I am quite excited. I am going to learn to speak Chinese, Mandarin to be exact, over the next few months. I am not going the traditional route of taking endless lessons or listening to hours of tapes. My son is going to teach me. He started his Mandarin classes at university yesterday. So every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings he will call me and tell me my Mandarin “word of the day.” Yesterday’s word was ni (pronounced nee) meaning you.

This is the fifth time my husband and I have sent a child off to university for another year of post secondary education, so we know the drill and our responsibilities. Mine are to make sure the right size of twin bed sheets is clean and ready to go (they have an extra long twin at this university). I pull together three complete sets for a table setting (this is so two friends can be invited over for supper or dishes can sit in the sink for up to three days before it is necessary to wash). And I pack enough food to last until they come home for a visit and raid the fridge for a restock of supplies. I have learned that purchased food should have an expiry date of at least a few months in the future and that homemade provisions should be prepared with the realization that this labour of love may end up looking like a science experiment, even if the student-child is enrolled in a fine arts program where they don’t need to grow green stuff in order to obtain a passing grade.

My husband’s tasks are to help pack the car for the journey and make sure that the bank account has sufficient funds to cover expenses (note to Dad: the nagging about over-spending concerns doesn’t kick in until mid-October).

When it comes to what the children are responsible for, well this is where we see major differences. My son takes two computers, a desktop that he built himself and a laptop to take to class, and five changes of clothes in a laundry basket as this will get him through the week so he only has to do laundry on weekends. My daughter, on the other hand, takes a laptop computer (just because she wants something new and realizes that Dad will anti-up the cash as he, too, is somewhat of a techno geek), and seven suitcases of clothes as this will get her through the week so she only has to do laundry on weekends.

Before I go on, I have a couple of points to clear up. Point 1: I did have the opportunity to go to university when I graduated from high school, and was accepted into programs at two “halls of higher education” pending my high school manuscript, but I determined mid May of my graduating year that I was going to make a statement and not to go to university to spite my family (but that is a story for another day!). And point 2: I love having my children at home with me. But having stated that I also find great joy that my children go off to university. I am learning so much though them. I relish in the task of proof-reading my student-children’s papers and reports. I live to ask questions, sometimes to their disgust when they have to explain every detail. I do love to learn, I just want to find the easiest ways to obtain knowledge without cracking a book because I don’t like reading. So this Mandarin thing is right up my alley.

What will I do with my new found knowledge? My friend told me of a Chinese couple who own a little convenience store and I look forward to putting my first sentence together and amazing them with my knowledge of the language when I visit them at their little shop.

So may I close…

The Lord bless ni and keep ni; the Lord make His face shine upon ni and be gracious unto ni. The Lord lift up His countenance upon ni and give ni peace.

P.K.