Our last day has been busy and adventurous. My late-night packing needs leave me short on time for the blog, but I know everyone will be leaving grateful for the kindness of the host families, our tour guides, the Bayi students and staff, and the people of Beijing. Without them we could not have had such memorable and rewarding week.
Monday, April 22, 2013
April 18 Sé
Today we traveled to the Great Wall. Although you hear stories about it and see pictures, nothing can really compare to standing at the highest peak and seeing miles in every direction. Standing on a wall made in the Ming Dynasty, it was incredible. I accomplished my goal of running up the Great Wall of China, which turned out to be a challenge due to the steep slopes.
Even though being so far away from home might be a mission, my host family created such an environment that it made me feel welcome. They make special Chinese dishes for me which shows their willingness to make this trip memorable. I'm having a great time connecting with my host and look forward for them to come visit us in America.
April 18 Photos
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| Great Wall celebrity |
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| Great Wall climbing |
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| Great Wall snacking |
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| Dumplings after the Great Wall |
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| Gossiping at Pizza Hut dinner |
April 17 Kylee
Today we visited the Migrant Workers School. The trip was delightful however it was hard to enjoy the cute faces of the boys and girls when you saw their conditions. With only a tuition of $200 a year, there is little money to put into supplies. The surrounding neighborhood is extremely poor and it reflects in their school. The classrooms are small, rundown, and falling apart. The playground is old, with nothing but two ping pong tables, two basketball nets (without the nets) and a piles of wood and trash. Despite this, the children enjoy what they have and make do. It's both sad but also inspiring. The visit was an effective way for some of us to truly appreciate what we have.
April 17 Photos
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| Tai chi showdown |
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| Grade 7 English class |
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| Grade 7 English class |
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| Donating dictionaries at the migrant worker school |
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| 'Duck duck goose' at the migrant worker school |
April 16 Ben
The trip to the Summer Palace was wonderful! It was peaceful to walk along the roads that the emperor had walked long ago... The history here in China is an immense and powerful thing (very moving)... The stories and the history you can see before your eyes is a wonderful gift that we are so lucky to experience!
April 15 Blair
Hello families/friends,
Today the groups schedule was to go to Bayi High School for a tour and to speak with their model UN group. The tour of Bayi was great! It is a campus o 3,000 students, it is very grand. The school emphasizes teaching in extra curricular activities along with the basic course. We were able to see the band and chorus rooms, art center, gym, outdoor courtyard, and international studies center. In the international center we sat around a table with Bayi's Model UN. We talked about global citizenship - the importance, factors of it and how to be a good global citizen. After talking around the table we split into smaller groups of two Americans and about five Bayi students. It was very interesting an fun sharing each others opinion, and breaking through the language barrier. One thing that helps is that we call them by their english names. When we finished talking about global citizenship we began talking about things that interested us, such as dream jobs, favorite foods, etc. that was my favorite part. The student Troy wanted to be a soccer coach, Tod wished to move to America and be in marketing, Kale liked technology, Tom also wanted to move to the U.S. and have his own business, and Jane wanted to go into the building industry. I think we got to know our group members well- who equally enjoyed our company. After the meeting we had lunch in the dining hall with our host student and their friends.
Blair
April 15 Photos
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| Emily and Blair with calligraphy |
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| Discussing global citizenship with Bayi students |
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| Weekly flag ceremony at Bayi |
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| At the Lama Temple (Buddhist) |
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| Mr Cho (?), chaperone of Bayi students to Falmouth last year, shows off his stools |
April 14 Mr W
Our first full day was a busy one. As we met up this morning and exchanged stories about our first night with our host families two themes clearly emerged: overwhelming generosity and kindness from the families and plenty of tasty food at dinner. We saw Beihei Park in the morning before getting a traditional noodle lunch which was quite tasty. After lunch we walked through Tiananmen Square before finishing the day at the Forbidden City. Lots of walking today, but everyone had a good time. Everyone is looking forward to our first full morning at Bayi tomorrow.
April 13 Mr W
April 13
We have all arrived safely, though a bit fatigued, in Beijing! After a smooth entry througI immigration and customs we met Zhou Li and Annie, two of our hosts, at the airport before heading to Bayi HS to meet our host families.
Our welcome at Bayi HS was warm and gracious. I had a wonderful dinner with my host family and look forward to hearing from everyone else about their first night while we tour the Forbidden City tomorrow.
Mr W
April 12 Ben
What an experience, for a freshman in high school this is quite a big leap! I'm actually very thankful that I even get to be apart of this amazing trip! The flight to Beijing from Detroit will feel like nothing; because I have the luxury of traveling with good friends from my school! thanks to those who could make this trip possible (I'll be thinking of those back at home through my travels)!
-Ben
April 10
Hello China! Welcome to our trip blog, set up by our very own Lizzie. We're 37 hours from meeting at the airport. I've done all of my laundry and dug out my suitcase, but I still need to find a Chinese plug converter and call my bank.
We'll switch off keeping you updated on our adventures on this page. First up: fly to Beijing. We'll be taking DL189 from Detroit to Beijing and landing at 2:40 local time. Along the way we'll have group bonding, a short Chinese lesson in Detroit, and hopefully some solid sleep.
I have no idea if these anti-jet-lag tips about eating, about dark and light, and about how to get rest on the plane are at all valid, but I've been gradually moving up my bedtime and will whole-heartedly embrace the suggestion to feast the day before travel. It can't hurt, right?
See you at 5am on Friday at the Delta gate!
-- Ms. S
April 10
In the next two days, we will be packing and getting ready for the trip of our lives! We will soon be on our flight and ready for an amazing experience! lets go!
-Elizabeth
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