Town ready to welcome return of special guest

She has prepared a gift for Xi: Obama on the Couch, a book by Justin Frank, a highly regarded expert on psychoanalysis.

“I hope it will help Xi understand the man (US President Barack Obama) better and help them get along, so it will lead to a peaceful and successful relationship between China and the US,” she said.

The Dvorchaks visited China in 1987 with a tour group and are hoping to go again. Their son Mark runs a China-related business consulting company in California.

Other folk in Muscatine, including a Chinese language teacher and her students at Muscatine High School, are equally looking forward to the vice-president’s visit.

“He is such an important person from such an important country and all of us want to meet him in person,” teacher Carol Kula said.

Aric Bower, a senior student who has studied Chinese for four years, added: “I was really amazed when I heard Xi was visiting. I never expected him to come to Muscatine.”

For the local newspaper, the Muscatine Journal, it will be the biggest story of the year. Its editor Chris Steinbach has received dozens of calls from the media at home and abroad inquiring about Xi’s trip.

“We will see how people from two different countries get together again after almost 30 years,” he said. “It is pretty unusual and I have never heard anything like this happening before. It shows the importance of friendship and being open-minded about learning about other people’s countries. I think that’s pretty cool.”

Sweet memories

Writer Mark Twain, once writing for the Journal, remembers Muscatine for its sunsets, while Xi remembers the town for its people.

Iowa Governor Branstad said Xi has kept the itinerary of the 1985 Iowa trip. “When I met him last September in Beijing, he mentioned many people he had met in Muscatine,” Branstad said.

Xi Jinping (center) at a picnic at the farm of Janet Rauch in 1985. Janet Rauch / for China Daily

The hospitality of its people and its advanced agricultural industries were the reasons the small city was picked to host the Chinese delegation, Lande said.

“Joan and I had been to China in 1984 with the Sister State program and we were so excited about China, that we wanted them to share our homes and learn about our people,” she said.

As the delegation was on a budget of $400 for three days, most of the local programs then were run by volunteer hosts such as the Dvorchaks.

Xi stayed in the bedroom of their two sons who were at college at that time.

“There were two beds with Star Wars wallpapers and Star Trek toys – a typical middle-class children’s room,” Eleanor said.

After a busy day touring with his delegation, Xi would enjoy some peace and quiet at the Dvorchaks’ place. “I would make him a tea and let him unwind a little bit,” she said.

Most Chinese visitors did not stay with host families at that time, Lande said.

“But that’s one of the things Mr Xi enjoyed so much. He was brought in as part of the family, ate at the breakfast table and stayed in the kids’ room. He really got to see a slice of American life,” she said.

In addition to the tours to farms and companies, the delegation also enjoyed their social time with the hosts.

They had dinners at family homes, went on a boat trip on the Mississippi, had a farmhouse picnic and watched a local baseball game.

“It was the first delegation from China that we had and we were curious about each other,” Axel said. “We talked about the family, business, food, homes, the kids, dogs and so on.”

Xi is remembered as a good delegation leader with a warm heart.

“He was organized, curious and professional with a really warm nature,” Lande said.

“I remember that he had a really nice smile,” Axel said.

According to an article at the time in the Muscatine Journal, Xi said about the 1985 visit: “So far we have learned a lot, seen a lot and achieved a lot. The impression of the US is very good, I think. We have seen a lot of your advanced technology. The people here are very warm and very friendly. They too have left a very deep impression on us.”

http://ideas.time.com/2012/02/08/lessons-for-obama-from-the-superbowl/

http://ideas.time.com/2012/01/25/two-cases-of-arrested-development/

http://www.booktv.org/Watch/12939/Obama+on+the+Couch+Inside+the+Mind+of+the+President.aspx

Also online is a recent blog entry Dr. Frank wrote regarding a talk he headlined at a local DC restaurant, The Coterie.  Included in the blog entry are highlights and comments from the night as well as interesting information about healthy childhood development and Obama’s own childhood.

http://thecoteriedc.com/news/read/10–fatherhunger

http://ideas.time.com/2012/01/11/obama-builds-on-his-mojo/#ixzz1jP1Pceiv

http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/28/is-obama-finally-getting-his-groove-back/?iid=op-main-lede

http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/14/has-obama-had-a-psychological-breakthrough/?iid=op-main-lede

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/obama-on-the-couch/content?oid=4551751