Emersyn’s first High School interim trip. For HS, there are 21 trips available. The students pick four choices – all FOUR are the student’s NUMBER ONE choices. Once the trip has been assigned, there is no changing. Emersyn did get her true NUMBER ONE choice which was Inner Mongolia.
She left on Friday, September 19, at 4:30am…and very excited. I braided her hair at 4am – should of taken a photo of her pretty braid.
All I have for the blog are the emails from the teachers, Randy and Cindy Farley. Emersyn has these teachers for humanities and they are her favorite teachers!
Dear Parents,
Our day started early and has now come to a close. Our flight to Hohhot left a few minutes late, but arrived on time.
Wulan, our travel guide, and Mr. Wong, the head of the local travel agency, greeted us after we claimed all our luggage.
After checking in at the Phoenix Hotel, we enjoyed a buffet hotpot lunch and then spent several hours at the Inner Mongolia School for the Arts. It certainly was the highlight of the day as our Concordia students experienced four mini-classes — traditional Mongolian singing, dance, music, and art. Each group shared their talents and then asked all our students to join them in each of the mini classes.
Our visit culminated with an oustanding dance performance by their male dance group.
Then it was off to dinner which included a Mongolian fashion show.
The students have had a busy day and are ready for some rest. Tomorrow we visit the Hohhot Museum — a really nice place and then we spend the night on the grasslands — doubt we will have wifi service tomorrow night.
Attached is the group photo from the Art School.
All the best,
Randy and Cindy Farley
Sept. 19, 2014
Dear Parents,
We arrived at the Desert Hotel on the edge of the Engebei Desert after dark last night.
This morning we’re off to visit a school and then (weather permitting) to the desert.
It’s cool and crisp this morning with light rain.
As expected there was no wifi in the yurt complex where we stayed in the grasslands — but everyone had a great night. After dinner and a few hours sleep we ventured onto the grasslands at 1:00 am until 2:30 am for special photos conceived by Johnathan Chen. After breakfast, we drove further into the grasslands and visited a rural family. Kite flying and Ulimate Frisbee followed until lunchtime. Then, it was time to make dumplings at our friend’s home. With lunch completed, we made the long drive to Baotou in time for dinner and a little visit to a supermarket for snacks.
Enclosed is a photo with the local family.
All the best,
Randy and Cindy
Sept. 22, 2014
Dear Parents,
Tonight’s photo is from our visit to the Engebei County Central School. The group spent the morning at the school. Our students watched part of the English lesson delivered by the teacher and then worked with the ECCS Sixth Grade students on their English lesson.
It was a wonderful experience watching your sons and daughters making a difference in the lives of others 🙂
After lunch, we visited the Desert Museum and listened as the guide explained the process and accompishments behind the work of reclaiming the land as a resource rather than occupied by the shifting sands.
The weather wasn’t coooperating with our plans to plant trees, but we did spend a good portion of the afternoon in the desert.
Everyone is hoping the rain subsides so we can return to the desert for activites and tree planting.
All the best,
Randy and Cindy
Sept. 22, 2014
Dear Parents,
We had a busy day in the desert.
The group rode further into the dunes on a sand buggy and then took sleds down the dunes — everyone had a great time and now better fathom the vastness of the Engebei Desert. They ran up and down dunes until it was time to return to the hotel for lunch.
Our planned camel ride was put on hold due to the weather — no one seemed to mind since the camels were “soaking wet and smelly” as described by one of the students. We’ll try for the camel rides again tomorrow morning — providiing the weather cooperates.
This afternoon the group did a great job accomplishing their goal of clearing a section of land, digging irrigation ditches, and planting trees on the edge of the Engebei Desert. Tonight we have a BBQ dinner followed by fireworks.
We leave the desert tomorrow morning for Baotou where we will have lunch and then visit a local lamasery. (Our tour guide has had to change the specific lamasery visit since rains have washed out a section of the road on the way to that lamasery. She is still asking if we will be able to visit with the lama at the new location)
All the best,
Randy and Cindy
Sept. 23, 2014
Dear Parents,
It was another busy day for the Inner Mongolia group.
After breakfast at the Desert Hotel, it was time to return to the dunes to ride camels and to cherish the last moments in the desert.
With luggage packed and stowed on the bus, we rode 1.5 hours to Baotou for lunch at a favorite restaurant before leaving the city in the opposite direction for a visit to the Mei Dai Zhao Museum and Lamasery.
The group had dumplings for dinner and then we checked in at the Header Hotel near the dumpling restaurant.
Some students went to the pool for a swim with Cindy while the rest stayed on their floor with me until it was time for evening devotions.
Our flight home tomorrow is scheduled to depart Baotou at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at the Hongqiao Airport at 2:55 p.m. We will text Karin Semler (CISS Admin) when we have wheels up. She will contact parents with any flight updates/changes.
All the best,
Randy and Cindy
Sept. 24, 2014
Emersyn was due back at 3pm. An email reported they would be an hour behind scheduled. I arrived at school around 5pm to pick up Emersyn. I waited and waited and waited. Of course, she did not have her phone on. I greeted all the other kids coming back from other trips. Finally, after 2+ hours, the right bus with Emersyn on it pulled into school. The delayed was caused by two students lost their passports and the group must stay together as they were trying to recover them. One was recovered and the other was not! I had thought about getting her at the Puxi airport to save time as I needed to wash and repack her bag for our next adventure.
Emersyn reported she had the “best time ever”. The HS interim trips include 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders. Emersyn was the only 9th grade girl on the trip. No student had a friend on this trip, therefore, new friendships were made. Emersyn said it was a great group of kids and she has many new friends. The best part of the trip was the bond she made with new friends. Love the excitement and smiles of her stories when she returns from these adventures!