I arrived in Wuhan on the train one mid-March morning in 1990. Having purchased a map of the city，I took my first ride in a motorcycle-with-sidecar and was warmly greeted by the Foreign Affairs Office at South Central College for Nationalities. They were both thorough and thoughtful as they helped me settle into the apartment。Those months I spent as a student were delightful as I met many friendly students， who demonstrated availability as they assisted me in learning Chinese and getting better acquainted with China. Wuhan affords the advantage of getting a glimpse of various parts of China， due to its central location between north and south， so friends here broadened my perceptions of the country. Having purchased a used bicycle， I enjoyed riding through the city， and the school officials went out of their way to see that I got to take in Wuhan's key sites， such as the Yellow Crane Tower and East Lake Park. One of my favorite times was taking the side paths home from the cafeteria， paths which outlined one of the beautiful lakes dotting the city. It was quiet and one could look across the lake to the dignity of Chinese-style architecture. One thing that impressed me about daily life in Wuhan was the thrifty people demonstrated at the market， using baskets rather than plastic bags and taking their own containers for bean curd.
But my days in Wuhan were numbered， and soon I was swept away by Mr.Wonderful, and the Wuhan I had grown to love was left behind. Left behind geographically，that is， but it was still in my heart. As much as I was thrilled to be with my husband， deep down I hoped that someday WE could return to Wuhan.
And so it was， that in August of '93 when we arrived back in Wuhan， I felt like I was home again. I hung the lovely Chinese scroll painting back in its familiar place over the dining table. With a little child in arms， we now biked little and bused more through streets which had definitely changed. The eastern end of the ma，q thoroughfare through Wuchang caught me off guard the first time I was back to it. Was that once tree-lined，narrow，dusty road now such a bustling fourlane highway? Going west from there businesses had sprung up right and left. The “back” roads I had formerly taken were now hopping with activity. |
