Bumpass, Virginia

After a hearty American-style breakfast at the Sino-Swiss, we had our first meeting with the entire group that comprised our 25-person teaching team. Introductions went smoothly, and I had a surprisingly easy time memorizing names. Maybe God was behind this trip after all.

When two of the guys introduced themselves, we realized they were from the same hometown. Casey a junior at Bridgewater College, and Jon, a recent college graduate who's looking at long-term work in the Middle Country, both hail from the bustling metropolis of Bumpass, Virginia. Pardon the immaturity, but we snickered a little when we heard the name. Casey and John, both hilarious guys, joined us, and then intros continued.

It wasn't until we got to know them a little better that Casey told us the legend from which Bumpass got its name. The Bumpass family was a contingent of Mormons living in a Christian-saturated area in what is now Virginia. The community drove the Bumpasses out, telling them that if they left peacefully, the town would be named after them. None of us thought it made much sense to name a town after someone you discriminated against, so we made Bumpass the butt of many jokes to come.