Farewell Cheng Du Da Xue

Well, I think my internet access runs out tomorrow and we leave on Tuesday for a two day conference at a hotel in downtown Chengdu. I go to my site (Sichuan Normal University) on Thursday to begin teaching (though I actually don't start until the following Monday). Since I don't know if we'll have internet access at the hotel, this may be my last posting for a few days.

It is strange to think how sixty-one of us started out in San Francisco, flew over to Chengdu together and then were split up into three groups. Not surprisingly, each group really formed a bond and, from what I've been able to gather, feels very little connection to the other two groups, doubtless because we really have not seen each other during these two months. People will form life long friendships and I suspect numerous romantic entanglements, perhaps even permanent, simply because of a simple twist of fate. That's the way life goes.

Chengdu da xue (pronounced "dah shway" meaning university) has been a good site. It has been away from the city, a bit inconvenient, but has afforded a relatively calm location to carry out our studies. It's been certainly a memorable two months:

There was the constant heat and humidity, which is how I'll remember this summer most, a summer in which I never not seemed to be hot and covered in sweat; there's been the games on the playing field; the language classes, of which I'll remember the dreadful Saturday morning classes the most; the always entertaining medical sessions with Dr. J; the early morning runs, alway a struggle because I hate running in the mornings; and the nightly "san bu" or walk with Mr and Mrs X; the egg and boiled milk for breakfast every morning; the numerous "pijiu" (pronounced pee-jee--yu/beer) at our little grocery store; the many trips on the 97 bus to the Carefore or big grocery store where I finally found some real orange juice and the McDonalds next store (I only seem to go to McDonalds in foreign countries); the model school class which was cancelled because of the student who died from heat stroke; and the second model school class with the English teachers; a lot of jaozi, which are sort of like Chinese raviolis. To name just a few things.

As a result, I am going to miss these folks. It is going to be strange not seeing these people again, or hardly ever. There is a winter get together for all of the volunteers in Chengdu and a summer project on which some of us will be put together. But in essence this is the end, my friend. At least for me. There is a group of about eight or ten folks who are all going to be in the general area of Chongqing. But none of the twenty are going to be in Chengdu

It is also strange to think that almost invariably all twenty of us will not make it through two years for some reason or another. Who knows what the future holds. Hope for the best and think good thoughts.