Surprises!! by Janet Johanssen
What should a naïve westerner expect upon arrival in a city with a population the size of Canada, with a university population of 22,000? This mother of 3 grown children and Business English Teacher had no idea.
I would soon learn that China is a country of surprises and Chongqing is a surprisingly diverse, vibrant city looking to the future with a strong remnant of the past.
We were warmly welcomed, after about 15 hours of travel from Canada, by 2 staff members of Chongqing Business and Technology University. This was the beginning of a 10-day marathon adventure.
Our team of 5 were strangers to each other but with a common desire to learn and grow and, in some small way, give of ourselves to this welcoming and challenging center of learning.
After a session of orientation and getting to know one another, we jumped into a week of observing some of the most dedicated teachers we had ever had the privilege to meet and certainly the most accomplished students this mother and teacher had encountered.
What a humbling experience it was. We were so warmly accepted by the students that at times we felt like superstars! Imagine that at 57!
What were some of the most poignant experiences? For me, one was meeting a delightful young freshman on campus who took most of his Saturday afternoon to help me find prescription sunglasses. He was in no hurry to run off to his young friends and in our time together I learned that he had been orphaned by the age of 10 and was being supported by his brother, who sells chickens, and his sister who sells combs.
He is not from the area, so does not see family at all during the academic year. My heart went out to him and I asked him whether he felt alone in the universe. He felt that he had been abandoned. As we talked he came to realize that he was not alone when his father died when he was 8 and when his mother passed away when he was 10. At that time of horrendous sorrow and loss he was loved more than he ever knew.
Another friendship which I will always treasure is with a formerly rebellious junior who feels he does not fit in. It’s true. He doesn’t. He is an independent thinker who challenges everything! During a “Listening Workshop” he questioned whether Quebec, my home province, would separate from Canada. We had a great discussion about things not always being what they appeared to be. This is a young man with extraordinary potential who continues to challenge and seek truth. What a great asset China has in him!
These were only 2 of so many precious young achievers whose hearts are open and giving. Our team shed tears more than once before we left. We experienced the heart of young China and are forever changed.
