I received a message 2 weeks ago regarding the end-of-year celebrations at my college in Luzhou. We always had a performance event in the auditorium for graduating seniors. Seniors and others would show off their talents as a final farewell. Administrators would be the guests of honor and beloved teachers. Skits, songs, choirs, instrumentals, and dance numbers graced the stage for 2 hours with student hosts announcing the acts. Student awards of excellence were interspersed between performances as well.

I would always do something for this yearly event, either sing a song or teach a simple children’s English song with motions so that the administrators could join in, then sing that same song in Chinese for fun.

For 2020, the school was doing only virtual classes so this celebration was nixed. 2021, we had it but, sadly, no one asked me to participate. But here we are in 2022, the end of June soon to be upon us along with the closure of the school year, and I was asked to send a video.

I wasn’t given a choice on what to do. Those in charge decided I should send in a short explanation of what I knew about Dragon Boat Festival, a well-known Chinese cultural occasion celebrated in May or June, depending on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it was celebrated on June 3, with many watching Dragon Boat races and eating zongzi, sticky rice with cooked meaty or bean centers which are wrapped in bamboo leaves.

With the request, I did my short video as instructed, which you can see below.

However, being the kind of person I am, I couldn’t help but do something a bit more silly and “out there” for not only the school but for those graduating who had me as freshmen 2 1/2 years ago. They needed a send-off of the energetic, humorous, Connie-we-know (personality and all) as a final farewell from me.

My mother was not too keen to join me but I cajoled her into it. Here is what we came up with. If it will be used or not for the upcoming celebrations in the auditorium, I have no idea but I’m glad we did it. I’ve already sent our mother-daughter cooperative video venture to my former students and educator friends who are teaching now at the pre-school and elementary school level. They loved it and have been sharing with their students . We certainly won’t be going viral here in America but one never knows what might happen in China.

Have fun watching. I know one of us, at least, enjoyed making it. (You can probably guess who!)