Our first work day

Today was our first day in Xi’an. It began with a buffet breakfast at the leisure hour of 7:45 a.m. We knew that the next few days would be different - leisure hours will be different and rare and 6 a.m. call ups will surely arouse us from our peaceful slumber.

Our introduction from our leader, Wang Baoli, was to meet at 12:30 a.m. for lunch. Lunch was served by smiling waitresses and was more than acceptable. In fact, it was good. Good ordering, “Madam Leader.”

At 2 p.m. we were off to the school where we will be teaching. We went through the goals and objectives and the other assignments that Global Volunteers sets for all programs.

We then met some volunteer students who welcomed us to the school. We introduced ourselves and they did the same with some hesitation and bashfulness on their part. They sang some songs for us in both Chinese and English. The students were great but shy. We closed with the leader telling us about them. What I forgot to say was that a teacher in the school brought her 5-year-old daughter, who sang a song for us. Of course we all applauded her effort.

We enjoyed dinner at 6:30 p.m. which ended with the question of “Who will do the journal?” Reluctantly I did. So ends the first “work” day.

Entry submitted by: Dick

Message of the Day: “Everyone has noted the astounding source of energy that seems available to those who enjoy what they are doing. The self-renewing man knows that if he has not great conviction about what he is doing, he had better find something that he can have great conviction about!” - John Cardner in Self-Renewal