Elementary School Visit

"Fun Kids" Wuhan, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO320
“Fun Kids” Wuhan, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today was a special day of the vacation because we made a visit to the local school in Jingzhao that the cruise line sponsors. During the visit, the elementary school kids held a musical performance for us before we visited the classroom for some fun activities, such as singing and English lessons.

"Selfie" Wuhan, 2018
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 2.44mm, f/2.2, 1/35 sec, ISO160
“Selfie” Wuhan, 2018

Honestly, when I read the description for this “excursion”, I didn’t know what to expect, so I went into it with an open mind. But after meeting with the school kids, it was readily apparent how much this sponsorship means to them. I believe that the visit from the guests is a highlight of the kids’ school year, and happily, it happens with regularity as long as it is cruise season.

You might not know it, but I was a teacher for a few years, and I thoroughly enjoyed the job. It was so satisfying to know that you have a direct influence on people’s lives and that motivated me to give it my best effort every day. I have tremendous respect for teachers because of this.

The school visit ended late morning and we returned to the ship for lunch and a couple onboard activities, one of which was a visit to the bridge of the ship. We got to learn about the chain of command, the navigation tools used, and even a bit about the nature of the Yangtze river. Although it was a short time on the bridge, it turns out there’s not a lot about it that you wouldn’t expect. 🙂

"Bridge Visit" Yangtze, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO200
“Bridge Visit” Yangtze, 2018

The next activity was a presentation by the chef about how to make Chinese dumplings, complete with recipe sheet. In our house, we don’t cook dumplings so this was new to me. I think the filling is similar to gyoza, but the skin is doughier and since it is boiled, the dumplings are juicier and softer. Honestly, though, I prefer the gyoza we make at home, which is steamed and fried in the skillet.

The evening featured a performance by many of the staff members dancing in ethnic costumes. It was fantastic to see the beautiful types of clothes.

"Ethnic Costume Show" Yangtze, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/150 sec, ISO400
“Ethnic Costume Show” Yangtze, 2018

Later in the evening, we ended up at the dancefloor once again, but now the musicians/DJ were used to us and played a bunch of reggae and some calypso as well and we did the limbo to close out the night. Another wonderful day in China!

"Limbo" Yangtze, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/10 sec, ISO6400
“Limbo” Yangtze, 2018

Here are a few more photos from the day:

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