Sunday May 20 Bethel Blind Orphanage

My cell phone is exhibiting
 “pre-school” section but has stayed on and is obviously quite a help.
Well, we finally got to the Bethel Blind Orphanage. Matthew, our Dutch tour guide, took us through the complex and laid down the rules - stranger, friend and family levels of interaction are used for instilling these distinctions in the children. Many have abandonment issues. This is home to many pre-schoolers that are visually impaired. Some have partial sight e.g. one eye, others are totally blind and things must be left in their place as the children have memorized the locations of objects.

One little girl of about 2 or 3 yrs of age, took quite a shine to Matthew and held on to him like a big brother. Matthew was great with her because she was about the size of his youngest sister. It was interesting to hear how the organization is helping these kids find normality and educating them to become more and more self-sufficient. The biggest thing is teaching them Braille. They have Braille story books, school books, even music books! Christina is 9 years old and runs the place like a little General, helping Matthew with the tour. She is learning the computer and some secretarial skills. She has graduated from the
 ’s, but has an incredible memory. He asks a lot of questions and now has our trip schedule laid out in his head and repeats it back to us.
Sam is also blind and older, maybe in his 20
 ….we cut thick, bamboo-like grass for the goats in one of the fields. A couple of the ladies washed the two dogs, some were on a painting project and Matty, Carson and Parker donned hip waders to cut the grass in the swamp without damaging the lily pads. Very hot, humid work and it didn’t take long to have sweat pouring down like rivers from our faces.
We toured the grounds where they grow all sorts of vegetables and fruit (mainly apricots), raise chickens, goats, rabbits
 ’s been a good day, but very tiring.
Back at the hotel for the evening, the service at the restaurant proved to be challenging. It took two hours to get the food served to 18 people from the time the first person was served. After supper, I went foraging for market food for breakfast and lunch and alternatives for restaurants.  There are lots of street vendors, but we are unsure of what they were offering. Well, actually we are sure of what they are serving.  Donkey meat and "other" strange offerings cooked over charcoal fires or deep-fried.  We will find a more reputable establishment for our meals.  We did find a very nice bakery for bread and sweet snacks.

It“Operator Determined Barring”.  Interpreter Marion called and discovered that my 300 minute SIM card was overdrawn and I had not even used it that much. I got scammed at the airport in a tag team scheme where the legitmate China Mobile clerk sent me over to another girl with a purse full of phone cards.  Free enterprise is alive and well in China at the International Airport.