Dear Diary,
I have just returned from my summer at the Luoyang orphanage and miss it already. Wow! Let’s see where to begin. This summer I met some of the most courageous, most appreciative, most patient, and most thoughtful people I have ever encountered. And that’s just talking about the kids under 10! What most impresses me about these children is their intuition to want the best for others even though they themselves may not live optimally. One day I complimented 7-year old friend Sara Abby’s hair clip, and at that instant, she immediately took it out of her hair and put it in mine. I had to scramble around and trick her into looking the other way to get it back in her hair. Besides possessing such amazing personal attributes, many of the orphans are also insanely talented. They can sing opera, dance, conduct an orchestra, do kung fu, play multiple instruments, knit beautiful garments, cut paper into complex designs, write Chinese characters with their feet, and much more! Needless to say, I was blown away.
Outside of the orphanage, I traveled around the city and to some tourism sites. By exploring the city and its restaurants and shops, I was able to come in contact with some extremely kind, but also vastly different, people. One man went out and purchased a map just to show me the various tourism locations and then carefully explained to me how to get to each and every one of them. Another time, after I had bought some man tou, the merchant lady hustled down a full block to catch up to me merely to bring me a bag of the more delicious ones. I watched her run back to her cart in awe.
Most of all, I miss the children. I remember the outstretched arms of the younger orphans who just wanted a bao bao, to be held with some love and affection. Leaving them was difficult enough, but figuring out a way to accomplish more to improve the situation for all of the orphans in China will be the next obstacle to overcome. This summer I have gained many things, but mainly I have been filled with the desire and ambition to step back, view the circumstances of present day China on a larger scale, and direct my aims to improving these circumstances.
Back in the US ,
Brittany Lin
Luoyang 2006
