Sunny

I would like to introduce an awesome student at my school.  Her name is Sunny, and although she is not even one of my students, nor one of Mary’s, she has become one of my best friends at site. Let me tell you how we met.

On my birthday, I was walking back from my classes and as I started to walk past the back of the administration building, I hear someone calling my name.  I look left, and right, and I see nobody.  My name is called again, and I look up to see a girl in a black and white striped sweater waving at me from the fourth or fifth floor of the building.  I wave back, thinking it must be one of my students (I have so many that I often don’t recognize them).  She asks me to please wait for me outside the building, so I stop and a few minutes later she comes running out.  She introduces herself to me and as we start walking, she tells me how excited she is to meet me- a foreigner, wow!  I hear this from a lot of students but I was struck by Sunny’s enthusiasm, especially when I realized she wasn’t one of my students after all.  The fact that she sought me out so energetically was a big deal considering that most students are too shy to even say hello.  On a whim, I mentioned to her that it was my birthday and that she should come eat dinner with me, Mary and some students.  When she heard it was my birthday, she got so excited.  I gave her my phone number and said goodbye.  A short time later, she shows up at my apartment with a bag of candy and marshmallows, and beautiful card with a lovely long note expressing her desire that we can be friends and that I can “love China, love my school, and love me,” the whole thing punctuated with a joyful “come on!” (I’m not exactly sure what the translation should be but it’s my favorite part of the note).

"Happy Birthday to you! Come on!"

My cozy new friends

      Since then, she has come over a few times, and last week she came to give me a pair of cute and comfy slippers that I now wear every day.  She also showed me a Chinese movie called “The Love Song of Kangding.”  Coincidentally, my LCFs (Language and Culture Facilitators) had taught us PCVs the song it’s based on during language training in PST.  Sunny’s a really sweet and energetic girl, and I’m really grateful to have her as a friend.  There are a few students like her that are not too shy to talk to me, and I really appreciate it.  It’s a nice break from the stares and nervous glances I get from most of the students.