Bethel - Part 2

We've been working at the orphanage for three days now and I'm wiped! I spent the afternoon double-bouncing kids on the trampoline, giving them bike rides on the tandem, and playing ball with them. I really need to learn how to say "Wait one second while I catch my breath." in Mandarin.

Photo by Danika Lee




Photo by Danika Lee



It's been a surreal day. I was cycling on a farm path with one of the kids, Michael, on the back - both of us singing Boulevard of Broken dreams (Green Day is his favourite band) as we rattled along on a tandem bike that I feared was going to fall apart going over the next bump. Not a situation I usually find myself in.

Michael, who, according to him, is 100 years old.




Paul, 11 years-old. He stays with us in our cabin




Farm path/biking trail



The younger kids are awesome too. The little boy who wouldn't let me put him down on the first day has taken to calling me "Guh guh (big brother)." I've been walking him back to his house after dinner and I've got to say, there's nothing quite like it.

Photo by Danika Lee




Photo by Danika Lee



Blind Asian driver in training. Is there anything scarier? Photo by Danika Lee



One of the other things we've been working on is a big hand-painted map of the world in the front lobby of the school. It was started a few days before we got here by the three other volunteers here - Matt, Julie, and Mary. I painted most of South-East Asia - the area with the least well-known flags. Probably a good thing because all of my flags accurately reflected my lack of skill. I painted blobs that vaguely resembled various shapes on the flags.

I literally painted a whole country (China) red. Photo by Danika Lee



End of the day



I, my dad, and grandma are staying here until Sunday. I just hope my double-bouncing/cycling legs hold out until then.