fiI came up with the idea of my little sister (meimei in Chinese) visiting me for a few days or so during the holiday. After running it by her parents, it was agreed she would come down for five days.During the weeks prior to Jiujiu's visit I became more and more excited, making out a list of all of the things we could do together.
A few days before, however, I became a little nervous, worried that she might get bored here with me or that we wouldn't be able to communicate very well with each other, my Chinese still on the "Yes, I've been here a year and a half, and no, I can't say anymore than..." and her English being as good as it can be for a nine year old.
As soon as I met her, I picked her up, gave her a huge hug, and knew that we would have a fabulous time. Within the next few days we cooked pancakes and pizza, made pictures, painted faces and toes, walked around, shopped, played table tennis and badminton, ate out out various restaurants, made friendship bracelets for each other, and laughed and laughed and laughed. I had such a wonderful time, and by all of the smiles, the 'I love you's,' and constant laughs, I think she did too.A week or so before my meimei came down, another volunteer called up and asked what I would be up to in the next few weeks. When I told her that Jiujiu would be coming down to spend the week together, she sighed and said how she wished she was that close to her host family.
