Thursday
Our last day at the school was wonderful. We toured the High School and got invited by some of the students to participate in gym class. Later the students asked us to play a game of soccer.
The school lunch they served was delicious - rice, beef, potato squares and cucumber slices. Our students asked Mrs Clark if they could have this for lunch at the MS. We had a great time at the HS.
We went to an underground market and later to a department center that had an ice skating rink in it as well as four floors and hundreds of shops with everything you could imagine. This place made the Walden Galleria look like a shopping plaza.
Afterwards we went to the HS again for the Farewell Party. They served traditional Chinese food and even had boxes of Chips Ahoy for their American visitors. They gave a nice slide show of our visit and we exchanged gifts with the teachers and the host families. There were a great many tears as in just a few days our students became part of the host student's family. Some students even sang a traditional Chinese song of Goodbye to our students.
We then headed off to the Train Station for the trip to Tianjin. The station was really crowded and we certainly had a lot of attention, according to Dr Chen, we were the first non Chinese people that some of the poor farmers had ever seen. We boarded the sleeper train an hour late and were split up into small rooms of 4 beds each. The ride was long and we didn't arrive to our hotel in Tianjin until almost 12:00 PM. Everyone was tired from the train ride
QUICK FACT - they have few smoking laws in China so we had people smoking in restaurants and even on the train. It was weird seeing people smoking in public places and hotels.
Friday
Tianjin was very different from the rest of China - it had a much more international feeling as there were sections of town with country themes like Italy, France, Germany and England. After lunch we stopped at an outdoor market and even had coffee at a Chinese Starbucks. Then we were off to dinner at a dumpling house.
QUICK FACT - Chinese people eat noodles at birthday parties as the length of the noodle means you will celebrate a long life. We ate dumplings which are smaller than noodles to symbolize a shorter time away from your friends in China.
Tomorrow we head to the airport for the long flight home.
Messages
Carley - I'm really gonna miss China. I love all the people. I miss my host family so much they were so kind and sweet. I really miss my family back home and can't wait to see them. This trip has been life changing and wonderful. see you all tomorrow! Love you guys
MacKenzie- I really had a lot of fun here in china with this once and a life time experience but, i really cant wait to see everyone back at home and tell you all about the trip! I love and miss you bunches!!!!!!!
Taylor- This trip went by so fast and I'm really excited to come home and see my family, but I'm sad that I had to leave my new family in China. I've learned so much and this has been a great experience. See you guys tomorrow, love you .
Calista-I feel like this trip has only been two days and i think what I'll miss the most is my host family - Sissi her mom and her dad. They are are my international family. Sissi's mom at the farwell party said I love you and i just broke down crying. I never would have known that in 2 days I could have formed such a relationship with them. They are such loving people. I will always miss them - they will always be part of me. I miss everyone I can't wait to come home tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE END!
Joelle- This trip went by so fast and I can't wait to see my family. I'm sad to leave and it was so hard to say bye to my host family. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow. I love you.
TeeJay- This is the greatest trip ever, we have a perfect China family of the Clarks, the girls and my Dad. Every moment is so memorable enough for me to write a novel, but I'll keep it to - it's been great to live this whole life style and I'm excited to tell everyone. See you soon Mom and Zac:) (inside joke - I wear socks).
