7
Location: Baotou
Today was a semi-standard orphanage day. It started off with an early morning breakfast at THE apartment, and soon we jumped into service at the orphanage. At lunch, we were bombarded by northern style Chinese dishes as we chatted with former orphanage volunteers and the orphanage director. When the service resumed, some of us took toddlers to a little play area inside the orphanage and played until our heart’s content (or until we collapsed due to exhaustion). Others welcomed back 13 toddlers that had gone to get dental checkups in Beijing. When service ended, some returned to the hotel before dinner, while some headed off to explore a Baotou market in which they found Marvel action figure themed snacks and goods. For dinner, we were stuffed to the brim with traditional dumplings (some eating over 20) and afterward returned to the hotel to sleep after a fulfilling day.