China is slowly moving back to normalcy ....... 🦅

Things are slowly moving towards normalcy here in China but my thoughts these days have been on the pandemic crises facing America and other parts of the world. I hope they too can overcome it with the same heroic resolve and strength that China has shown in overcoming this world pandemic.

I returned to teaching on March 30th, but the students and I must wear facemasks in the classroom. We also must practice social distancing which is somewhat awkward. When we go to the cafeteria, we must enter it at a certain time and eat by ourselves. I find that somewhat difficult because I enjoy eating and conversing with others.

On the first day back, I pretended I didn't know who the students were because of the masks they were wearing.

I said, "all Chinese people look alike when wearing facemasks."

One student then said to me, "all teachers look alike when wearing a facemask."

Another student voiced her opinion, "you look like Sylvia when wearing a mask." Sylvia just so happens to be their female Chinese art teacher so as you can see things are slowly coming back to normal here. 

I told my students that the last 10 weeks were trying times for me with all the restrictions on movement, but they understand that the restrictions are slowly being lifted now. We still must have our temperature taken twice a day at school. When we leave campus to enter a nearby store, we wear a facemask and have our temperature taken by a store employee. When we return to the school campus, we must have a facemask on and once again have our temperature taken.

I recently learned that two of my friends are unable to return to their teaching positions because they did not try to return to China on time. On March 26th China canceled all entry visas by foreign nationals because they claim new cases of the coronavirus were brought to China. I’m glad I remained in the country during this crisis or I too would have been unable to return to teaching here.

I don’t think America will implement the same streaked guidelines as I experienced here to combat the virus. Unlike, China, America is a free society, so I don't think the American Government can take complete control of people’s lives as I experienced. I told my students that living in a free society is something we Americans take for granted. The experiences I had over the past 10 weeks has also made me more appreciative of America’s freedoms. That makes me very proud of my heritage and that is something I always try to convey to my students.

One student asked me in class after she watched a news program at home, “what is it about Americans and toilet paper?” She saw on the news, Americans fighting over toilet paper.

I asked her, “what would you like to tell America if you could?” Her reply, “America, stay strong, but most of all don't hoard the toilet paper there is plenty to go around.”

I told my students in class, "we are not just human beings on a spiritual journey. We are also spiritual beings on a human journey. This crisis can bring out the worst in people and truly the best in people. Our words and actions truly matter and what we communicate to others in times of crisis and in times of controversy is our character. I would like to tell America to stay calm and to stay strong because this too shall pass."

Always with love, from Suzhou, China.

Thomas F O'Neill

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