Dr. Kari Stubbs meets Roger at Guiyang Experimental Highschool #3

After the exercises ended, I had one of my most memorable experiences of this trip! I was mobbed by a group of girls. They were part of the same pack that I’d seen on the earlier 10 minute break. One girl introduced herself to me. In English, her name is Roger. Roger touched me in a very special way. She told me how beautiful I was and how pleased she was to meet me. She asked if I liked her school and her culture. I was able to capture a short interview with her on my video camera. After we taped it, I played it back to the group of a dozen girls. They were all crowded around me, giggling with their hands to their faces, and amazed. Roger then invited me to visit her class. She answered questions about school in China, and then we exchanged addresses and phone numbers. I told the group that I’d been in China for 5 days and that I liked their culture. I asked about their school. Roger lives 17 kilometers from the school, and studies politics, math, civics. She is with the same set of teachers for two years. Their school doesn’t have lockers, and they keep their supplies in the classrooms. I told Roger and her friends that their school was very large and beautiful. She said that the number one school in the area was much larger. The break was nearly over, and I asked if I could please give her a hug. The sense of warmth, love, and admiration that washed over me was indescribable. She gave me the sweetest hug, while her little friends stood around smiling, and giggling. Then I received a flood of hugs from the girls. Some individual hugs, some group hugs… they were so genuinely pleased to have spent a few minutes with me talking about their school. I’ve never felt such instant love from a group of strangers in my life. The experience brought me to tears. I do hope that I can stay in touch with sweet Roger.