New Friends and a Fond Farewell

Today we visited a school in Chengdu called Dujiangyan yucai high school. We were welcomed by a banner hanging outside of their school and some students who were eagerly awaiting our arrival. The students we met were all juniors because the seniors had to study for their upcoming college entrance exams. After a tour of their school we had a formal welcome where their headmaster and English teacher gave speeches describing their school. During that time we exchanged gifts with the students. They presented each of us with a stuffed panda and we gave them MFS frisbees, pens, and bracelets. From there we proceeded to the courtyard where the students taught us traditional Tibetan dances and Tai-chi. Then we taught them the Macarena, the cha-cha slide, and the Cupid shuffle. Finally we broke into small groups to teach the students how to sing “Lean On Me” and came together to sing it as a collective group. We ended our visit with a group picture and goodbyes to our new Chinese friends. Some of our students even exchanged email addresses and phone numbers so they can keep in contact with the students.

After going to the school we had a casual lunch in a nearby market, then left to spend the rest of our money by shopping for a couple of hours. We then returned to the hotel to get ready for a fancy goodbye dinner, complete with speeches and gifts by Dan, Willie, and Kevin. Now off to bed for a super early 4:30 am wake up!

The trip has reached its conclusion, so this post will just recap the highlights of the whole trip.

The trip started off on a very high note when we were unexpectedly treated to a rendition of “Happy Birthday” performed on drums in a traditional Southwestern Chinese style. The energy from this night continued to show throughout the week as we experienced an amazing culture. Climbing the Great Wall was an experience no one will forget, especially the ones who reached the top of the mountain. Getting to see the Giant Pandas, the national treasures of China, was incredible, especially getting to see them in their native habitat. One of the best experiences, though, came on the final day when we visited with the students from the Dujianyan yucai High School, in Chengdu. Everyone, both us and them, had an amazing time learning songs and dances from each culture and getting to interact and make new friends.

The whole trip was rounded out by us being able to interact, not just with native Chinese speakers, but with each other. Our group consisted of freshmen through seniors and all of us were able to come together to make the trip a great time for everybody. This trip was about seeing and experiencing a culture through the sites, but it was truly rounded out by the people involved. Thanks to Dan, Willie, and Kevin who were amazing guides for the whole trip.

D’nea, Elyse, Scott, and Mattie