It's hard to believe I have been here a week already (almost)

It's hard to believe I have been here a week already (almost). I can't even explaineverything that we have done. It has been a whirl wind from the site visits, drivingaround, the lunches and dinners.... etc.We are doing a good job with keep out blog updated - http://gse5450.blogspot.comSo if you want the day by day details, feel free to check it out.I have more photos than you would already even want to look at, so I am working ongetting a few up so you can have a look!!Someone said, if you only come to Shanghai for two weeks, you spend one of it inShanghai and the other in the car. I totally completely AGREE! The first few days wespent so much time in the car going from one thing to the next. The pollution is terrible,certainly causes a few headaches.Speaking of pollution, Megan and I decided to go for a run one morning (to get in anytraining here before we have the marathon), while we were running sucking in all thefumes and trying to enjoy, we were waiting at a street corner for the light to change whena man riding his bike must have been staring at us and ran into a woman on her bike,knocked her over, and he just stood there, didn’t care as she was cursing him in Chinese.There was nothing we could do but it was hilarious.Moving on to the food. Um, I can’t even explain HOW MUCH we have had to eat fromthe lunches and the dinners, the dumplings, soups, buffets, meats, fish, um…. It just goeson and one and on. There are MANY MANY photos of the food.Last Thursday we went over to the Bund. One of the most spectacular views I have everseen. This is when I KNEW I was in Shanghai. You can see all the photos of this area,however, you will never understand it until you are standing there. I am not even sure Ican explain it. Although I did take a quick 360 degree video of the area, I will somehowpost.As for the coat and the dress. I got my coat, it is FAN TASTIC!!! The dress, is still in theworks, it is very very simple, but just fun to say I got a tailor made dress while here.This past weekend we went to HanZhou, about two hours from Shanghai (however, withtraffic, it took us about 3 and a half to get back). It was great to escape the city for anight. The lake was peaceful, and this is where I really experienced a bit of China fromthe people staring, following us, taking pictures of us, and squealing when we tookpictures with them!!This morning I went for a little run where I saw people in the park doing anything fromplaying cards, tai chi, full on ballroom dancing at um 7am. It was great.

So, I tried to keep this rather short, but I could go on for about another five pages, I willspare you. I am doing my best at the photos! You will see some soon, I have just not hadany time to sit in front of a computer to write.Hope you are doing well and talk to you soon.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ni Hao!Well, it has been a while since I have had the chance to sit at a computer we have been sobusy doing, well so many different things.I am not sure where I would even begin to tell you what we have been doing, but that iswhat the blog is for, which we have been trying EVER so hard to keep up on, but eventhat has fallen behind.I am now in Beijing! We got here the other day via the overnight train from Shanghai,and for the most part it was a smooth ride. It was strange leaving Shanghai because for amoment it felt like our time here was over because out group study exchange in Shanghaiis officially finished having to say our goodbyes, but then we remembered we still havetwo weeks left!Once arriving here on the morning of the 14th, we quickly hit the town and a few of usvisited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. It is alwaysamazing when you know a little bit about the city and when you arrive it is magical tofinally be in that place. I just read Red China Blues before arriving about aCanadian/Chinese that came to Beijing during the Cultural Revolution to study Mo aZedong and continued to be a journalist through the 80’s and documented the TiananmenSquare Massacre in 1989. I can’t even imagine what it was like. But always to stand aplace where such history takes blow me away.As for food, because I know that is always important, especially here in China. Tonightwe went to a famous Peking Duck restaurant, which was unbelievable, and well I triedduck tongue, um duck feet and of course the most delicious Peking Duck. It was a specialoccasion.Speaking of food, going backward, last week we had the opportunity to visit an AIDSVillage in Hanan Province. Before going into the experience just yet, I did try intestine ofsome sort of animal. Can’t say I loved it or I will plan to learn how to cook it, but I did itonly because I was pressured into it. As for the AIDS village itself it was an experiencewith mixed emotions. This was the first time we had the chance to get out of Shanghaiand see real China. When we got off the bus we were greeted by drums, flowers,hundreds of school children lined up for a ground breaking experience of a primaryschool that is being built. The people were amazing and so photogenic, I could havespend hours just photographing the people, young and old.

As for the rest of the experience it was very emotional and quite sad. It makes youwonder what can you do to help these people. Sometimes you feel they are happy, butother times you know there is so much more for them.Anyway, moving on, trying to keep this as short as possible, we are only days away fromthe Great Wall Marathon and we are all a little nervous, mainly because in the last 3weeks we have had very little opportunity to run or do exercise of ANY sort. All I cansay is, I am not running for the time, only to finish. On the morning of the 17th we headout to the Village for inspection day. I think this is mainly to let us know that we arecrazy for making this decision and to show us what we have in store for us!I hope everyone is doing well and as soon as I have time to breathe (probably sometimein late June), we will be able to catch up on life and everything else!Take care,MelanieHey there,I hope all is going well!! I haven't been very great on keeping up to date on this trip...but..Well, it seems like AGES ago, but I finished my first 1/2 marathon at the Great WallMarathon in my goal time.. of 2 hours and 58 minutes!http://www.great-wall-marathon.com/ - I finished 18th of 38people in the women of myage group. Ryan finished 7 of 30 in his age group for the half and Megan finished 8th of18 in her age group for the full marathon. It was an awesome weekend in a little village,we enjoyed blue skies (which is rare) and had very REAL China experiences.Now I am in Xi'an hanging out checking out the sites and having the chance to visit a fewi-to-i projects. Terracotta Warriors were just phenomenal, we visited the Panda projects,Ryan got scratched by one of them, and now it is just Amy and I still here, everyone elsefrom the GSE group is back in the USA. Today we visited an orphanage and aUniversity and primary school. Everyone has been awesome.Hope all is well and I will be back in the USA on Sunday!!Melanie

Ng Phoy Leu Primary School -Groundbreaking CeremonyPrepared by:Grace Lim & Jill Ji

Background10 May 2007 is a significant day for Huaqiao Foundation.It is the day for the groundbreaking ceremony of Ng PhoyLeu Primary School which lies in DongCheng District,ShangShui county in Henan province.This is the first school project under Huaqiao Foundation.A joint investment of RMB500,000 was put into thisproject by Huaqiao Foundation and Shangshui CharityFoundation. The school, once completed, will bringeducation nearer to the children in Wangdaoping Village,who now travels 1 to 3km daily to attend school.Design of Ng Phoy leu Primary School

A beautiful Thursday morning ….What a beautiful day! Windy and cool. Some 400 villagersand children turned up at the groundbreaking ceremony.The children lined up in rows and waited patiently andquietly for the ceremony to start.

Our overseas friends ….At 8:40am, a coach arrived bringing with it our friendsfrom overseas (Rotary International, Denver GSE fromDistrict in USA D5450, Denver Colorado USA) whohave come specially to attend the groundbreakingceremony. They are our friends from RotaryInternational who have come specially to attend theceremony and visit our children.The villagers and children were excited to see them.You can hear some exciting whisperings among thecrowd as they arrived and got themselves seated atthe stage area.

Our great supporters fromShangshui CountyOther than our overseas friends, we also have greatsupport from the Shangshui County government.Spokespersons from the Shangshui County Government.Shangshui Charity Foundation and Wangdaoping Villagewere among the people who were present to deliver theirspeech at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The groundbreaking ceremony starts ….As all our VIPs arrived, the groundbreakingceremony started at 9:00am with drumming andfirecrackers. It is a Chinese tradition to havefirecrackers during special occasions to ward off allevil spirits.

Opening speech by Shangshui CountygovernmentMr. Yao GuoAn, from Shangshui Countygovernment was invited to deliver the openingspeech for the ground- breaking ceremony. Heexpressed his greatest gratitude towards HuaqiaoFoundation and encouraged such Chinese virtue ofChinese virtue of giving and helping the needy tospread to more people.

Speeches from Huaqiao FoundationSpeeches from Mr Yih and Mr Ngfrom Huaqiao Foundation sets amore relaxed and friendlyatmosphere at the ceremony.Mr Yih, the president of HuaqiaoFoundation, started by askingeveryone to call him Grandpa Yih.He also introduces to theaudience the other projects thatHuaqiao Foundation have atHenan province.Mr Yih hoped that all the childrenwho were present at theceremony will study hard at theschool once it is completed.

Speeches from Huaqiao FoundationMr Ng, who is alsounder HuaqiaoFoundation, and thebiggest donor for theschool project,introduces his father,who is already 76years old, to theaudience. He told theaudience that hisfather, Mr Ng Phoy Leu,which the name of theschool is named after,worked 12 hours a dayand 365 days a yearbefore he retired.He believes that if his father had received moreeducation (Mr Ng Phoy Leu only studied until grade 9),he would have been able to get a better job and lead abetter life. Thus, he urges all children to study hard inschool as this is the only way to change their lives.

Speech from Rotary InternationalMs Patricia Fiske from Rotary International,representing the Denver GSE team, alsoexpressed her great excitement to be present atthe groundbreaking ceremony. She hopes to beback once the school is completed and tovolunteer to teach the children.

The stone laying ceremonyAfter all our VIPs have delivered their speeches, the emceerequested that they moved forward for the stone laying ceremony.Shovels were prepared and sand were thrown onto the stonefoundation to signify the official start of the construction for NgPhoy Leu Primary School.

News in Henan newspapersNews of thegroundbreakingceremony wasfound in allnewspapers inZhouKou thenext day.