Author: Cason
Location: Liming to Xi'an
Today was a busy day. In the morning we split up: 3 of us staying at the orphanage and 5 going to rehab. We spent alot of the time just playing with the kids and saying goodbye. After lunch, both groups departed for Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei, where our train to Xi'an left from. Both groups ended up taking buses to the station - but one group got a nice van ride and the other got a slightly sketchy bus ride. One at the train station we went out to a local westernized restaurant and all of us were happy to see some recognizable food!! We also stopped at the local shopping mall to fill time before our train and we got to explore some chinese shops. When the time came to get on our train it was a human stampede. We were in the 2nd class sleapers but it wasn't that bad at all, we all settled in for a short sleep in the smoky cabins. It was definitely an experience for those who hadn't slept in large scale night trains and the 3 bed high bunk beds made for some good laughs.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Liming Family Rehabilitation Center
Author: Dwayne
Location: Liming Family Rehabilitation Center
Today was a good, but very draining day. It started off with Bridger, Cason, Alice, and I, along with Shannon and Emily driving to rehab. I started off the day stretching with Tian Gong Gong. It was a very intense workout for me because I had no ida how strong this little kid was. When we started off, we had to hold down all his limbs and apply pressure. Gong Gong started screaming, crying, and saying things. Little did I know, he was screaming, "Don't let them do this to me, they are hurting me." This translation took me by surprise, but we all knew he would be better in the long run. After he was done with his third set of exercises, he layed down next to Bridger and smiled.
Location: Liming Family Rehabilitation Center
Today was a good, but very draining day. It started off with Bridger, Cason, Alice, and I, along with Shannon and Emily driving to rehab. I started off the day stretching with Tian Gong Gong. It was a very intense workout for me because I had no ida how strong this little kid was. When we started off, we had to hold down all his limbs and apply pressure. Gong Gong started screaming, crying, and saying things. Little did I know, he was screaming, "Don't let them do this to me, they are hurting me." This translation took me by surprise, but we all knew he would be better in the long run. After he was done with his third set of exercises, he layed down next to Bridger and smiled.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Helping Childern in the Liming Orphanage
Author: Bridger H
Location: Liming Rehab Center
Today was my 2nd day at the Liming orphanage. After we ate breakfast, where me and Dwayne drank the entire apple juice, we went into the main courtyard and help feed the kids their breakfast. After the kids were done eating Ally went with some of them into the playroom while the rest of us went into the arts and crafts room with a few of the older kids. I hung out with(forgive the spelling, I'm not sure how its supposed to be) Tien La La. She gave me a banana as a gift and we ate sun flower seeds while making bracelets and she sewed. Alice, Emily, Amy Lee and I all played hacky sac with a home-made birdie that would normally be used to play badminton. After a while we were called into the main building where we helped feed the children their lunch, then we headed back to the room for our lunch. We rested in the girls common room, like normal, and then went and played with the kids until the other group who had been at the Rehab Center for the day. Overall we had a busy and fun day! I cant wait till tomorrow.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Location: Liming Rehab Center
Today was my 2nd day at the Liming orphanage. After we ate breakfast, where me and Dwayne drank the entire apple juice, we went into the main courtyard and help feed the kids their breakfast. After the kids were done eating Ally went with some of them into the playroom while the rest of us went into the arts and crafts room with a few of the older kids. I hung out with(forgive the spelling, I'm not sure how its supposed to be) Tien La La. She gave me a banana as a gift and we ate sun flower seeds while making bracelets and she sewed. Alice, Emily, Amy Lee and I all played hacky sac with a home-made birdie that would normally be used to play badminton. After a while we were called into the main building where we helped feed the children their lunch, then we headed back to the room for our lunch. We rested in the girls common room, like normal, and then went and played with the kids until the other group who had been at the Rehab Center for the day. Overall we had a busy and fun day! I cant wait till tomorrow.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Monday, June 25, 2007
LW China Podcast #1
Cason calls in the first-ever Lifeworks China audio update. Travel tribulations, unexpectedly pleasant accommodations, the first rural meal and some great first experiences mark the first update from the group.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Nee-hao
Author: Melissa
Location:
Okay so we thought it was going to be the orphans that needed diapers, but um no, it was actually Bridger! Ha...just kidding. Inside joke.
So...on to first reactions to China:
Surprising everyone did really well with the food, even Ally! After we at e huge Chinese meal with a ton of different dishes she exclaimed, "I like rice!" Libby found it a little strange to be eating vegetables for breakfast, but she handled the situation well. After the biggest "continental" breakfast of our lives Brent came to give us an orientation and tell us that we.... Post orientation we headed to lunch at another Chinese restaurant (go figure) and then to Summer Palace. Ha...ActionQuest, you thought you were the only ones, but we were actually shipmates today too. We paddled around the lake in Summer Palace. Interesting enough, we were also asked several times by the Chinese if they could take pictures with us. Dwayne was a favorite. This was also where many of us got to experience our first squat toilet...yippeeee! Hand sanitizer is a must in this country. After summer palace we headed to Jenny Lou's market to stock up on snacks (crunchy bambams beaker!) and Cason was soooo excited about seeing western food that he bought about 10 boxes of chips ahoy, digestives, and crackers! Yes, dinner was another Chinese meal. Some of the kids saw the hospice for the first time and then we headed back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow's trip out to the country!
We will try to update the blog as frequently as possible, but it may not be as possible until we return to Beijing. Zai Jian until then!
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Location:
Okay so we thought it was going to be the orphans that needed diapers, but um no, it was actually Bridger! Ha...just kidding. Inside joke.
So...on to first reactions to China:
Surprising everyone did really well with the food, even Ally! After we at e huge Chinese meal with a ton of different dishes she exclaimed, "I like rice!" Libby found it a little strange to be eating vegetables for breakfast, but she handled the situation well. After the biggest "continental" breakfast of our lives Brent came to give us an orientation and tell us that we.... Post orientation we headed to lunch at another Chinese restaurant (go figure) and then to Summer Palace. Ha...ActionQuest, you thought you were the only ones, but we were actually shipmates today too. We paddled around the lake in Summer Palace. Interesting enough, we were also asked several times by the Chinese if they could take pictures with us. Dwayne was a favorite. This was also where many of us got to experience our first squat toilet...yippeeee! Hand sanitizer is a must in this country. After summer palace we headed to Jenny Lou's market to stock up on snacks (crunchy bambams beaker!) and Cason was soooo excited about seeing western food that he bought about 10 boxes of chips ahoy, digestives, and crackers! Yes, dinner was another Chinese meal. Some of the kids saw the hospice for the first time and then we headed back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow's trip out to the country!
We will try to update the blog as frequently as possible, but it may not be as possible until we return to Beijing. Zai Jian until then!
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Helping Childern in the Liming Orphanage
Author: Bridger H
Location: Liming Rehab Center
Today was my 2nd day at the Liming orphanage. After we ate breakfast, where me and Dwayne drank the entire apple juice, we went into the main courtyard and help feed the kids their breakfast. After the kids were done eating Ally went with some of them into the playroom while the rest of us went into the arts and crafts room with a few of the older kids. I hung out with(forgive the spelling, I'm not sure how its supposed to be) Tien La La. She gave me a banana as a gift and we ate sun flower seeds while making bracelets and she sewed. Alice, Emily, Amy Lee and I all played hacky sac with a home-made birdie that would normally be used to play badminton. After a while we were called into the main building where we helped feed the children their lunch, then we headed back to the room for our lunch. We rested in the girls common room, like normal, and then went and played with the kids until the other group who had been at the Rehab Center for the day. Overall we had a busy and fun day! I cant wait till tomorrow.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
Location: Liming Rehab Center
Today was my 2nd day at the Liming orphanage. After we ate breakfast, where me and Dwayne drank the entire apple juice, we went into the main courtyard and help feed the kids their breakfast. After the kids were done eating Ally went with some of them into the playroom while the rest of us went into the arts and crafts room with a few of the older kids. I hung out with(forgive the spelling, I'm not sure how its supposed to be) Tien La La. She gave me a banana as a gift and we ate sun flower seeds while making bracelets and she sewed. Alice, Emily, Amy Lee and I all played hacky sac with a home-made birdie that would normally be used to play badminton. After a while we were called into the main building where we helped feed the children their lunch, then we headed back to the room for our lunch. We rested in the girls common room, like normal, and then went and played with the kids until the other group who had been at the Rehab Center for the day. Overall we had a busy and fun day! I cant wait till tomorrow.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage
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