Day Four

Yesterday was a holiday. The Dragon Boat Festival. There were dragon boat races yesterday, but the big three-day celebration at Victoria Harbour starts today. I didn't go to any races yesterday. So, I'm hoping to catch some fun stuff this weekend.

Today is the fourth day of my internship. I had my first supervision with my field instructor from City University of Hong Kong. We spent 2.5 hours talking about the social issues and policies here in Hong Kong. In the year 2047, mainland China's socialist system is going to take over Hong Kong's "democracy." The education system is interesting here as well. (I just can't stop myself!!! Mimi Teacher will forever be here.) There is a small percentage of the Hong Kong population graduating successfully from secondary school (high school), which then leads to a small percentage receiving higher education... It's not just the ethnic minorities who are struggling with learning but the struggle is real for the Chinese Hong Kong residents as well. English class was a drag for me in school, but having to learn Chinese, both Mandarin and Cantonese, on top of all the other subjects... and my parents' first language is none of the three... Ooof! And the resources that the education system has for the students and families... Oh man! Something is better than nothing. Unless that something is making more damage than repairing...

So, I'm not going to try to save all of HK in one day and will focus on a smaller group during my 240 hours of field work. From my observations so far, the kids that come into KYK have a difficult time listening and expressing their feelings in a healthy way. A parent just walked in and shared with us about his child's struggle to pay attention. This past week, the kids have come and gone hooting and hollering, and sometimes when they stay, a fight breaks out. With the way this center is set up, I am thinking about making little centers (Mimi Teacher is coming out!) with games and activities to lure the children in so that I can observe them more and make informal assessments. Once I get more information on the children's needs, I will then throw in some art and play therapy type things in there. Sprinkle a little mindfulness. And hope that the kids pick up some life skills that will make their lives a little better. Yeah!


And now for yummy pictures!!

Super cheap meals I've been eating in Hong Kong!~ EACH meal was about 4 USD!! Mind blown!!!