Visit to New Oriental Foreign Language School and dinner with family

We visited the “New Oriental Foreign Language School” in Yangzhou. This is the school’s website: http://www.neworiental-k12.org/english/index.htm This is a large school that houses boarding students from K-12. The school specializes in teaching students one or more foreign languages. The school principal, Dr. Wang Xiuwen, gave us an introduction to the school. He explained that this school is unique in that there are some foreign students and teachers. This is considered an elite private school in China. We were treated to an amazing music and dance performance by the students. Then all the families were introduced to a student to lead a school tour. We met “Sandy” - a fifth grader who was very sweet and was eager to show off the English she is learning. She showed us the facility including the school cafeteria, gymnasium, classrooms, and student dorms. Classes were in session. We were able to go in an art class where students were working on ceramics. We joined in for a few minutes with the students as they worked clay. We saw where students sleep - in rectangular rooms that sleep five, the beds arranged in neat rows with students’ belongings all arranged in precisely the same fashion. After the tour we met Sandy’s mom (and another family friend/relative whose identity we never really established) and they took us to their apartment in Yangzhou. They drove two large black Mercedes suggesting that this was a wealthy family. We were also joined by an interpreter (a local volunteer for our tour who teaches preschool and English in Yangzhou). At their apartment Sandy’s mom showed Talia and Shaelin how to make dumplings. The kids were very into this and made a bowlful. We were joined by a man who introduced himself a Mr. Zhou (who we initially thought was the dad but we later determined was a friend or work colleague). Then we went out to dinner at a local restaurant that they go to a lot (they said the restaurant is like family to them!). This was probably the best meal we had on the trip. We sampled many Yangzhou traditional foods like crab meatball soup (the crab made us feel right at home, since we’re from Maryland) as well as the dumplings that the girls had made earlier. The family were incredibly gracious and ordered so much food; whenever Shaelin said she liked something or wanted more, they would order up another dish. We left very full and grateful for having the chance to meet and dine with a local family. Here is a video that shows some of the performances at the school and,later that evening, the girls learning how to make dumplings with Sandy and her mom…