Last Weekend in Hangzhou

Friday (August 9)
I'm going to be honest --- I barely studied for my Chinese final. After coming home from the fundraising event the night before, there was just not enough time. Hence, Michelle, Haley, Alex and I were scrambling to study during class, break, and lunch. Oh, and we took more pictures in class after we gave our teachers their gifts~ We also exchanged QQ numbers and email addresses. Sob, I can't even log onto my QQ now, because I don't remember my log-in information.

Final lunch day at our favorite smoothie and shave ice shop! We were all super sad, since this was our prime hangout spot.

Alex and Matthew enjoying their $2 noodles from next door

Since it was our final day, we got a picture with the owner for memories~

I didn't get to see my score, but Sander saw it (I don't know how) and told me I got around a 74 or so. Everyone else in my class received a score around that number, so I guess I didn't do too bad? 74 translates over to C, though, so I wanted to cry. But Sander said I did a really good job o___o So I guess I did good? Sander is one of the top students in his class, so I'm going to take his word for it. I guess I just have to remind myself that 100's are almost never handed out in China. Chinese teachers believe that their students can always do better, so 100's are a big no-no.

After finals were over, it was time to celebrate! While the majority of the group went shopping, Angelo, Ryan, Xochitl and I got massages at a "blind" massage place. Technically, only one of the workers was blind...the rest could see. But it doesn't matter. I didn't get a massage, but Ryan, Xochitl and Angelo seemed to enjoy it. I think they've been to that massage place like 5 times while we were in Hangzhou.

Ryan posing for the camera LOL. Doesn't he look so relaxed?

When the massages were over, the four of us took a bus to 文二路. Kaelan's birthday was today, so her host sister invited all of us (including host siblings) to a fancy dinner. I had steak and a strawberry milkshake.

My table

A green cherry from Kaelan's birthday cake (PC: Angelo)

Wow, this is a bad picture LOL

Since we didn't want the celebration to end, we made an impromptu stop at a nearby KTV. We sang about 4 songs, and then the KTV machine broke...so we had to leave.

It was around 9:30 p.m. by the time we left, but Will and I weren't done celebrating yet. It was our last official night to spend with friends, so we took a taxi to Sander's place to hangout with Sander, Nancy, Matthew, Michelle, Haley, and Alex. 

Picture on Sander's rooftop

Alex, Matthew and I got bored so we went downstairs and walked around Sander's neighborhood. At around 11:55 pm, we were all pooped out. I caught a taxi and was on my way home. When I got to my house, it was already past midnight, so the gates to my community were locked. This came as a surprise, because I didn't know they locked it at night?! How was I supposed to get if it was locked?! I waited around for 10 minutes or so, before a couple of guys  working in the hair salon in front of the community told me how to get in through a back alley. I probably should have been more cautious, but hey, I was desperate. Anyways, I walked through the back alley, found my apartment complex, walked up four flights of stairs, went into my room, and crashed.

Saturday (August 10)

Woke up bright and early because today was graduation day! 

Left to right: D, Sage, my host sister, me, my host parents

Each of us (including our host siblings) received a certificate, certifying our graduation from the NSLI-Y program. Then the principal of our host school gave us gifts (Chinese dictionaries), we gave a speech in Chinese about our time in Hangzhou, and then more certificates were handed out. Get this, I won 1st place in the NSLI-Y "speech competition" for my Chinese level, LOL Apparently our NSLI-Y presentation was a secret speech competition (at least that's what our teachers told our host siblings...why does everything have to be a competition in China?!). The teachers critiqued us, and I guess I got the highest score for the middle Chinese level~ Wow, haha. Definitely was not expecting that. The principal of the school also said I did a really good job and that I sounded quite fluent ;___; So humbled by that compliment!!

The principal and me

#1 woooo

After the recognition portion of the graduation was over, the host siblings put on a surprise presentation for us. Each one of them gave a little speech, and then they sang for us (including Tu laoshi and D!). At this point, Alex, Michelle and I broke down in tears, because a slideshow was playing at the same time and we all got really sad and nostalgic. 

More pictures were taken and then graduation was over.

Final class picture with both of our teachers

The 19 Americans and our host siblings

Can you tell by my swollen nose that I cried?

Lunch was held at the hotel right across from our school. While we were there, we did the most American-thing we could do: sign each other's Chinese dictionaries. Our host siblings saw what we were doing and did the same. 

Nancy and me

Sander and me

After lunch, my host family and I went shopping for food and stationary items. And guess what? I asked them to take me back to the stationary store I visited with Michelle and Alex, hehe. My host sister bought me a pack of Hangzhou postcards to take home, even though I told her I could buy it myself ;__; She's so sweet. When we got home, my host family had to go to my host mom's office...so I took the bus to Sander's house by myself. 

My last time taking the bus --- I had to snap a picture for memories

Walking to Sander's place

We went on the rooftop again and hung out for several hours before I had to go home for dinner. 

From the top of Sander's apartment

Because this was my last night in Hangzhou, I decided to walk home instead of take the bus. I wanted to soak my surroundings in before I had to leave...and, of course, take pictures :P

My host family and I had our last dinner, and then I went park dancing one final time.

Final dinner as a family

After park dancing, my host mom and sister took me shopping at a small night market several blocks away. It was quite the walk, but well worth it. I bought some small hair clips, a huge cup of lemonade, and a huge photo book of EXO. I saw this same photobook on Ebay for $40....I bought mine at a small magazine shop one block away from my host family's house for only $7. Needless to say, I was a very happy EXO fan. 

Walking back, I told my host mom and sister to head into the apartment first, because I wanted to buy something at the shop outside of the community. I think I spent about an hour in there, figuring out what I wanted to buy, before I came back. 

When I got to my room, my sister had left a huge gift bag for me on my bed. There were so many cute things in it, and she wrote me a very nice letter too. Again, I got really nostalgic. But not before having to pack everything up and clean everything out of the room. Lets just say that both of my luggage were bulging. I don't know how I managed to fit everything in there. After that, I showered and slept, because I was extremely exhausted. My last night in Hangzhou~