The Medical Leader

I cannot even begin to describe this day.  It truly was one of the most wonderful days of my life.  I know that ever delegate was affected emotionally and spiritually, but I can only describe the events of today from my perspective.  Today was the day we visited the educational facilities of China’s Ankang City and saw what a rural Chinese school is like.  We visited three schools today: Ankang University, Ankang High School, and Ankang’s Sunshine School for the deaf, blind and mentally impaired.

Ankang children go to school 7 days a week, for at least 8 hours daily.  All college education is paid for, so most every student goes to college.  For every minute that a Chinese student is late for school, they must stand in the hallway for an hour per minute.  If the student is continually late, their parents are called to the school and must stand with them.  Students are expected to be there every day, but if a student is ill, they can be excused.  Some exceptions are made for students who are disabled or mentally impaired, and that is where I will begin my story… at The Sunshine School for the Blind, Deaf and Mentally Impaired.

The Sunshine School was an experience of my life that was difficult to surpass and filled with happy tears.  When we drove up to the Sunshine School in our bus, I was not sure what to expect.  Each school is gated with security guards, so the gate was opened for us and when we rounded the corner, we saw hundreds of children who had disabilities waving palm leaves up and down and shouting “Welcome! Welcome!” in Chinese.  Those who could see (who were not blind) were waving as if we were famous people.  They were SO excited to see us.  They had never seen an American or people who were so diverse – with different colored hair and different colored eyes.  When we walked through the line of children chanting and waving the leaves, it was as if we were Hannah Montana walking into an American elementary school.  We would touch their hand and they would squeal with excitement.  Some would just hug us.  Many of us, of course including myself, began to cry seeing these children.  The emotion was overwhelming and they were so welcoming and so amazed to see us.

We then toured the Sunshine School and saw all the various classrooms and how the deaf, blind, and mute children were taught.  Some of the children were just slower learners or may have dyslexia or some other learning disorder.  Deaf children were learning music by feeling the loud rhythms of drums; the vibrations of the bass.  Blind children were learning dancing by feeling the music.  We visited the testing and learning labs in the Sunshine School where the children were tested for hearing impairment.  A deaf child was learning how to speak using a computer program with a microphone that reminded me of the computerized music editing programs that I see in recording studios or at the radio station.  Using an equalizer that the child can see on the screen, they are able to “see” the sounds they are making and the inflections of their voice.  The children are also taught sign language.  Children who had a learning disability were in a different area where they were learning life skills and how to maintain a job such as massage therapy or hair dressing.

We then visited an area where the students had displayed their art… including origami, paper cutting, and painting. In China, these are also skills for which a person can earn a living.  Many of these art works were better than works I have seen from children who did not have disabilities.  After the art display, we were treated to a performance by the school’s music students, which was impeccable for students who have disabilities.  And then… the most remarkable part of the visit occurred… the “Welcome Performance” by the school’s children.

How can I even put into words what we saw? Child after child: blind, deaf, learning disabled, mentally impaired… performing musical pieces, dances, stories and songs, short plays set to music, Latin dances, etc.  I was absolutely amazed.  Working with children in the performing arts, I cannot even imagine the number of hours it took to get that performance together.  I have not been able to achieve such quality with our children at home who do not have disabilities, but I am sure that this performance took hundreds of hours to perfect.  The performance was framed by a backdrop that said “Warly Welcome Pikeville Delegation Welcome Performance.”  It was so sweet.

A group of 6-8 year old blind little girls performed an interpretative dance to a beautiful song that said “Though we cannot see, we can only imagine what you look like.  Though we cannot hear, we can still feel the music.”  I was sobbing… I mean a flood of tears flowing!  How they all learned the moves to the music, I will never know, but it was immeasurably beautiful!

Following the performance, we walked back to the bus, with all of the children lined up to tell us “goodbye,” they were all touching our hands, hugging us, and many of them were crying because we were people unlike any they had ever seen.  To them we were very special.  When we left, we were all in tears at the beauty of that experience.  Other than the day I became a Christian and my wedding day, it was the most beautiful, emotionally moving moment I have ever experienced.  I will cherish those hours forever.

As the bus pulled out, the children surrounded the bus, waving and waving continually as we waved back through the windows.  They waved so hard – as if their little arms were going to wave away. The children were crying so hard.  We were crying so hard.  When the bus pulled away, there was complete silence in our bus.  No one spoke.  We were all in awe of what we had just seen, heard, and experienced.

Having worked in elementary, high schools, and on the collegiate level of education, I do feel that our American schools can learn a lot from Ankang in regards to the educational training of children with disabilities.  Their facilities to help students with disabilities were impeccable and remarkable. I have a blind student who is a 13 year old singer and she is AMAZING.  However, once monthly, her parents drive her to Louisville to the school for the blind.  But, what if her parents could not afford to take her?  She would not be receiving the life skills she needs. This is one area that I hope we can benefit and learn from our Sister City.

We also visited Ankang High School.  This school is an Advanced Placement School that children must be tested to get into… so they are all very intelligent.  We began the tour on the school’s beautiful track and astro-turf soccer field.  The Chinese love soccer and are disappointed that they do not do well in the Olympic Games.  Our tour guide said, “In a country of 1.8 billion people, we can’t find 11 who can play soccer well enough to compete in the Olympics, but we always win in Table Tennis.”  Table Tennis, or Ping Pong, as we like to call it, is one of their greatest sports… so much so that the high school has a Ping Pong training area and teacher.  Jimmy Carter took on a game with the Ping Pong teacher.  He did not win, but he held his own in the game!  We also visited a room where they teach the Chinese children how to play checkers… no wonder they are so good.  At least 30 stations of checker boards were in the room and on the chalk boards were written many mathematic formulas for game strategies.  None of us even had a chance against the Chess teacher… no wonder the Chinese are so good at chess!

We visited a dance studio in the school equipped with mirrors and laminate flooring.  Governor and Mrs. Patton did a BEAUTIFUL four-step ballroom dance to American music they played especially for one of us to dance.  We were very well represented in this area as the Patton’s are EXCELLENT ballroom dancers.  It was absolutely wonderful to watch them.  In a piano lab of approximately 30 pianos, their most advanced pianist was playing a tune when we walked in.  The Vice Mayor invited me to play a song and so I played “Blessed Assurance.”   I just wanted to bring a bit of Jesus into China.

Then… we went to some classrooms where the students were studying various subjects.  All of the students wore the same uniform: white jacket with white pants.  They were all perfectly clean.  Most of the students spoke fairly good English.  Governor Patton addressed the English class and asked how many were planning on going to college, and they all responded that they were all going to college, without question.

We visited a computer lab where a 15-year-old student very shyly asked to speak to me.  She said, “I have never spoken with a foreign person before.”  She paused.  “My English is not good.”

“My Chinese is much worse,” I responded.

“This is best friend,” she said. “We think you are very beautiful.”  I thanked them very much and then she said, “You have yellow hair.  I want yellow hair, but mine is black.”

“You have very beautiful hair,” I said.  “You are very beautiful.”

She told me her Chinese name but said her English name was Lucy.  She explained that each Chinese parent chooses an English name for their child as well that they stick with all of their lives.  That way, if they ever run into foreigners or correspond with them, they have a name that can be pronounced and understood in other languages.  Brad, my husband, had some Kentucky Lapel Pins that he gave to the three girls and they received it as if it were gold.  I asked to take a picture with them and we exchanged email addresses so we could keep in touch and I could send the photo.

Before I left, Lucy said, “What is your Chinese name?”

“I don’t have one,” I said.  “You give me a Chinese name.”

She replied, “Piaoliang Geng Duo.” She said it means “More Beautiful.  Because you are more beautiful than any person I have seen.”  I began to cry again, for Lucy was more beautiful than many people I have met.  Her sweet spirit radiated from her and I will pray for her that the Lord will allow her to be touched by someone who can show her the spirit of our Lord at some point in her life.

After this, we visited their physics lab and then we had our photos made with the faculty and some students.  Maybe they were honors students, I am not sure.  Debbie Blackburn was handing out lapel pins to the students and they swarmed around her, again, as if she were passing out a precious jewel.  The students were in awe at us and we were in awe of them.

I have included a photo here of the students as we pulled out from the high school.  As you can see from the photo the students lined the outdoor walkways waving and watching us and waving and waving.  We waved and waved back until the bus pulled out.

The delegation also visited Ankang University.  The Delegation visited the University’s library and had tea.  They also visited the science and genetics lab where the students were working on perfecting the area’s silk production.  Silk is one of Ankang City’s most coveted natural products.  Governor Patton, who is now the President of Pikeville College, met with the President of Ankang University.  “The meeting was very productive,” Patton said.  “We discussed that we would be interested in hosting Chinese students at Pikeville College to give them an educational opportunity to learn the English language and culture. We agreed to continue the discussion to make it a reality in the future”

While the other members of the delegation took the college tour, I had the privilege of lecturing to all of the students in the Music Department.  I did not know prior to my arrival in Ankang City that I would be teaching, however, after being invited, I decided to deliver a lecture on the history of music in America because I was told that these students do not ever receive any information or education on this topic.

I was picked up in a car by the Dean of Music and my Interpreter who took me to their best music hall, which might remind us of a room in a building that had been built in 1950 with no updates or repairs. When I walked into the Music Hall, I did not expect the reception I received.  I was told that they were excited to have me, and when I walked in the lecture hall, I had not even done anything and the students rose to their feet and yelled and clapped in an ovation like none I had ever received.

Having only brought two songs with me by chance, I opened the lecture by singing “Because You Loved Me” by none other than universally known Celine Dion!  My favorite singer ever!  While I was singing, many students were filming me with their cellular phones.  After the song, they rose again.  Then I began my lecture.  I started with American music in the 1700′s and went through current times.  I had a power point production of slides, and I was very pleased that the University had Microsoft Access.  During the lecture, none of the students knew any of our early American artists.  Later on in our history, not many of the students knew Elvis or Britney Spears, which surprised me.  Most of them knew Madonna.  But, when the slide of Michael Jackson popped up… a roar of “Ahhhhh” rushed over the crowd of over 120 students.  I closed the lecture with another song “The Sweetest Thing” by Juice Newton to another standing ovation.  After the lecture was over, I was bombarded by students wanting autographs and pictures.  I took about 80 photos with Ankang students.  I kept saying “I’m not famous.  I’m not famous.”  But, maybe in their minds, because I looked so different, they thought I was.  My husband Brad, Menette May, and Kim Carter went to help me and they handed out Kentucky lapel pins to all the students in the room.  Brad said “They were rushing at me screaming ‘Me! Me!’ and I handed out all the pins that I had”

I think they were just not used to seeing foreigners.

Each Chinese child is very important to their parents because they are only allowed to have one child.  The government provides free birth control to every woman and man.  If a woman has had one child and accidentally becomes pregnant, she is forced to have an abortion, also paid for by the government.  Therefore, every person born after 1978 (the year of my birth) is an only child and has no brothers or sisters, meaning that eventually Chinese people will have no aunts, uncles, or cousins.  This makes children VERY important to their parents because if they were to lose that child, they could never have another one.

We found the children of China to be very precious as well.  I wanted to bring one home with me.  I know this has been my longest blog yet, but even the words cannot be descriptive enough to explain the joys of this day. As the Master Card commercials would say, this day was “priceless.” I hope that you will find the photos enjoyable.

Laura Ford Hall