Today we started out once again with a Mandarin lesson. We learned how to say a myriad of things relating to one’s family and home, as well as numbers. After class we had a very tasty lunch, which included a new item—candied yucca. It was very sweet and tasted a little bit like cotton candy to me. Then, we took a drive to a rehabilitation home for people with mental disabilities, where we interacted with them and learned how to make soap with them. My favorite part was when we were singing and dancing for each other. It was beautiful to see how many barriers the simple joys of music and dance were able to cross. I also really enjoyed learning the process of making soap, which I had never done before. The entire experience was very humbling, and I am glad we got to visit the home and see the important work they are doing for those with mental disabilities.
During our bus rides, I love looking out the window and taking in the massive city of Beijing. On the way back from the home, we passed a very unique building that I later discovered is the CCTV Headquarters designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture and specifically the architect Rem Koolhaus. I had never seen a building like it and it really caught my attention.
