June 26 - Silk Factory and Acrobats

We were really on the go today. We interacted with the students at the developmentally handicapped school and then visited the architechtural museum. Shanghai has really developed to this point in the last 15 years, which is really fast considering the magnitude of the development. The new part of the city is really flashy, with all the special lighting, while the older part still holds some of the charm of an older China.

At the silk factory we learned how the silk is made, and saw the silk worms and women spreading the silk for comforters. China's economy really got a boost from us at this location!

Meals today were a bit of a change. We ate lunch at Mongolian BBQ and dinner at Pizza Hut!!

After lunch, we had the opportunity to meet with some people in a local housing project. Before we went, we shopped at a grocery store to provide gifts to bring to the families. The students were broken into three groups, and they had a specified amount of money that they could spend. It was interesting to see what they gathered to present.

I would have to say that the high point of the day was the performance of the Chinese acrobats. The delegates were permitted to meet with them before the show, and had the opportunity to try some of the stunts, like the hat switching and the barrels on a rope.

The performance was amazing!! They have such grace and strength. I could not believe some of the balancing acts they performed.

Tomorrow we head to the water village.