more student writing

Abbi – Mango Flavor?

I walked a couple of steps down the aisle. We reached the chips and my feet slowed to a shuffle. My eyes scanned the shelves looking for something interesting, something exotic. My eyes skim over the lables and my eyes turn back. I found what I wanted, mango flavored Lays. I pick up the package, it crinkles and I keep walked with the mango flavor in my arms.

Abbi– Dropping Forks

Crash, crash, crash

Three forks, minutes apart

Fall to the stone, all mine

New forks appear.

Click, Click

One pair of chopsticks hit

The pile, mine, a new pair

Of chopsticks

Crash one fork, not

Mine hits the floor.

I look down to find

A fork placed in front of me,

Not my clean fork

David– the Great Wall

The Great Wall was my favorite part of the China trip so far. The Great Wall felt like it was a hot climate before. I assumed it was a normal climate where the Great Wall is. The towers inside sometimes had a bad smell of pee. The stair in between the towers felt like it would be easy to go up, but it wasn’t. Everything I guessed on how the Great Wall would be was not true, it was a completely different experience that I thought it would be.

David - Maos

I didn’t really know what was going to be in the next roombut once I did there was a coffin. When I walked closer, I saw a dead body that was glowing orange. It was Mao. I thought it was fake at first, but then someone told me it was real. I was thinking “wow that’s the first I’ve ever seen a dead body,” especially from a body dead for 30 years and from a famous guy. I think I am the first American/Mexican from Seattle, Washington who is `14 years old to see Mao.

Monica – Thoughts

What was amazing?

· So many people in Tianemen Square

· Mao is bright orange

What did you do that you didn’t think you could do?

· Bargin

· Walk so much

· Spend so much time with Delaney

· Take a ride on a rickshaw

What was the most fun?

· Bargining with people

· Going shopping

· Looking at people

What stands out to you?

· People

· So many dumplings

· So much walking

Student writing

Aailya – My Poem
Every morning
Ring ring ring
“ello dis is your wake up call”
Enough with those dang wake up calls!
Enough with the walking!
Enough with the heat!
Every night
I feel totally beat
As if someone took their feet
And danced on my head
The throbbing headaches
Ugh I can’t stand them and now
The King of Pop is dead
Now what do we do?
Things I miss
Why? Why?
I wish I could test “LOL”
A smiley face
And a frowny face
I wish I could go outside
Without having to put on sunscreen
I mean how am I supposed to get a tan?
I mean the sightseeing
Is grand
But what I jst can’t stand is that we eat so much
Then we walk so much
Hello! Cramps!
China
Has changed me
And I’m sure it’s not done
Even though I complain
I wouldn’t trade this for the world
The people they stare
But we simply do not care
We wave and say “ni hao”
And they laugh
China
Thank you
And thank you to Morgan
My best friend until the end
Without you I wouldn’t be
Able to survive
The thrive towards
Things that could get me
In trouble
I love ;you
And I always will.


Jose – 1st Full Day in China
It is the first day of summer in China and already a humid climate was brought upon us. Comtemplating onChina’s rich sulture, I sat, silent on the richsaw that held us three; Ian, David, and I. As I held steadfast to the aluminmum structure that bestwed upon it the purple-red tarps, I gazed at the side of china that I would of never have thught of. Rows and rows of gray brick housed lined the sides of the narrow road. Mao uas emiinent in paitingins and pictures. The youth ruled this side and took control. The smell of wonton soup and stirfry filled my lungs from the outside air. Red lanterns swayed ont heir hooks outside of shops and restuarants. A slow moving river flowed to the right as obsedion bridges lay upon the banks. I could not believe that I was 5,000 miles away from home in this still thriving ancient country. It was the opposite of white and black photography. Color was everywhere to be found. The laughter of the Chinese people lingered in the air and their stares were on us, foreigners from the east side of the pacific.

Jesse– The Orphanage
Asylum like rooms
Dirty white floor
I look at the workers
They are on the edge
They can’t take much more
Children rolling
On the ground
Cryng their eyes out
They are not yet found
By the moms and dads
That want to make them their own
Hopefully it won’t be long
Before they are not alone
But some sadly
Won’t make it that far
Some look different
From outside, visible scars
But for now I hold this baby boy
Whose lip is cleft
But his eyes still filled
With wonder and joy
I hope a family can find him
And see what’s really inside him
I hope he can see past these
Asylum - like rooms.

Monica – Mao’s Body
Mao was a great man, but is also responsbile or millions of deaths – as Lisa told us afterwards. What really surprised everyone though was that his body was BRIGHT organbe. Like, seriously, BRIGHT. Not tinted – just BAM!!! I thought it would just be a touch organe, but NO WAY! Before we saw the body, we went through a room with a statue of Mao surrounded by flowers, trees, ferns, etc. Some people were putting bougets of white flowers in a box in front of him. No talking was allowed throughout the building.

News from China ~ emailed 6/24

Our second day in China we climbed the Great Wall! Most of the students made it up and past the Hero's point. With Scott, Morgan's dad in the lead, and Pam; Jayla's grandma bringing up the rear the students were able to climb at their own pace. I made base and when the kids were done they came back to me for shade, water and salt snacks. Everyone was amazing. Big smiles and wobbling legs and all my heros made it.

Off to a generic lunch. I think our guide fears that we can not take Chinese cooking. We had french fries, garlic shoots with pork, and whole fish. Livy and Scott ate the fish eyeballs. Then in turned out there weren't enough to go around. Everyone (almost) wanted to try it.

We made it to the Water Cube and not everyone got it. It was closing time and we had to buy scalped tickets. We ended up coming back the next day. The Bird's Nest and the Water Cube - very cool. Audrey, David, and Ian took off to race around the Bird's Next. I think Audrey was pretty close to beating them.

My friend Sindy took us to a spectactular place to eat that evening. We had huge bowls of noodles with 6 different small bowls of veggies mixed in and a sauce. Very good - too much food. We were the only non-Chinese there.

The next morning we practiced kung fu in the Temple of Heaven park, saw the temple, lunch and then back to the Olympic park. A quick visit to a tea house and then McDonalds for dinner. Off to the train station for our overnight trip to Xian. Train stations don't have porters and don't check backs. We had some trouble witht he train. We were stressed but then it turned into another cool experience. Sleeping on a train is hard and when you get off the train you still feel like you are swaying. The train gives you a much better look into the life of a typical Chinese person.

Xian is hot and we are hot and sweaty. Luckily the kids got swimming time before we went back out into the heat and sun. We visited a pagoda and continued to be hot.

Off to our dumpling cooking lessons. The kids got to wear aprons and hats and make their own dumplings. We made traditional dumplings and then began to experiment with different shapes. Somehow ours never looked like our teachers. After cleaning up we went out to eat many, many, many dumplings. This resturant also has a Tang Dynasty show and most of us watched it. The kids began to nod off and by the end of the show about 6 were asleep at the table.

We rescheduled our morning bike ride and let everyone sleep in.

The Terra Cotta soldiers are today and the orphanage in the morning. This is a great trip. Thank goodness for all the wonderful grown-up help.

By the time you read this kids should have phoned home today. We will continue to send via email and have Louise post on another blog that she will send to you. I have attached a poem that Marlo wrote and will attach more. I have read the student's journal enteries and just haven't had time to post. Our days are packed and then some.

Lisa

My reflections poem

Chairman Mao
Rickshaw wow
Aaliya's smile
A nice cool breeze


Horns a honking
Red shirts walking
Yellow flag waving
Sorry no sandals please


Forbidden city no longer
Yes the Emperor's got game
Pan handlers panning
One's got pal

One Yuen, a ransom for pal?
He doesn't think its swell
One yank on your crutch
To reconsider your luck

All laugh and flash
A good humored smile
All the while
Pal's "would be" unsuspecting thief.
GOT SCHOOLED BY LISA.

No six post suitor for
Our groups leader.
Bob Marley looks on
From his window.

Morgan takes a peek
Under the red curtain
Chic. All smiles with
Her grinning friend.

Squattie and do your potty
A place of heavenly purity
In the hall of supreme harmony
You can do some mental cultivation
And collectively say Ahhh.

Smiling crop top Scott
A virtual bull's eye target
Well, for everything.
His radars are always up
Pan handlers try their luck
Under Audrey's watchful eye.

Can I get a WAH?
This goes out to 5 golden stars
Who never wandered far
They wore their smiles.
YOU GUYS ROCK!

3 gangsters in a rickshaw
Squished up, but not for far
Hutong clothes hung on a Hutong line
3 boy bicycles invited a ride
Lisa's racing
Sophie's pacing and
Barbara says "sorry for my Ching-Lish".

Quick China Stuff ~ emailed 6/22

Yesterday was amazing. First we went to see Mao himself. Since he has been dead and pickled(ish) for 30 years he didn't have much to say. It was very quick. We went in with many soldiers to go quicker and no talking and not picture taking and no bags and take your hat off and move, move, move! Mao is orange and creepy interesting. So many lives destroyed by this thing laying there.

We walked Tian.......... Square. I'm too tired to even think how to spell. Then we were in the Forbidden City for 2 hours. Alyssa said she remembers studying China in 6th grade and could not believe she was standing there. Then off to a Hutong tour in a rickshaw. Quite fun to race and urge your driver to go faster. Our drivers delieved us to a local families Hutong where we ate lunch in the 29 year old sons bedroom and the parents bedroom/living room. Amazing food and it was all cooked in this little kitchen with 2 burners heated by coal or gas.

Back to the hotel for rest and then dinner at a dumpling place within walking distrance. They wouldn't serve us the dumplingns with rabbit. Hmm.. out of rabbit or not for us. After that we walked to a mall where I demo shopped (twist my arm) and then the kids bartered and shopped. It was hysterical. Abbi and Monica E can go in for the kill.

Today was the Great Wall and who can think beyond this point. We need some real rest time. Well ok this old woman does.


Everyone is well and all are doing the right things. We take the night train to Xian tommorow.

More later - I need to sleep.

email back.

Lisa

Change of blog address

Hello Friends and Family of the Pathfinder World Travel Group,

Due to the problems Lisa is having in China with posting to the blog... Lisa thought maybe she could email and then I could post for her. For some reason it is not working with the username and password she gave me. Anyway, I am recreating the blog. Hopefully it will work. You'll will just need to sign up as a "follower" again. Sorry about the confusion. Let see if this works. I'll post all emails I get from her here. Keep checking back for new postings. Louise