Day 5

Today was the first day to visit our schools. It was an amazing day that I will never forget. The school is a brand new school which was rebuilt in a different area of Sichuan after the original school was very badly damaged in the 2008 Earthquake. It was built with money donated from all over the world and cost £40m to build. It covers many acres and has an impressive sports area but otherwise is quite basic. Classrooms are very small and there is nothing on walls. Children sit in rows at all times. The school day starts at 8 o'clock for children and ends between 6 and 8 o'clock for most children with a two and a half hour lunch and nap break in between. During this time children go home unless they are boarders. Boarders nap in their rooms.

                                                             Being greeted at the school.

During 'recess' all the children (3000 of them!) gather on the sports field for morning exercise. The older children take part in a form of martial arts and the younger have aerobics activities. This takes place for half an hour come rain or shine and then it is back to classes. Children move around for lessons in each subject whatever their age.

I joined in an art class during which the children learned about the famous art of facebook which is a

form of drama telling a story through music. It is most famous for the magical way in which the faces change.

Next I joined a music and dance class in which the children were learning to perform a traditional Tibetan dance.

I taught a number of classes and visited many more. I also visted an exhibition about the earthquake and the re-building program, ate lunch in the canteen (beef in black bean sauce) and visited the dormitries! Phew! Thank goodness for my translator U Ay who was fantastic.

But it wasn't over yet. I was taken to a nearby temple nestled into the mountain side. Although there are lots of religions practised in the region Buddhism is the main one. Can you spot the sleeping Buddha?

To finish the day off I was invited to Miss Yin's house for dinner where I joined in by making dumplings. I sat in the place of honour during the meal - this means sitting directly opposite the door. Lots of the school's English teachers came too. It was lots of fun.