Last week, my first full week home, proved to be overly eventful in a positive way. My friend Kari Hatfield (the former Peace Corps volunteer who just accepted a job at my school) started moving in, and we had a great time planning all of the fun things we're going to do this semester. She has since returned to America for the rest of summer (she's waiting on getting her visa renewed), but I can't wait for her to return! Last week I also was lucky enough to meet two really great 15 year old boys in the city. They both attend a low-level middle school and are interested in learning English but haven't had the opportunity, so after spending an entire afternoon together (they can't speak any English), we arranged to have summer classes at my apartment this summer, since I now seem to have plenty of time with the refugee camp canceled. They're really cute about it and have called me multiple times since that day, referring to me as "jiejie" (big sister) and confirming our appointment (for next Monday). I'm hoping it turns out.
On Saturday, I departed with a few other volunteers to Chengdu to do my training session on "Reading Between the Lines" and have my mid-term physical. Chengdu was great! I had fun doing the session, and it was really cool meeting the new trainees, especially those who I've already been conversing with via internet. Definitely great people! It was interesting how, watching them and listening to the questions they had, was just like looking in a mirror at my own training experience. It was an eye-opener to see how much I've learned and grown in a year, to the point where it's actually me answering the same questions I feel as though I was just asking. I'm excited to see which of them will come to Guizhou; it's definitely going to be a fun year!
While I was in Chengdu, the Olympic torch came, thus making Chengdu my second city in China where I've been during the relay. Like in Guiyang, however, the audience was limited to invite only and so none of us were allowed to go. Peace Corps staff, disappointed, decided to have their own torch relay with a blow up torch and invited me to attend. It was a blast! All of the staff and I lined up and down the road and we passed off the torch, pretending to light it, running in slow motion for the camera and yelling out "Jiayou Zhongguo" and other common phrases that torch runners yell while they pass off the torch. Afterwards we were treated to homemade cookies. It was quite a treat. :)
After training and my physical, I was supposed to leave Chengdu on Tuesday night and return to Guiyang ASAP. However, I was having such a good time enjoying myself that I procrastinated getting my ticket and by the time I thought to get it the tickets were all sold out for the next two days, leaving me stranded in Chengdu until Thursday afternoon. I was worried, since I didn't have the money for a hotel and didn't want to use vacation days sitting in Chengdu, but thankfully Zhu Kui, my amazing program manager, decided to hire me as her "assistant" for the time I was in Chengdu. As a result, Peace Corps paid for my hotel, didn't take vacation days, and the job I did (and am continuing to work on) is enjoyable (I'm gathering all resources volunteers used during teacher training/summer project so that future volunteers have things to work with). That night, Zhu Kui invited me to her home for dinner and to meet her husband. It was great spending time with her! She's definitely one of my all-time favorite people I've met in the past year! :)
Now, today, after a 19 hour train ride, I have arrived in Longdongbao and am glad to be home on such a lucky day! 08/08/08! The luckiest day in most Chinese people's lives! For those that haven't caught it, "8" is a very lucky number in China, so we are all very excited for the Olympic games to begin tonight at 8pm. I am currently decked out in red (a lucky color in China), my Jiayou Zhongguo ("Go China") t-shirt, and American flag stickers. Dave, Kim and I, the only volunteers in town, are having an American dinner and Olympic Games party at Kim's tonight (bless her for having cable!). The busses from Longdongbao into Guiyang are a bit crazy now, since everyone is going into the city to be closer to cable access, so I should be going around now in order to make it in time. I hope all of you enjoy The Games! ;) I can't wait to compare notes on the news coverage!!! Haha, peace!
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