Family Day

The students met in the lobby at 9am on Sunday morning. Each student was then paired up with a Chinese high school student and his or her family. The high school students are all students of English at the foreign language high school connected to GXNU. The school is exceptionally good, with a very good reputation throughout the province and the students’ mastery of English was incredible.

Each student from the University of Washington got to have a unique experience because even though the Chinese students were told to take their visitors to their homes, many of their families chose to entertain the UW students outside around Guilin first. Some students visited parks that the UW group hasn’t yet been to, others visited other caves like the Reed Flute Cave and still others were treated to steak dinners. Other students had a much quieter experience, visiting a Chinese home. Some students came back talking of family lunches where three or four generations came together to have the Sunday afternoon meal together.

Every UW student returned completely amazed by the work ethic of his or her new Chinese friend. Many of the Chinese students have been working towards a career related to foreign languages since kindergarten. GXNU has an experimental kindergarten, elementary school and high school connected to it so that younger students at all ages can have access to the best opportunities to study foreign languages. These students have no other interest and will study nothing else but foreign language in college. Almost every UW student returned telling of how his or her new Chinese friend wants more than anything to go abroad. The Chinese students are still only 14 and 15 years old and their families are very uncertain about letting their children go abroad at only 18 years of age, but the students are still very determined.

Many of the goodbyes between UW students and Chinese students were somewhat sad, but the high school children will be invited to the farewell party and everyone will have another chance to talk and visit.

That evening the group went to the LiJiang Theater to see a performance of singing, dancing, acrobatics and other tricks all showcasing the great cultural variety of the ethnic minorities of Guangxi province.