One World in One Room in One Night -- International Banquet

I am not used to speak like some of the American do: "It's SO pretty!","They are SO noisy!", "Thank you SO much!" along with a shrug and a big smile. But I should admit that I was SO happy and SO excited to see the wonderful International Dinner with people from 56 countries and regions.

It's a real banquet, a banquet for eyes, ears and tongues.

It's a visual banquet: enter the brand new ball room, students dressed up in their colorful traditional clothes from Europe to Africa, from Asia to Pacific Islands, North America to Australia. They are SO beautiful, SO energetic, SO young, So gorgeous ! They make the ball room SO lively!

It's a audial banquet: clinking the accessories that I know or know, Indian group's steady-state romantic dance with music; Saudi team's enchanting Wedding Ceremony described the wedding tradition so vividly by sound and pictures, etc.

It's a real banquet for your tastes: have a taste of "real" international food from Grace to China, Saudi to Japan. My taste bud kept dancing and I was sure that my diet plan would postponed to another week for it's a real banquet.

To put one world in one room in one night! VU, you did it! I am proud of you!

China Trip

To go to China for recruiting is always exciting! I not only miss the yummy food, lovely students and parents but also the opportunity to see how fast my country has developed and how much it has changed since my last visit which is only one year ago.

It's been only one year, but I still could see big changes in most of the cities that I have visited in the 20 days. Construction is everywhere, people look busy with their work and happy with their lives.

2008 is an incredible year for China and Chinese people. For me, 2008 is full of tears: Happy tears and sad tears. Tears for the families who have to suffer from the loss of their loved ones caused by the earthquake, tears when I watched the Olympic. I kept on saying: China, be strong! Keep on going! It's your turn to show the rest of the world you are developing, your are growing, it's your turn to get onto the global stage which you should be on after a long history of humiliating. No matter where I am, I know for sure, my root is in China, I have Chinese heritage. China: I love you no matter you are poor or rich, healthy or weak.

The trip was productive and successful but of course there were always something unexpected happening; such as I missed the bus to go to Chicago O' Hare airport due to a traffic jam early in the morning and had to drive to the airport. Dean O and I missed the airplane to go to Changchun because we were 5 minutes late for check in (but there was no indication on our e-tickets). Scott could not get money out of his U.S bank account from Nanjing, etc. But, I was lucky to have such 2 positive, flexible and happy people on my team. To visit 7 cities in 15 days is not a task that some people would like to even try, but they not only made the trip meaningful but also full of laughter. Thank you Dean O and Scott!

I don't want to make my first blog so long and boring, but we really had good time in China and love to go back anytime.