Elephants!!

McCall, Michelle and Rick got to ride elephants for about 1 hour on a trek through the jungle in Koh Chang. It was a very slow bumpy ride. Our rear ends got a little tired from the hard seat. At times the elephants would just stop and not want to move. Usually when the trail got narrow or steep the guide would have to poke them in the back legs with a sharp stick to get them moving!

Jacob, Brad, and Johnny feeding the elephants bananas after a long trek through the jungle.

Derek and Brad helped wash the elephant in the stream. They said it was hairy.

Rachel, McCall, and Nicole used a little scrub brush to help wash the elephant at the elephant reserve in Koh Chang, Thailand. They said the water was freezing!!!

Guangzhou, China

McCall, Derek, and Brad outside our hotel in Guangzhou (formerly - Canton) with the Pearl River in the background.

Along the Pearl River walking path people were exercising with swords. Also large groups were dancing to music.(aerobics) It was an "older" crowd!

We went shopping at the pedestrian street market in Guangzhou.

ASPIRING ACTRESS!

Such a determined face!

DECEMBER ACTIVITIES!
McCall was the mouse deer in the play - Why Are There No Tigers in Borneo?

This was an after school activity class that she was involved in since Sept. 2008!

BASEBALL!!!

Baseball in China!!!! The boys were invited to practice with the Shenzhen University baseball team. The University has no scholarships and most players started with limited baseball experience. Finding places to practice and teams to play is another challenge. They practice on the soccer field at the University and at Tongle Middle School where a serious middle school baseball team is being developed.


Coach Yu (red shirt)coaches Shenzhen University and Tongle Middle school. In the 80's he was drafted by the Yankee's farm club team in the USA. He came back to China and played for the Chinese National Team. He has coached several current chinese national players. He doesn't speak much english so sign langauge was needed.
Luckily several of the Shenzhen University players spoke english and were able to translate for the boys. The boys enjoyed practicing but were quite shocked on arrival to see the coach smoking on the field. It is interesting to see so many people puffing away in China. Especially people in sports and health careers. (Doctors)

Rugby Team

Brad, Derek, Lucas, and Jacob starting the game!
Here is the diverse team representing QSI rugby! The players/Coaches are from New Zealand, USA, Australia, Korea, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, and Malaysia. They placed 3rd in the tourney.

QSI Rugby Tournament in Guangzhou!

Brad, Derek, Jacob and teammates are waiting for the game to start!

Derek was the Team Captain and won a medal for sportsmanship!

Winter Concert

The boys performed in the Winter concert. (required for a grade) They had to quickly beat these plastic tubes in their hands to a fast beat. It was very cool.

McCall is pictured here with 3 of the para professionals from QSI. They are dressed in traditional chinese dresses for the school's Winter Concert performance. McCall dressed in her own style of costume for the concert. She sang with her class.