17
Location: Baotou
On July 7th, we went to the Little Flower Baby Home in the public orphanage in Baotou. The place was so happy and colorful which was a massive contrast to the drab idea of an orphanage. The older children screamed with pleasure when they saw us and regarded us as “GeGe” and “JieJie,” meaning older brother and older sister. The energy was overwhelming on the first day as they were not shy at all. These children just radiated energy and joy so we all couldn’t help but feel the same way. The kids pulled us into the play area and yelled at us to join them. The women who took care of the children, regarded as “Ayi” (i-e), meaning, “aunt,” watched us with the children and were surprised and pleased with how gentle we were with the kids. In the baby room, it was so much calmer, but the babies were just as happy. It was so heartwarming how happy the kids were.
At the orphanage, it is evident that the Ayi’s cared about the children very much and their love and care extended to us too. For dinner, they made us dumplings from scratch which were so delicious and made you feel happy inside. When we left, one of the women insisted that we take peaches on our trip so that we have something to eat. She also lectured some of us about how we should eat more.