![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pisarro.org\/aboutnick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/DSH_5711.jpg\")
<\/a>We heard a class entering the baking room. We walked over and were waved\u00a0 in by the teachers. The children were wearing their baking aprons, sleeve protectors, and hats, and they looked even more adorable than they always do! The teachers were putting icing on half of a bun of some kind. The children dipped the icing-covered half-bun into something, put the other half\u00a0 of the bun on top, and made a sandwich. The teachers collected the finished sandwiches.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pisarro.org\/aboutnick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/DSH_5703a.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nNext, we saw music equipment, such as bells and tone blocks. That was followed by an area of table toys, and Sudoku puzzles!<\/p>\n Our mid-morning snack was pistachios, cashews, cookies, and blueberries. Lunch was\u00a0 egg drop soup, fish, a veggie combination, and rice.<\/p>\n At 1 PM the staff and headmistress arrived for our meeting.\u00a0 After showing them our videos,\u00a0 there were questions.\u00a0 Some questions had easier answer answers than others. I’m going to share the questions. Email me if you would like to discuss my answers, or what your answers would be<\/p>\n From the headmistress: 1) How do we celebrate the world’s festivals at Earthplace?<\/p>\n 2) How do we celebrate Christmas at Earthplace?<\/p>\n 3) How much time do parents spend with their children?<\/p>\n 4) How can they get parents to value self-esteem, creativity, and independence in their children?<\/p>\n And from a teacher: What would you do if a child took off all his or her clothes and refused to put them back on?<\/p>\n I took every questions seriously. The final question told me that children are similar all over the world, because I had that very thing happen in my class.<\/p>\n<\/a>Then Headmistress Chen took us on a tour. She doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Chinese, but we explained ourselves by dramatization. She showed us a classroom area that had a stage, teacher made speakers, a <\/a>teacher made microphone, and dress-up clothing.\u00a0 What fun the children must have pretending to be performers on stage! She also showed us a housekeeping area (a play kitchen), and a\u00a0 supermarket fully stocked with props.\u00a0 At Earthplace, classrooms don’t have enough space for both areas, so the teachers sometimes change the housekeeping area into a supermarket.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>After that, we saw a gym class. Pairs of children had a Nerf ball and Nerf paddles, and they tried to throw and catch the balls. A later gym class rolled balls back and forth on the floor.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Here is a photo of my wonderful friend and translator, Area, me, and Headmistress Chen.<\/p>\n