Melanie has a Family!

These are her most recent photos taken in November 2014.

These were taken earlier in 2014.

Here is a conversation between Ms. Joanna and Ming Ming

Joanna: Hello, Ming Ming.

Ming Ming: Hello, Ms. Joanna.

Joanna: Are you quite excited today?

Ming Ming: Yes.

Joanna: Why is that?

Ming Ming: Because this afternoon we will go swimming.

Joanna: Swimming? Where?

Ming Ming: On our playground.

Joanna: Playground? Could you point it out for me? … So it is over there. Let’s take a look. What

is the teacher doing?

Ming Ming: He is making preparation for us.

Joanna: Right, making preparation. So in a while, what will you do, changing clothes?

Ming Ming: I will change into a swimming suit.

Joanna: I see. Is your swimming suit pretty?

Ming Ming: I will find out when it is the time.

Joanna: So you don’t know? Oh, you will see it when it is the time? So you haven’t seen…

Ming Ming: When it is the time, I will know.

Joanna: So you will know what it looks like by then.

Ming Ming: (nodding).

Joanna: What will you play in the water?

Ming Ming: I will play…(pause and smile)… whatever I like.

Joanna: Did you see the buoys in pool? Will you play with it?

Ming Ming: (nodding and smiling) buoys, swimming here and there.

Joanna: What else?

Ming Ming: And this, this…

Joanna: Playing water with other kids? What is this?

Ming Ming: Ducklings… (Attracted by a bag of rubber ducklings a teacher carried to the pool).

Joanna: Wow, a lot of ducklings. Will you play with them?

Ming Ming: (eyes followed the ducklings, smiling) I’m so excited!

Joanna: You are indeed very excited! So will you play with your friends later? Will you?

Ming Ming: …Wow! (Clapping her hands, watching the teachers making preparation)

Joanna: You are so happy! You are watching the teacher placing the ducklings in the pool. Ming

Ming, what class did you have today?

Ming Ming: Later, our teacher will prepare swimming suits for us.

Joanna: Preparing swimming suits…

Ming Ming: After taking the nap and eating snacks.. it’s time to change to swimming suits and

to…

Joanna: Ming Ming, your clothes looks very nice today! Do you like this one a lot? (Ming Ming

nodding) So you do like it. Can you go swimming in it? …So no?

Ming Ming: Because …if you go into the pool wearing it, it will get wet.

Joanna: So it will become wet and stick to your body.

Ming Ming: It will make you feel uncomfortable.

Joanna: Right. It will. So Ming Ming, what classes did you have today? This morning, any classes?

Did you have therapy?

Ming Ming: I had.

Joanna: Did you try your best in therapy?

Ming Ming: No…

Joanna: I see. What exercises did you do?

Ming Ming: Rope skipping.

Joanna: Are you good at it?

Ming Ming: Not really.

Joanna: How many did you do?

Ming Ming: A few.

Joanna: A few, that’s good. So Ming Ming, do you watch TV at night before going to bed?

Ming Ming: There is no TV in our room.

Joanna: So Where do you go and watch TV?

Ming Ming: We go to Zheng Zhen’s room.

Joanna: Zheng Zhen’s room. So where in his room do you watch TV?

Ming Ming: Upstairs.

Joanna: Upstairs. So what you are watching now? What program?

Ming Ming: Nothing much.

Joanna: Didn’t I see you watch Magic Peg-top on Zheng Zhen’s laptop?

Ming Ming: That’s right. Magic Peg-top…

Joanna: Do you like it?

Ming Ming: (nodding) yes.

Joanna: So you like it. Did you all have last week off?

Ming Ming: Yes, we did.

Joanna: Whose home did you go to and spend time there?

Ming Ming: I did not go.

Joanna: No?

Ming Ming: I stayed here. ..Ma took care of me. She needed to go to HK. So my best friend and I

went to another ayi’s home…spent three days there.

Joanna: Wow, spent 3 days. So you did go?

Ming Ming: We did.

Joanna: Is it in Shanghai? Did you have a good time?

Ming Ming: We had a good time.

Joanna: Who is your best friend? What is her name?

Ming Ming: Bei Bei.

Joanna: Bei Bei? Right, you mentioned her before. So what did you do in those 3 days? Did you

sing, eat together? Whisper to each other?

Ming Ming: She can’t speak.

Joanna: She can’t speak? Then how do you communicate with her?

Ming Ming: I play with her.

Joanna: You play together. So what do you usually pay together?

Ming Ming: We play… We had a great time at the teacher’s home.

Joanna: You had a great time. That’s good.

She wrote all about herself.

This is me! Ming Ming, Age 10

I’m careful, happy, quiet, shy, generous, hardworking and cute…

I like to draw, help others and look pretty.

My favorite color is yellow. Today is Dec 10,2013

I like Spring when flowers will bloom. The flowers are very beautiful.

Today is Christmas Eve.
Dec 17, 2013
Ming Ming

I wish you a happy Christmas Eve.
My New Year’s Resolution
I hope to grow up and look prettier.
One of my favorite songs – Mom, I’d like to give you a kiss.

*The big characters were written by MingMing herself, the smaller ones by the volunteers.