Wonders of China: "The End"

Attention all: The rumors are true! I am home! I am officially on American soil.

Oh the bitter sweetness of it all. It is difficult the feelings I am experiencing. It also hasn’t really sunk in that I am home, and even more so that when I wake up, I will not be in China. It is exciting to be home, it really is, but the fact that I have left Shanghai, and I have left my dear Chen Chen, and sweet Jessie, and darling Xiao Bao, and rowdy Tian Tian, and crazy Yu Fei, and ridiculous Yo yo, and the list goes on...it is so hard to take in.

It is approximately 4:30am and I decided to write this blog because 1) I have jet lag like crazy and can’t sleep, and 2) I don’t want to do my homework. I am not really sure how to begin this blog, as I feel there is too much to say. I will try not to write another blog like the Beijing post, that I’m sure most of you couldn’t even finish, due to it’s length. I apologize for that, but it will be nice that I will have the details to look back on. As for this blog, I will try to sum things up, and if I want to remember other details, I will write them separately.

After returning from Beijing, things were more at a slow pace for me. Work had reduced my classes to give to other instructors and to start to wean me off, so they wouldn’t feel it hard to fill all my classes once I left. It came to the point where I was only teaching Music, and one Play class during the week. I didn’t even really teach the Play class though because Faming was to be taking it over when I left and he would “try on” every week until I left. Similar things were happening with my Music classes, as Jessie and Jo jo were trying on the classes they would be taking over, but not all of them, so I was still able to teach a few on my own. The last few weeks of teaching Music were really fun, singing African and Disco songs. African was a blast, and even though I thought Disco would be weird for babies and toddlers, but it was really great actually. I had time to work on homework, but not much because I was busy with the Yoga Fun lesson plans. I was able to finish them, but then just days before I left, Christine asked for a few more things regarding the class – documents, lists, recordings, etc. I was able to get some of them to her before I left, but not all, due to lack of time. I did offer my support via Skype and email after I left though, in case they still had questions and such. Writing these lesson plans were a pain, but a good experience. It will also be great to have in my portfolio and to put on my resume.

When I returned from Beijing I found that the center was playing a game together. It was called “Angel and Master”, or something like that – translated from Chinese. Everyone was assigned a master, to be their angel. So you would be the angel of someone, and someone was to be your angel. This was all done in secrecy of course. I was assigned Christine as my master, which was probably a good thing because I hadn’t been able to stand her as of late. The game forced me to do nice and thoughtful things for her, which was a good thing. We also had a message board in the lunch room where you could leave a note for your angel or master, maybe requesting things from your angel, or thanking them for the things they’ve done.

I left plenty of notes for my angel, both in Chinese and English, but was a little disappointed when I received no gifts, treats, kind acts, or any response at all. I later found out that a consultant who was assigned to be my angel had quit while I was in Beijing, so that was sort of a bummer, but it was still fun to do nice things for Christine in secrecy. She had no idea it was me and thought I was a great angel!

Hmm, what other things was I able to do in my last month in Shanghai? Chris, Matt, and I spent a lovely Thanksgiving together, in case you were wondering how my Thanksgiving was. We went to dinner and to the top of the Pearl, which was on both Chris and mine’s to-do list.

At the top of the Pearl!

There was a room that was just on the outside of the building completely clear glass/plastic, even the floor. It was cold, but super awesome! It was a little scary looking down to the great city of Shanghai under our feet, but quite the experience.

Chris and Matt were really fun to hang out with, and Chris and I have actually become good friends – surprisingly.

Adu and William (Faming or Fa Mier – sorry so many different names) helped me to do some shopping on one of my last off days. Jo jo had bought me a beautiful ring as a gift - red braided, traditional, with a real gold charm (my first real gold jewelry). Sadly, I lost it right after returning from Beijing. I had left it in the restroom at church (which is not really a church but a big business building, mind you). I looked in the lost-and-found for weeks, asked everyone, and sent out emails to all the relief society of both branches that meet in that building – I was pretty desperate to find it. Sadly, I was not able to do so. So, I went ahead and bought another one, not wanting to offend Jo jo. This ring wasn’t horribly expensive, but not really cheap either. It cost me a little more than 350rmb – which is only about $60, but compared to most everything else in China which is so cheap, it was a little more on the expensive side, especially just for a tiny little ring. Adu and William went with me to Yuyuan Garden to find it, and to do some other Christmas shopping.

It was quite cold the last few weeks in Shanghai. I had a good coat and a warm bed, but my apartment’s air conditioner/heater had broken, so I was a bit chili the last few weeks. I had told work, who is supposed to take care of things like that, but they figured I was leaving so soon, it wasn’t really worth the trouble. Against my mother’s will, I didn’t complain much more and just let it be, trying to keep warm in the mornings with hot milk and gloves. William is a sweet heart and got me a going away/Christmas present of an awesome hat, scarf, and gloves. Chen Chen had bought the same kind of hat earlier and so now we have matching hats!

As for Adu, I had to have a little DTR (Determine The Relationship talk) with him before I left. Apparently in China, if you hold hands or do anything flirtatious with someone of the opposite sex, you are automatically boyfriend/girlfriend and in a serious relationship – that is something I did not know. I had to explain to Adu that although I liked him, I was indeed leaving for the states soon and that for him to hope for anything more after my departure was unrealistic and unlikely. He took it rather well and was very sensible about the whole situation. I was afraid he would be hurt and not want to continue to be friends. Although it was hard to hear, he was still the kind friend that he is and took it well and wanted to continue our friendship we have while I was still in China and after I return home. I was really worried that he would be too hurt and then all his roommates (Lincoln, Chen Chen, and William) would side with him and not want to be friends with me anymore. Thank goodness that was not the case at all.

Moving out was crazy. I had so many things in my apartment that were not mine. DeAnna and Josh were the interns before me and they had borrowed quite a few things from their branch members who, although they lived close to me, I had gone to the other branch due to work schedule, so I had no idea who these people were. DeAnna was helpful though as she provided a list of things to return as well as the contact info for the people who they had borrowed everything from. The sweet family lived just one subway stop away from me and Sherry, William, and Adu came to help me move things so it wasn’t too bad, even though it was a lot of stuff. I actually had to make two trips to return all the items on two different days – which is a good thing because I don’t it all would have fit in one taxi cab.

So I was at the final week – the hardest part? Saying goodbye. After each of my classes, I would explain to the parents that I was returning to America and wouldn’t be back. I was then able to gather and take a photo with the class, all except one of my classes.

Music 3

Music 2

The children didn’t really understand, being too young, but some of the parents were very sweet and quite sad to see me go. I had quite a hard time saying goodbye to my favorite children:

Xiao Bao

Chen Chen

A Tong Mu

Yo Yo

Sunday was my last work day and we were able to take photos together in our uniforms (all except Leona who returned from Hong Kong the next day).

That day an American trainer from San Francisco had come to observe some of our classes, so we also took some pictures with her. She came to observe one of my classes, which was really Leona’s class which I was covering for her, and I’ll be honest, it was pretty terrible. I was embarrassed that she observed such a ridiculous class – the parents ignoring me, the children uninvolved, and parents breaking class policies. Oh well, I didn’t care too much because it wasn’t my class and it was my last day anyway. My very last class was my Music 3 class, which is children ages 3 to 5.

Oh my goodness, what a great class! It was a great ending to such a wonderful internship at Gymboree Play and Music. Yo yo even recorded some of the class on her camera, but I don’t have a copy. I was able to get a copy of the recording of my M3 class on Wednesday though (my favorite class), so that is really nice to have to look back on. I would post it, but it’s 45 minutes long...

Monday, I finished packing up my apartment and then headed to work for lunch with my co-workers. Leona was back from Hong Kong and even Niki came for my farewell lunch. We went to a nice restaurant, delicious food! At the restaurant, each co-worker, one at a time, slowly kept adding small items in the middle of the table. I was quite confused at first, getting the most random presents. A panda bag, miniature clothespins, small stickers, batteries, a strange lens – I was really lost. Then one co-worker placed some Polaroid film on the table. Oh my goodness, yes, my co-workers were holding out on me, making the suspense grow, but finally Christina placed a new, panda Fujifilm Polaroid camera on the table. I couldn’t believe it! Niki had a Polaroid camera and when I saw it once I had made such a big deal of how much I liked it and how I wanted to buy one and asking where and how much and to know if it was cheaper in China or in the states. I was quite fascinated with it at the time, but then decided I didn’t have the money, so I had forgotten about it. My face when I realized they had gotten one for me...and not just the camera, but everything that I needed with it! They even got me a special maker that can write on the back of the film.

So we headed back to the center and before saying goodbye, I took a group photo with everyone, and then one with each instructor individually – writing a personal message on the back of each expressing how much I loved them and how I would miss them. They then all signed the back of the group photo, which was for me to keep. After photos, we finally faced the inevitable and started to say goodbye. The first person I hugged goodbye was Jessie – bad choice.

Me and Jessie! I love her so much!

I absolutely adore Jessie and the thought of never seeing her again made the tears flow without control. I was sobbing, and soon pretty much everyone else was too. I then proceeded to say goodbye to Christine, Yo yo, and Sherry. I was to stay with Chen Chen and William that night at their apartment, so thank goodness I didn’t have to say goodbye to them too, not yet at least. Leona was working half day and walked with me to the Subway station before saying goodbye, where I also struggled to hold back tears. I headed back to my apartment to meet with Adu, where he helped me take the last few things over to the Puxi member's house and then to take all my things through the subway back to his apartment. I will tell you that one trip with all my luggage was one too many times, and that helped me to decide that we would be taking a taxi to the Airport in the morning, even though it was about 100rmb more. We had a lovely dinner and a nice last evening together. We took pictures together as a group, but they were on Lincoln’s camera. I will have to have Chen Chen send me copies.

In the morning, Chen Chen headed to work, so we had to say goodbye on the sidewalk outside her apartment as she headed to the subway and William hailed a taxi for us. I didn’t cry this time, but it was hard to not to. It wasn’t quite as sad saying goodbye to Chen Chen because I know we will stay in touch, and I am positive we will see each other again. She has a strong desire to travel to the U.S. someday and I have convinced her that Utah is the place to come! If I ever return to China, seeing her is the first thing on my list. Adu and William accompanied me to the airport and sent me off. I gave a hug to both of them. I was worried it would be awkward saying goodbye to Adu, but it was simple and sweet, just as saying goodbye to a good friend should be.

The plane rides were long. I flew to Beijing, had a layover for 2 hours there, then flew to San Francisco (an 11.5 hour flight) where I had to go through customs and recheck my luggage and had another 2 hour layover, then finally arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah. The flights were long and I grew tired of sitting, but I was also able to see a beautiful sunset and a gorgeous sunrise.

The group waiting to greet me in the airport was overwhelmingly wonderful. The group totaled 16 people...wow! Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Ariana, Morgan, Chris, Wesley, Ashley, Elaina, Vanessa, Susan, Padre, Korbin, Aniston, Kimi, and Craig. It was so exciting to see everyone, especially the nieces and nephew! Grandparents had to quickly take off and Padre and Susan (and Korbin and Aniston) had to go because Padre had a class to teach, but the rest of us headed to a nearby Zupas for dinner. I had requested Zupas as my first meal back in the states – one of my favorite restaurants. It was very delicious, but upset my stomach a little bit. I guess I need some time to used to altitude and food and everything again. After dinner we headed home where my friends Justin, Kevin, and Emma came by to say hello! Michael and Jodi also called on Skype to say hello to me! It was overwhelming, but pretty great. I couldn’t chat for too long though, as I had homework to get done. I had an assignment due at 11:59pm online. I clicked the submit button at exactly midnight, and so my assignment was late, not being able to be submitted. I emailed my professor explaining that I had just gotten back from the other side of the world and emailed him the assignment personally, but I doubt he will accept it. Oh well, even without I will still pass the class, just with a lower grade than I was hoping. I still have one more assignment due for my other online class that needs to be in my Thursday night, so hopefully I can get that one in on time.

Like I said, it still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m home, but I guess it’s good to be back. I am afraid I am going to go through some deep PCD (Post China Depression) over the next few weeks, but hopefully I can adjust fairly well. I need to get looking for a job and then finalize everything for school next month. I’m hoping to keep myself busy enough that I wont have time to be depressed about leaving China. The only problem is being awake all night – I really need to readjust my sleep clock, and soon. I miss my students in China already, and my heart aches for dear friends, even though it’s only been a day. I am very excited to get back into life here in Utah though, and am excited for the holidays with family and friends!

I just want to wrap this blog up with one more thing, one very important thing: my testimony.

I know for a fact that my Heavenly Father knows who I am and that He loves me. There is no way I could have ever had this experience in China if it weren’t for His hand in my life. He loves His children, and is preparing the time when the fullness of the Gospel of His son Jesus Christ will be allowed into all lands and to be accepted into the hearts of all of His children. My Savior loves me and has done so much for me. Every day I try to live up to the blessings He has given me, but I fall short every time. And yet, every day, He continues to love and bless me. I have a testimony of the sanctity of the family and that it is an essential unit in Heavenly Father’s plan for us. I pray for all of His children to come unto the Savior and accept their love. This opportunity has been not only a blessing in regards to my education and future career, but as a preparation for serving as a full-time missionary. I know the Lord wants me to help share His gospel to all the world, and this time in China has helped prepare me for that, and also planted in me a great desire to teach His children. I love you all and thank you for your support. Merry Christmas – and I hope that during this time we can let our hearts be filled with the true meaning of this beautiful holiday. May God be with you always.

With love from all my heart,

Alyssa Nicole Escalante

Wo ai zhong guo! Zai jian!