Yangzhou Orphanage

Wow!  What a day.   We ate breakfast at the Hotel and loaded the bus around 9:00 to head off to the orphanage.  Nice trip through the city of Yangzhou to see the interesting life in the city then pulled around the corner to the orphanage and were taken back.  Newspaper reporters, TV cameras, Orphanage officials and all the kids in the orphanage were there to greet us as we got off the bus.  It was overwhelming.  The orphanage kids were enough to bring tears to everyone’s eyes.  

After some introduction speeches and some TV interviews we headed inside for a tour of the orphanage.  This is a new building since Ali was there but arranged much the same.  Very nice facilities but sad just the same.  We then gathered in the lunch room for a fried rice cooking demonstration and Ali and her friend, Andie, got to cook a pan themselves and give it to the kids in the orphanage table.

We all ate lunch and strolled around for a while before saying our good-byes and getting on the bus again.  Camera men were following us all around and got me dropping a chunk of rice off my chopsticks. I am sure it will be a laugh for all the people on the evening news.

Next we headed into Yangzhou to visit the a rock garden.  Very nice but we have difficulty understanding the translation.  After that, we headed to a park to try and fly kites but the wind was not cooperating.  I was a bit disappointed that I could not get Ali's kite up but some Chinese guys in the park were having difficulty also.

After that, we headed back to the Hotel for a much needed rest before the Welcoming banquet.  This banquet was at the nicest hotel in town and the Vice Mayor, and several other dignitaries were on hand.  The program was MC'ed by the local newscast lady and was quite a presentation with lots of toasts and speeches and performances.  They wanted Ali to try and play the Chinese flute but she was too embarrassed.  I wish we would have known and I would have brought her flute along.  I think the officials would have been very impressed with her playing. 

At the end of the program, all the girls were given large Teddy bears to take home.  These Teddy bears were made in a factory in Yangzhou.

Today we have more sightseeing in Yangzhou while 4 of the families are going to their child's orphanage in a nearby town.  Not sure why we were not invited but might be a size thing.