Our last day in Xi'An

We have just returned from our farewell dinner with the teachers, the head of school, the vice principals, the host families, the host students and our students. We, Mrs. Donovan, Mr Baker and I are beaming! We are so proud of the way the students represented themselves and our school! We can't stop talking about it! To a person they were poised, gracious, fun, involved the host families in the conversation at the table, which is not easy when they don't speak the language. Plates and plates of delicious food were brought to the six tables of revelers, speeches were given, toasts proposed, and hundreds of photos were taken. At the close of the dinner, every student, on their own, approached the head of school, shook his hand, and thanked him. Bliss!

To backtrack a bit- this morning we all met at school, and we were introduced and formally welcomed to the school in the courtyard. Fifteen hundred students, grades 6-12 were standing in formation during speeches by Mr. Zhang and Mr.Baker, and then our students introduced themselves, and we were off to classrooms to speak English.

After lunch at school, we boarded the bus and headed to the Goose Pagoda. Legend has it that a monk was hungry, and had no food, and a goose fell from the sky and he ate it, and as a sign of gratitude, he built the pagoda. It is a magnificent Buddhist structure, surrounded by gardens.

Everyone is back at their host families, packing and getting ready for a 6:00am departure. We have had a great time in China; we have tried new foods, seen new sights, climbed thousands upon thousands of steps, experienced the similarities and differences of our cultures, and grown in confidence, courage, and the wealth that comes from new friendships. We would go anywhere with Henry, Safya, Tobias, Max, Lily, Blake, Sam, Margaret and Tuti anytime- they are terrific travelers!

Jan Baker