Gavi's Last Blog (written before the Earthquake)

Jocelyn Writes:

We are in Beijing and it is our last day before returning home. So much has happened so quickly. These last few weeks have been so sad as the impact of the earthquake becomes fully understood. We have not had a chance to fully process these experiences and our final goodbyes to friends and host families.

Below is Gavi's final blog entry written before our trip to Guilin and the earthquake.

Our internet access has been limited. We are looking forward to seeing you all over the coming weeks and sharing our stories with you first hand.

Gavi Writes:

Only once before has an approaching event made me feel so excited and yet so depressed at the same time.

When I arrived here in China four months ago, I was doing everything I could to try to hold on to pieces of the life I had left behind. I listened to familiar show tunes and American pop songs and looked at pictures of the familiar faces of my friends. These and the knowledge that I would soon return home were what kept me going my first weeks here.

Now, with the end of our trip approaching much too fast I am again resorting back to my music and pictures. However, this time the music is Chinese pop and the pictures are of people here in Xi’an. And, I can no longer resort to the reassurance that I will soon return. Though I believe I will return to Xi’an someday, I cannot be sure that I will see my Xi’an friends again. These people who have taught me so much about China and Chinese culture; who have been so helpful and understanding, so gracious, selfless and loving. My friends at school, who have openly accepted me as one of them and have willingly made the hard and frustrating journey over language and cultural barriers with me. The laoshi's, our amazing Chinese teachers, who have gone above and beyond to make us feel at home. They not only taught us Chinese and Chinese culture but also took us out and about and allowed us to experience it first hand. Leaving behind all of these people I have come to love so very much will be one of the hardest things I have ever done.

However there is one thing helping me to get through this transition that I didn’t have before. I left Brookline with my family and 8 high school students. I will be leaving Xi’an with only family. But my family has nearly tripled in size. Though I no longer have the same reassurance that I will soon be returning to the place I am leaving, I now have 8 of the best older siblings anyone could ever ask for; siblings who are going through the same transition, dealing with the same pain, and experiencing the same excitement as I am. This is immensely comforting and I know it will do so much to help me board that plane back to the US.

Today, I as left the Gao Xin #1 middle school for what could be the last time in my life I looked back at the faces of two friends waving goodbye with tears in their eyes. As I made myself walk away I was reminded of a scene not too long ago that was very similar to this one. It was two different faces, and a different school that I was leaving. But it was the same type of tears and the same overwhelming feelings of love and sadness. As I left Gao Xin, my sadness was pushed aside to make room for the excitement of once again seeing those faces of my friends from Brookline. And though I knew the depression and sorrow would soon push its way back in, for the time being I couldn’t have been happier.

Last Day of School for Ben, Ayden and Gavi

Ben says:

"Even though I didn't always like school, I was sad that I had my last day of school today. The kids gave me presents and they said they would miss me. My mom brought in chocolate cupcakes and a picture of the class for each student."

Ayden Says:

"Today was my last day of school and saying goodbye to all my friends and teachers was so hard. I had my last morning exercises and my last eye exercises. My mom brought in little cupcakes for all my classmates. My classmates appreciated them. All of my classmates were disappointed that I was leaving their school. The class has been so nice and welcoming. Next time I am in school I will be at the Rashi School!
Love, Ayden

Thoughts of Home and Xi'an With the Davoudgoleh's

Jocelyn Writes:

Could it really be that we are less than three weeks away from returning home????
We have all started to remark that this is "probably our last time doing ....." as we live out the last week of our Xi'an life in China. As Ayden will tell you below, we were visited by the Davoudgoleh's this past weekend. After sharing Xi'an with Marilyn (four weeks ago) we felt like Xi'an experts as we traveled back to some of our favorite spots with Sherri, Ira, the kids and Sherri's parents Karen and Stan. It was fun to visit the Terracotta Warriors one last time. All of us never seem to tire of visiting them and thanks to the support of Madame Jiao at the Gaoxin School we have purchased a 3/4 size kneeling archer that will be joining us permanently at 66 Lawton street!

We leave for Guilin on Friday. Our adventure in Southern China begins (and ends!) with a 28 hour train ride in a soft sleeper car. Wish us luck!! We return to Xi'an on May 18th and have two days to pack, party and pack some more and then we fly to Beijing for 4 and a half days of sightseeing. On May 25th we board our Continental flight to Newark and are hoping to arrive in Boston at 10:00 PM for a good nights sleep (hah!) so we can celebrate Ariana Weinstock's Bat Mitzvah on Monday morning at 9:30 AM.

We'll be staying at Carol and Toms till the first of June and then we move back into 66 Lawton street!!

We will try and blog before we leave..... Fondly, Joc

Ayden Writes:

On Thursday and Friday my school did not have class, because it was May holiday. I don’t really know what May holiday celebrates so I can't tell you. Instead of us going to school, Goldie and her family came to visit. A couple weeks before, we went to visit Goldie and her family in Shanghai. Goldie came with her parents, her brother and her grandparents. Goldie’s grandparents don’t live in Shanghai with Goldie; they just came from Boston to visit her family.

My family has been to most of the places in Xi’an. So when we went to those places they weren’t new. Looking at sights when they are new and looking at sights for a second time is different. I have already been to the terracotta warriors two times. The first time everything was new and amazing but the second time I started to notice things that I had missed noticing the first time. For example, some of the terra cotta warriors have no hair; and some terracotta warriors have numbers written on them. I also noticed how different each one was. I think going the second time to a sight is more fun than going the first time.

Goldie, Goldie’s family, my Mom and I all went to a phenomenal show. The show had a lot of dancing and gymnastics involved. From a ten-year-old perspective the show was absolutely phenomenal. From a 40 year olds perspective the show was good. The performers in the show were doing things like Chinese dancing, playing music and acrobatics with yo-yos. One of my favorite things I did with Goldie and her family was going to that show. When Goldie left I was sad because my English speaking friend was gone
--Ayden

Bracelet Making With Caroline

A few days ago, my mom, my brother, Caroline (one of the Brookline high students) and I made toothbrush bracelets. Toothbrush bracelets are bracelets made out of toothbrushes. To make bracelets from toothbrushes, you have to be very talented and strong. Caroline the exchange student had already made toothbrush bracelets and was really good at making them. Caroline was going to teach us how to do it, and she did. It takes a lot of time to make toothbrush bracelets.

How you make toothbrush bracelets is odd. First you take them out of their package (of course!). Then you take pliers and pluck the bristles out. After you are finished taking the bristles out, then you put the toothbrushes in boiling water. The reason why is because the toothbrushes will get softer and easier to bend. Next, to finish up your bracelets, you bend them. That is the hard part. For the bending, you have to be strong. Making toothbrush bracelets is really fun.

For my birthday, Caroline made me toothbrush bracelets. One day I wore them to school and all my friends liked them. So I decided I wanted to give the girls in my class bracelets. Well, because I have 60 people in my class and thirty of them are girls, I couldn’t really make 30 bracelets so I just made 12.

Making toothbrush bracelets is very exciting and fun. I had a great time and I can’t wait to make more.

--Ayden.

PS I am coming home in 21 days (about three weeks)