Internationalmatt's Blog

Weekend Fun with my International Friends- Picnic to say Goodbye for the Summer

Yesterday afternoon my Sunday class had a picnic to say goodbye for the summer to three friends, Huiyuan, Wen Zhu and Zhou Heng. They will go home to China to spend time with family for a few months. They have all worked hard in school and deserve a break to see family. I am proud of all three of them.

me with Wen Zhu, Zhou Heng and Huiyuan

They told me they had the food for the picnic and I was a little concerned because our favorite cook Alex is already back in China. The food they had was doughnuts, chips, muffins and Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Fortunately Uncle Yoshio brought some chicken, Lien brought some watermelon and I brought some potato salad. My original plan was to go Mahoney State Park but some were worried it would rain on us, so we went to Holmes Lake instead. It never did rain, but where is not as important as who.

For me when we have these picnics to say goodbye for the summer, it is a time of mixed emotions. I am glad for my friends to be able to go home and see their family. I am sad not to see them for three months. Mostly I am proud of my friends and their hard work in school. It is not easy to come to a foreign country and study in different language.  The picnic for me was a time to recognize their year.

Yoshio with Zhou Heng

Shawn, Lien, Yoshio and Zhou Heng

me with Zhou Heng

me with Wen Zhu

me with Huiyuan

Getting involved with International Students is rewarding for many reasons. I get to learn more about their culture, helping them means helping the future leaders in their culture, and most important I have meaningful friendships with some great young people. So now it is time to say good job, have a good summer, and see you in August to my three friends.

May 31, 2010 - Posted by internationalmatt | Chinese friends, Experiences of international friends, International Friendships, Internationals, Japanese friends, summer, Vietnamese friends