By Manlin Yu
 
How time flies. Our exchange group from Loudi [said] good bye to American friends very soon. Facing the vast grassland extending as far as the eye can see and elegantly winding road, a variety of sweet memories rush to my mind.

 (L-R) Richard He, The D'Alessios (Manlin's host parents), Melissa Krull and Conn McCartan

[U]pon getting off the plane landed in Minnesota, we were attracted by a large sheet of colors. Immediately, we dragged our luggage bags, excitedly running to the colored welcoming board prepared by our host families.
 
“Welcome, Manlin!” blue-eyed Dad said to me enthusiastically, and then introduced his other family members who came to the airport.
 
“Then what do you want to eat at home during these ten days?”
 
I pieced together the English sentences and said “I want to eat what you eat.” At once, they all laughed.
 
“I knew you would say that, great!” Mom, who is very tall, vigorous and graceful, said.
 
From then on, a seemingly perfect life began: no homework, no test, every day we traveled a lot and enjoyed the delicious meals prepared for us with great care. Moreover, with a view to building up the emotion between me and my brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad particularly took me to their vegetable garden, which was carefully looked after by them. The vegetable garden isn’t very big and just next to the road. There are green beans, tomatoes, carrots and many other vegetables in the garden. When I saw these vegetables I had eaten in China for many years, I felt as if I just had seen my relatives! Although there was plenty of dust upon the leaves, I can’t help going into the garden.
 
In that vegetable garden, I carried water and watered the vegetables with my brothers and sisters. We knew each other and gradually got on well with each other. In that flying yellow dust, the sweat we dropped and the laugh we made indicated the fact that in Minnesota, not only have I known vegetables, but also many relatives who love me and care about me. Also, I had a good time there.
 
What a sweet time! But now, I am dragging luggage bags which were filled with lots of souvenirs and blessings from my host family, waiting for the school bus taking us to leave from at the gate of the restaurant.
 
Dear friends, how unwilling I am to part with you! Blonde hair and black hair embrace tightly or take photos with each other. This scene, a year ago, also appeared at the gate of Loudi No.1 high school, when our teachers, parents and us said goodbye to the friends from Minnesota. A year later, we came to Minnesota, feeling the strong love between Chinese and American. Oh, what happened on the day we went to Mall of America with the children of our host families was just like [it] took place yesterday! 

Manlin (front) got a certificate from (back L-R) Eden Prairie High School Principal Conn McCartan, CHINAINSIGHT President Richard He, and Eden Prairie School District Superintendent Melissa Krull.

At that day, I really got up early for going to the amusement park. In the park, we tried many exciting games, experienced the happiness that the heart seems to miss a beat. I followed the American friends to the next plot of games with my legs trembling. But, my friends please [remember] that I was the only Chinese student who didn’t yell when trying the Pirate Boat!
 
Ah, ah, remembering these, I begin to laugh. Suddenly, my friends push me, I just find that the bus is coming, we should leave! Dad and Mom lead me to a quiet place, giving me a red envelope which contains a letter to my parents.
 
“You must remember to come back to see us!”
 
“When we are old, you will come to see us, right!”
 
“Remember, we love you. You are welcomed to America at any time, so are your parents!”
 
Tears fall from Mom’s eyes, Dad’s eyes [are] also misty. Then they turn back to help me drag [and] push my luggage. They went along at the front; I thought it was probably that they didn’t want me to see their tears!
 
I am not a person who is easy to fall tears. But today and at this time, I am really [choked] with my emotions, and tears moisten my eyes many times.
 
We got on the bus, still waving hands continuously. Yes, everyone wanted to cry, but we couldn’t cry! We should show them the most beautiful us, we must survey them again! Regardless of whether we can meet them in [the] future or not.
 
Mom held little Henry to say goodbye to me. My tears can’t help falling down my cheeks. Nearly every photo Mom took for me [has] little Henry in it. He often said to me: “I love you!” Facing the love of Mom and Henry, the scene that mom [woke] me up every morning appeared in my brain again.
 
During the ten days, I could not get up on time. However, the school required [us to be] at school at 8:30 [a.m.]. Mom has spent a lot of time in waking me up. On the first day, she came to my bed, gently speaking to me and hoping to wake me up, but I didn’t have any response to her efforts. So she [shook] me. I was still motionless. Then she raised my hand and let it fall down. Out of her expectation, I only turned around, still sleeping. At last, I woke up by her constantly and lovingly caressing my back. No doubt, I was very, very late. A good idea occurred to Mom. On the second day, when I was still sleeping, I felt there was a thing pressing my stomach and moving around my stomach. Then a feeling of suffocation became stronger and stronger. I immediately opened my eyes, seeing a thing hopping over my body, and Mom was looking at me at the other end of my bed, laughing. Actually, Mom sent her dog, a pet, to wake me up! Ah, how naughty Mom is!
 
Thinking of this, I am immersed in happiness again. Lifting up my head and looking out of the window, I see the sun shining, and I become much happier. As Su Shi, a poet in Song dynasty of China, said: People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart; The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane; This has been going on since the beginning of time, May we all be blessed with longevity though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.
 
About the author: Manlin Yu is a senior from Loudi No.1 Middle School in Hunan, China. During her stay in Minnesota, Laurie D'Alessio and her family hosted Manlin. The hospitality and friendship made her stay just like her own home, as shown on her article.
 
About the exchange program: Loudi No. 1 Middle School has been the sister school of Eden Prairie High School since 2006. China Insight and Global Learning Alliance along with CIAC helped arrange the trip for the Loudi delegation lead by Principal Yingmin Deng. The delegation consisted of 3 teachers and 16 students. Originally 35 students signed up for this trip, but only 16 students made the trip due to concerns on H1N1. The delegation did the exchange program with EPHS from July 14 to 27; then went to the East Coast to visit Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. from July 27 to Aug. 2. Visit the China Insight Web site for more details on the exchange and a photo gallery from this exchange.

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