting more attention than ever, just because we were foreigners. Then finally we were ushered below the stands to wait. We were going to be in the closing ceremony. We stood behind the English department flag, and dozens of students dressed in white stood behind us. Several of them thrust a couple of Chinese flags into each of our hands.

After waiting for about 45 minutes, the music swelled again and we began the procession around the track, just like the Olympics. The kid carrying the English Department flag hoisted it up proudly and we walked onto the track waving Chinese flags. We slowly walked around the track, with hundreds of students falling into orderly step behind us. Students were screaming their heads off as we made our way around. I'm not sure if it's because we were a small bunch of glamorous foreigners, or because we were waving Chinese flags, or maybe both. Jodi was walking next to us as we were waving and smiling with the enthusiastic crowds. She asked me, "What are we celebrating exactly? Sports? China?" I told her I wasn't sure.

We got in front of the big review area, where the university president and other officials sat high above the field. A couple dozen people in sharp-looking olive military uniforms stood at attention with the Chinese flag. Hundreds, if not thousands, of students stood in close lines in the middle of the track. Then a couple dozen men with cameras ran alongside us and in front of us snapping pictures of us walking and waving the flags. I'm serious. And it was the craziest thing ever. We were celebrities and we had done nothing except teach at their school and look non-Chinese.

We were going to keep walking, but then a man waved us to the stairs of the stands where the school officials sat. We were very confused, and the crowds were murmuring and chuckling. Is it possible that they murmured and chuckled as a whole? Well, they did. Then we made our way up the stairs, where they directed us to two long, red tables up above the stadium. The president and important-looking people sat there dressed in suits. We were dressed in jeans and t-shirts and fleece sweaters.

They sat us at those tables. It was a very high honor and the Chinese are always finding ways to put us in positions of honor when we've done absolutely nothing to deserve it. Then the national anthem played and we all stood. Official after official made speeches to the waiting crowds. The sun was getting quite hot. It dragged on, but the students who had been standing there since 6 a.m. masked their restlessness. After the rousing rendition of the school song, additional middle-aged men made speeches, shouting into the microphone stand with great gusto.

Out of nowhere, really pretty Chinese girls in traditional Chinese dresses paraded onto the stage carrying plaques, and handed them to the table right in front of us, where the president and vice-president sat. As soon as the officials had been handed the plaques, they ceremoniously handed them to a few select students who also paraded on to the stage. They must have been awards. This whole process continued a few times. People in doctor's uniforms, police uniforms, and regular clothes received the plaques. They were the most model Chinese people I've ever seen. They looked like they popped right off of a propaganda poster.

Finally the students performed for the closing ceremony. I can't really describe it, so I'll just have to post some pictures soon. A million of them did taiji and gymnastics, etc. Then at the end, a huge, organized crowd of students sang "Beijing welcomes you." (This song is very famous in China because of the Olympics). After that was over, the students all sang at once and countless people ran frantically around the track and field with banners and flags.

I'm exhausted explaining it, and you're probably exhausted just reading this; I even left some details out... I think the pictures will do a better job at explaining everything. Anyway, I don't think I can ever return to America, because the excitement in China has ruined any desires to live a quiet life in the U.S.