Update # 3: Guiyang to Xi'an

Bridge China Families,

Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
After a 27 hour (!) train ride from Guiyang to Xi'an, the group got settled in at their hotel, had a nice dinner, went right to bed, and got up bright and early the next morning to see the legendary Terra-Cotta Warriors. Everyone loved it! They had a wonderful time walking and talking with one another--this year we decided to see the Warriors without an official tour guide, which turned out to be a good decision. The students took it all in at their own pace, and really appreciated the fact that they weren't being hustled this way and that by a tour guide with an aggressive schedule and agenda. That afternoon, the group visited Xi'an's raucous Bahui market, and took advantage of the opportunity to improve their practical Chinese by bartering for local goods with the various street-vendors and shop merchants. That evening, the group visited the Muslim Quarter the famous Bell Tower. After the Bell Tower, half the group went with one leader for more shopping and exploring, and the other half stayed in the town square to listen to the street musicians. Both groups had an awesome time--everyone agrees that Xi'an is a fun, cool, and exciting city.

The next day the group had their second MMT, which was a total success, and enjoyed an awesome home cooked dinner of Chinese dumplings. The following morning they were off to Pengliu village for their family homestays, where they were greeted by Richard (our primary contact there) and a throng of Chinese kids holding flowers, clapping and cheering. Richard introduced everyone to their homestay families, and the leaders went around to check on the students and their living quarters. Everything was in order, and all the families were warm and welcoming, especially the families that our girls were placed with--they treated them like their own granddaughters!

Now, the part you have all been waiting for:

STUDENT NOTES

Liza is becoming a real leader in the Chinese class! She has had a wonderful time at her homestay, and March and Yi tell us that she is totally reliable and dependable - a real leader in the group.

Erin is completely open to all the wonderful new experiences she is having in China, and her Chinese is getting better every day.

Angelica is very ambitious about learning Chinese and ALWAYS raises her hand in class. Like Erin, she is open to everything, and even tried out the game of badminton with some Chinese kids, and had the patience to watch a live Korean dram

Gabe is steadily improving his Chinese, and working very hard to fit in with the group.The Chinese people he meets just love him--he always gets hugs!.

Justin is a very kind-hearted and considerate young man. When March was feeling a little under-the-weather last week, he did a great job checking on him to make sure he was taking his Chinese Herbal Medicines. (by the way, March doesn't know which is worse--his minor illness or the herbs he has to take)

Ryan is very friendly and adaptive. He gets along with everyone, and his Chinese is getting better every day.

Lucas is also working very hard at his Chinese. He is getting used to all the new foods in China, and did a great job dealing with his homestay culture-shock.

According to March and Yi, Stephane is "cool, honest, and just" . When the Chinese kids from Pengliu village were talking out of turn during our evening meeting, he stood up and asked them to be more respectful. He is also very energetic and never gets tired.

Jonathan is really finding himself. He is getting very comfortable with the group, and sometimes even a bit mischievous! He was shy at first, but the Jonathan of today is very different from the Jonathan of three weeks ago. He is stepping up and assuming a leadership role whenever it is needed, and March and Yi are very impressed with his new-found level of personal responsibility and his total commitment to the group

Asher is very ambitious about learning Chinese and his skills are improving on a daily basis. He loved exploring Xi'an, and was a total sports champion while in Guiyang. He is not afraid of anything, and March and Yi report that he is remarkably self-sufficient.

The group is now back in Xi'an (we ended our homestays a couple of days early, due to excessive rain and heat), and will be traveling to Beijing on Thursday, for the final portion of the program at The Dandelion School for Children of Migrant Workers. All Bridge China students will call home next Tuesday morning, July 28th, and the next email update (originally scheduled for this Friday) will arrive next Tuesday as well.