Our last activity in Yangshuo was something of a wind-down, a relaxer. We traveled to a cave system where we enjoyed floating and playing around in a mudbath and a hot spring. Later that night we surprised Riley for his 19th birthday with fireworks and a cake!

After our hospitable stay with Wei Wei and A Hua at the Moon Resort in Yangshuo we jetted off to Shanghai.

The last leg of our trip, Shanghai, provides an interesting contrast to traditional Beijing and rural Yangshuo. In terms of architecture and history, Shanghai is extremely varied, so we’re spending time experiencing these elements in addition to wrapping up our On Assignment Photography and Exploration projects.

Upon arriving in Shanghai, we headed straight to the Bund for an evening stroll.  The next morning we visited the Urban Planning Museum to orient our selves to Shanghai’s unique cosmopolitan past, and to glimpse its modern future. In the afternoon we visited Ming Dynasty Yu Gardens, before testing out our bargaining skills at the markets in Old Town.

We continued our exploration of Shanghai today, touring the French Concession, famous Huaihai Road, and spending hours exploring country pavilions at the World Expo.

We hope you enjoy the portraits of each student!

-Devin and Sheri

We have just concluded our second day in the Moon Mountain village near Yangshuo. Our hosts Wei Wei and company have been fantastic guides, chefs, and friends. The first day in Yangshuo consisted primarily of physical activity, including a hike up the stunningly beautiful Moon Hill as well as a fun stop at a local swimming hole, where students had the chance to mingle with locals and splash around.

In other exciting news, National Geographic Expert and photographer Alison Wright joined our group in Yangshuo.  Thus far she has shown us her photos of the Dali Lama, recounted her amazing survival story, and shared some of her work which she published in her book ‘Faces of Hope’, which documents the lives of children in poverty around the world.  Together with Alison, our students have biked around the fields near Yangshuo, floated on bamboo rafts on a Li River tributary, traveled to a Yao minority people village, and visited a school where our students had a lot of fun interacting with Chinese students.

Students continue to work on their On Assignment projects.  The Exploration group is collecting more footage to explore the process of westernization in China while Photography students are adding fantastic photos to their final project portfolio. In addition to giving a photography practicum in and around Yangshuo, Alison will mentor all students individually. Every evening for the rest of our week in Yangshuo is reserved for Alison’s photo and technique presentations and for student presentations!

All is well.  We’re having a great time!

Until soon,
Sheri & Devin

Group shot at the Jian Kou section of the Great Wall. Photo courtesy of Elise Loughran's camera, taken by guide Dong Yong "Andy"

We have spent only two full days in Beijing yet we feel like we’ve done so much. After the students arrived, we got to know each other a bit and hit the ground running. Our first night we ate dinner outside at a huge table at a local restaurant.  There was a lot of interaction with Chinese people and we were happy to see that our students were willing to try new foods.

Our days in Beijing have been busy.  The Exploration On Assignment group met with a documentary filmmaker– an internet celebrity in China named Anna Sophie Loewenberg, aka “Sexy Beijing” (see http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/13/sexy.beijing/index.html).  Photography students visited the famous Dirt Market, a traditional antique market where there were many opportunities to work on photography assignments and capture a sense of people and place.

We have also visited historical and religious sites including The Forbidden City and Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist structure in Beijing. Some students got to see the contemporary face of Chinese Art at the 7, 9, 8 District, Beijing’s Modern Art District.

We are now staying in a small farming village at the base of the Great Wall of China.  The village has 10 families, one of which–the He family– has a few rooms they open for travelers. The He family is amazingly friendly and we will join them tonight to prepare a homecooked traditional meal.

Today we climbed the Great Wall!  Our students had a blast, and the beauty of the hike left many of us speechless.  Life in the village is a welcome change of pace from the bustling schedule of Beijing. The village is high enough in the mountains that the evening weather is a bit chilly, and the skies are a brilliant blue.

We’ve been learning new Chinese words, meeting new friends, and eating delicious foods. We are collectively happy, tired, and ready for more.

Bye for now,
Devin and Sheri

A word from some of our students:

“Yesterday we got to film people and ask them if they had English names.  It was a lot of fun hearing their different names in English. Even more fun was when we gave them an English name when they didn’t have one!”

“I took a picture of a little girl sitting on her father’s lap {cute}.  After I took the picture the little girl ran up to me, hugged my leg, jumped up and grabbed my camera!  Then we looked through my pictures together and she pointed out the ones that she liked!  It was great interacting with her even though we couldn’t verbally communicate.”

Leaders will post to the blog as often as possible, but please keep in mind that our groups have very busy schedules over the summer and internet access in many of the places we visit is often limited. The frequency of blog posts will range depending on the group’s itinerary and field conditions. Please know that leaders are equipped with cell phones, and any important issues on the program will be discussed and resolved with leaders and parents by phone, rather than through the blog.

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Have a fantastic summer!