Winter Vacation

Finals ended and all the kids went back home today. This may be the last time I will see their faces for awhile, so of course I am a little sad. The children on the other hand, were so happy and excited to go home. During this half a year, they only have two chances to go back home: 1) for a week during National Week Holiday in October and 2) for a month after the Fall semester to celebrate Chinese New Year. This is their Winter Break and they could not be more excited to go back home to their village for a month, be with family, and see friends. The children packed all their belongings and bags in the morning and eagerly waited outside and in the classroom for their guardians to come and take them home. One by one, the students left the school. Most of the parents came by scooter or motorbike, but others like grandparents took the bus. However, some of the student’s villages are very far away. Moreover, some of these mountain villages have horrible roads and since yesterday snowed, there was heavy congestion which made it even harder to travel. As a result, these guardians could not come to the school on time, and so some students were left wondering when they were going to get picked up. The younger students especially, got the most nervous and anxious as they watched their peer’s get picked up and go home. Some waited frantically at the school gate while a few cried. Eventually though, all the students got picked up today and were able to go home.

It was a bittersweet day. I’m really happy that these kids finally have a chance to go home and be with their family. I’m glad they will be able to relax, have fun, play around and be kids. But I really will miss them a lot. I will miss their smiles, their curiosity, their innocence. These are good, strong kids and they deserve every right to be happy and have the same educational opportunities as a kid in Shanghai.

And I also keep thinking, wow, my time here is also ending. After Chinese New Year, I am leaving China. How quickly it all went...