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December 2, 2000
Family & Farewell Banquets
As I sat in this new home and watched the Chinese who have become my friends I thought over my five months here and how my relationship with them has changed. No longer were we tense and awkward together, language had ceased to be a major barrier and we used body language to communicate. I regret not speaking Chinese so I could communicate in depth with them, but in spite of the language barrier still I felt close and connected to them.
We shared a great Chinese meal, all home made of course, with some very special dishes tailored to a Western taste. We drank the best red wine available in China. We shared stories and experiences and laughter. I presented each family with a stainless steel model of the Arch attached to hardwood stands as a gift to thank them for their care while I lived in their hometown. When we left number one brother gave Kathy and I a wooden box of mandarin oranges. They are the best oranges I've ever eaten.
I will see the family on Wednesday, December 6, when I host a banquet to thank the people who've helped me most while I've been here. Grace's family will make up an entire table, the Hunan University people will make up two more.
I'm winding up here and beginning to lean toward home. I've graded 110 papers comparing the educational systems of China and the United States, I've written my finals that I give next week, and I've arranged to interview the eleven HNU teachers interested in teaching at STLCC next year. It's been a fast five months. I'm ready to be home.
Farewell Banquets
Last night I hosted a banquet for the people who've helped me during my stay in China. A good Chinese friend helped plan it. The Chinese were amazed at the selection of traditional Chinese feast food and when asked about how I had managed it. I said, "The same way I've managed anything in China, I asked a Chinese friend for help."
One table was filled with Grace's family, the tour agency director whose is a great friend, and of course, Kathy. Two other tables were filled with people from the Mathematics Department, Foreign Affairs Office, College English Department, and other friends. There were 28 guests in all. Conversation and laughter accompanied us as we ate and drank our fill. I gifted each person with a Forest Park tote bag. The motto is "Practical Solutions for Practically Anyone." The bags were a big hit.
As the banquet ended people gathered in the hall and began to ask me when I could attend other farewell banquets. I smiled as my friends and various College Deans negotiated for evenings. I now have an engagement every evening starting with Wednesday, December 6 and ending Friday December 15. I will leave here well fed and toasted.
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