Fu Hui Gathering in Hangzhou
The leaves have all changed into their red clothing. Whenever the occasional ones drifted towards me, it is as if they were the red maple leaves sent from far off Canada. This thought would incite excitement and happiness in me, causing me to instinctively pick up speed rushing to Hangzhou to meet with the uncles and aunts from Fu Hui as well as our Fu Hui friends who are studying there.
On the afternoon of November 25th, 2017, the gathering convened at Hangzhous’ Second Musical Movement Restaurant. The students gave brief introductions of themselves. This is the first meeting for most of them in this foreign land but no one was shy or reserved because they are all part of the Fu Hui family in Hangzhou: graduates, students and volunteers . They gathered together to welcome us from their distant homeland. Fu Hui’s Mr. Michael Ma and Mr. Patrick Lee made a special trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou just to meet with us. They would skip all the famous landmarks but they would not miss meeting with us. Seeing them brought a sense of intimacy to us students. Mr. Ding, a Fu Hui volunteer in Hangzhou took time out of his hectic schedule to join the gathering as well as Ms. Du, also a Fu Hui volunteer in Hangzhou prepared and served us fruit, snacks and tea. The attention they paid to the students gave them a sense of belonging as if they are at home despite being in a foreign city. In this most friendly atmosphere, the students eagerly shared the events in their lives at the various universities. The ones who have just graduated from senior high who have just arrived in a new city and new academic environment were full of curiosity as well of questions of the unknown. Mr. Ma, Mr. Lee, Mr. Ding and Ms. Du patiently answered all the questions. They also inquired about our learning environment and provided many valuable suggestions and advice.
In addition, they shared many stories regarding the “Starlets” with us, especially Mr. Ma and Mr. Lee who fervently related the struggles of the Liangshan students at the Shanghai Ship Building Technical Institute, how they persevered to build up strength to overcome the various obstacles, and to empower themselves with knowledge to change their destinies. The students were quite moved by thisdepiction. Among the students was Shi Liu is from Zhe Jiang. During the summer holidays, he volunteered in Liangshan and shared his experience with us. The students all expressed the desire to volunteer during holidays to give back to the fellow students in the remote mountains.
The gathering seemed like such a short time, in an instant, it was time to part. A group photo titled “2017 Hangzhou Friends of Fu Hui” taken at the shores of the beautiful Xi Zi Lake will be permanently imprinted in my mind. The Fu Hui Education Foundation has already sown the seeds of love in the students, one day, they will blossom bringing hope and love to even more people. Dear uncles and aunts of Fu Hui, thank you for building the “Friends of Fu Hui” platform enabling those of us who have drifted far away from our homes and families to be able to return to the Fu Hui families’ embrace. The most encouraging part of this gathering is that it gives us the opportunity to take part in Fu Hui’s charitable activities, to do something for our fellow students in Liangshan.
( two of the students instantly joined the letter writing group in China to share their valuable learning experience with their fellow students.)
Zhou XuelianZhejiang Foreign Studies UniversityThe original Huili County Experimental Middle School students
December 10th, 2017
