Hundreds of miles, millions of people and a whole different climate separated Zhang Hong’s school in Zhengzhou, China, from Xu Dan’s school in Haerbin, China.

Of course, they never met.

But when they began teaching at schools six miles from each other, Zhang and Xu became fast friends.

Zhang, 31, is teaching Chinese language and culture at Muskogee High School through the Teachers of Critical Languages Program, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by American Councils for International Education.

Xu, who is staying with Fort Gibson teacher Mary White, teaches Chinese classes at Fort Gibson through an exchange program sponsored by the Confucius Institute of the University of Oklahoma.

The two met earlier this school year in Tulsa at an orientation meeting for visiting Chinese teachers, Xu said.

“We are in two different programs, but all the teachers got together,” she said.

“The OU Confucius Institute had a gathering the first day I came here, and we had a warm reception,” said Zhang, 31. “We got to know each other and we went to a lot of workshops and we went to Tulsa to attend a concert.”

Xu, 30, said that over the past few weeks, she and Hong have gone to the Cherokee National Holiday, a blues festival, and a Chinese restaurant in Muskogee.

Earlier this month, the two went Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

“We didn’t gamble at all,” Zhang said with a giggle. “We went to a lot of shows. We went to see the Lion King, and we thought it was perfect. And we went to the Grand Canyon.”

Xu agreed the Las Vegas shows were wonderful.

“And I loved the scenery of the Grand Canyon,” she said. “We took a helicopter ride, a boat ride and went on the Skywalk.”

The Skywalk is a glass-bottom pier that juts over the canyon and allows visitors to look straight down.

Zhang and Xu said they never visited the part of China where the other teacher lived.

“I live in the central part of China, and it is agricultural,” Zhang said. “The weather in my province is like that in Oklahoma. That’s why I love teaching here. There are four seasons.”

It is far colder where Xu lives. Haerbin, located near northern Russia, is known as China’s Ice City.

“It is very cold in winter, and our city is famous for its snow sculptures,” Xu said. “Some of our snow castles look like your Disneyland.”

However, Zhang said she and Xu both live in big cities of several million people.

The teachers say they have enjoyed teaching in Fort Gibson and Muskogee.

“I meet students of all age groups,” Xu said. “I think I can show them Chinese culture. I feel I am a small link of Chinese culture here.”

Zhang said she has noticed that American students are more active and lively than her students in China.

“And teachers here are more open, and there is a lot of fun and games,” she said.

Xu said she will be in Fort Gibson for the rest of the school year.

Zhang is in Muskogee for two years.

Both said they plan to keep in touch.



Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email