A people of great heart
JISHOU, HUNAN — I’ve commented before on the hospitality and kindness individuals have shown me here. One of my freshmen handed me this note at the end of class yesterday. I’ll let it speak for itself. I have removed her name and phone for obvious reasons.
Dear Mr Wheaton,
I want to tell you something in my heart. I thought you were a person in a film when I first saw you. Although you are my teacher, even sometimes you are beside me, I feel you are so far away, like a person not in real life. I can’t get your age from your appearance, maybe you are old. In my childhood, I read some poems written by some Chinese living abroad. I can understand their feelings. So I can understand you. I hope you have a good life here, being happy and having many friends. If you have some difficulties, like language, shoping and so on, I’m glad to help you at any time.
Your student,
xxxxxMy phone number is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Need help, call me!
Along the same lines, while returning from the supermarket last night, I bumped into a young couple from Germany on campus. Both medical students, they had gone sightseeing and gotten lost downtown. One of our students ran into them, brought them to campus by taxi, and was proceeding to arrange for their train tickets when I walked up. She was then going to accompany them to the train station to ensure they got their tickets and boarded the right train.
