Long Distance Christmas Card

The envelope at my door looked cryptic.  It had a bold red sticker that read “SECURITY CHECKED”.  What on earth could it be?  When I opened it, I understood.  It was a Christmas card from China.

I have blogged about my two Syracuse University graduate student house guests; Andreas the Fulbright Scholar PhD candidate from Switzerland, and new this year, Jianan Yu from China.  Jianan is working toward a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at the Crouse School of Music.   One of these days I’m hoping the intelligence of my guests rubs off on me.

This experience has taught me the world is trusting and small and even when you invite a stranger to come live with you, they are only strangers until you have the first conversation.  After that they are family.  Jianan found me via craigslist last spring and with only a few emails back and forth from her home in Dalian we put our faith in each other.  I was waiting at Hancock Airport as I promised in August.

I could listen to Jianan for hours, and I often do.  Our chats take me to China, to the customs, the cuisine, the fashion, the holidays, the differences between us all and the similarities that outnumber them.

We hear so much about China’s bold advance through the 21st century.  Listening to Jianan, you can understand why.  She expressed surprise that our high school day goes from 8:00 am till 3:15 pm.  Seniors in high school in China are at school from 9:00 am until 9:30 pm, six days per week, and not because of extracurriculars, but because of academics.  Did you hear about the Shanghai Test?  Reacting to the stunning dominance of 15 year old students in an International Assessment Test, one U.S. educator said “this is a wake up call”.   Students in Shanghai outscored all other countries in math, language and reading.  In math, the U.S. ranked 30th. We performed marginally better in language arts.  How many of our students could locate on a map the two dozen countries that scored higher than we did?

Back to the Christmas card from China.  It was a lovely greeting from Jianan’s mother Lina, whom I met in via Skype on the computer when Jianan first arrived.   Lina spent ten years in Vermont and grew to love our country.  She was determined that her only child would experience America as a young woman too, but she had understandable trepidation about launching a sweet 23 year old all the way around the world for nine straight months.  I don’t know what Jianan has told her mother about life in my home, but somehow Lina thinks it must be OK.  Here is what she wrote in rusty English:

Hi!  Maureen, How are you;   Please allow me to call you.  First of all I wish a happy holiday!  Thank God we met and let my daughter know you.  Old Chinese saying goes: the mother worried about children traveling thousands of miles.  I didn’t have this worry make but saw you.  My daughter is blessed to live here are safe.  In behalf of our loved ones home, as you say: Thank you a lot! Lina

Lina also wrote her greeting in Chinese so that Jianan could translate if necessary, but I think you get the gist of what she means.  A mother’s appreciation knows no political, cultural or linguistic bounds.  I treat Jianan as I would hope a family would treat one of mine in the same situation.

The college semester is nearly over and the Syracuse campus is quieting down.  Most students, including Andreas, will spend the break with their families.  But Jianan will be here with us.  I have purchased a fifth Christmas stocking and hung it beside Natalie, Harry, Charlie and Christian’s on the fireplace and my Christmas shopping list grew by one person this year.   My children are eager to share the holiday with this lovely dark-haired beauty from the Orient.  Oh, and the fact she plays piano like nobody’s business is an added joy as well.  One of these days I’ll upload a video of Jianan.  She is like an angel on the ivories.

Andreas will depart for Switzerland on Thursday so tonight Christian, Andreas, Jianan and myself had a celebratory dinner at Pastabilities downtown.

The howling snow, the twinkling white lights and everyone cozy and warm inside made for a magical night.

Tagged as: China, Chinese students, International students