Ni shi wo de hao peng you

“When I’m in *this* country, I have to make sure�” Emma said, telling a story about her transition home after her recent travels.

I was listening to her story, and it took me about three and a half seconds to process that “this country” was not China. We were crowded around a banquet table covered with rice and dumplings, drinking Tsingtao, and I had to actually pause and contemplate which friggin’ country I was in.

Cognitive displacement and/or early Alzheimer’s aside, I’m extremely happy I went to New York this weekend for our reunion. All eight of us who taught in Yantai last year were able to make it. Given our geographic dispersal and insane schedules, this was quite the trick.

I can instantly re-connect, regardless of how long we’ve been apart, with only a few people from my past. I was surprised (quite pleasantly) that this whole group now fits into that category. I figured that one out quickly once everyone arrived Friday night. I gave the first toast:

It is great to see you all again around the banquet table. After only thirty minutes together, it’s like we never left each other and never left our experience. I’m very happy to be here with you all. Gombei.

This crew is no stranger to the folly of the Gombei (”bottom’s up” in Chinese - the traditional end of a toast and the traditional downfall of wai guo ren in the Middle Kingdom), so we just sipped our drinks and kept talking.

More soon�

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