Day 2/3 (Part 3)

Then we went to dinner, which was a fun affair. Shamey (who reminds me of Dr. Cox) sat with us and we got to having a discussion of what animals we would be if we could pick, and in turn what animals we actually thought we were most similar to. (Julia said a wolf for what she would be, and a canary for what she wanted to be). Then we did the same with dog breeds, and we said them to each other. I said Spenser was a greyhound because he is tall (6'2''), slender and graceful without being arrogant. (I didn't say pompous, but he truly is.) He thanked me and in turn said I was a border collie, because I am intelligent and (something I can't quite remember) and also gentle. I thanked him in return. We did the same thing with trees, naming ourselves, and Julia and I (without any discussion) (she wasn't at the table when I said mien) both said we would be willow trees.

After dinner, one boy demonstrated some martial arts things he had just learned and it was very cool to watch. Then, Julia sang one of her own songs without accompaniment by her guitar of anything. It was about knowing only that you left what you love behind and the unknown ahead. Then, to finish our time with Shamey, we stood in a circle and passed around a walking stick that a Maori chief had carved for Shamey. While each person held the stick, they had to say something to the group. I nearly cried. I knew so many of them after barely more than 24 hours, and it was so touching - then we got on the bus for the airport.

About an hour and a half later, we were through security and at our gate. With a few requests from me, Julia took out her guitar. "This is my lullaby," she said and started to play. At least six different people took pictures of her as she played, and I wonder how lovesick I looked watching her. I couldn't help it. Her voice was so beautiful, and she was beautiful simply in herself, and it was amazing. At least twenty of us applauded when she finished, and she buried her face in her hands. Then, she asked me to play. I accepted the guitar and played a few tentative chords, reiterating how I really couldn't play the guitar in comparison to her. I began to strum 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone?' - Julia moved closer so she could hear the quiet chords, and she asked me to sing. So I did. I got halfway through the second line when she said, "No way!" I asked, and she said that this was the song her mother used to sing to her every night. "It's the reason I play guitar," she said. I kept playing and singing, and she sang a harmony with me. A few people watched. It was wonderful.