Weather: No more rain!! Sunny, breezy, cool...
I have been volunteering at the Project for a month now, and I feel like I am just getting to really now my kids. I spent a few weeks with them and thought I had it all figured out. But as it turns out, even though they seem at first glance to be just like any other kids, they have some real differences that oftentimes make my head spin.
I was explaining to one boy that I thought Shanghai was very similar to New York. He asked me plainly “What’s New York?” This 15 year old listened, wide eyed, to me explaining NYC. He had never heard of buildings so tall!
A 16 year old boy who has the attention span of a puppy (and a somewhat defiant attitude) worked with me for over an hour on his homework, asking genuine questions and staying very focused.
Today I brought ice cream for an activity, and since there is no freezer at the Project, it sat in a fridge and by the afternoon was no so much ice, mostly cream. My teacher asked if the kids could divide the ice cream and eat it after we finished the activity. Of course, but I don’t think they’ll want it. It’s warm. Yuck. She gave me a knowing look and said “they’ll want it.” Sure enough, they did everything but lick the carton. Every last one of them ate that luke warm foamy mess. And LOVED it.
Are they average kids? They’re kids that have nothing, and appreciate everything. Kids that are humble and timid. Scared and insecure. Dishonest sometimes. In some ways they are just what I'd expect, yet at times my preconceived notions are completely shattered.
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