The Final Goodbye [Day 9]

-August 21, 2009-

At around 5 in the morning, my father and I were at the hotel waiting for the Chengdu Youths to come down from their rooms with all their luggage. When we arrived there, three of the Chengdu Youths were already down there with their baggage and ready to go. I said good morning to all of them and they seemed less perky then usual ( can't blame them though!). Eventually everyone came down with their luggage and we all walked to the side where our bus waited. We formed an assembly line to bring all the baggage through and it went by quickly, so we were off to the airport on schedule.

Everyone on the bus appeared tired and sleep deprived! At first, everyone was talking and interacting, then the food was given out and they ate fast, then the talking stopped and napping started. Before you knew it though, the food was done and everyone was asleep on the bus. I found the silence on the bus odd for I'm use to the bus being a party bus full of fun and conversations. Seeing everyone sleeping also made me very tired and relaxed.

The night before, I went to sleep early but I got a phone call from the Chengdu Youths (since we exchanged contact info, they wanted to talk I guess)! It was a good 45 minutes of chit-chat and debating about everything. I asked them if they were going to sleep and they told me they weren't going to! They said they would drink coffee to keep themselves awake and perky for they could sleep on the plane. I just hoped they wouldn't crash and burn. So when I saw the people sleeping, it was mostly the ones who didn't sleep at all; All the other Chengdu Youths were somewhat awake. As we neared the airport, I sat with one of my Chengdu friends whom I was very close with after the 9 days we spent together. She was so tired but she held on to my arm very tight because we all knew our time was running short.

Riding the bus that early in the morning seemed unusual and different because it was very dark out and you could see all the streetlights in Edmonton lite up the dark and mysterious city. Everyone (who was awake) thought it was beautiful and they loved the sky once the sun rose. There was a pink-ish tint to the sky that seemed very suiting for a day like today.

The ride that we all didn't want to end, arrived at it's destination in tip top condition. We all stumbled and fumbled out with the bags and we went through getting all the baggage checked. It took awhile to get all the tickets and bags checked so we all sat around waiting. I noticed that one of my friends that I made wasn't talking to me much and was very solemn. I knew she didn't want me to come, because the night when they called she told me not to because it was going to be too early for me, but the real reason was because she found it hard to say goodbye and she didn't want to.

After everyone go their tickets, they sent their checked baggage through and it was time to go through security. My friend who didn't talk to me began to walk beside me and I grabbed her hand trying to reassure her that everything was going to be all right (through actions not words). She didn't say anything but held on to my hand tightly, feeling slightly better.

Going through security took a bit of time, but once everyone was through (after some went through double checks), it was time to walk towards the gates. Once again I was united with my Chengdu buddy and we held on to each others hands even tighter because we knew what was going to happen. Most of the Chengdu Youths were silent along the way with the occasional little blurb or randomness they usually say. Finally we walked to the gates and after a little turmoil, it was time for them to go. Most of them filed through quickly and easily, saying goodbye and thank you with a couple of tears rolling down their cheeks. Then the Chengdu friends whom I had spent the most time with remained with me. I hugged each and everyone of them telling them that I will see them again and that this isn't the end. Two of them were strong and teared up slightly, or not at all. Those two left with smile on their faces and through the gates. The other two that remained were the twin sisters who I conversed with and learned the most from. When I said goodbye and hugged both off them (individually), they began to weep and cry. I hugged them even tighter then! I told them not to cry and to be happy because I want to remember their happy faces and not their sad faces. Seeing them like that made it hard for me, but I remembered that they probably want to remember all of us with happy faces, not sad so I kept on smiling and wiping the tears from their faces. Honestly, I didn't want to let them go or say goodbye, but they had to leave. Instead of calling it a 'goodbye', I call it a 'see you later'. Goodbye is forever and and never again; where as a 'see you later' is letting them know there is a future and that it really isn't forever that you won't see them again. As they walked through the gates, they waved at us till the very moment we could no longer see them. That was the last that I saw of my friends from Chengdu.

I think they left with an experience that they will never forget, and people too that they will not lose sight of. Even though we are miles apart (or days), we are still connected because of the memories and experiences we have created together. This has been the time of our lives!

All Good Things Come to an End [Day 8]

*I apologize once again for the late entry! This entry has proven to be the most difficult to talk about and I was wrong that I would be able to post it day of. So sorry to everyone who was waiting for this one! But here is the finale day! (August 20, 2009)

As I entered the hotel this morning, I finally came to see that today was the last day with the Chengdu Youths and that it had to be the best one yet. Usually (for two days) we would meet in the room upstairs to gather and prepare; however, today we met downstairs in the main lobby to get an early start to the day. As the Chengdu Youths descended from the stairs, they all had beautiful smiles from ear to ear on their faces and they were ready for today. Instead of the usual delay of getting on the bus, we boarded the bus and arrived at our destination on time. This morning our first stop was the Legislature Building.

Our bus driver dropped us off at the bus depot (which was unoccupied at that moment) and we went inside and on our way to the Legislature Building. Everyone was in awe when they saw the wonderful composition of the building. As our feet stepped through the door way, one could almost swear they were being blinded by some blinding bright light, but it was actually everyone pulling out their cameras! It was truly amusing. We had a tour guide take us around the Legislature Building telling us the many stories of paintings and rooms. There was a set of paintings of the King and Queen, which were so beautifully painted, on a wall on the second floor. Apparently, from any angle, their eyes will be watching you and their knees will be pointing in the same direction as each other as you walk from left to right. (i.e.; if you stand on the right, both sets of knees will be pointing at you to the right and if you moved to the left, they would still be pointing directly at you from the left.) One of the Chengdu Youths asked me if I was afraid of this but I told her no. She was though and since she thought I was so brave she told me to go in there at night and see if I’m just as brave after. I told her I would only if she came and she slapped me laughing and walking away. We continued through the building, stopping at various spots, taking pictures and more pictures and more pictures (I think people were getting tired of taking pictures ha-ha!). At the end of the tour we took a huge group picture on the stairs that you would typically see if a school went to have a tour of the Legislature Building and at the end have a picture taken of their class. Picture taking was finished early so it was off to City Hall for the last time.

We arrived at City Hall before the lunch hour to take some pictures and cool off in the water. Everyone was enjoying themselves in the sun for it was much more comfortable for them. It was awesome! Soon after we were off to go have lunch for all our stomachs were talking.

Lunch was at Boston Pizza and by the time we arrived through the doors, the pizza and drinks were all set up and was ready to be bitten into. Assortments of different types of pizza were on each table between the two rows of tables. There was so much to eat! But surprisingly most of the food was consumed and everyone was nice and full! It was so much fun though. I went visiting after I ate with everyone and then the twin boys were being silly when I started taking pictures. They ate their pizzas with a fork and knife and when I took some pictures of them, they would start cutting their pizza slice real vigorously and then quickly shove all the food they could into their mouths! During that time too they would have a crazed look on their faces or sort of angry looking faces (even though they weren’t) and it was so funny! I was scared they would choke, but they didn’t and they downed everything with a nice cool cola. I was amazed at that talent! Then for some reason they had an obsession with mixing various contents into some peoples sodas and drinks! Then they would offer it to different people to drink and see if they would drink it. When they offered it to me, I asked them what did they do to the drink, and then they would look offended! They asked me why I would think that the drink was tampered with; it was ‘supposedly’ an innocent drink to have (even though there were white chunks and black specs floating in the ‘drink’). Then I asked them to have a sip, but they said no and kept asking me to take a sip and have some fun! I laughed at them even harder because of how they looked when I refused. Lunch was finished and it was off to our final spot for the day!

The ride to Fort Edmonton Park wasn’t a very long one, so once we got there everyone seemed a bit surprised of how fast the trip was! As we got off the bus, we were bombarded with cameras once again. We walked through the gates after and were split up into two different groups this time for the tours. At first I began to wonder why we were just standing there and we weren’t going anywhere, then I saw the reason why coming towards me! A huge train approached us as it rounded the corner. It wasn’t an extremely long train but it was big enough to carry all of us! Once we got on there we all thought we were Hogwart students going off to school for a ‘magical’ term. We were laughing so much at that. The train ride was a fairly comfortable ride and after a couple of minutes we arrived at the actual ‘Fort Edmonton’.

The walk around the fort was a fairly long wall for the fort itself was huge! We went through the entrance and it felt like we walked back in time! There was a huge building that looked like a mansion while on the three other sides were common structures. The tour guide showed us through the fort and we got to explore nearly every inch of the fort that we could. It was cool though that one of the Chengdu Youths asked so many questions! I was glad they showed interest in the history of Edmonton. Later we exited the fort and walked along the opposite side we entered and saw some beautiful tee pees around the outside. It was astonishing. Then we walked some more beside the garden that was growing (and was flourishing) and waited for the wagon ride. The other group already left as we reached the waiting area and it looked like so much fun! Everyone was excited for this ride! Our wagon ride finally arrived and we all loaded, filling all the seats available. We went through the different developments of Edmonton through the ages with detailed information at every location. Everyone learned so much. We ended up at the midway they had there and we had a good half hour to spend before we went for the ultimate BBQ ever. So the midway was actually a lot more fun than it appeared. The Ferris wheel was the main attraction for all the Chengdu Youths and us. My Chengdu friend and I decided to go on it and we thought it wasn't that bad because it wasn't a really high ferries wheel. However, we were so wrong about that. Firstly the chairs we sat on were rock-able, so if you moved in a quick fashion, then the momentum from that movement would rock the seat. Which in return freaked the heck out of all of us. We were joking around that we would scream for the heck of it and guess what, our screams were real. The whole time we were on the ride, my Chengdu buddy was holding my hand in fear that we may fall off. Secondly, at the very top, you could feel the wind blowing, which obviously did not help with the rocking chairs. Everyone was freaking and laughing but we had such a good time on there. After several more rides, it was time to move out. We began walking the long road to the cool area we were going to eat at.

Once we all reached the picnic area, the food was all set up and ready to go, the tables were clean, friends and family were waiting for us and a playground was waiting for us to go play on it. Everyone marched in with such a good mood; it was incredible. Good times were radiating from corner to corner. Lots of the kids and volunteers were gravitating towards the teeter-totters. My sister went on (whose older then the Chengdu Youths) with two of the younger Chengdu Youths and they were going up and down rapidly almost like they were trying to knock each other off! My sister versus the Chengdu Youth! The outcome of this was even more funny. They thought they could win against my sister but she was able to somehow win and the two Chengdu Youths landed with sand on their faces, laughing and laughing at each other. After they were going after my sister to try to get her to eat sand too! It was hilarious!

Once the food was ready, we all began to eat and have major chow down time! Everyone enjoyed the freshly cooked burgers and (what my dad calls) 'tube steaks', drinks, and chips. While everyone ate, I began to collect contact information with the Chengdu Youths so I would be able to keep in touch with them and not ever forget them. It was funny though because some of them forgot what their contact information was (i.e; addresses, phone numbers, emails, etc.) and it took them some time to think of it. Soon, everyone finished eating and it was dessert time! In small groups of 10, we went to the confectionery store to pick up some tasty ice cream! We all went jumping with joy and holding on to our blue tickets to get our sweet treat! There was so much to choose from that it made it hard to just pick one! Everyone went through and we all ate up the sweet ice cream. Some ate more...messy then others to the point that their faces were covered with the ice cream and they didn't really care. It was so cute!

After the ice cream, we played around a bit more, then it was speech time!(yeah...!?) The first couple of speeches were very touching, but it was near the end that it got harder for everyone. I saw my sisters friend tearing up a bit and then another one of my buddies from across the way had tears rolling down her cheeks. I felt a bit of me hurt for them. But I told myself I would be strong. Then one of the little twin boys came up to my Chengdu friend and I, and i could see that his eyelashes were beginning to get wet. He told us that when he sees other people crying, he too then starts to cry. I began to comfort him and he started to walk away, when I saw that my friend next to me was crying too. Small tears were streaming down her face as she stared into the distance. I noticed and I embraced her to comfort and tell her that it was alright. After that moment, that's when the waterworks all around me began. As I pulled away from the hug, everyone around me had either cried, or was beginning to. The other twin sister I was close with was sitting on the side crying with her sunglasses on. It hurt so much to see them down like that. However, one small Chengdu girl came up to me and asked me why I was crying. She said to me to be happy and think of all the great times we had together and think of the many more we will create. Those words were so true and so wise, coming from one so young. That instant, I came into recovery and I went over to comfort the twin that was sitting down. Eventually a group of us sat down all together and we were all crying. But we were strong together once we were united, tearful as ever; we made each other smile and laugh at jokes that we created during the days we had together. Those moments brightened our lives and will continue to shine when we are down or missing each other.

Eventually, everyone rounded up and it was time to leave. Even though it was time to go, we were all still crying and not wanting to leave each other. As we walked along the wooden sidewalk, we walked together, in sync, hand in hand. We held on tight for we knew that if we didn't live in the moment, we might never get that chance again and we had to make the best of it. My friends and I walked together, leading everyone behind us, as we began to make our way to the exit. It was something special, that walk to the exit. Tears were still streaming down our faces as we walked silently by.

It hit even harder once we boarded the bus. One of the Chengdu Youths was really close to one of my friends, and she was hit real hard. My friend was going on vacation that night, so she couldn't bus with us back to the hotel. The Chengdu Youth was tearful and held on to my friend so tightly, because she didn't want to let go. I looked at the Chengdu Youth then up at my friend. Both were red eyed and sad. I couldn't help but cry.

The bus began to leave, and the Chengdu Youth who was crying a lot eventually stopped and was alright (thanks to the comforting of The Madame). Her lips still quivered a bit, but she was recovering. The whole ride back, all of us in the back held on to each other tightly and kept talking to a minimal. But we weren't going to be all sad-sad-down-down-depressed on the last day! Soon, we began to make jokes, and the good mood of the bus was back up again. It was absolutely stunning and beautiful. We neared the hotel and thought we were going back, but then we didn't! Instead, we went for a small tour of downtown to the places we didn't go before. Everyone found out and was laughing and cheering on the bus driver for the extended trip. Near the end of the tour, one of the little twin boys asked "where's the best washroom here?" As soon as he said that, we all cracked up and began laughing so hard at that, because of how random and innocent it was! The smiles we saw in the beginning of the trip returned to the familiar faces we all loved.

After the tour, we all got off the bus and returned to the hotel, where we all met back up in the meeting room, where emails were exchanged, hugs, kisses on the cheeks, and handshakes. Everyone was saying goodbye. As my Chengdu friends began to make their way to the elevators, I decided to walk with them and hold on to their hands tightly. We walked together once again, smiling and remembering the good times we shared. At the elevators, many of them went up, but some waited around for their friends and to say goodbye. I stayed there hugging all of them and telling them to keep in contact. My one Chengdu friend, who I was close with, hugged me and didn't want to let go. This long embrace caused us to begin to tear up again even though both of us were telling each other not to as we wiped each others tears off. None of us wanted to leave the elevator area. We all stayed there for as long as possible, but soon it was time to say goodnight and goodbye. I think we all wanted that moment to last, but all good things come to an end; so we parted and waved good bye!

United as 1! [Day 7]

-August 19, 2009-



It was day 2 in the new room upstairs for our common meeting room and all the Chengdu Youths were already upstairs waiting for us; so were the volunteers! We were ready for a fun and exciting day in the Telus World of Science! As we were united with our Chengdu friends, we began talking like mad; as if we haven’t seen each other in ages! Downstairs and out the doors, we all loaded on to the bus with our friends ready and revving to go!

The drive to the Telus World of Science wasn’t a long one so we didn’t have to wait long to get there. The sun was shining so it was a very nice drive to get there. We arrived and as soon as we got off the bus, we all began taking pictures of the outside display with the balls falling in a cool contraption. Then we walked inside and was greeted by a man-which was a paper cut out that we all thought was real (found out it wasn’t when we were about to wave and noticed he didn’t move at all and that he looked awfully skinny). Once again we were separated into different groups to go about the galleries in whatever order we desired. We covered the body gallery, the mystery gallery, the Davinci gallery, and space gallery. Each of them was so much fun! There was a lot of interaction between the Chengdu youths and the galleries; smiles plastered on faces, looks of amusement and much more.
After we went to the IMAX theatre to watch ‘Fly me to the Moon’, which was about three flies going to the moon with some astronauts in 1957; it was rather different and funny. My Chengdu friends were all comparing the characters to the people on the visit and some of the comparisons came close which gave for a good laugh. While we watched the movie, I was between the two twin sisters. Since they didn’t understand and were slightly tired, they took mini naps when things were slow. At one point both of them were sleeping on my shoulders at that same time! I was afraid to move in case I woke them! Once the show let out, we ate a delicious and healthy lunch! Nice warm soup (since some of the Chengdu youths found it extremely cold out), sandwiches, cookies, and refreshments. It tasted so good and was a nice light lunch. After, we finished looking at the galleries and went to the star theatre to watch a show about telescopes. Everyone found that the chairs were comfy and that the show was great.
After another bathroom break, we went back on to the bus and began takeoff.

Our shuttle landed at the Kinsmen Sports Centre, where we got to go run around and play some sports! There was basketball, ping-pong (everyone’s favourite), badminton, volleyball, and jogging around the track. There was such a congestion of people around the ping-pong and badminton nets, which made me think, ‘so Asian!’ (No insult intended at all, more like pride in these actions.), and I couldn’t help but smile. I played a game of doubles in badminton with two small boys and another girl, It was so much fun! My partner (which was a small Chengdu boy) came to me every time we scored a point and gave me a high five! We were burning up the court! (ha-ha!). When we were playing sports for several hours, I changed into some sweats and when I came out, all my friends didn’t recognize who I was! That surprised me! That made me wonder if I looked that different in sweats and sports gear! During the time of play, the Chengdu twins (girls) along with my friend and I were interviewed to give our take on what has happened and what we thought. It was so much fun too, because the reporter was so relaxed and ‘chilled’ out when he talked with us, yet he still appeared professional! That was so neat. After the interview, some pictures were taken and one of the twins ended up sitting on something red which made her pants all dirty! It was right on her bum which made it even more funny to clean! We had tide to go and we attempted to clean her pants (her back in particular), but every time we tried, someone would start laughing so she would jump up and not let us help her. So we decided that my friend and I would go in so the two sisters could do it privately. It was so funny.

Everyone had a great work out and we all felt slightly tired. It was nearing the end of the day but we still had several more things to do. We first went to another Chinese associations head quarters to visit and thank them for their support. Finally it was dinner time and we went to Dynasty Century Palace to go eat. It was a nice little banquet for the Chengdu Youths, volunteers, and sponsors. A slideshow played and everyone loved the pictures that were taken because they would always be in awe and laugh at what they saw. They genuinely love it! Then we also watched some of the interviews that happened during the visit of the Chengdu Youths. Whenever someone the Chengdu Youths knew was being interviewed, they would loudly clap and cheer for them! That showed to me how much bonding these guys had had together and it was irreplaceable. They had become so close in such a short amount of time, it was amazing. The food was served and we all ate and ate and added lots of hot sauce and chilli oil to all our foods. Very delicious! Then some speeches were given and gifts as well. Everyone was thanked and the party had begun! The Chengdu Youths in response to all these gifts, began to sing and do another performance for us (like at City Hall). Following this act, the Chengdu youth continued to sing for us in either solo groups or in trios. There was even a time when the both sets of twins went up and (sort of) sang together. It was so funny though because the one little twin boy would either mock the older twin by pretending to lip sync or dance behind her while she was in front. That would for sure be a show I would pay to see! After the singing was done, all the Chengdu Youths and volunteers went and signed the welcome banner in memory of this once in a lifetime event. Once again more, more mingling happened and people began writing out email addresses and exchanging phone numbers and contact information. I know one thing for sure, I felt like a celebrity at that moment when everyone was asking me to sign stuff for them. I enjoyed the excitement and happiness that everyone was feeling.

For the second last time, we all boarded the bus and headed back to the hotel. We said good bye, collected our belongings and let them sleep, for tomorrow we will party; they aren’t going to leave without a big celebration.

Over the course of this week, I can really feel the uniting of everyone despite the language barrier and distance we had (have) to travel to see them. It’s going to be hard to say good bye to them. I can feel it already. But they will have to leave, and the times we shared together will not be forgotten. It will never ever be forgotten. The bonds we built have become so strong that friendships like ours will last a life time.

Take me out to the ball game!~ [Day 6]

Before I start talking about the day, I must apologize for not writing last night, for I did not feel well and went to bed early. So please forgive me the absence in writing the entry day of. I really wish I did. Now I present to you what happened in day 6. (August 18, 2009)

Instead of the usual meeting in the room downstairs, we met in a room upstairs near the ‘welcoming room’ to prepare for the day we had planned for us. As I rounded the corner to meet up with everyone, I heard some heavenly voices echoing through the hall, and I knew all at once that it had to be my Chengdu friends! I peaked around and it was them! They were all dressed in some beautiful pink t-shirts with some Chinese words written on it. It took awhile to gather everyone, but eventually everyone arrived on time and we got ready to go. Everyone was paired up once again with their Chengdu buddies and I was with some friends I met before. As soon as we got into our group, we were talking a mile a minute. We were headed off to the Muttart Conservatory for a day in the four pyramids.

Once we got on the bus there, everyone was excited and couldn’t stop talking. It truly felt like we were a family united together by all our outings together, and this was yet another one of those! We finally arrived at the Muttart’s and we all jumped off the bus and headed to see the 4 wonders inside the pyramids. There was the arid, tropical, temperate and the feature pyramid. Each pyramid was unique and all the Chengdu youths loved taking the pictures of all the different plants in each area. While we were going from section to section, I was talking with one of my buddies and I began to teach her some English. Every time we saw a sign with some words in it and wasn’t that long, I got her to read it. If she didn’t understand a word I would explain it in mandarin and then say it to her slowly so she would be able to pronounce it and understand. I thought this was only fair since they helped improve my mandarin from day 1 of their arrival! Several of the Chengdu youths were also photographed in the Muttarts; they were like models having their own private shoot. It was so sweet! I believe that everyone loved the greenery since in Chengdu they explained to me that there isn’t as much greenery as Edmonton (which for some reason surprised me.)!

Since we finished at the Muttarts earlier than planned, we went on a mini bus tour of the downtown area. At first we were too loud to even hear what the bus driver was saying so we all calmed ourselves and listened to the good stuff he had to say. After we passed several buildings, enough time had lapsed by so we headed to City Hall to meet the mayor and have lunch with him. All the Chengdu Youths filed out first in their bright pink (but sincerely lovely) t-shirts through the back entrance of City Hall. As we neared the front, we began to see familiar faces leading us to the room for lunch. Outside the entrance of our luncheon room, was a man on stilts who was way taller than six feet! The Chengdu Youths were all so fascinated by him and they were literally all looking up to him. As each one of them passed by he gave them high fives and told them to go in and have some fun. Nearing the corner of the room, we were greeted by yet another fascinating human being. It was a joker (clown, or ‘Mr. Bean’ as some said), who did some pretty sweet juggling acts with pins, knives, and juggling balls. In the beginning he would drop the pins on the ground, and several Chengdu Youths helped him pick them up; however after several times, the Chengdu Youths got smart and began hiding the pins on the joker! It was hilarious because this was a definite surprise for the joker! One time, some of the Chengdu Youths also passed the pins behind their backs down a line, where the joker eventually caught them. It was so funny! Everyone was having such a good laugh about it. Then, some juggling balls (in a pack of three), were distributed to everyone so we could all learn how to juggle on our own. One of the Chengdu youths volunteered to go up front with the joker to juggle together. She gave a great go at it and had some very awesome courage. We all cheered her on and she eventually got the hang of it and became very good at it! Following the fun acts, some speeches were given and then it was lunch time! There was an assortment of food all across two, very long tables, and everyone dug in. As we began eating, there was a balloon artist walking around, making balloon animals for people as he passed by. Everyone was so amused by this and by the time we finished eating, every single table had piles of balloon animals on it. Soon, everyone was done eating and it was time for the main performance of the day. The Chengdu Youth went ahead of us to sit in the front, in preparation for their performance; everyone after followed suit and we sat and listened to more speeches! Then, the main attraction of City Hall was ready! The Chengdu Youth had prepared three performances for us to observe. The first was a regular Chinese song, the next was a Christmas song and the last was a dance performance of one of the Chengdu Youths. Each routine was a work of art and was well crafted together! Not only do the Chengdu Youths know how to party, but they know how to sing and put a good show on! After the main show was over, there was a huge photo-opp with the mayor and everyone gathered around him on the stairs. Then, the Chengdu Youths went to go on a tour with the mayor while we met them in the Council Chamber afterwards. After all that excitement, it was time to go to our next destination.

Our next destination was the book depository where the Chengdu Youths got to pick out 5 books on their own to take back home. As we arrived there, it started to rain (which was what we feared) and we all ran inside to stay warm and dry. It was fun in the ‘book store’. Everyone got to mingle with each other and talk about books they liked, they didn’t like, classics of the North American world and much more. Everyone was able to pick up something they liked and we all lugged our heavy books back to the bus. By the time we left the book depository, it was sunny and bright out (which was without a doubt very good!).

Before we went to the Baseball game in the evening, we went to Kingsway garden mall and walked around looking at all the shops and stalls around the mall. Near the end of the shopping trip we went to the Bay and took a look at the winter Olympics merchandise. It was so much fun looking through there. My two Chengdu friends and I were goofing around by making animal noises that suited each mascot for the n2010 Olympics. It was such a hoot! Then we began translating some the things in English into Mandarin yet again. However what was different this time was that we did a little dance every time we said ‘Vancouver’. The sister of the Chengdu twin sisters began saying that her sister was such bad influence on me and was making me more ‘weird’ and ‘crazy’! It was good times.

Finishing up in the mall, we finally arrived at the baseball game. Some of us were all hyped up, while others were a bit calm about it for they didn’t understand baseball. We got our meal tickets and we went up, grabbed our hot dogs and drinks and ran for the stands to our seats. Once majority of the group arrived to watch the game, we all noticed that the skies were getting really dark and it appeared it was going to rain. So we decided to go up higher to the more sheltered level. Luckily for us, we made the smart decision and say up there as the rain came pouring hard. There was a rain delay so we had to wait a good 30 minutes before the storm passed. During this time we chatted like crazy, ate the free popcorn we were given, and signed some foam hands we were given. It appeared that we were so absorbed in our own conversations and activities, that we didn’t even notice that the game had started and the rain had stopped. There was so much quirkiness going around; napkins in peoples hoods, tossing popcorn in to people`s mouths even though they would be a full two or three rows in front of you, signing foam hands and drawing some crazy things on them. It was good times in the back there with everyone. However we still watched the game and cheered on our home team! As intermission arrived, we all left, for it was getting late and we left to get our Chengdu friends home safely. On the bus there was so much commotion of more orange hands being passed around and signed and everyone was happy.

At the hotel, we all went upstairs, gathered our belongings, and said good night for another night. We hugged, kissed, hugged some more, and wished everyone a good night rest for another sweet day was in store for them.

Fun in the Sun! [Day 5]

-August 17, 2009-

The sun was shining bright over Hawrelak Park as the happy campers (Chengdu Youths, volunteers, and organizers) arrived through the gates and off to the picnic site for another enjoyable day. Everyone loaded off the bus and began walking, passing the Heritage amphitheatre to a picnic space with a wide open field (and no sprinklers!). This morning was going to be full of games and fun with the assistance of two workers from the green shack program (organized by the city of Edmonton).

We began the many games that were planned with one where we tossed the ball and called out names.First we were split into two separate circles to make it easier to toss the ball. The person who tossed the ball had to say the previous person's name and then their own and toss to some one else. This game helped us get to know each other's name better in English and Chinese. It was pretty easy going and some people seemed half asleep because when the ball was tossed to them they couldn't catch it even though the person was right next to them! After all that dropping, people began chuckling a lot!

A huge rope was then brought out for tug-of-war! At first the sides were determined by birthday, but the sides weren't as evenly matched. So then everyone was split according to gender and the guys thought they could take on all the girls. How wrong they were! The girls won easily for both matches. The first match ended in a blink of an eye. The second match had the male supervisors and staff helping out the Chengdu males against the female Chengdu youths and buddies. Even with the extra help, the ladies remained superior in tug of war! Talk about girl power!

Next, the multi-colored parachute was pulled out and several games were arranged with it. First game played was where the parachute was lifted up 3 times and then everyone would have to try and run underneath and sit on the inside edges of the parachute. It took multiple tries to get this right and everyone was giggling and jumpy! Once everyone was inside, (I didn't go underneath) they began telling jokes and it was hilarious seeing just the rounds of every person's heads underneath the parachute. Unfortunately the jokes were told in English and when translated,were lost in translation! The next game was tossing different colored beanbags up and down and trying to keep them from falling off. To keep things interesting, there were two different colors and they represented the boys and girls. So basically it was boys versus girls; girls were trying to get the boys beanbags off and viceversa. It went well! The parachute was being flung so fast and energetically that many people had to let go! Then we played cat and mouse; so many of the Chengdu boys wanted to chase the mice(kids). Everyone else flapped the parachute up and down to hide the people being the mice, while the person being the cat was on top of the parachute trying to find them. Following that game, we then played a game where someone was a shark who would pull you underneath where you may become a shark. There were also people who were lifeguards who would rescue the victims if they call for help. Once again, the boys wanted to be the sharks, but only some were chosen. However, when the sharks came to attack them, they didn't call for help; they went voluntarily to become a shark! Everyone began rolling with laughter! There was so much commotion going on all around us and we all had such a great time. Finally, we played the last game with the wonderful parachute. It was called 'Peanut butter Island', where the parachute was laid flat on the ground and was our island. The players would be the tourist while some other players would be sharks. The tourist would walk around the parachute and when the sharks yelled 'Shark Attack!' , the tourist would have to run onto the parachute before they got caught! It was a great game of tag! Majority of the players were sharks, there were only a couple of Chengdu Youths left and several volunteers. That's when the great chase happened. The victims ran so far away from the 'island' and then some of the 'Chengdu Sharks' chased them from behind. Then there were also some coming from the front! That was the end for them! It was such a great time playing those games.

After, we had a washroom break, cleaned ourselves up and headed outside once again to play dodge ball. It was a quick game because many of us were hungry. When we went to go get out bags, the sprinklers were on and we all ran through cooling ourselves down. It was lunch time and we had huge pizza slices which were delicious! For dessert we had cake to celebrate 3 birthdays; one of the Chengdu youths, one of the buddies, and one of the supervisors. We all got hats and some noise makers. It was so much fun! Everyone wore their hats; some in a different fashion than others ( they were very unique...), some not on their heads at all either. It was very amusing! While we waited for the kids to return from another bathroom break, I was eating some raw peas that I had brought with me. A Chengdu friend asked if he could have one, so I let him. But once he bit into it he was very surprised to find out it was raw! Apparently they don't really like eating raw vegetables!

We all boarded the bus again and headed to the University of Alberta to have a look through the paleontology and geology museums. After the tour, we got to see some science experiments go down in the engineering building. They performed several experiments that amazed everyone! After the nice show, we got to do some hands on activities! The kids from 10-13 got to make some slime(putty), while the 14-17 aged kids got to make electric fans. Both were so much fun to see happen and construct. The fan makers were very studious and worked very hard to finish their fans so they could cool themselves in the warm weather. The slime makers were tossing around their slime because it was so bouncy and they were adding glitter to make it look pretty. After the fans were finished, one of the Chengdu youths gave me their fans because I didn't make one! Once again I thought that their mannerism was so kind and I was eternally grateful to have a fan made by one of my friends!

West Edmonton Mall was the place planned to end the day. We arrived and split into several groups so we could all venture on our own way to look at the unique boutiques and find little trinkets as souvenirs for themselves and friends. After the little shopping trip, it was off to the Old Spaghetti factory for supper in Bourbon Street. It shocked me to say, but many of the kids found eating salads very peculiar. They weren't use to eating raw vegetables so they stayed away and waited for the main course. We at spicy spaghetti which was so delicious. Lots of the Chengdu Youths added more spice to their supper with pepper flakes. That didn't surprise me, but what did was when they unscrewed the lid to pour the flakes on instead of sprinkling the flakes on! Since I like my food spicy, I decided to do the same. Trust me. It was much more spicier and better that way! During the supper, one of the twins was asking me how to say certain phrases in English and she would keep on asking me to help her while I ate! She was very eager and wanted me to be more strict on her when I was teaching her English! Apparently I was being too nice!

After we finished eating supper, we all drifted outside after another washroom break and we got ready to go home. Everyone was full and happy and ready to sleep. We all said our goodbyes, hugged each other and laughed about our day. We then parted, for my mother came to get me after the wondrous day I had!

I Gotta Feeling That Tonight's Going to Be a Good Night! [Day 4]

-August 16, 2009-

Today was a later rise than usual because we were going to West Edmonton Mall(and it didn't open till 11). Once again we all gathered in the conference room and met up to board the bus with our buddies for the day. The bus ride to WEM was a rather quick and fun ride even though it was early in the morning. Everyone appeared perky and revving to go!

As soon as we entered the mall, we headed towards Galaxyland to begin the rush of adrenaline early on a Sunday morning. I think everyone was pumped to go on rides because apparently, they have a lot of these amusement parks in Chengdu. After everyone got their ride passes, we headed off to 'Swing of the Century'(correct me if I'm incorrect), where majority of the youths and volunteers went on. I think this was a great warm -up for all the other rides; for it had great height but no fear ( at least I don't think so...). After that ride, the group was split into two groups; the Youngin's and the Oldies. The Youngin's went off to all the mini versions of the big kid rides which were just as scary! The Oldies headed off to the roller coasters. The first one we ventured onto was the 'space orbiter' which is the yellow roller coaster that spins around and around and around! While we were waiting in line, my friends from Chengdu and I were discussing the red roller coaster (the Mind Bender) and how much they wanted to ride on it. They wanted me to go on with them, but at that moment I was freaking out and telling them I won't. So after that discussion, we got on to the ride(my second time ever), and it was awesome! The group of girls I rode with on the Space Orbiter were constantly screaming every time we went up then down and turned around and around. It almost seemed like we were the only people screaming and there was silence below us (that's how loud we were). After that crazy ride, everyone was still alright and not sick at all. They felt fine and ready to go on some more.

The next ride was the Mind Bender. (Before I go any further, I must tell kids to not give into peer pressure when asked to ride this ride. It wasn't bad, but when you aren't ready, you aren't unless you close your eyes and think of happy things.) About 7 of the Chengdu Youths were so hyped up about this ride and they were ready to go on it. The rest of them didn't feel like it so they all waited for us to finish. However there was a catch. They wanted some of the Canadian buddies to go on. One of my friends easily jumped on to their bandwagon, but my other friend and I weren't very sure. Finally she let in, but I hadn't. They repeatedly told me stories and experiences they had back in Chengdu, and that it wasn't even that bad; one of them even explained to me it was their second time going on a roller coaster like this, and they survived. So reluctantly, I went along with them. The Chengdu Youths were so caring though before we went on the roller coaster because they were holding my hand and telling me it was going to be OK and I could take out all my fury on them if i didn't enjoy myself. After the ride, everyone seemed so excited and pumped. My friend and I were stunned after though. So stunned, I began tearing up! Once the Chengdu youths saw this, they began hugging me and comforting me and telling me they were sorry they forced me to go on because they thought I didn't like it. But I actually liked the ride, so I felt bad to that they thought it was their fault.

Soon after, the Chengdu Youths headed to the Sling Shot, which is a favourite ride of back at home for the Chengdu youths. It was hilarious watching them go up and down on it, because the boys began screaming louder then the girls! One of them even did a little prayer! That was very gutbusting and we all were rolling on the floor with laughter!

Then we went on to the mini roller coaster, which I heard from some, they thought was so extreme compared to the other two! That made me laugh so much and I was very surprised they thought that! After the adrenaline pumping rides, we went on to the bumper cars which was much more relaxing then the other rides. It was a good way to just goof around in cars and calm us down. While we waited for everyone to finish 'bumping' each other, one of the twin girls went on the boat ride and came back crying! She told me she wasn't sure why she began to cry and was very confused. I thought it was alright and comforted her along with some other friends.

The very last ride we went onto was the merry-go-round. I think everyone was very calm and mellowed out after that ride after the repeated circular motion and slow speed! (tip: Don't eat corn dogs kids!) It was an awesome time at Galaxyland though and I'm glad I went on those roller coasters with the Chengdu youths!

Soon after we went to go get snackage and lunch, so went walked on over to the food court near Professor WEM's Mini Golf. We had a great time eating and talking about the rides we went on. It was late in the afternoon by that time, so we hurried along to get to the Fringe. During that bus ride we were getting a little tired, but we got some bubble tea to keep us going! We arrived at the Fringe and the Chengdu Youths got to see a Korean play. I heard it was lovely!

After Fringing, we drove over to HawrelakPark to have a picnic with ex-patriots from Chengdu(not earthquake victims). There was an assortment of food across 4 picnic tables ranging from hot dogs, steak and burgers to very spicy Chinese food (which appealed to the majority) and sweet fruits. After all the kids finished eating, we began to take pictures, play games, soccer, football, volleyball, dancing around, and just mingling with each other. Through kicking, tossing, catching the ball in the wide free space we had, everyone seemed to have connected with each other despite the language barriers that existed. It was although we were one big family and even though we come from different places, we felt united through those activities. It was just an all around great time. You could tell too because once we got on to the bus there was so much high energy and talking and laughing going around.

Arriving at the hotel, so much had gone on that it seemed like no one wanted to part for the evening! We were having such a blast and every single person was enjoying themselves. There was not a single person who didn't have a smile plastered across their face! Tonight was truly a good night!

Burgers,Chicken Nuggets & Mud Feet! [Day 3]

-August 15, 2009-

It was an early rise today for the volunteers and organizers, for another big day was planned! Everyone was able to arrive right on time wide eyed and ready to make new friends. About a half hour after everyone's arrival, the Chengdu youths finally made their grand entrance with a full and happy stomach. After everyone was paired up, we went on the bus and ventured off to Whyte Avenue and the Farmer's Market. (I forgot it was Saturday too so I was wondering how this place could be open...)

The group headed through the Farmer's Market, sampling various foods and taking pictures of all the pretty stands, then journeyed outside towards the Fringe. Although we just skimmed past the Fringe, we still took many pictures and looked at all the various venues available on the posters. Then we headed along Whyte Ave and made a pit stop at Tim Horton's to show the Chengdu youths some Canadian 'cuisine' ; we bought donuts to share to feed the hungry travellers. It was so funny though, because while we were waiting outside, there were two older Chinese men grinning and pointing at the huge group of kids from inside of Tim Horton's. Once the youths saw them, they immediately ran to the window and began taking pictures of the men; it was although they were animals in a zoo behind a cage! It was truly a hilarious sight to see and behold!

After the good walk through Whyte, we all headed to McDonald's-which was a divine treat for the Chengdu youths and the ecstatic volunteers(ha-ha...). Lunch was definately a jolly good time full of mouthfuls of happiness(literally). The two Chengdu youth friends I sat with were such goofs. Everytime I took pictures, they would pose with their food or just gave me a very ludicrous smile! One time they began stuffing fries in each other's mouths and dipping them in ketchup and waiting for me to get pictures of what they had done! I couldn't believe what they were doing! Then, when everyone was eating and about to finish up, our table ended up with 39 chicken nuggets(4 boxes with one already eaten). It seemed like everyone was dropping off the extra boxes(of food) at our table becuase they insisted in either giving me 'gifts' , or feeding my hungry buddy! By the end of it, my buddy who was given all the food, couldn't finish it so he got a nice McDonald's bag to put it all in. He was so happy once we left the restaraunt! (At the end of the day he still had the nuggets; he told me it was going to be his midnight snack.)

Rolling out of the city, we migrated over to the Devonian Gardens to go look at plants and catch some frogs! First was the educational part of the trip; learning about the different animals in Edmonton and Alberta, seeing the plants native to Edmonton, plants not native to Edmonton, and observing the butterflies. Then was the fun part-FROG CATCHING! It was a truly amazing and unforgettable time. I think this was the highlight of the trip today! Everyone was circling around the pond and we were told not to go to close to the edge of the pond, for there was a chance of falling in. Even though this warning was heeded, one of the twin boys didn't fall into the pond, but instead began to sink in to the mud! At first no one really took note, but then from across the river someone started laughing and yelling and we all took note and noticed where she was pointing. It came to our attention that the little boy (from Chengdu) was stuck! All at once, laughter errupted from everyone and then the adults (with some of the youths) were helping the little boy out! He did pop out of the mud (evenutally-thanks to the supervisors), but his shoes still remained in the mud and his legs were covered! There was hoots of howling and rejoicing everyone! Also during this frog catching experience, one frog was caught and shown; however I was told another Chengdu youth caught a whole bunch and let them go!

After that exciting moment, we burned up the last of our energy in the maze at the gardens. Everyone was hyped up and we bascically ran into the maze as though it was a race! The race began when my dad blew the whistle; however he blew it so we could line up not run in! So he was mighty startled when a stampede of kids came his way! It was hilarious!

Returning to the bus after finding everyone in the maze, we bussed our way to city hall for a small refresher and photo-opps. Everyone looked bushed and hungry so we hurried along and went for supper. It seemed like even though we spent the whole day together, we all still had plenty to talk about! There was way more talk than chow down at our table!( I don't think the boy from McDonald's was the only one having a midnight snack!) At our table, we began clinking glasses together yelling "GAN BEI!" (or "CHEERS!" for you who don't speak mandarin). At that moment, the whole restaruant silenced because we were so loud, but we didn't mind and we continued with our conversations.(These guys know how to party!)

To finish the night off, we headed to the Royal Alberta Museum to watch the Alberta Chinese Orchestra play a lovely concert. We did arrive a little late from dinner, however they had seats reserved for all of us which was so sweet of them. The music and songs ranged from very lively and bold to very soft and gentle tunes that were like lullabys. Before we left thought, there was an awesome tribute to Michael Jackson which pumped up our energy! I know that some of the Chengdu youths were huge fans of Michael ever since they were in grade 4! I was astonished! I thought these kids were so hardcore because they told me their rooms were covered with his stuff (ie, pillow cases, posters, rugs, etc), and when they heard about his passing away, they were truly depressed about it. It's amazing how music can bring people that much closer together.

Everyone was exhausted once we returned to the hotel so we turned in early after mingling, and exchanged 'thank you!'s for the wonderful day. I can without a doubt say that the Chengdu Youths are enjoying themselves and are building very sturdy friendships with their Canadian buddies. The atmosphere in the room went from tense and nervous(from the first day) to relaxed and comfortable in just a few days. I think this experience is honestly making a difference in the Chengdu youths' lives and that of the volunteers as well; It's evident that there's an impact on more than one person's life through this event.