Day 6

This morning we visited a kindergarten that serves children with special needs.  Three children were half inclusion meaning they spent some play time with the other children and they spent the other half of their day in special activities to work on their individual needs.  We were able to observe a Sensory Activity Room where two teachers were working with 7 children.  The other 4 children were too severe of needs to be included with other children.  When they include children in a regular classroom, they will include them with children at the same developmental level, not the same age.  For example, a 6 year old was included in a 4 year old room.  I think of China's development in the area of special needs as moving in the right direction on the continuum.  It would be nice to see them including special needs children as much as we do in the U.S. but this type of development of practices is similar to a child learning gross motor skills.  We'd never expect a baby to go from rolling over to walking.  There is a progression from rolling to crawling to walking.  Likewise, China needs to go through this step in the process to further inclusion.

The school provided lunch for us and for the first time on this trip I was full after eating.  I loved the sweet and sour meatballs.  I tasted some of the other foods and appreciated the principal decided to make a variety of foods so that there would be something that everyone liked.

After lunch we visited another temple.  It was more expensive and larger than the first one, but unfortunately it was under refurbishment.  We got to see each of the rooms but there was scaffolding covering many of the walls.  I enjoyed the first temple more than the second one.

We then got drinks at a near by shop and took the metro back.  This evening we went to a restaurant for supper and then to a place for karaoke.  It was a private room just for our party; unlike in the U.S., karaoke isn't done in bars in front of strangers.

On the way back to our dorm, the Chinese students were afraid we'd get lost, but Montana and I knew where we were going.  April was talking with the Chinese students and sauntering, while Montana and I are point A to point B people and we got a block ahead of them.  This worked out well when we discovered a street vendor with breads.  Most of the breads here are steamed, boiled, or pan fried.  This was crusty baked bread and totally hit the spot!  I think bread should be crusty from the oven and I am getting tired of all the soft breads.  I want the inside to be soft and the outside to be crusty.  It was a large piece and I thought I'd save half for the next day but it was gone by the time we got back to the dorm!