I get home to write. So hopefully now I can write a bit while I eat breakfast.
The whole purpose of my being here was a message from God, I feel. Not sure what he was or is trying to tell me, but I am seeing so much of Beijing with Priscilla here that I wouldn't see as a regular tourist. So for everyone not aware of how we met, or why I’m even here in Beijing, Priscilla and I did a church retreat together and she invited me to come with her to China to help her with her nonprofit. I discussed with her my uncertainty of what I was doing after this school year and she said, “well if you like hard work, you should come with me to Beijing.” I thought, if that isn’t God telling me straight-up what he wants me to do, then what is it? I took it as Divine Intervention, and bought my ticket.
Let me tell you a little about Priscilla, hopefully she doesn’t mind. She is an incredibly, humble woman who started a nonprofit in Beijing that does hippotherapy with special needs children. She has her Ph.D in PT and is involved with various clinics and universities in Texas, teaching PT and she has an immense love for horses. I was unaware of how popular hippotherapy is in the U.S. right now, although not super common, it exists and I now see how amazing hippotherapy is for kids who don't communicate verbally. Especially with our nonverbal kids, it’s inspiring to see them smiling and interacting with the horse, some of them get a kick out of brushing the horse. So during the summer, Priscilla puts on a four-week camp for kids with special needs and we work with six kids each week. Myself, and two other girls who came with her from the U.S. help her run various aspects of the camp. She tells us what to do, and then we communicate with the other English-speaking volunteers what they need to do. The camp runs from 8:45-1pm with lunch in there, and we rotate. This week I did various things, one day I helped with arts and crafts, which most kids couldn’t sit still with, then another day I helped with sidewalking and then two days I stayed with her old horse and did grooming with the kids. In short, our days are HOT, sweaty, busy, sometimes chaotic, but totally rewarding!
Afterward a long day, we still had energy to explore.
Although I have hardly any experience with horses, the amazing thing about Priscilla is her ability to teach anyone anything and her immense trust in people. This week she told me, you’re going to go get Snipper (he’s her 27 year old baby, he’s really such a sweet horse.) My reply was, “What? I have no idea how to do that.” To which she replied, “oh, well I’ll teach you.” Teach me she did! By Thursday, I was putting the bridle and lead rope on Snipper and walking him to and from the barn, with a kid on him too! I love being around horses and I absolutely love seeing the kids on the horse. One reason why she needs so much help is that when a child is on the horse, she needs someone experienced to be the horse handler, and then she needs 2 people holding onto the child on either side of the horse. The people on either side are called,”sidwalkers,” and their job is to watch the child to make sure that if anything were to happen, the child is safe. I love being a sidewalker because you can see the joy of each child as they ride. I got to be with one little girl this week who is five years old and is blind. She is simply adorable. She has so much confidence when she’s up on the horse and she even said one day, “even though Pong Pong is big (the horse), I’m not afraid.” When Priscilla stops the horse, she always has the children say “1, 2, go.” Whenever this little girl would tell Pong Pong to go, she said it with such emphasis it made me smile inside. I cannot say anything but, PRECIOUS!
So Priscilla started HOPE (Horses Offering People Enrichment) in 2009. Starting a nonprofit and running one is not easy. So can you imagine running one here in China?? The way it works, or at least how Priscilla has kind of explained it to me, is children with special needs, especially autism, become calm when they feel the movement of the side to side on the horse. Or perhaps, since they are not able to communicate with people easily, there is a special communication between themselves and horse. I wish everyone could witness this moving experience of horse and child, it’s just beautiful! We had a few kids this week who were different kids after they rode.
The other component of this trip is providing music for the kids. We have a piano out at the stables for the kids and a few of them absolutely light up when they hear music. It's beautiful!!!! One boy loves the piano played and also loves to watch my lips as I sing. I think anyone watching would cry seeing how happy they get when they hear music. That's one reason I love music so much! Everyone can respond in their own way and it brings out expression in someone who might not otherwise express themselves. HOPE has been blessed with a local music teacher who has been coming out everyday and will play and play and play the piano while we do activities with the kids. He also has a good voice, so this week he and I did a few duets for the kids.
Priscilla doesn't think of herself as an inspiration, but she is. All the hours she puts into her work, all the driving she does for HOPE, is humbling. She stays up late working on the next days’ lesson plans and then wakes up early to get ready for us to go out to the stables.
Now, about China. You hear about China everywhere, but being here and experiencing it is a whole other thing. I have to say I love the food, although I’m sure I’ll gain weight from all the carbs, dumplings are huge over here! I’m finding that Chinese food is rather heavy, but always veggie filled. While you can eat healthy here, it’s easy not to. I’m embarrassed to say that I am ready for a plain smoothie, or a simple turkey sandwich, but I’m definitely enjoying all the flavors I’m trying. Our trip to the supermarket the other day was fun! China has many vegetables that you don’t see in our American markets and they seem to be very resourceful with every part of a plant or animal. They eat lots of green beans and then they use the juice to either drink or cook with. Each day at HOPE, the parents help cook lunch for us and I so enjoy that because it’s a little simpler and healthier I think.
Last night after going to the Forbidden City, we spent an hour getting to a Mexican Restaurant here in Beijing because a couple of us were craving Mexican food. I know, I know, it’s shameful I’m here wanting Mexican food, but I do feel like I’ve had Chinese food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rice and beans we had need tons more salt, but the margarita I had did hit the spot. I can’t say that the food here is really different from Chinese food in America, they do use lots of vinegar and soy sauce here, but I feel like American Chinese food doesn’t include dumplings or baozi (steam filled bread), both are included with most meals here. I do notice that there are a ton of vegetable dishes that are not on the menus in America and overall I think the flavors here are stronger. Oh, eating with chopsticks has been an adventure. I tell Saige (she works in Round Rock with Priscilla) that I might lose weight because it takes so much time and energy for me to use my chopsticks. I get embarrassed at restaurants and we have noodles because it’s so hard for me to scoop up noodles.
An amusing thing from this week was learning the rules of the road. For example, if you're trying to turn left and there's oncoming traffic, Priscilla told me you just have to start turning into the head-on traffic or you'll never turn. There’s no such thing as taking turns, you have to be a tough driver here or you’ll never get anywhere. You really have to see it to understand. (I’ll try to post a video showing our morning commutes). Everyone honks at each other, whether it’s a kind warning saying, “I’m on your right” to a cyclist, or a frustrated, “would you go?” kind of honk, the streets are noisy. What’s barely enough room between cars to Americans, is inches to use here. So, cars are always terrifyingly close to one another.
Another thing about Beijing is it’s so large that the city keeps building highways surrounding the city. Beijing has ring roads. So the Forbidden City has a small road surrounding it called the first ring road. Then there's a second between that city and the capital buildings and then so on and so on. We are staying somewhere near the fifth ring road, so by car it would take almost 2 hours to get to the Forbidden city. Yesterday we took the subway to the Forbidden city, and it only took an hour. I have to say their subways are super clean.
Much like Austin, there is always traffic in Beijing. You all think Austin is bad? It never stops here! It's hard to fathom the size of Beijing, but it is huge!! It's like driving from south of San Antonio to the north side of Round Rock. You can drive for what seems like forever and still be in Beijing. The city is working on its 7th ring road now. I asked Priscilla and she said, Beijing already had a ton of land, and so as the city expands, they just use the land that isn't developed to increase their area.
Priscilla knows so many people here in Beijing, we’ve been spoiled this week. A family loved what she is doing and so they offered their incredibly nice home for us to use while they travel for the summer. She knows a Doctor who has a massage clinic in Beijing, so we got massages on Thursday. The program director who lives in Beijing, helped me get my debit card back after an ATM swallowed it and then she showed me around her part of the city while Priscilla did errands. I mean, we are so lucky to know so many wonderful people here all because of Priscilla and her kind heart and the hearts of others.
Our week has been tiring, but incredibly rewarding and everyday I count myself lucky to have the opportunity to be part of such an incredible project. Although I never had China on my list of places to see, I’m finding that this country is one of the most unique places I’ve ever been to and I am learning lots about the China before and after the Olympics. (Lots has changed since the Beijing Olympics) I wish I had more time to explore the countryside as pictures I see make it look serene and I would love a chance to get out of the pollution. Any pictures you see, you might think, wow it’s cloudy. Nope, it’s the air. It’s noticeable when you are driving and you look off into the distance, but once you get out of the car, it isn’t like you’re surrounded by fog.
I will do my best to write more and post during the week, but in reality, I’ll be happy if I can get one entry a week done.
The whole purpose of my being here was a message from God, I feel. Not sure what he was or is trying to tell me, but I am seeing so much of Beijing with Priscilla here that I wouldn't see as a regular tourist. So for everyone not aware of how we met, or why I’m even here in Beijing, Priscilla and I did a church retreat together and she invited me to come with her to China to help her with her nonprofit. I discussed with her my uncertainty of what I was doing after this school year and she said, “well if you like hard work, you should come with me to Beijing.” I thought, if that isn’t God telling me straight-up what he wants me to do, then what is it? I took it as Divine Intervention, and bought my ticket.
Let me tell you a little about Priscilla, hopefully she doesn’t mind. She is an incredibly, humble woman who started a nonprofit in Beijing that does hippotherapy with special needs children. She has her Ph.D in PT and is involved with various clinics and universities in Texas, teaching PT and she has an immense love for horses. I was unaware of how popular hippotherapy is in the U.S. right now, although not super common, it exists and I now see how amazing hippotherapy is for kids who don't communicate verbally. Especially with our nonverbal kids, it’s inspiring to see them smiling and interacting with the horse, some of them get a kick out of brushing the horse. So during the summer, Priscilla puts on a four-week camp for kids with special needs and we work with six kids each week. Myself, and two other girls who came with her from the U.S. help her run various aspects of the camp. She tells us what to do, and then we communicate with the other English-speaking volunteers what they need to do. The camp runs from 8:45-1pm with lunch in there, and we rotate. This week I did various things, one day I helped with arts and crafts, which most kids couldn’t sit still with, then another day I helped with sidewalking and then two days I stayed with her old horse and did grooming with the kids. In short, our days are HOT, sweaty, busy, sometimes chaotic, but totally rewarding!
Afterward a long day, we still had energy to explore.
Although I have hardly any experience with horses, the amazing thing about Priscilla is her ability to teach anyone anything and her immense trust in people. This week she told me, you’re going to go get Snipper (he’s her 27 year old baby, he’s really such a sweet horse.) My reply was, “What? I have no idea how to do that.” To which she replied, “oh, well I’ll teach you.” Teach me she did! By Thursday, I was putting the bridle and lead rope on Snipper and walking him to and from the barn, with a kid on him too! I love being around horses and I absolutely love seeing the kids on the horse. One reason why she needs so much help is that when a child is on the horse, she needs someone experienced to be the horse handler, and then she needs 2 people holding onto the child on either side of the horse. The people on either side are called,”sidwalkers,” and their job is to watch the child to make sure that if anything were to happen, the child is safe. I love being a sidewalker because you can see the joy of each child as they ride. I got to be with one little girl this week who is five years old and is blind. She is simply adorable. She has so much confidence when she’s up on the horse and she even said one day, “even though Pong Pong is big (the horse), I’m not afraid.” When Priscilla stops the horse, she always has the children say “1, 2, go.” Whenever this little girl would tell Pong Pong to go, she said it with such emphasis it made me smile inside. I cannot say anything but, PRECIOUS!
So Priscilla started HOPE (Horses Offering People Enrichment) in 2009. Starting a nonprofit and running one is not easy. So can you imagine running one here in China?? The way it works, or at least how Priscilla has kind of explained it to me, is children with special needs, especially autism, become calm when they feel the movement of the side to side on the horse. Or perhaps, since they are not able to communicate with people easily, there is a special communication between themselves and horse. I wish everyone could witness this moving experience of horse and child, it’s just beautiful! We had a few kids this week who were different kids after they rode.
The other component of this trip is providing music for the kids. We have a piano out at the stables for the kids and a few of them absolutely light up when they hear music. It's beautiful!!!! One boy loves the piano played and also loves to watch my lips as I sing. I think anyone watching would cry seeing how happy they get when they hear music. That's one reason I love music so much! Everyone can respond in their own way and it brings out expression in someone who might not otherwise express themselves. HOPE has been blessed with a local music teacher who has been coming out everyday and will play and play and play the piano while we do activities with the kids. He also has a good voice, so this week he and I did a few duets for the kids.
Priscilla doesn't think of herself as an inspiration, but she is. All the hours she puts into her work, all the driving she does for HOPE, is humbling. She stays up late working on the next days’ lesson plans and then wakes up early to get ready for us to go out to the stables.
Now, about China. You hear about China everywhere, but being here and experiencing it is a whole other thing. I have to say I love the food, although I’m sure I’ll gain weight from all the carbs, dumplings are huge over here! I’m finding that Chinese food is rather heavy, but always veggie filled. While you can eat healthy here, it’s easy not to. I’m embarrassed to say that I am ready for a plain smoothie, or a simple turkey sandwich, but I’m definitely enjoying all the flavors I’m trying. Our trip to the supermarket the other day was fun! China has many vegetables that you don’t see in our American markets and they seem to be very resourceful with every part of a plant or animal. They eat lots of green beans and then they use the juice to either drink or cook with. Each day at HOPE, the parents help cook lunch for us and I so enjoy that because it’s a little simpler and healthier I think.
Last night after going to the Forbidden City, we spent an hour getting to a Mexican Restaurant here in Beijing because a couple of us were craving Mexican food. I know, I know, it’s shameful I’m here wanting Mexican food, but I do feel like I’ve had Chinese food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rice and beans we had need tons more salt, but the margarita I had did hit the spot. I can’t say that the food here is really different from Chinese food in America, they do use lots of vinegar and soy sauce here, but I feel like American Chinese food doesn’t include dumplings or baozi (steam filled bread), both are included with most meals here. I do notice that there are a ton of vegetable dishes that are not on the menus in America and overall I think the flavors here are stronger. Oh, eating with chopsticks has been an adventure. I tell Saige (she works in Round Rock with Priscilla) that I might lose weight because it takes so much time and energy for me to use my chopsticks. I get embarrassed at restaurants and we have noodles because it’s so hard for me to scoop up noodles.
An amusing thing from this week was learning the rules of the road. For example, if you're trying to turn left and there's oncoming traffic, Priscilla told me you just have to start turning into the head-on traffic or you'll never turn. There’s no such thing as taking turns, you have to be a tough driver here or you’ll never get anywhere. You really have to see it to understand. (I’ll try to post a video showing our morning commutes). Everyone honks at each other, whether it’s a kind warning saying, “I’m on your right” to a cyclist, or a frustrated, “would you go?” kind of honk, the streets are noisy. What’s barely enough room between cars to Americans, is inches to use here. So, cars are always terrifyingly close to one another.
Another thing about Beijing is it’s so large that the city keeps building highways surrounding the city. Beijing has ring roads. So the Forbidden City has a small road surrounding it called the first ring road. Then there's a second between that city and the capital buildings and then so on and so on. We are staying somewhere near the fifth ring road, so by car it would take almost 2 hours to get to the Forbidden city. Yesterday we took the subway to the Forbidden city, and it only took an hour. I have to say their subways are super clean.
Much like Austin, there is always traffic in Beijing. You all think Austin is bad? It never stops here! It's hard to fathom the size of Beijing, but it is huge!! It's like driving from south of San Antonio to the north side of Round Rock. You can drive for what seems like forever and still be in Beijing. The city is working on its 7th ring road now. I asked Priscilla and she said, Beijing already had a ton of land, and so as the city expands, they just use the land that isn't developed to increase their area.
Priscilla knows so many people here in Beijing, we’ve been spoiled this week. A family loved what she is doing and so they offered their incredibly nice home for us to use while they travel for the summer. She knows a Doctor who has a massage clinic in Beijing, so we got massages on Thursday. The program director who lives in Beijing, helped me get my debit card back after an ATM swallowed it and then she showed me around her part of the city while Priscilla did errands. I mean, we are so lucky to know so many wonderful people here all because of Priscilla and her kind heart and the hearts of others.
Our week has been tiring, but incredibly rewarding and everyday I count myself lucky to have the opportunity to be part of such an incredible project. Although I never had China on my list of places to see, I’m finding that this country is one of the most unique places I’ve ever been to and I am learning lots about the China before and after the Olympics. (Lots has changed since the Beijing Olympics) I wish I had more time to explore the countryside as pictures I see make it look serene and I would love a chance to get out of the pollution. Any pictures you see, you might think, wow it’s cloudy. Nope, it’s the air. It’s noticeable when you are driving and you look off into the distance, but once you get out of the car, it isn’t like you’re surrounded by fog.
I will do my best to write more and post during the week, but in reality, I’ll be happy if I can get one entry a week done.
Sent from my iPad
 |
Click here to Reply or Forward
|
No comments:
Post a Comment