Meet and Greet

There have been many things going on here. We have been to Neijiang for a gathering of volunteers. We saw lots of friends from the summer and some of the volunteers who are about done their service. We had the Treeces visit us with their three sons and we had a great time playing with the kids. Renee has been to Nanjing to see her sister and her niece who just had a baby. We watched the Dragon Boats race. We are getting ready for our summer work teaching teachers in a rural community and planning to visit the family in Wuxi to study four genterations from the Revolution. Just some highlights among other things going on here - especially many competitions. BUT this blog is to be about some people we have grown to know and love.
This morning Jason joined us to watch the Dragon Boats. He often helps to organize us. We got to know him because he came to help us with our computer. He is a Chemistry-Environmental Major, but he knows computers. He knows them well enough that he is one of four young men who the school has hired to keep everyone's computers working. Tonight he borrowed our camera so he could have pictures of his friends. He downloaded on our computers and sent the pictures to his. We have been involved in his love and life. He will work for an environmental company next Fall and graduate in a year. You have seen his picture before when he climbed the mountain with us. The picture is from the Pear Blossom Festival day at the top of the mountain.
Zen Wei (Heidi) is our counterpart. She is the school contact for us. When we need to know something or do something we are supposed to go through her. You know she has her hands full with us. She on the other hand is supposed to relay all of the school information to us. She will be studying in America this summer. She is a sports woman and we have played tennis. The picture is from the Sports Meerting Day. The teacher with her is "Colin." He taught in one of the rooms after me last semester and observed me. We got to talk and are friends. We often ride the school bus together. He can remind me that my frustrations are small things and the Chinese teachers face them as well - they are just better adjusted. Colin is working on a poetry article for publication. He will be moving as well as us to the new campus sometime this summer.
These two nice looking gentlemen are my CHinese tutors. I meet with Gao Bin (right) on Tuesday mornings. He is from Shandong on the east coast. He is studying Journalism but hopes to go to graduate school to study Chinese. He is an basketball phanatic and I have learned many basketball words. We watched the NCAA finals together. Jackie (Shi Zhen Xin) is a business English major from Hebei Province. He has been involved in several schemes to get rich quick since we have been here. He has a girl friend in one of my classes and that also takes his time. We have been meeting during our lunch break time this semester. Jackie is a go to guy when there is a question about anything.
This semester I have been having lunch with the same group of students every week. I have gotten to know them pretty well and most of their English has improved accordingly. On Monday I meet with two art students, Wang Wu and Wu Ji Guo. On Wednesday I meet with Janey and Dane, two girls from my Class 6. Janey, who didn't say a word last semester, asked me if she could have lunch with me this semester and we have made it a practice. We are often joined by her friends or mine, but Dane and Janey make up the group. They will be teachers and do prsctice teaching next Fall. On Thursday I eat with Liu Shao Xin, a Journalism student and Gao Bin's roommate. I met him early last semester eating dumplings and we have been friends ever since. He is part of what I call the Shandong mafia. There are many students here a long way from home. He is a class leader. In order that he doesn't have to speak English every week, we often have an English speaker with us whom he invites. He is the tall one in the center.
My fifth friend is new. We met about Easter time. She and her group of friends often are in a group which we meet with on Sunday afternoon. It is quite a nice treat to be accepted into a group of young people. Ellen is an English major at Chongqing University of Technology and Vocation here in Yongchuan. Renee and I have enjoyed our conversations and her colloquial Englgish. Through her we have been invited to a wedding party for one of the group members and into several homes. We feel very accepted.
Our lives are full. Tomorow we will have lunch with the Catholic priest. He is nervous and is bringing his friend from the Foreign Language school in town so we can communicate. It will be a good time.