Carolyn Franzini of Morehead, who was in Yangshuo with the Sister Cities Summer Youth Delegation, accepted the plaque for Betty who was in Taiwan at the time. The nomination was submitted by the Educational Department of Yangshuo County, where Blessing Hands gave educational support to 260 students in 58 schools during the last school year.
place, the kids yelled a robust "Hello!!!" I, of course, returned the greeting. After asking them as to how they were doing, I began pulling out various 8X10 pictures I had. The first one was of my mother. Pointing, I said, "This is my mother." I then wrote "mother" on the board with the phrase "This is my _____" above it. I had them read the sentence with me. I repeated this format as I showed them pictures of my father, sister, grandparents, and dog (supplementing the list with the words "brother," "cat," and "family"). To finalize this portion of the lesson, I pointed to each phrase and word on the board, while the students would say, "This is my mother," "This is my father," "This is my dog," and so on. I pointed out to them, however, that when inserting "grandparents" into the phrase, the sentence should be "THESE ARE my grandparents."
I wrote on the board, "Do you have a _____." I went around the room, asking various students simple questions like "Do you have a brother?" The student would stand up and politely respond, "Yes, I do" or "No, I do not." Then (while pointing to myself), I told the students, "My name is Megan." On the board I wrote, "What is your name?" and had the kids read this phrase. I went around the room, asking various students this question. Finally, I wrote, "The name of my ____ is" on the board (which they read aloud), and again I asked various students for the names of their brothers, sisters, etc.
climbed the staircase to the correct floor, I saw about 30 smiling children at the top of the staircase eagerly waiting for me. As soon as I reached the top, they started to excitedly thrust various drawings into my hands, saying, "Here you are!" A flurry of artwork flew in from all directions! As I watched the chaotic stack of drawings pile up in my hands, I laughed and repeatedly said, "Thank you! Thank you!" The artwork had been created by some of Xing Ping's students for their Sister School in Morehead. This moment is probably one of my favorite parts of the trip.
demonstration. The children were mesmerized as he deftly jumped, flipped, and zoomed past them on his skateboard. After showing the entranced young students what could be done with a skateboard, Matt then offered for the children to try their hand (or shall I say, feet?) at skateboarding. Out of the huge, excited crowd of kids, one little girl bravely stepped up to bat. Matt held the board steady as she climbed on, then guided her by holding her hands as she rolled along the concrete. All of a sudden, everyone wanted a turn! The children rushed to snatch a good place in line, in the hopes that they too might get a ride. Matt's demonstration was definitely a hit!
School as a way to invite them to become Sister Schools. Putao Primary was very interested in this opportunity; they actually had tried to send an e-mail to the Morehead school, but the e-mail was returned... the principal thinks the problem stems from the computer itself malfunctioning. We told them that we understand, that we will be sure to let McBrayer's principal know the situation. Hopefully, McBrayer will be able to send some penpal letters to Putao Primary. Later that afternoon, we made steamed dumplings at Putao Middle School... and they were delicious!
from about 12:30-2:30) after lunch for nap time, as it is so hot here. They finish school at around 5-5:30. Secondly, the school is set up very differently. Even in the primary schools, it's more like a college campus. There are gardens, basketball courts, lakes, dining halls, dormitories (some kids live too far away to travel every day), various classroom buildings, and so on. At lunch, the children all bring their own rice bowl to the lunch lady, and she cuts out a square of sticky rice from this large pan and plops it in their bowl (along with meats and vegetables). All the kids wash their own rice bowls after eating. They also are responsible for keeping the school itself clean, and I often saw children with brooms and buckets walking around the schools. Imagine if American students were responsible for cleaning their schools! Finally, the kids are outside MUCH more, playing basketball, running around, and so on. This goes along with the Chinese philosophy of maintaining a healthy body.
The Blessing Hands students at Putao Middle
the school, we were greeted by a good-sized banner that made us feel very welcome. JK and Matt's "mother" (Jessica), the honorary principal, and a few selected students showed us around the campus of the school. During the tour, I was extremely impressed by the beauty of the school. To give you an idea of the campus, picture many buildings (including a dining hall, auditorium, dormitory, and classrooms) making a half-moon formation around basketball courts and a garden with winding stone paths. The waving trees and blankets of green grass were a perfect foil to the stark school buildings. Yangshuo Experimental Middle School was gorgeous.
After the raising of the flag and a short speech by the principal, our group gathered in a meeting room with Jessica, the principal, the honorary principal, and (at my request) the Blessing Hands students. I seized the opportunity to give the principal and the Blessing Hands children gifts donated by businesses around Morehead. They were very appreciative.
activities, including a lunch at the school, a basketball game (as they put it on the scoreboard, "U.S. vs. China"), tire races, and music/drama/dance performances by the teachers, schoolchildren, and our group. Mr. Franzini led our group in a singing of "My Old Kentucky Home." The day was punctuated with several photographic opportunities.
While these children are not the current scholarship applicants, will they be able to afford college... and the chance for a better life?
July 1st, 2007
spreading out their art supplies onto the sun-speckled wooden desks. No student seemed at a loss as to where to begin; each had a specific idea of what to create and remained very focused on the task at hand. The children were engaged in all types of media, from oil paint to pencil. I was fascinated to observe how their meticulous brush strokes transformed into amazing pieces. At one desk, huge pink flowers blossomed... at another, a gray and black eagle perched, commanding his territory... at another, two painted geishas giggled surreptitiously in a corner... at yet another, a smiling child held hands with the Earth, proclaiming a love for peace.
The Art Day schedule was highlighted by the presence of Mayor Li, as well as by the beautiful demonstrations by several talented artists. These artists were four painters from China, Dr. Bob Franzini (who chose to create charcoal portraits for the event which would remain in Yangshuo), Taral Thompson, and Matt Collins. The Chinese students were all very interested in the demonstrations.