On Friday, I left Nanjing for beautiful Yangzhou, hometown of former President Jiang Zemin, and met Patricia at her hotel in downtown Yangzhou. Since she left Nanjing, she’s been in Yangzhou teaching English to middle school students, and last Wednesday was her final day with them. I made it in time for the food — the principal and the English teachers treated Patricia to a farewell banquet of excellent food; including a local specialty (which is quite familiar to American southerners) — boiled peanuts. The little girl in the picture is obviously not an English teacher; she is the daughter of one of the teachers, and danced with Patricia — the little girl is studying ballet. From what she told me, she had a wonderful experience, getting to know China from the inside of a middle school. She will be working with some bankers on their English for a few days, and then will be going with Yangzhou University students on an Amity-sponsored program to work with middle school children in Nantong (just north of Shanghai, but across the Yangtze). Patricia will miss her friends at the middle school, especially the youngest teacher (standing to the left of Patricia) and the oldest teacher Mrs. Gao (standing to the right of Patricia); Mrs. Gao took Patricia to her home in the countryside, and taught her how to make jiaozi! In the picture below (this is one of Patricia’s own photographs), this is Mrs. Gao’s mother who is teaching Patricia how to wrap the jiaozi properly.