ISCE 2011- International Student Cultural Exchange - Beijing!

And the conference began!

August 1st was a crazy day of arrivals starting very early morning all they way through to 1:00am and 5:00am arrivals on the 2nd. Between airport pickups and drop offs at the hotel, conference check in, copying passports and confirming rooming (rooming was a whole other challenge in itself that was tackled with a team of people including a handful of extremely helpful Marriott staff), August 1st was a long day!! That evening, the conference kicked off with a General Welcome, Team meetings and everyone's "Now is the Time" pledge.

The conference schedule was packed full, literally from early in the morning to late at night each day.  Before the conference even started, we all had concerns that the schedule was too full but it was also a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of the participants visiting China and we wanted to make sure that each person got the most from the conference and their visit to the country.  Normally a conference is four days with one off-site activity and an off-site location for the Final Party. For this conference, it was six full days. We did two days of off-site activities (breaking the conference participants into two groups of 375. One group went to the great wall and one group went to Forbidden City.  And then the next day they switched.  The only issue was that in order to load the buses in time to beat the traffic, everyone had to get up very early and eat breakfast as early as 5:15am.  Then they had to board, which was another logistical feat in itself. Each and every place we went, we had to make sure everyone was accounted for there and back.  Even during days just staying at the hotel the leaders would have to take role of their team.  Not only do we require everyone participate, but with a conference that size it was also a safety measure so that if anyone was missing we could be notified immediately to make sure we accounted for them, whether they were sick in their room, late to show, or other reason.

After each off-site activity we would return to the hotel with a little free time and then Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions would resume along with other activities, like the Service Project where participants created hand puppets and stuffed Smile Bags with all the necessary items, including their puppets.  The Smile Bags have already been sent to Operation Smile's office in Hangzhou where we also have a Care Center.  The Smile Bags will be given to patients on upcoming medical missions!  Typically we do not give Smile Bags out on missions in China, simply because we cannot get them through in cargo.  So the project and service the students provided will be put to well use in the coming months and be another reason for Operation Smile patients in China to smile!

The Great Wall visit and Forbidden City visit were great!  It was very hot and humid but we lucked out by not receiving any rain during the conference's outdoor activities.  I was so blown away by the drive and determination of so many participants to reach the top of the Juyong section of the Great Wall.  There were two ways to go, and the group seemed to divide and conquer. I personally enjoyed the visit.  It was an opportunity to just be... just be on the Great Wall and take in its beauty and the surroundings.  To think about what the Wall was like in its early days and the life that existed around it.  It was an opportunity to push yourself to the top, despite the steep sections, uneven and irregular steps.  And, I welcomed the opportunity to not worry about the next aspect of the conference but to simply enjoy the moment of it now on the Wall.

Forbidden City and all of its architecture and the history behind is another thing of beauty.  It is a massive place and we nearly walked two miles through it, at least that is what it felt like.  Unlike the Great Wall, it was much more difficult to keep track of the whole group because we were not starting and ending in the same place.  Luckily, we all were wearing matching tees so that the group could be easily recognized.  Everyone traveled with their team and had a guide to share some information at each area of the Forbidden City. 

Everyone was taking a lot of photos; some were taking so many photos that they would start to lag behind the group to the point where they may get lost from them.  For one group, Amanda and I were 'sweepers,' getting students to catch back up with their group.  Amanda actually became a photo crasher too.  If participants were lagging behind, she would jump in the photo right as they were taking it and tell them to hurry up.  I'm curious to find out how many actual photos she made it in:)  Some of our student leaders did an amazing job leading their group through the Forbidden City without much adult support or staff support.  They would make sure everyone was accounted for - it wasn't easy but they did it!

In addition to the two off-site visits, we also had a 3rd early morning, actually the earliest of them all, where we had to head to Beijing Normal University.  There the Team Games would take place, along with Banners and Chants, and then cultural activities in the afternoon led by local student volunteers and teachers.  The games were very well organized, thanks to the detailed planning and set up of the Games Committee.  There were a bunch of competitive games, including dodge-ball, three-legged race, chopsticks and marbles race, pie riddles and more.  After each team also presented their Team Banner and did their Team Chant, the judges tallied the scores.  The overall winner for both games and banners and chants was Team Imagine!! 

I think sheer exhaustion was our biggest challenge.  The students were exhausted.  Adult chaperones were exhausted. And us staff, well yes, we were so exhausted there were days I wasn’t sure my body would cooperate and actually get up.  I was excited to learn I had lost about 6 or 7 lbs only to find out they were quickly gained back on my post-conference vacation to Vietnam…too much Pho!

There were so many highlights through out the conference.  There were some amazing and truly inspiring speakers.  Though I wasn't able to hear them all, I did enjoy hearing Braam Malherbe, Adam Khoo and Maggie Doyne.  Maggie and her story is by far, one of the most inspiring I have ever heard.  They fact that she found her passion and dream, and stuck with it despite the challenges and odds and probably skepticism from many, is truly commendable. Her ability to share her heart and now a home and school with so many Nepalese children is an amazing accomplishment for a girl that is only 24.  She started her travels through Nepal and was touched by young children that were working hard as young as age 5, carrying 100+ pound bags on their back to make money to support their younger siblings.  Most did not go to school or get proper nutrition.  She started by helping 1 child.  Though we know we can't help everyone, which may make you question why the effort, we can help 1 person.  And from there if everyone reaches out to just help 1 person, imagine what a better place the world could be.

Since she adopted that one child and got the child into school, she how has a well established orphanage with more than 50 children, one as young as 6 months old named Harry (named by the other children based on Harry Potter because he had a scar on his forehead). She has also built a school that has 250+ kids enrolled. There is also a wait list for more children.  What is so great about her initiative to help the children of Nepal is that she has worked closely with the community every step of the way.  Nepalese women work with her at the orphanage and were part of the process in planning and building.  Others in the community also worked hand in hand with her to build the school.  She did not go in and place her ideas and values on them, rather she met with the people in the community and the community leaders and worked with them to help establish the best orphanage and school possible that fit within their needs.

She started this when she was younger than 20 years old after having traveled after high school.  She used savings from babysitting to buy a piece of land and begin to build.  She slowly built a support group and applied for grants and donation scholarships. Maggie spoke last year as a Breakout Speaker but I was unable to attend so this year, I made sure that I did not miss her session.  All the students love her and her story and it really brings home the fact that we can all do something, we just have to find our passion and work towards it.  Through it all you need determination and persistence because there will be some tough times, but if you have a dream and a passion, you have the abilities to see it through.

Another highlight was seeing Jackie Chan!!  Yes, he made an appearance at the conference.  He is a big supporter of Operation Smile and its Student Programs. When he arrived on stage, we had a surprise for him.  There was a little boy who had been helped by Operation Smile, his mother, and a Chinese Speech Pathologist (who is the only fully trained speech pathologist in China - she thanked Operation Smile for the training she received). The mother shared her happiness and thanks to Operation Smile and Jackie Chan for his support.  The boy, who was so cute, sang a song as he entered and then asked Jackie Chan to teach him a kung fu move:)  Jackie asked all the participants to continue their great work to continue spreading Peace and Love around the world.

After Jackie's appearance the Student Programs Staff and Student Leaders were able to sneak up to his private room to get a group photo! 

There are so many to thank in making this massive undertaking so successful.  Not only did we have the Operation Smile Student Programs Staff, the ELC and CC student leaders, and the Sponsor Board, but so many more stepped in to help.  I wish that I could list everyone but it would go on and on. We undoubtedly could not have survived the week without the help of all those that joined us in this conference. It was extremely warming to have help from so many.  Not only did it help us get through, but for me personally, it was an opportunity to get to know others better - everyone offered great support, tears and laughs for shared, and through the end friendships were strengthened and most importantly, we all made it through still smiling!

Pre-Conference in Beijing!

Well, I had hoped to share updates from Beijing, but not only was Blogspot.com blocked, but there literally was not enough time in the day to take a few moments to type an update…or even think outside of the next immediate task.  After the conference I was off to Vietnam for a side trip, and that being such a short visit and hoping to see as much as we could, I didn’t get to share any updates then either.  So as I sit in Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (for a 10 hour layover), I will try my best to recap my time in Beijing and Vietnam – I hope you enjoy:)

To start, I am proud to say that Operation Smile held a successful international student conference in Beijing.  After a year of planning, the ISCE (International Student Cultural Exchange) came to fruition on August 1^st and once it began there was no stopping it until everyone had departed back home on August 7^th.

More than 750 participants from 22 different countries all arrived, most with some jet lag, but also with extremely high energy for the conference – to meet new people, learn, build, grow, and challenge one’s self and each other to push the limits in leadership, service and compassion.

The Operation Smile Student Programs staff arrived in Beijing on July 21^st.  Though the students had yet to arrive, work and final details resumed as soon as we landed in China.  We had numerous meetings with the Marriott hotel, the transportation company, and the local university.  The first pleasant surprise were Operation Smile donation boxes that the Marriott had set up throughout the hotel.  We knew that Marriott had chosen Operation Smile as its charity of the year, but this was the first time we actually saw Operation Smile information out.  The jars were strategically placed throughout the hotel – which will not only help to raise funds but also help generate a lot of awareness. This is just one simple example that when people, companies, corporations, etc. come together and join forces, there is so much more positive impact that can be made from it.  

 

In the days before the conference, we also made frequent visits to places like Kinkos and Walmart.  I must say, shopping in a Walmart in China on a weekend is quite the experience and a great opportunity to witness more about another culture.  It is so busy, there are different food vendors and smells, and all throughout the store there are shopping attendants with microphones calling out sales of items and trying to get you to sample them.  

There are many different brands but also some similar brands that you can recognize through the packaging and logo. Fortunately many labels also had English text so we could confirm what we were buying.  What I find so interesting when traveling is the different flavors and the way certain well known items are tailored to the culture.  Pepsi and Coke products can be found around the world – for the most part the product is the same but the packaging and branding varies. In China, there were Lays Potato Chips but the flavors were not those we would see in the US, other than original and Barbeque (which they called Texas Barbeque):  Cucumber, Blueberry, Fish Prawn Soup, Hot and Sour Chicken, Tomato (tasted like Ketchup on  a chip), and many more… Same goes for the Pringles:)

For the past 2 ½ weeks, it is safe to say that I lived in Beijing with my coworkers. Well, we lived in the Marriott.   There were days were we would set up shop in the lobby and work online from 9am to past 9pm. The Marriott is quite fancy and in order to get a seat in the lobby you must order something, so we kept the coffee and tea coming throughout the day.  I’m not sure that the Marriott was quite comfortable with us utilizing their office as a lobby, especially when there came a point we even brought down a printer, haha.  They soon realized that we needed a better work space and we were delightfully appreciative when we received access to the Executive Lounge where we could work peacefully throughout the day with unlimited complimentary water, drinks, snacks and meals.  We wondered often how the Marriott would adjust once we had more than 700 people arrive; mostly students, who we knew would utilize the hotel lobby during conference free time to network, share conference experiences and get to know new friends better.  

On July 26^th, our trusted and devoted student and adult leaders arrived: the Executive Leadership Council (comprised of 14 high school students from 7 states in the US) and our Sponsor Board (an adult advisory board comprised of 5 members from 5 states). We were so excited to reunite with them all – some we had not seen since our Winter Mission Training Workshop in January, and others we had not seen since our Leadership Retreat in early October.  However, we were constantly in touch throughout the year working on new initiatives, following up with regions, and planning this conference.  They are a huge part of the event and its ultimate success!

Half of the ELC would be leading the Summer Mission Training Workshop where approximately 40 students and some adults would be trained to participate on an Operation Smile international medical mission.  In addition to being part of the team and helping where needed throughout the medical mission, the student team has a specific role to educate; they teach patients, parents, families, local students and more about basic healthcare.  They specifically teach dental hygiene, oral rehydration therapy, burn care and prevention, and nutrition.  All of these may seem like simple topics that would already be well known, but in many places for many people they are not.  This knowledge cannot only be useful for their health, but could also be life saving for many. The student team also gets the opportunity to observe in the OR and watch and learn about the surgery for a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Sometimes they even see a burn patient receiving a skin graft.

This year's trainees were able to get a really unique experience, unlike previous workshop trainees. My coworker, Amanda, worked very hard to arrange it so that the trainees could be split into to groups and go offsite to practice their presentations.  Usually presentations are practiced in the conference room to peers in the group, however, this time they were able to either practice presentations at an orphanage or a local academy for disabled.  Both groups said that the experience was amazing and helped give them a better since of their role in action on a medical mission.  They were able to interact with those at the orphanage and academy and also share the knowledge that the learned during the training.  It was a huge success and something we hope to replicate in future Mission Training Workshops. Though I was unable to attend the visits due to more ISCE planning, I had visited the Huiling Academy for the disabled the week before.  Though it was a weekend and no students were there, we did get a tour of the facility and were able to see some of the creative projects they worked on.  They also perform small plays and even came to the International Party during the ISCE to dance and perform for the participants!

While the Mission Training was being conducted in Beijing at the Marriott, I had the pleasure of spending the last few days before the conference with the other half of the ELC.  We were very busy with shopping runs, lists, printing, more lists, planning, organizing, preparing conference materials and stuffing conference gift bags, etc…  It was endless planning and preparation, but the ELC were so eager and willing to wrap things up before the conference began that we felt we were as prepared as anyone could be. We were also able to visit the Great Wall section Juyong and test out a lunch site and the Final Party dinner site. We had fun and I not only enjoyed their company, but also enjoyed their feedback at every step.  The Sponsor Board had the opportunity to step out and attend the off-sites with us too, which was great!  Jenna and Julia were the only two to hit the top of the Great Wall – not only were we all so proud of them, but also inspired to push ourselves to do the same when we returned during the conference.

On July 30^th, our College Council members arrived (comprised of 7 university students). This newly created council has made tremendous progress in helping to create and sustain Operation Smile’s new University Programs.  Not only have they been working to help establish and grow university clubs worldwide, they have also been helping to solidify new programs and opportunities of involvement for university students – including U-Voice, U-Lead and U-Pave (www.operationsmile.org/universityprograms). These students are truly exceptional in their continued dedication to Operation Smile and their peers.  They have showed that beyond high school, you can still continue your passion to help others.  A few of them, the 3 ‘bros’ of the group, had decided to travel through China before meeting us in Beijing.  They had been traveling since July 18^th and other than a few quick email updates; we weren’t sure how their travels were going.  Once they arrived they filled us in on some (I am sure not all), and it sounded like quite the adventure.  They stayed in hostels, ate in all sorts of places, met other travelers and locals, and really roughed it for a few weeks.  It sounds like it was definitely worthwhile, a trip to remember and cherish for a long time.

After a year of discussions and planning, the conference was ready to begin.  Whether we felt fully prepared or not, it was happening, and together as a team we knew that not only could we survive the week, but that along the way hundreds of students would leave with a new confidence and stronger sense of commitment and passion to service.  Along with many new friends, they would be returning home empowered that ‘Now is the Time’ to make a difference, and knowing that they had officially become part of the Operation Smile family and together we will continue to work towards changing the world, one smile at a time!