Meet the Newest Celebrities

Even though we have lived in Shanghai for almost four years now, I still wake up sometimes wondering if I am really in China.  Of course we really do live in China, but with all the expat benefits including our comfy house in an expat neighborhood, our kids in a private American school, many expat activities, English speaking friends, and a fabulous church family, most of the time we don't actually feel like we are really living in a foreign country.  It is experiences like I had today that help me remember where I am living, and how grateful I am for this experience abroad.  It also reminds me how blessed I am to be an American, but also how I sometimes take those blessings and freedoms for granted.

Today a few friends and I were able to help out a boy scout in our church that is working on his eagle project.  His project is helping a very poor, migrant school publish their very first school yearbook.  Last week he and his mother went to the school and took individual pictures of each of the students (a huge project since the school is packed with children.)  Today he needed individuals to help take class pictures, as well as random pictures of the students.  I was excited, and jumped at the opportunity to volunteer, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The migrant school is located inside of Shanghai, in a very poor area.  The class sizes are enormous,(sometimes up to 50 kids) with one teacher.  Even though the school was a bit dirty, it might not have the most well educated teachers, or newest technology, it was well organized, and the students seemed happy and content.

School Principal

The minute we arrived, the students were eager for us to take pictures of them.  I loved how they would flock together so they too could be part of the picture.  The principal of the school told us they were so excited when they heard "foreigners" were coming to their school today to take their picture---they haven't had a lot of pictures taken of them in their lifetime, so this made them feel like celebrities!

I wanted to take a few pictures of the students studying in their classrooms.  I quietly entered the classroom hoping the students wouldn't see me and asked the teacher if it would be ok.

Unfortunately when the students saw me with the camera, it went from this quiet, under control class....

To this.....

and then this......

I felt bad the teacher had to once again get control of his classroom after I left, but I do have to admit this made my day!  It doesn't get any sweeter than this!

I then headed out to the student's recess time to get pictures of them on the "playground."   I didn't see any jungle gyms, swings, or slides, but what I did see was a lot of students enjoying some good down to earth, homemade games and FUN! 

As we were leaving the school, I smiled when I heard several of the students say "Bye Bye" and even a few "Hellos", and realized the two English words they knew were ironically the only two words I knew in Chinese when I first moved to China.  Since then, each day I have learned more and more about this great country, and also learned how much more there is to know. 

Looking forward to seeing these new celebrities in their first annual school yearbook!