All Atwitter

Arriving and getting to Guyuan went without a hitch, thanks to an old woman at the bus station in Yinchuan. We arrived at the airport and got to the bus station with plenty of time to spare. We went to the ticket counter to get the next bus out and they said that there were no more tickets until tomorrow morning.

While we were discussing what to do an older woman started to listen in on our conversation and mentioned that we try the train. She motioned for us to follow her and she zipped around to another counter and checked on train tickets for us only to find that those were also sold out. Then, she whisked us out to the bus lot and wove in and out of the parked and moving buses trying to find us one going to Guyuan. One time she pushed us onto a bus headed for the wrong place, but we were eventually able to find a bus thanks to her. So, the next 5 hours we spent in the back of a bus speeding down the interstate to our former China home.

One of the things that still amazes me is some of the places people get off at. It will be pitch black out and not a light or anything for miles around, but people will recognize this patch of dirt as the one they need to get dropped off. So the bus just pulls over and they hop out alongside the road in the middle of nowhere.

Anyhow, we rolled into town at around 10 pm. Right around the time some of the senior students were getting out of their night tests. As we walked to our hotel we saw some familiar faces - one of my students looked at me in that, "...where do I know you from...OH MY GOD!" kind of way. They didn't really know that we were coming. Even the drink guy remembered us - he was our first stop on the way to the hotel.

I was so excited I just could not sleep! I woke up at 1, 3, 5, 6 and then just got up to get ready for school.

Nobody know when I would be coming, and the students didn't know that I would be coming at all, so I went up to see the teachers first as the first period of class had already begun. When I got to the office they all screamed and clapped and ran over to greet me. We had fun catching up, talking about what we had been doing over the past year. They have been keeping up with all my adventures through Ms. Cui.

After the first period of class was over I ran out into the hall to see some of the kids. They were soooo excited once they realized that it was me. They would all scream and clap when I walked into their classroom! I was spotted in one of the halls and was rushed by about 300 students all trying to get hugs. It was great!

For a couple of the classes (before word spread that I was in town), I walked in instead of their regular English teacher. They were so shocked when they saw me and then when I greeted them like I used to in class they all stood up, "ooooo-ed", started clapping and some cried. It was fun!

Some of my students were in the middle of their testing period, so I couldn't get to them right away. But when they had their first break I ran downstairs and stuck my head into their classroom - the facial reaction was priceless! It went from "why is that face familiar" to tackling me to the floor with affection in about 5 seconds.

I got to see all of my little (but not so little any more) friends. It is amazing how different some of the looked. They all grew up and grew out their hair. So I spent my time running into the hallways during the breaks in between classes, dodging Mr. Horse in the hallways and chatting with the teachers when the kids were back in class.

It was fun! But of course, this is Guyuan, so I was invited to a dinner. I said that I couldn't make a dinner, so then it was a lunch. Ugh. With the administration. Double ugh. Luckily, it wound up just being with the Junior School admin, so it was a little more relaxed. Also because it was Guyuan, I wasn't really asked if I was available for lunch, they told me that I had a lunch with the admin at noon. That was fine and all, and told them so, but I would just be a little late because I already had made a date with my posse. Yup, my little boy posse. We were going to walk home together one last time.

The teachers didn't understand that this was important to me and to them. I told them I could go to lunch, but I would be late because I wanted to walk home with the kids. They told me that they would understand that I had other things that I had to do. So, I told them that I WANTED to walk home with them because it is important to me - it was a special tradition we had. I mean, I would walk to school when I didn't even have class, just to walk right back home with my posse, sometimes twice a day! So they told me they would send a teacher down to tell them that I had an important lunch to go to and I wouldn't be able to meet them. I struggled to get them to understand what I wanted. Finally, I just told them that I would meet them at the restaurant at 12:30 and I would pick up Matt and Allister. Then the bell rang and I left and hurried a reluctant "okay" from them.

I went to classroom 6 like so many other times and was greeted with lots of hugs as we started on our last walk. Eventually more of my students joined in and by the time we were at the corner the ranks of the posse had grown to over 50 kids! It was fun, Sam danced like usual (but limped a little as he had hurt his leg) and then announced, "this is for teacher" before pulling down Larry's pants, giggling and running off. Sniff, sniff, just like the good ol' days. I got to eat a lot of ice cream and other roadside snacks (I was already full by the time I got to the restaurant) as treats were shoved in my face - "Teacher eat this! Teacher eat this! This is definitely one of the activities I will always remember and will always be time well spent to me.

Lunch was pretty painless. The Junior School functions were usually a little more laid back than that of the Senior School. Only really one round of dice and not a lot of drinking as it was a lunch. So, we were able to get out of there in a decent amount of time and I was able to get back to school.

I spent the rest of the day just chatting and catching up, giving and getting hugs. It was a great day! The only thing that I just couldn't figure out was why in the world was one of the teachers trying to hold me back from seeing the kids by insisting that I look at all of the pictures she had taken on the computer right then when the students were on their breaks. This same teacher also wanted me to just spend time with her classes - classes that I barely saw over the course of the year I was there. I would try to get away and excuse myself gracefully when she would force me into a strage sort of uncomfortable guilt situation. I mean, I was happy to see her students, but I had limited time and I really wanted to see the classes that I was the closest to. The teachers this time around were really heaping on the guilt. They wanted me to teach their classes, both with my former students and students that I didn't know. They also wanted me to tutor someone's daughter and teach at a primary school. So between the guilt and them calling me fat, I decided to stay with the guilt free love of the students.

ANYHOW...

Over the seventh period I went down to one of my favorite two classes and talked and played with them as they had to stay indoors because of the testing. But my chatting time was cut short by the demand to take some pictures - "we all have been waiting for you upstairs to take pictures". Ugh. I said that I would be up in a moment. I said my goodbyes, and finished up my plans for the next day. They also invited me to watch their soccer game during their PE class. Pictures shouldn't take too long, so done and done.

WRONG!!! They hurried me up into the office only to wait for about 20 minutes before they started with the pictures. They took over 50. All basically the same. All I could think about was joing my kids on the soccer field. And I missed it. The price of the last 10 pictures of the same pose was that I couldn't kick it with my kids on the field one last time. I hope it was worth it to them because it certainly wasn't to me.

After the last bell rang I booked it over to the senior school, hoping that I would be able to meet up with some of my students as they got out from their tests. I hear a "Moll-yyyyyyyy" and saw several of my students run up to me. It was so good to see them! We were able to talk and arrange a time the next day, after their tests, to see each other again.

We wrapped up the night with a nice dinner at Mom and Pop's who remembered our usual and laughed as we rattled it off.

I was exhausted when I got back to the room.

It was a good day.