Training Workshops in Zhengzhou

    After the overnight train ride, that may only be adequately described as the train ride from hell, we were driven to a very Chinese hotel in the city. After quick showers and an even quicker breakfast, we were driven to the orphanage about 20 minutes away from the hotel. The pollution is even more appalling than the crazy driving—which is horrific. Drivers drive on the wrong side of the road, people brazenly walk through moving traffic (which doesn’t stop), and motor bikes take care of that pesky little one way street problem by driving the wrong way on the sidewalk.
     Once safely deposited at the orphanage, the staff was eager to listen and participate in our training sessions. John, our translator, is now an unofficial SLP after 4 exhausting workshops. Eileen started with her Autism Spectrum Disorders workshop, Diane and Roe followed with language development and intervention, then Roe presented on feeding and swallowing, and Eileen finished with an amazing interactive workshop on using play to stimulate language development. You can see how diligently the “nannies” attended—taking notes and pictures of the powerpoints that had been translated into Mandarin. They particularly enjoyed when we asked them to teach us a few words in Mandarin, and, in fact, laughed quite a bit at our attempts! They were delightful.

 

     The orphanage director treated us to a traditional dinner afterwards near our hotel. Although it was delicious, we were so exhausted that it was hard to stay awake as dish after dish after dish was brought in and shared. How happy we were to collapse in our hotel beds before returning to the orphanage.