Second letter sent home on June 4

Parents,
We have had another amazing day! The kids played beautifully on top of the Great Wall! You would be so proud. There were lots of pictures taken and plenty of video too. It may take us awhile to compile everything but I think we can do it.

The Blog has been very difficult to access. I finally was able to add to the blog but then the photo never showed up. I have attached the group photo that I tried to put on the blog. I have also attached a photo of the sudents at the end of their performance on the Great Wall.

Today we went to the Great Wall, Cloisonne Factory, Jade Factory and Ming Tomb. It was a full day from start to finish. The performance on the Great Wall was spectacular. Many visitors to the wall stopped to watch them perform. After the performance, they got the opportunity to hike up the wall. It is said that you are not a true warrior until you have hiked the Great Wall. Our students are now warriers. Mrs. Victor, Mrs. Jezek and Dr. Thurman have some tired and shaky legs but they are warriors too.

Many of you may not have known that our percussion box did not make it on the trip. The box went on its own trip. We were all very sad at the thought of not having any of our students have the opportunity to play while in China. With the help of our travel agent, we were able to rent the equipment. But, guess what? When we arrived home tonight, our percussion box was sitting in the hotel lobby. It was great to see the excitment by all upon hearing the great news.

While visiting the Jade Factory, we had a minor accident that turned out to be quite an experience for the kids. One of the students was taking a picure of a very expensive jade sculpture. As the picture was being taken, the student's backpack hit a vase and knocked it to the floor. The student felt horrible. And yes, there were lots of tears. I even cried watching this student be so upset. The vase had a price tag on it of $1500 US dollars. Boy, did we panic over the thought of having to pay for that. Your children were so wonderful. They wanted to put their money together to help this student. Rebecca, our travel guide, talked to the manager of the store and he told her that we would not have to pay for it. But, your children still felt responsible and that they needed to do something. They collected money anyway in a chinese straw hat that was purchased in the market and presented it to the manager. He appreciated their gesture and reached into the hat and only took $1 and told the students they could keep the rest. What an amazing experience. Our children are truly wonderful. They often do amazing things when we least expect it.

One of the highlights of the trip has been the shopping. The kids are having a blast bargaining for souvenirs. It is also fun to talk to them at lunch and dinner over prices we have paid for the same items. I have made a few purchases and have been very proud of myself over my bargaining skills. Then, I find out later that the students got a better price than me. It has almost been like a competition to see who can get the best price on certain items, especially the not so real Rolex watches.

For now, I will just continue to post pictures to my smugmug.com webpage. I apologize for the blog not working the way we wish but I will continue to try to resolve the problems. We are going to the Temple of Heaven tomorrow as well as a pearl factory followed by their formal performance in the evening. Again, I just want to say how proud I am of your children. They continue to be excellent representatives for our school and country. Thank you for all that you did to make sure they were able to attend this trip. We have more places to see and performances to play, but I am certain that today was an experience of a lifetime that they will carry with them forever.

Cheryl Carswell