Monday, 14 July 2008

Prodigal teachers (warning - may contain tears)

After arriving in Guangzhou airport, we hopped in a taxi who got lost. I kept pointing out roadsigns to him, but he didn't want to take advice from a foreigner obviously, though it would probably have been a better idea than driving around and asking the nearest person when he rolled down the window where to go. In the end we followed a motorbike taxi.
It felt so good to get back to the school, like returning home, which indeed I was as Nanguang has been my home for 5 months now. I bounced around with a grin on my face and snuck up on some of the teachers to announce our arrival. We were met by broad smiles.
We extricated ourselves and went to none other than our noodle place for dinner. Not much else can be said of our evening. It was rounded off by creating a makeshift bed for Craig, blaring some well missed music and writing more postcards. I rose early the next morning which had more to do with the stampeding noise of children than my alarm clock. Craig and I went out. I bought some sunglasses as I broke my 3rd pair on the train to Huangshan and have been fed up of squinting ever since. I also went to the post office to get rid of the mound of postcards that had been building up.
Upon returning to the school I knocked up a bowl of couscous to keep me going before heading up to my beloved P6 to do my very best to help before the ceremony. I helped a few boys with their make-up which entertained me far more than the girls, I let Craig experiment with mohicans on some students, generally chatted and put lipstick on Craig. After realising that I was more in the way than of any use to anybody I removed myself to my K3 class.
I couldn't even make it through the doorway before the dozen or so students in the room at the time flung themselves at me, on me, around me, with cries of 'Seona!!' As much as I may complain about this kind of rough treatment it would all be in vain because anybody who knows me will now that I loved the attention. The second half of the class arrived and the process was repeated. I hadn't realised how much I missed that class, with my little darlings, Martin smothering me in kisses, Jason attempting to sit on my knee whether I was sat down or not, Jacky claiming piggy back rides, the boy I don't know the name of attaching himself like superglue to my leg and Trent just being around. of course the girls were all affectionate too, and they got their share of attention but just had not won my heart as my boys had done. We had to leave as the class were preparing to be ferried to the theatre by school bus. We waited downstairs and came across Candy, a P1C girl in tears. Having no clue why, I picked her up and Izzie and I went through if you're happy and you know it. We made it as silly as possible and eventually she joined in with 'if you're happy and you know it, hit Craig' the tears stopped and she introduced us to her little brother. There may even have been a smile as she left with her class.
We went into P1B's classroom where Kaka was, a most fantastic person if ever I met one, and we had a bit of a banter with the students. She translated my question about who wanted to come home to England with me. I should probably warn my mother about the arrival of the 14 kids who not only screamed yes but charged at me as if I were to whisk them away that very moment.
Craig, at this point had been left to the mercy of P2A boys and they are merciless. I entertained the girls by being my usual silly self and one straggling P6 girl told me how stupid I looked. We managed to get onto a bus. 14 seats and 25 people makes an interesting journey, though thankfully not a long one. I was sat on Izzie's knee and she is more than happy to vouch for the following achievement - I no longer have a bony bum! Score!
We reached the theatre and students were milling around everywhere, half backstage and half not caring. I spied some boards detailing the school around and went for a nosy only to discover some rather awful pictures of myself upon them. I knew nothing good could come from there being a camera in the classroom. There were a few nice non-candid photos though. I do believe that these photos may have been the explanation for the nods and smiles I had been receiving from what I can only assume were parents.
I posed with a few students for an endless stream of snap happy people, debated with P3 over whether Craig was my boyfriend or not (I won this one in the end by telling them he was Isobel's boyfriend) and came across my kindergarten class all over again.
I was filled with my share of felicity and elation at being surrounded by students who were hugging me and telling me that they had missed me.
I seated myself once realising that the show had begun. I watched every act with a sense of pride and joy with a tint of sadness too. My favourite had to be the dance to Dr. Jones as I had seen it practised so many times, plus it was such a cheesy song!
We hopped into a school bus to be ferried back to the school. We immediately went up to P6 as it had been their graduation. We came across only a few students all in varying states of melancholy. Mary and Candy were in tears, so we comforted them and hugged them. It was only after a while that I noticed the huddle of boys in the corner. My heart went out completely upon seeing Kenny (who I must confess had been a favourite) crying. I went over and he just wrapped his arms around me. I used this moment to teach the concept of a group hug. I was beyond the brink of tears, even manly man M-I-K-E Mike was doing his best to hold back the waterworks. Another girl came in crying and came over to hug me and said "I miss you Seona"
I hadn't realised how attached I had become to the school and each of it's pupils, even ones I do not know the names of still, but they have taken a place so deeply ingrained in my heart that I feel it is a part of me.
We eventually had to leave the classroom and found Marina, one of our colleagues, downstairs. She has become a dear friend of ours and we of hers and she also was reduced to tears by the idea of our leaving. This goodbye was so much more emotional as this time, it was a final goodbye.

No comments:

Post a Comment