dailies

7/11/05 - Day 1

China program began. Several students gave fun and fascinating
China program began. Several students gave fun and fascinating
performances of song and dance. Some sang English song, while
others sang traditional Chinese songs. Afterwards, a martial arts
instructor demonstrated some Kung Fu and then asked children
to volunteer in participating as well. The youngest of the
American American children, Polly, was asked to separately
perform some martial arts. Her small four-year-old body stood
before everyone brave and unafraid ... and very cute!
brave and unafraid ... and very cute!

brave and unafraid ... and very cute!

After more performances from the Chinese children, it was the
American children’s' turn to demonstrate their musical talents.
Some children went up to the piano and played a song or two for
all to hear.

Coincidentally, it also happened to be one of the Chinese
children's birthdays. The principal pulled up a young boy and
asked him how old he was. Scared and confused, he replied that
he was 9 and then quietly told the principal that it wasn't his
birthday! Everyone laughed at the honest mistake as the birthday
girl walked up and took center stage. As a teacher wheeled out a
birthday cake, everyone sang Happy Birthday together in spite of
a difference in language, because the tune of Happy Birthday is
the same all around the world! The cake was shared with
everyone in the room and what a delicious cake it was!

Following the birthday celebration, a teacher at the school asked
a couple of American children to sing "This Land is My Land"
while he played the guitar. The song harmonized in more ways
than one and was truly fit for the occasion. Children from both
sides then exchanged presents and this wrapped up the
Welcoming Ceremony.

People separated and then dispersed into assigned classrooms
where lunch was served. After lunch, the children had a quiet time
in which some children slept and others quietly played with one
another. As the children interacted, the grownups were on their
way to an Acupuncture and Massage Research Hospital. There,
the parents were shown ways in which acupuncture and massage
could help alleviate stress and pain in all parts of the body. Some
parents even volunteered themselves for neck and back
massages. Parents and children were then reunited for dinner
and finally returning to their hotel rooms after a long but
interesting first day of a two week journey into China.

7/12/05 - Day 2

The morning began around 8:30am when everybody joined in the
Merrylin Cafeteria, the small restaurant in the hotel, for a
breakfast buffet. We departed at around 9:15am to arrive at the
school by 9:30am where the children began their day in a dance
classroom running in circles to release some energy!

The parents began their day similarly in a Tai Qi class where they
stretched their muscles and relaxed their body. Following the
movements of the instructor, the parents were required to hold
single positions for extended periods of time. By the end of the
hour-long class, the parents had learned a routine consisting of
multiple movements calling for strength and balance.

Following the Tai Qi class, a mandarin teacher taught some
basics of mandarin daily conversation. Parents learned
vocabulary and commonly used phrases that may be useful
during their stay. Next, the teacher, Mr. Zhang, taught about
Chinese architecture and its symbols and technicalities.

During this time, the children learned how to play an old Chinese
board game known as 'Wei Chi' or 'Go.' They then learned a
children's Chinese dance and jumped up and down on
trampolines and exercise balls.

Because this program is so unique, it has caught media attention,
especially from local newspapers. Several newspaper reporters
came and photographed the children and their parents during
class as well as while they played. They interviewed several
parents about their decision to adopt and their experiences while
interacting with the children too. We then went on to eat lunch with
the newspapers reporters where there was further questioning
and inquiries.

After the newspaper reporters left, the parents went to a site in
which older parts of China and its culture were preserved for
tourists and visitors. The parents saw an old fashioned bed as
well as traditional spinning wheels. We visited pawnshops and
wineries as well as temples and museums.

Finally we ate lunch where the children sat at one table and the
parents sat at another table. Everyone laughed and talked and
enjoyed their meal. Afterwards, we headed towards the Huangpu
River, where we took a ferry and went down the Huangpu River to
look at the skyline at night. There were beautiful buildings and
many colorful lights everywhere.

Leaving the ferry, we headed back to our hotel rooms for a good
night’s rest.

7/13/05 - Day 3

The morning once again began with Tai Qi. The same routine was
practiced with a couple of new, additional movements. At 9:30am,
the mandarin teacher began to review and teach more about daily
conversations in Chinese. He also specified the difference
between sounds that sounded similar but where different and
therefore hard to pronounce. After a small break, the parents
returned to the classroom prepared to learn about the traditions
and background of Chinese tea. The parents learned the
differences between green tea, red tea, black tea, etc. and also
learned about the importance of a good teapot. While the parents
were learning about the origins of tea, the children were coloring
and playing Go.

The parents then went out to lunch at the Merrylin Cafeteria in the
hotel lobby and prepared clothing for a sleepover and bathing
suits for the children. After lunch, the parents returned to the
school to drop off the clothing and then headed out to go to a tea
garden where they sampled several different types of tea.

Back at the school, the children were eating dessert and changing
in preparation to go swimming at a nearby swimming pool. After
everyone was changed and ready, we walked down the street to a
neighboring school. There the children each got a locker in the
locker rooms in which they put their things and headed off to go
for a swim.

A swim instructor assisted each student separately if necessary
but for the most part, everyone just played and had fun. Some
children played Tag in the water while others gave piggyback
rides. Some kids were cold and so the swim instructor told them to
run back and forth across the width of the pool or jump up and
down 20 times to warm themselves up. The children all had a
wonderful time.

After changing out of their swimsuits, the children all bought ice
cream and ate it on the walk back to the school. When they got
back to the school, the parents of the Chinese children were
already waiting for them, anticipating their arrival. There, Chinese
and American children were paired up and left excited to
sleepover at their new friends' houses.

The parents had dinner at a restaurant near the tea garden after
they completed their tour. At the restaurant, everyone told
interesting anecdotes and even talked about the strangest foods
that we had eaten in the past. Following dinner, some parents
went to see the famous Nanjing Rd. while other parents returned
to the hotel seeking rest and relaxation.

7/14/05 – Day 4

In the early morning, children and parents alike woke up and went
to the Gold Palm Academy to have fun and learn. The morning
began as usual with a Tai Qi lesson in which the parents seemed
to be improving more and more right before everyone’s eyes! It
has been amazing to watch the parents slowly progress and
advance.

After the Tai Qi lesson, the parents did not have their usual
mandarin lesson but instead they had a man come in. Mrs.
Jianping Wang translated for him as he told his students that he
specialized in calligraphy and seals. He gave a handout which
explained certain intricacies and details about the Chinese
tradition of seals on art such as paintings, etc. He showed the
parents how certain artists used clever ways to incorporate
patterns into their seals.

Later he demonstrated a piece that he had worked on the
previous night especially made for Mrs. Jianping Wang. He had
made a seal for here and demonstrated in front of the class how
he made the side panel. All parents watched in awe and
amazement as he skillfully carved through the hard stone with a
small tool. In a very short amount of time, he was finished and
presented it as a gift to Mrs. Jianping Wang.

It came as a surprise to many that there was yet another birthday
in that same week; the birthday of one of our own, Christopher.
Christopher is a counselor and role model to many of the children
of both American and Chinese background. Throughout this trip
he has befriended many and also learned a lot about a culture
that is very close to his heart. Ironically, it was his birthday right in
the middle of the trip. In celebration of this great day, parents and
children both sang him “Happy Birthday” and joined him in eating
birthday cake! Everyone laughed and sang and had a great time
in wishing Christopher a happy 15th year!

As a very good birthday present, the children were coincidentally
scheduled to go to a water park in the afternoon. All of the
children went with their teachers and had a wonderful time. There
were slides and rides and all types of fun things to do in the water.
At the park, there were people of all ages and everyone had a
very unique and wonderful experience with their new friends.

In the evening, the parents went to XinTianDi, or the New Horizon.
XinTianDi is a relatively new area in Shanghai which is aimed
towards tourists. For many people who may be in China on
business, it is a taste of home. In XinTianDi, there are many
restaurants geared towards foreigners.

By 8:30pm, everyone seemed weary as we seemed to be walking
slower and yawning more often. So the parents called it a night
and returned to the hotel to get ready for a more enlightening day
ahead.

7/15/05 – Day 5

After a rejuvenating sleep, the parents and children quickly ate
their breakfast to arrive at the school and continue their learning
experience. Upon entering the Tai Ji classroom, the parents found
three young Chinese teenagers sitting patiently, seemingly
anticipating the start of the class.

They were later found to be three of the Tai Ji teacher’s other
students. They were between the ages of 13 and 16 and had
been studying Tai Ji for quite a while. The teenagers were in the
classroom for observation purposes, as they took great interest in
this form of exercise.

When the Tai Ji class ended, the parents saw another new face
enter the room; a new mandarin teacher. The teacher was a
young woman who seemed to look prepared and anxious all at the
same time. She taught the parents some basics about Chinese
PinYing as well as how to write their numbers as well as say them.

She also taught how to look up words in the dictionary using
different methods. She taught how the dictionary was organized
and what to look for when looking up a word or phrase. Many
parents tried to follow what they were taught to look up words and
seemed to do wonderfully! Hopefully this new skill will be
applicable in the future!

Following the Mandarin lesson, the teacher presented a
PowerPoint in which she talked briefly about different styles of
food in China and showed some visual examples using pictures.
After lunch at the hotel, to follow up on the lesson on Chinese
cuisine, the parents were later taken to a kitchen in which they
learned to make traditional Chinese dishes.

They were joined by their children in making wontons, dumplings,
and a Chinese dessert called Tangyuan. Everyone had a lot of
fun in this hands-on experience wearing chef hats to give off a
look of authenticity. After the dishes were finished, the food was
cooked and eaten! … and they were DELICIOUS!

Tired and full, the parents walked it off by visiting the Silk Alley.
There they learned about how silk was made and saw it in bulk.
Everything was made carefully and with lots of precision. At the
Silk Alley, parents saw the process in which silk worms were made
into beautiful silk fabrics. Silk worms were about the size of an egg
and in the shape of a football. After processing, the silk worms
became silk clothing, comforters, etc. Many parents spent money
on tops and dresses as well as scarves for their friends and
family. This fine quality material did not come cheap but the
unique demonstration of its creation made it a worthwhile
purchase and trip.

Over the weekend, many children visited the homes of their new
friends. Many of the American children went to a Chinese friend’s
house and slept over. Chinese families welcomed these new
children into their homes, providing gifts and dinner. Everyone
had fascinating experiences with these new friends, learning more
about the Chinese versus American culture differences.

7/18/05 – Day 6

After a weekend, parents and children once again came to an
exercise filled morning. The parents’ Tai Ji classes were getting
easier to manage and the parents began to seem more
comfortable with the movements. The routine accumulated and
more difficult movements were incorporated but nothing that the
parents couldn’t handle!
Mandarin and music classes followed Tai Ji. Parents learned
about Chinese music, especially the flute. Many of the American
parents had musical backgrounds or thought of music as a hobby,
so this class interested many. The teacher of the class, also a
flute teacher, played CDs and demonstrated pieces on his
Chinese flute, which was made of bamboo, unlike the traditional
American flute. Parents learned about the difference in qualities
of the flute based on how the bamboo is grown, etc.

Some parents even tried to play on the Chinese bamboo flute
noting that the spacing of the holes was different than that of the
American flute. By the end of the class, many parents were
interested in purchasing CDs similar to the ones that he had
played throughout the class and asked to know the names of the
CDs so they could go out and buy them at a record store.
Following the music lesson, children and parents joined together
for a lesson on Chinese Folk Dance. A dance instructor led as
children followed in unison. Even Mrs. Jianping Wang danced
along. Because she had learned how to dance Chinese Folk
Dance when she was younger, she was familiar with the music.
Media began to fill our classroom as photographers and
cameramen came in to film our Summer Fun in China Program.
Together, everyone sang and danced as if the cameras were
never even there. After dancing, reporters asked many of the
parents and children questions and interviewed others.
That same night, parents and children both went to a nice
restaurant for dinner. Many of the children changed into a nice
outfit, fully prepared to sing and dance at the restaurant. In the
restaurant was a stage meant for performances ... and perform
we did! Everyone danced and sang in an overwhelming feeling of
excitement. Children sang songs and danced freely as other
customers soon came up to the stage to sing and dedicate songs
to the Summer Fun in China Program. Our two-table party started
a warm feeling among other customers in the restaurant, leading
to a PARTY in the truest sense of the word.

The night was long and didn’t end until about 10 o’clock though
many parents left earlier. It was truly a night to be remembered.
Many parents saw for the first time that a room filled with
strangers could be brought together through song and dance,
eventually feeling a lot more like family. The dinner turned out to
be more like an experience and it brought everyone just a little bit
closer together.

7/19/05 – Day 7

Children woke to a morning of more exercise and dance while
parents continued to learn their Tai Ji routine, which they would
eventually perform at the end of the 2-week program. After the
daily morning routine, children and parents went their separate
ways.

Parents went to Zhu Jia Jiao, an ancient town that has been
preserved and is now still open to tourists. At one point in time,
Zhu Jia Jiao was an important shipping port. For this reason,
tourists can still see many of the man-made canals that were once
vital to trade. There are still many bridges standing as well as
temples of ancient dynasties.

While the parents enjoyed themselves in a cultural excursion at
Zhu Jia Jiao, the children were at Dong Fang Lu Zhou, also known
as the Oriental Land. The Oriental Land is a very large site in
which tourists can see military equipment as well as play on the
many playgrounds. When the kids got to the Oriental Land, they
immediately got on a large ship. Inside the ship were several
exhibitions of fighter planes and tanks. They even saw a military
Jeep driving through the water!

After the military exhibitions, the children took a shuttle to the
cafeteria. The cafeteria was a large building that was designed
like an old fashioned temple. Inside, there were many, many
people milling around. Lunch was served with rice and vegetables
as well as meat and soup. Some of the children had brought
along their own snacks, including crackers, chips, and soda. The
day was very hot so everyone was relieved to get out of the
scorching heat and sit down for a nice lunch.

When everyone decided that they were finished, we walked to the
children’s playgrounds. There, the children found a huge area
exclusively for them to play. There were several play structures
including slides, monkey bars, rock climbing, etc. For hours, the
children played as their teachers just watched. They helped each
other and played with each other, using their imagination to
create wild adventures. Some pretended to be superheroes while
others pretended to play house.

Every so often, a child would stop playing to ask for some water or
to use the bathroom but they didn’t let anything else tear them
from their playtime! They played until they were hungry and tired.
Many of them had ice cream before leaving.

On the walk towards our van, the children saw a large auditorium
that was used for performances as well as movies. Many went up
on stage to sing and dance. The huge auditorium seating nearly
2000 people was empty except for us. Together the children had
fun and played on the stage until it was time to go home.

The ride home was peacefully considering everyone looked like
they needed a good rest before the next big trip. The van was
filled with children snoring and their bodies laid on top of each
other. It was obvious that they were all beat!

7/20/05 – Day 8

A long day had everyone tired, parents and children alike but they
were all still up and ready to go by the next morning where the
parents began to learn the final few movements to their Tai Ji
routine and children with their dance routines.

Following Tai Ji, parents had a calligraphy lesson by the same
man who had taught them about Chinese seals. Every parent had
their own desk at which a brush, paper, and ink were already set
up for them. Firstly, the teacher showed some calligraphy that he
had written as well as those of other calligraphers. He talked
about the history of calligraphy and the different styles of writing,
similar to what we would now call font.

Then everyone began to write their own words. First the teacher
taught the parents to write the word for ‘sky.’ The parents followed
his stroke order and brush position. He went around to help
everyone individually and then let the parents practice on their
own. Many of the parents had the names of their children
previously made into seals, courtesy of the teacher. Now they
wanted to know how to write those same names down with a
calligraphy brush. With the help of the teacher, the parents all
became experts at their children’s names. Some even learned to
write translations of their own names.

Parents felt accomplished and successful. Many brought their
sheets of calligraphy paper back to the hotel rooms, and thinking
of eventually bringing them back to their homes to frame and
show their friends and family the new things they learned to do
while in China. Some parents even considered taking up
calligraphy as a new hobby, buying inkpads and paper in
preparation.

That night, the children and their parents went to an acrobat show
performed by the Shanghai Yun Ri Zhi Mu Acrobatics Troupe.
Before the show started, many bought ice cream and beverages.
Once it was time, everyone took their seats. The seats were very
close to the stage, in the first and second rows only. Everyone
had a fantastic view of the show.

Children and parents were both in awe throughout several of the
performances. There were women who seemed to have bodies
made of rubber and others who could balance in a way that
seemed to be impossible. There were trapeze artists that seemed
to be flying and men who could jump through the highest of
hoops. Other men juggled hats while women spun plates and
balanced on bicycles. There was even an act with a young boy
who could balance himself on a board that was rested on a pipe.

The final act was the most extraordinary of the entire show in
which motorcyclists drove around in a massive spherical ball. One
motorcyclist became two and then three and four and finally there
were five men driving motorcycles at fast speeds in a ball on
stage! Everyone was completely blown away by the danger and
excitement of the act.

When the show was over, the actors of the show all stood outside
while people of the audience took pictures in a star struck
manner. There was an immense amount of enthusiasm and
exhilaration that won’t be forgotten.

7/21/05 – Day 9

The parents and children were to have only brief morning
activities because they were scheduled to go spend the day
shopping at Cheng Huang Temple, a huge shopping area for
tourists were prices are cheap and very much negotiable.

After a quick morning, the parents were excited go shopping!
Over the course of the Program, there was very little time for them
to shop with such tightly packed schedules but this was their
chance to splurge on whatever they wanted.

Some parents wanted to explore the Yu Yuan Gardens, a place of
peace and comfort in the heart Shanghai, dating back to the Ming
Dynasty. Two groups split up; one was the shopping group and
the other was the Yu Yuan Gardens group. But even those who
went to go see the Yu Yuan Gardens bought things because
things are cheap and can go even cheaper if bargained!

Parents bought T-shirts for their friends while others bought silk
dresses and scarves. Many parents bought jewelry, bags, shoes,
and toys all for low prices. Other parents found it relieving that
there was a Starbucks in which they tried a new flavor of coffee
beverage with a Green Tea taste to it.

While the parents were shopping and having fun, the children
were having fun too! They were making traditional Chinese knots
and learned how to make paper cuts of many various animals.
They also learned watched as a skilled man made the children
any animal of their liking out of what looked like PlayDough. Some
had panda bears while others had pigs and horses. Everyone
made several beautiful pieces of art of traditional China.

More cameramen followed as the children made their art,
interviewing more parents and children about their feeling about
the program. The boys and girl were asked what their favorite
parts of the program were and the same was asked of their
parents. But the boys and girls were too busy to deal with the
cameramen! They were in the middle of making dogs and cats! =)

After lots of purchases, we ate dinner and finally returned home
together where we rested for the last day of the Summer Fun in
China Program would be in the morning. Everyone knew that the
end was coming soon and was sad because of it. In so many
ways, the camp seemed so long and in so many others it seemed
way too short.

Parents and children went to sleep knowing that it might be the
last time that they saw some of their newly made friends who in a
sense weren’t so new anymore. After so many sleepovers and
dance classes and field trips, it became as if there was no
difference between the Chinese children and American children.

7/22/05 – Day 10

The final morning came and everyone was excited yet sad at the
same time. But nonetheless, the morning began as any morning
would. The parents began with Tai Ji learning the final movements
to complete the routine. After two weeks, the parents finally knew
all that they needed to know to complete an entire Tai Ji routine
and they were excited!

Just like always, the parents followed Tai Ji with mandarin. In
mandarin class, they learned how to say some fun and useful
phrases for everyday use. But unlike the usual, the mandarin
teacher was the teacher who usually taught the children. She was
very friendly and helpful. It seemed she could be the mandarin
teacher of the parents just as well as a mandarin teacher of the
children!

After the children had lunch, the Closing Ceremony began. It
began with the children dancing, singing, playing games, and just
all around having a wonderful time. The children played Chinese
games such as a game that was very similar to Duck Duck Goose,
except with the addition of a handkerchief. They also played a
game in which they kicked an object made of rubber and feathers
that is much like the American hacky sack. The children all
showed what they had learned in the two weeks that they had
been in Shanghai. They recited traditional Chinese poems and
demonstrated Chinese dances.

Then Principal Han gave a PowerPoint presentation of all the
adopted American children who had participated in the Program. It
included their name, birthday, where they were adopted, and
where they currently resided, among other small facts. It included
pictures of both parents and children and reminded everyone of
the wonderful people they had all met throughout this two-week
period.

Later in the ceremony, parents also included themselves by
performing the Tai Ji routine that they had so strenuously learned.
Their Tai Ji instructor led as they followed and showed off what
hard work they had put into completing the routine.

Both principals gave warm and welcoming speeches about the
Program and the gratitude that was extended in both directions.
They had prepared for a known Chinese pop singer to sing for us
a song called “All For Love.”

As red carnations were passed around to everyone, the principals
revealed a wire net in the shape of a heart. Finally they told
everyone to plug their carnations into each hole to represent their
love for this Program and everything it stands for. Once the singer
began to sing, everyone slowly came up to the heart and plugged
their carnations in.

When the song was over and everyone returned to their seats,
the heart that was once blank and seemed meaningless now was
filled with beautiful flowers and love from Chinese and American
families alike.

The ceremony came to an end but everyone knew that the
friendships and relationships that blossomed because of the
Program were not to be forgotten or lost.