12.17.2012

'cause seriously, these 52 kids are the best thing that's ever happened to me.


and how is there a proper way to say goodbye to that?

today i stood on daguanghua's stage with confetti raining down on me, in front of my cheering kids, and i've probably never felt more complete.
they're beautiful and every second with them was worth it, even the seconds where i was yelling or frustrated or tired. because of the "i love you twenty hundred"s and biggest hugs i've ever gotten,
"good morning teacha hannnnnnah"s, funky chickens, nose beeps, & gangnam style.
because i can guarantee that gangnam style means nothing to you unless you lived in china during it's height. unless you've heard the young and old alike sing "heeeeyyyyyy sesssy layday!"
the people--the kids--are the reason i love china so much. 
i <3 eu, "oh teacher, you are not going to america. you are just going to beijing, okay?", hatin' on japan, baby & party in the u.s.a.
china and my children have given me more unconditional love, purpose, and joy then any other place or group i've been with. on thursday i'm going to wake up in america and i will be so happy to be there, but i will not be their teacher anymore. who will i be then?
i guess i'll always be teacher hannah. 

"do you still want to be a magician when you grow up?"
"no, when i grow up i want to be an american."

wo ai ni.
i'll love you long after you're gone.

2 comments:

Kimberly Noelle said...

I think you should just stay.
Okay, I don't think your family would like that very much.
But I think you should just stay anyway. :)

z said...

Hey hun! I just nominated you for the liebster blog award!

http://kianabates.blogspot.com/2012/12/liebster-award.html