My last trip to China was over two months ago. I'd been told "reentry" went on a long time, but I thought it would have been over by now. Reentry has combined with the exhaustion generated by a full year of teaching, two thirds of it in China, and not much down time in between. I miss my friends in China, with whom I exchange frequent emails, but I'm very glad to be home. Every day, I take a walk and enjoy the mountains, or else swim at the Bassler Center. I poke my head in the office from time to time. When I go for a drive, I still notice our printed in English, not Chinese.
Ritual events such as the Cherokee Church Quilt show help enable reentry. Last week, I began writing an article based on research I did with David Liu comparing American and Chinese styles of teaching reading. It takes a very long time to reenter America.
Above: Ruth visited from Minnesota and helped keep the quilt show organized.
Below: Prize winning quilts.
