“How many rainbows have you seen in your lifetime?”
“Do you remember your first rainbow? Can you tell us the story?”

Yesterday, I placed these questions, along with two pictures, in a new WeChat group I now belong to.

A former teacher at my school, “Marty” Li, now teaches English at Northwest Medical University which is right next to my campus. I know that campus well because I often would walk there to pick up carry-out dinner items from the many mom-and-pop stalls lining what I called Food Court Alley. My college had, and still has, no such offerings. Independent homemade food sellers have been considered unsanitary by my college authorities so only cafeteria food is served on the school campus. But quite often, the students and faculty where I teach trek the 10-minute walk out our main entrance gate to nearby Food Court Alley at the neighboring college. There we can get the familiar traditional Sichuan cuisine which no bland school cafeteria in all of China can duplicate.

Food has always been my connection with Northwest Medical University, but not anymore.

Two weeks ago, Marty invited me to join with his 30 freshmen English majors in a special group chat. Just like on my campus, there is no foreign language teacher at the Medical University due to Covid restrictions still in place, blocking overseas teachers from coming back to their positions. His school leaders, like mine, are waiting for the ban to be lifted so educators such as myself can return. In the meantime, Marty thought his students’ connection with me would help improve the language skills, and interest of English, among his first years. Thus I’ve been engaging Marty’s 18-19 year olds in numerous Q & As for sharing time. The most recent one had to do with a huge storm that hit my area 3 days ago, and then the spectacular result that came afterwards.

Look at this!! Have you ever in your lifetime seen a double rainbow? What a sight! Hope you enjoy this captured-in-time moment as much as I did seeing it in person. So, so very special.