After months' planning and visa applications, Paul and I arrived in Shanghai on April 5, 2025 for my 50th Foreign Language Training Class Reunion. At the Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhenping, Brother Ying greeted and helped us with our luggage. He had come all the way from Hong Kong to celebrate the Qingming Festival for our parents.
A succession of reunions was thus started. During our two-week stay, we visited our grandparents, parents, and uncle in the Changre Cemetery, guided by my cousin and his wife, Huifu and Xiao Yan. Afterwards as usual, we went to my Big Aunt and her husband's. At the high recommendation of Xiao Yan, my aunt treated us at the Jiangna Xiaochu (Southern Yangtze Little Kitchen). We had a light-hearted and delightful dinner, if not for Huifu's heart-wrenching complaints about his two greedy younger brothers.
After reunions with my Little Aunt's family, my university classmates in Pudong Shangri-la, former colleagues, Wang, Fan, and their two guests, Paul and I managed to saunter along two major shopping roads, Nanjing and Huaihai, visited both the South and North Bunds, the Raffle City Mall, Shanghai's Little White House (Museum of Arts and Crafts) at #79 Fenang Road, Shanghai Fashion Center (formerly No. 17 Cotton Mill), Yu Garden, and Jian Temple.
The long-waited reunion of April 17-18 finally came upon us. We got up early to get ready for the hotel breakfast. At 7:30 am, we were due at the Metro Station to board Line 7, and transferred to Line 16 to the Wild Animal Park station. At 9:30, one hour before the scheduled time, we were standing outside Exit 1. After waiting for half an hour without spotting any familiar faces, we decided to call one of the organizers Jemmy who was waiting in an unknow place for us. It turns out that the bus stop forbad any vehicles from parking in the vicinity. In less than two seconds, my classmate How Beautiful, Professor Feng, appeared and drove us straight to the Reunion destination. Jemmy had to wait for the van to take the rest of the arriving guests.
In the guest hall of the villa, we greeted an endless line of newcomers who I did not see for 10 or 50 years. To everyone's delight, it was the highest attended reunion. With the exception of six classmates who were absent due to various reasons, 27 of us (Paul plus two instructors) were all meeting in one place.
After lunch, we went to shopping and boating separately. Paul and I missed the boat by minutes. Fortunately, Jemmy called me while we were in despair seeing the boat shooting by. He put six of us stragglers in the final boat after a hard bargain with the boat owner.
At 8:00 pm, the reunion of Foreign Language Training Class #3 started with a slide show prepared by How Beautiful. The beginning was dedicated to Big Wang who was deceased for over four decades, and Yu Shuzhu who has been institutionalized. There were some speeches by participants, such as two instructors, Cincinnati Kid Shen Xiaoming, Little Woman Kang Qing and me at the specific request of Zhou Yanchun, the organizer. Then the dancing by Mary Wu, and singings by Wang, Wu, Li and topped by How Beautiful. Finally there was the climax of prizes hosted by Zhang Jun and drawn by Paul. All the pads went to a cluster of female classmates, one of who I had not seen since the final day of the class. I did win a sports watch, with no nepotism involved, since Paul does not know Chinese characters.
The reunion ended with 毛阿敏的《同一首歌 》(The Same Song by Mao Amin), but was continued with the next day's breakfast and lunch, and many photo sessions by Instructor Yang, and mini discussions and chats. Afterwards, we were packed in one mini-bus to go to the Metro Station. At the Gate, there was a white Porsche stopped by the bar. After more than ten minutes' silent wait, Cincinnati Kid asked our drive to honk. It turned out the Porsche was Mary's, with two passengers Yvonne Zhou and Zhang Jun. After the honk, out came Zhang to pay for some unknow fee to get through.
After a few stations on Line 16, the rural scene was behind us, the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan Shanghai awaited us. On April 20, Paul and I boarded our UA858 back to San Francisco. I am glad that I saw many classmates again. I am also glad that I am now in this country.
