Living the true hug way

Wow, I feel so raw and strange. I never thought it would be so difficult to say good-bye to millions of Chinese friends. Today (Saturday) I had my last meals and class with students. For the last time, I took the crowded 220 bus on the dusty, bumpy roads to new campus. It was bittersweet. Then Jodi and I ate with her students/my old students, Nicl, Henry, and Brian. They are such wonderful, smart people. Henry and Brian gave us both some calligraphy they had done.

It was difficult saying goodbye to my last class of students. They have become so dear to me. I've done my best to encourage them, but often they are the ones who encourage me. I will miss all 190 of them so much! (Plus the other 100 or so other students I had last year). I've been giving them all hugs as we have parted ways, because I had taught them how to hug. How to hug was apparently the most important thing one particular student learned in my class: "Miss Laura teaches us about hug problem. We have a kinds of hug ways, she teaches us true hug way." I am leaving them with great, life-long skills!

After saying goodbye to my life at new campus, I walked with some of my students to their apartment 40 minutes away. We were basically in the countryside. Besides the heat, and the length of the walk, I enjoyed the scenery a lot. The city noises and sights faded away. People fishing and farming appeared suddenly, and it was a lot quieter and greener. While there were some new apartments, like where my students live, there was still a definite village and countryside feeling.

We went to their apartment, where the students sleep two to a bed. The apartment, however, was very nice by Chinese standards. We just stopped by to see it, and then trudged the long way back to the main road. I got all of them on the correct bus to go to old campus with me. They were so surprised that Miss Laura knows her way around Nanchang after 2 years, even though it seems like a piece of cake to me now. Sometimes they are surprised that I can use chopsticks. Apparently they assume their foreign teacher lacks brains and common sense! :)

Then I treated them to some dinner near old campus. I was about crying at this point, probably because I was tired and overwhelmed. I also felt homesick. This is my home, and I feel like in just a few days my life is going to be turned upside down. I'm not sure if I'm ready!

Here are some more cute words my students wrote in their free writes on the last day of class:

"I feel Lauar was so brave. I'm so proud of you."

"My sister have a baby in her body. So I go there to help her."

"Thank you for your care about my hands." (A long time ago I had given her gloves, because her hands were scabbed over with chilblains).

"The future resembles the brocade."

"I will eager beaver in the future. I love my classmates. I love Miss Laura."

"Miss Laura, if you get married, would you put your pictures on the Internet in your email? I really want to see the happiness moment when you are dressing the weeding cloth."

"In your class I learned about braving with anything. You often gave me many choices to practise my English."

"You always tell us should be creative, and it helps streatch our thought and explore our intelligence, I will remember it and try my best exert it. Thank you for broaden our minds!"


Henry and Brian and their calligraphy gifts.


My students and a housewarming gift I gave them, which my Mom had made.


View from the window of my students' apartment.


Stairwell shot.