Staff “Picnic”

When I read the email that my school was arranging something like a field trip for just staff, I was totally down. My mode lately is cant-belive-I’m-leaving-so-soon-with-so-much-left-to-do. I actually made a poster calendar of the weeks I have left, and then I went through the guidebooks listing all the cafes, museums, parks, and other Beijing-spots I just need to see before I leave.

I’ve talked about how difficult it is to get around here, so being told all I need to do is show up at school and I’ll be delivered to an awesome new area I’ve never been with orchards and mountains is like a dream come true. I assumed other staff would feel the same. You can imagine my surprise when I got on the bus and saw 20 rows of Chinese staff, a few empty rows, and then three other foreign teachers.

I’m really glad that I went. The Chinese Vice-Principal was there, Chinese teachers, and other Chinese administrative staff. None of the foreign directors or Vice-principal made it. The administrators clearly went to a lot trouble to make it a special day, bringing loads of extra water, fruit, and steak/chicken subway sandwiches. They even celebrated April birthdays on the bus, who were represented by just myself and Michael Cheng. They sang, gave us cards, and even had cake. It was adorable.

We were told that they were arranging a bus to take us out to Shilinxia Scenic Area (the Gorge of Stone Forest) 到达石林峡 for a picnic, and then a peach blossom orchard. We were advised to bring extra food and blankets. We arrived at Shilinxia, a “suburb” of Beijing at 10:30, and were hand were told that if we got split up inside, we’d all meet under a sign in the parking lot. We all set out with our books, notebooks, extra food, blankets, etc. But it wasn’t a picnic.

As it turned out, we were on a four hour hike through the mountains.

One of my friends had it the worst, having gone out the night before until 4 am, she was banking on just sitting on a blanket under a peach tree.