Dear Parents,
We returned to Legacy Inn in Huairou at around 4:30pm today. We had spent a fun but challenging 24 hours outdoors. Yesterday, two big tour buses took us to an international ski resort about 45 minutes’ drive away in a place called jiu3gu2kou3 (literally, “the entrance to nine valleys”), at the foot of a segment of the Great Wall ruins. Locally this placed is known as ye3chang2cheng2, the Wild Great Wall. It’s summer and there is of course no skiing at the moment. But the restaurant remains in business; and the building for ski rental which is about 2 minutes walk down the road is open. The buses dropped us off at the restaurant, from which we had to lug our backpacks, sleeping bags, insulation mats, and tents to the camping site which is a meadow right across from the ski rental building. Two or three persons share a tent (tent mates are the same as roommates). Each person was provided one sleep bag and one mat. One of the Outward Bound coaches went with us and demonstrated to us how to put up a tent. It looks like this was the first time camping for most, if not all, Chinese children. It’s an easy-to-handle, two-person tent. All teams had their tents close together. Bonnie and I shared a tent that stood at the entrance to the meadow so that anyone going anywhere had to pass by our tent. The lights from the ski rental building were on all night, just so that no one would get tripped or lost during the night if they needed to use the bathroom (which is inside the ski rental building). And I could hear local traffic from the tent too. So, now you know that even though we all wore long pants, bug repellent, etc., it was not the serious sort of camping in wilderness; it was more of a “backyard camping” experience for the children.
After we had dinner at the above-mentioned restaurant, we held a singing contest that lasted till almost 10pm. For the obligatory component, all four teams must sing an English language song by its Chinese members and a Chinese language song by its American members. For the rest of the evening, each team would rotate presenting something of their own choice. It could be either a song, or a poem, or a tongue twister, or a story; the only requirement is that the item must be presented in Chinese by American members and in English by Chinese members. Alan and his brother Andre sang “happy birthday” in Chinese. Alex and his sister Emily sang “xiao3 tu4zi guai1guai1 (good bunny)” which was adorable. Chloe sang “chu2he2ri4dang1wu3” (a Tang poem). Several other American children recited Chinese poems and tongue twisters. Shannon led a few American children sing “Let’s row our ores” and “Friends” (the two songs that they learned at YiB previously). I didn’t always understand what the Chinese children were singing or saying, but their earnestness and enthusiasm was no less than that of the American children. The contest would have continued had it not been the case that Bonnie and Saisai decided that it was more important for the children to get rested for a tough day ahead.
And tough it was indeed. Today, people began to get up at around 5:30am. In a place where everybody can hear everybody else, it didn’t take long before all got up. It was a bit chilly in the morning. But soon the sun rose above the mountain that hugs our meadow and it was hot again. Our first task was to pack everything, stuffing sleeping bags, rolling up mats, and folding tents. Eddie earned praise from a couple of Chinese teachers as he not only did his share, but also helped others. Then we carried everything back to our tour buses and had breakfast at the same restaurant where we had dinner last night. Afterwards, two teams went climbing the Great Wall; the other two teams had a Five Piece Game contest (wu3zi3qi2) inside the rental building. When the climbing teams returned, all teams switched activities so that everybody got to do both. Bonnie and the Outward Bound coach went climbing twice, with both batches of children. I went with the second batch only.
We started at about 10:30am. It was sunny and yes hot. I must say that I was reluctant to go. I had planned to stay behind and to be with any children who cannot or will not go (what a noble excuse!). But, no one did not want to go! Even those who complained that they had not slept enough, those who were not feeling well early in the morning, those who are young and/or small sized, those who are generally physically weak, everyone decided to go. So I had no excuse. The journey began with a gentle meandering slope, then proceeded into a narrow trail with leaves and brushes and branches scraping our pants and sleeves, and finally turned into a steep (sometimes very steep) climb upon stone steps. I am frequent traveler and I like walking and hiking. But this was something I had not done for a long time. It was scary. I was the last one in the group and several times I wanted to quit. I shouted that I’m not going anywhere and that I’ll wait for others to return. But no one heard me. So I had to continue. When the children saw me from above, they kept chanting, “He Laoshi, jia1you2 (Go, He Laoshi)!” I was too embarrassed not to continue. In a literal sense, the children and Bonnie made me get up there to the top! Andre was the first to get to the peak (the tower, feng1huo2tai2) and to come down. Phil was second. When we all went back down to the ski rental building, it was past 12 noon.
We took the tour bus to a placed called “bei3zhai2” (northern dwelling place) to have farm-style lunch. There is a fish pond and an outdoor swimming pool there, surrounded by trees and vegetable and fruit gardens. The vegetables there are all organic. After lunch, half of the children plunged into the swimming pool; the other half watched locals fish or played Five-Piece game. Oh, I forgot to mention that after the morning Five-Piece games, we had two champions, both Chinese children. In the afternoon, first Luran successfully challenged one of the champions, who was then easily and categorically defeated by Lionel. The challenge to the other champion is planned for tomorrow.
At about 4pm, we left bei3zhai2. By the time we returned to Legacy Inn, many children had fallen asleep on the bus. The rest of the day was free time for all, except for dinner at 6. We’ll bid farewell to the Chinese children tomorrow and return to Beijing where we will stay at the Science and Technology University (ke1da4).
The Great Wall was not built in one day,
Agnes (aka He laoshi)