Marching on

Hello, America!

It's a brand new, sunshiny day in Nanchang. Things are finally drying up after torrential rains and plenty of flooding. Some of my friends who teach on the other side of Nanchang said people were wading in water past their waists! And there was a landslide just south of our city, which derailed a train and killed about 20 people...

Did you ever think that Americans were patriotic? Times that by about 25, and that's China's patriotism. Sometimes I'm amazed by how much they love their country. One of my classes sang the Chinese national anthem for me, and the words are quite...moving. Here's an English translation of their anthem, in case you were curious: So imagine lots of students singing it with a lot of fervor and passion.

Arise! All who refuse to be slaves!
Let our flesh and blood forge into our new Great Wall!
As the Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,
All forcefully expend their last cries.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Our million hearts beat as one,
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
March on! March on! On!

And on that note, I thought I'd talk about how we are marching on in the face of an imminent departure from China. I only have 3 weeks until I fly to Shanghai and then on to America, a land which is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to me. I'm afraid I'll arrive in America and I won't remember how to speak, I'll drop food all over the table, and I'll answer every question quite indirectly in a very China-y way...

But I'm also excited! I'm anticipating a harmonious and happy future, to borrow the words of my students. Actually, I don't really know what the future holds, but I know it's all in His hands!

And we march on...