I had the opportunity to volunteer at 365 Sunshine Children’s Health Care Center. It was an amazing opportunity as it helped me realize how blessed I truly am. 365 Sunshine Children’s Health Care Center consisted of many children with physical or mental disabilities. Even though they might have looked different, they were still children. Children who like to laugh, run around with others, and sleep.
I really appreciate my time at this volunteering event because I noticed that these children were so happy with their lives. I would think about any hardship or struggles that I have gone through in my life and it cannot compare to the hardship they had to and still go through today.
The opportunity to study in China is a true blessing. In addition to, being able to help support these little kids in this environment is one as well. Fellow TBC students and I were able to participate in the morning session of role-play and sing along activities. Our goal was to set a good example for the kids so they can stay engaged and maximize their learning experience.
After the morning session, we had some free time to get to know some of the kids on a personal level. I met this 7-year-old girl who knew more Chinese than me! She also knew some English. I was able to help her with her English by reading her a few books. She knew the meaning of each word, but had difficulty with pronouncing the word correctly. Either way she impressed me as a very quick learner.
This was a great opportunity and I hope everyone gets the chance to experience this at least once before they leave China.
By Tyler Cerny, John Carrol University, Fall 2015 Student
Over this past weekend, some of our students enrolled at Minzu University of China took their annual Spring Outing – this year, to Gubei Water Town. Situated about a 2-hour drive northeast of Beijing, the April weather made it absolutely perfect to explore for a spring outing. It surrounds various canals and offshoots of Yuanyang lake.
If you ever want to get a taste of Old Beijing, by far one of the best ways is to visit the hutongs. They’ve conceptually been around all the way since the 1200s, and in their most modern forms exist as protected alleyways and streets surrounded by old traditional houses and neighborhoods in the heart of Beijing and are recognized in China to be an important part of cultural heritage in the city.