Say Goodbye to Chengdu

I woke during the early hours of this morning with a sudden rush; loud banging noises could be heard from right outside my window. My mind raced with possibilities: either there had been an earthquake or the Chinese scaffolding men had begun their work. It turned out to be the latter. I couldn’t complain, however, for the first time in almost two months I was waking up in my own bed, in my own apartment and at my own placement site.

Chris and I departed yesterday with our own personal escort as members of the Yibin University Foreign Affairs office had personally arrived to take us back. With their help we lugged all of our possessions into a black sedan and waved goodbye to our fellow volunteers and the city of Chengdu.

It was not easy saying goodbye. Many of us would be at sites by ourselves, or with a site mate we did not entirely know. For two months we had shared many experiences with our fellow volunteers, sharing stories and confiding in each other’s frustrations while in a new environment. Many of us had become very close and it would not be easy to see that all slip away once more.

Our joint nostalgia was compounded by the fact that we had spent our last week in Chengdu together. All four groups, which had previously been separate, were joined together again at a hotel in center city. From Tuesday to Friday we completed many last minute seminars and ceremonial activities, including a swearing in ceremony lead by the Charge D’Affairs, or the Deputy Ambassador, of the U.S. Embassy to China. Also in attendance were the Ambassador for the Shanghai Expo and the Consul General of the Chengdu Consulate. During the ceremony, many of us showed off our Qi Paos and Tang Zhuangs, these being the male and female Chinese silk outfits used ceremoniously for centuries throughout China. My own Chinese silk jacket was black, with many golden dragons racing along the back and front. The cuffs were burgundy red and its collar extended slightly above my shoulders. Each color had its own meaning, though I had not personally considered it much before I chose it. Traditionally, however, black meant mourning, and I have had to explain several times that I chose it due to its popularity among Chinese pop-stars, and because I thought the color looked better than purple (sorry Fred).

The swearing in ceremony turned out to be an excellent time to ask questions to the honored guests. Soon after the Deputy Ambassador had read us our duties, many of us were anxious to inquire about the Shanghai Expo and U.S.-China relations.

“Have you had any heartening experiences during the Shanghai Expo?” asked one of the volunteers. “Every day,” responded the Shanghai Expo Ambassador. He then explained an instance when a very young rural girl had been videotaped inside one of the exhibitions. The girl had been given a new home in Shanghai after her home was lost during an earthquake. After her picture reached the web, Chinese netizens, a term used to describe the enormous amount of Chinese net surfers, soon dubbed her the prettiest Chinese girl in China. She later told the press that her favorite exhibition was that of the U.S.

I was anxious to ask my own questions regarding U.S.-China relations and soon after addressed the deputy ambassador on how he felt the Peace Corps had influenced relations between the two nations. I was surprised and honored to have three responses, one from the Deputy Ambassador, and two from the director of Peace Corps China and the Expo Ambassador. Each was passionate about the ability of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) to influence America’s understanding of China, and also of current Peace Corps Volunteers ability to influence Chinese understandings of the U.S. This was in fact one of the major reasons why Peace Corps was in China and it was nice to hear that it was having an impact on diplomatic relations.

Following the swearing in ceremony each of the volunteers and honored guests proceeded to a large dining hall. While there, Peace Corps volunteers heard speeches from the Deputy Ambassador and the director of PC China herself. It was the final ceremony before we left for our host sites and many of us seemed slightly on edge. The hall was filled with teachers, administrators, guests and volunteers. Even the local media had arrived and asked to speak with some of the volunteers. Since it was a Peace Corps event, and many of our statements as PC volunteers were expected to represent those of the U.S. first and ourselves second, we had to be mindful of what we said. In the end two people were chosen to speak with the press, and since I had the prettiest Qi Pao I got to be one of them.

The interview was hectic and we were bombarded with questions: “What will you do after you leave Chengdu?” asked the first interviewer. “What do you think of your host city? Why did you wear a Qi Pao today? Can you speak Chinese?” My friend Katie D’Souza and I answered each question honestly and with a mixture of Chinese and English. Later they would ask us to speak entirely in Chinese, but at first we were rather nervous and they didn’t entirely expect us to know how.

Katie ran the show and answered all the questions in stride. I observed her with my jaw slightly open, unable to comprehend how she could handle herself so well. When they eventually got to me I stumbled a bit but got my basic points across: “I am going to Yibin to teach English and to help Chinese understand American culture. It is also important for us to understand Chinese culture.” The interviewer nodded his head and thrust his microphone closer. “What did you think of Yibin? Is there anything there that you particularly liked?” I nodded affirmatively. “Yibin had lots of nice things,” I responded, “the head of the Yangze, Bamboo Forests and…um…oh their Bai Jiu, it’s number one!” They laughed and afterwards I had time to think over my responses. My god, I thought, shaking my head, even Chinese think my jokes are corny.

After the ceremony ended we all gave our hugs and kisses and said goodbye. It was emotional but it was the 21st century; most of us had Skype and cell phones, and could stay within instant communication.

Now, back at my apartment, I am currently wondering how to reorganize my life. I have some minor apartment cleaning to do but nothing overwhelming. My major concern is buckling down, creating new lesson plans and continuing my studies of the Chinese language. The students are filtering back on to campus, arranging their class schedules and moving into their dorms. In just a few weeks classes will start and I will be their teacher. I hope that here, at this new site, I can meet just as many amazing people as I did in Chengdu.

A clip from the banquet:
http://v.ku6.com/show/EGeHFKmNf4Quitac.html