4
Location: Baotou
Today was day four of our China adventure! We started the day by waking up on the overnight train and making the breakfast we bought from the supermarket. After getting off the train, we said goodbye to the Chinese children we spoke with earlier and got on the bus to the hotel. After dropping our things off, we walked to the orphanage. They welcomed us with lunch and then showed us to their conference room where they answered a lot of our questions about adoption and parental customs in China. With our background information, we were soon ready to meet the adorable orphans! Although some were shy and hid behind their nannies, most came waddling over with excitement, ready to have fun. We rotated through rooms with babies and toddlers, so we played with children from all different age groups. Although some of the babies did not speak very much, we tried out our Mandarin skills with the nannies and asked them about the children, most of whom had special needs. After a heartwarming experience with the children, we went back to the hotel where we reflected on what we as individuals bring to the group and orphanage. Afterward, we walked to a hotpot restaurant where we had our own personal hot pots. Overall, it was a very eventful and meaningful day, my highlight, of course, is interacting with the children! We personally aren’t allowed to take pictures in the orphanage, but some staff from the orphanage are able to… luckily, they sent us a few of them to share with you! Enjoy!