Chapter 148 – The theme is Arts
The first day’s activities were mainly outings, camping in the wild. The students from different countries were required to interact with each other using Russian. Feng Yu had only arrived in the afternoon but with his fluent Russian, and the curiosity of the other students about him, he managed to be the first Third High School student to blend in with the other students.
Late afternoon, all the students sat on the grass patch and played some ice-breaking games. However, the teachers from Third High School were frowning. This camp was not what they had expected.
Vice Principal Sun thought that there must be a theme for this camp. It could be literature, math, physics, chemistry, etc. or all the students got to come up with some sort of inventions. One of the students he chose for this camp was specialized in making small inventions.
The 3 professors from Technology University were a bit anxious. When can they visit the research facilities, laboratories? That’s the purpose of them joining this camp and not playing some childish games with the kids.
They approached Vice Principal Sun and asked him to go and find out when will these camping and outings activities end. This was a waste of time!
Vice Principal Sun was also in an awkward position. Even though he was the leader but those 3 professors were higher ranked and more influential than him. He felt like a puppet, with only the leader in name but was more like a nanny.
The other side, students from a country were dancing, and everyone else was clapping to the rhythm. Vice Principal Sun walked towards the organizer.
He returned in a while, with a worried look. The 3 professors immediately asked him when they will visit the research facilities.
“Professors, we will definitely visit the facilities, but it would not be these few days. The duration of this camp is 2 weeks, and the first visit had been arranged 3 days later. These few days, the main activity was to have fun!”
“What? Have fun? This is an international camp and how could they have fun? What’s the theme of this camp? It’s not technology?” One professor asked while staring at Vice Principal Sun. Moscow University was famous for its science and technologies. How could it be possible for the theme of the camp to be something else?
Vice Principal Sun replied: “The theme of this camp is Arts!”
Duang~~~
The 3 professors were all dumbfounded!
When Vice Principal Sun heard this, he also had difficulties accepting it. Why was it not stated in the invitation letter? Moscow University was also not renowned for Arts.
Furthermore, if this was an Arts Summer Camp, it should be stated in the invitation letter, and they can pick students based on that criteria. The students that came to this camp does not have any talent in arts!
Finished. He’s finished. There will be no more achievements and credits for him. When they arrived here, Feng Yu went missing, and Police was involved. But luckily Feng Yu returned and settled this problem. However, this issue also attracted the attention of the other teams. He kept having the feeling that he had brought disgrace to his country.
Just when Feng Yu’s missing saga had finally quieted down, he found out that the theme for this camp was Arts. Looking at the students from other countries, they were either singing, dancing or painting.
He looked over to Third High School students. His students were just walking around with cameras hanging from their necks. He can’t be telling the rest of the teams that his students were all photographers? There will also not enough time to develop the films.
The organizer also told him that the teams were taking turns to perform now. It will be Third High School’s turn soon. Who shall he pick to perform?
Vice Principal Sun looked over at his students and saw Feng Yu. Third High School was invited to this camp because of him. He must have known this was an Arts camp. He did not participate in the pre-camp training. Could he be preparing secretly for this performance at home and wanted to surprise everyone?
That’s right. This must be it. Feng Yu even helped Wen Dongjun to be excused from the training. Feng Yu will be the one determining whether Third High School would be a disgrace in this camp!
Feng Yu was still enjoying the dance performance, and he felt someone tapping his shoulders. He turned around and saw Vice Principal Sun’s face in front of him.
“Principal Sun, you are looking for me?”
Vice Principal Sun put on his best smile and said: “Feng Yu, why didn’t the invitation letter indicate that this is an Arts Camp? But never mind. The rest of us are not aware of this, but you should have known about this long time ago, right? That’s why you and Wen Dongjun did not participate in the pre-camp training and were preparing for this performance at home?
Looking at Vice principal Sun’s eager look, Feng Yu timidly said: “Principal Sun, would you believe me if I tell you that I am not aware of this too?”
Vice Principal Sun stared at Feng Yu: “What did you say? You are not aware? Isn’t this Summer Camp arranged for you by your family? That’s also the reason our school got invited. Stop denying and get ready for the performance. I don’t care if you are going to dance, sing, draw or calligraphy, as long as you perform something and don’t disgrace the school. When everything is over, I will award you with the best student award from our school!”
Feng Yu was dumbfounded. He did not know about the theme of this camp. He really wanted to say that he was only there to get some credentials. Brother Ki was just not reliable. Even if the invitation letter was bought, it should also state the theme and details of the camp clearly. What was this Arts themed camp about? There was nothing in common between China and Eastern Europe Arts.
Suddenly, Feng Yu saw a student carrying a guitar. He looked around him, and the ambiance reminded him of a song. It was a song that was translated from a Soviet folksong. The song was about a story that happened in Ukraine, and it was popular on the internet in his previous life. Feng Yu had also learned how to play that song with a guitar then.
Soon, it was Third High School’s turn to perform. Everyone was looking at each other, waiting for somebody to volunteer to perform.
Feng Yu stood up and walked toward the student from Ukraine: “Hi, I came late today and forgot to bring my guitar. Can you lend me yours?”
The Ukrainian student happily passed the guitar to Feng Yu. Feng Yu tested the guitar and then sat cross-legged in the center. It’s been a while since he played the guitar and was a bit rusty. Feng Yu hoped that he would not make any mistake during the performance.
“I will be performing a song composed by me, <Birch Grove>. It was adapted from a Ukrainian folksong, and it is about a beautiful young lady waiting for the return of her lover, who had gone to war, at Birch Grove. However, her lover had passed away in the war.”
“White snow blows over the quiet village
Pigeons fly in the hazy sky
Two names carved into a birch tree
Lovers pledged for an eternity
One day the fires of war descended on our home
The young men rushed to the frontier, guns in hand
Telling their loved ones not to worry for them
Await my return in the birch forest
The sky remains hazy
The pigeons still fly
Who remembers the life and love of those who lie in unmarked graves?
Snow continues to fall on that ever-quiet village
The youth have disappeared in that birch forest
The news arrives on that afternoon
Of loved ones fallen on a faraway battlefield
She silently goes to the birch forest
Waiting there with longing eyes……”
When Feng Yu finished his song, there was roaring applause. This song was adapted from their folksong, and he had sung it in Russian. All the participants at the camp understood it and were captivated by the lyrics. There was even a student who asked Feng Yu to give him the score and lyrics of this song. Another teacher also said that Feng Yu should record this song and sell it.
Vice Principal Sun was clapping his hands, satisfied. This crisis was finally over. He gave Feng Yu an “I knew you had prepared for this” look.
Translator Notes: The song stated in the raw was <白桦林>. It is on Youtube too. If you are interested, you can search for it. The translated lyrics were taken from lyricstranslate.com.