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!
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!
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!
No comments:
Post a Comment