Students of Master’s in Contemporary Development of China visited Little Donkey Farm

Wednesday May 7, 2014 was a pivotal day for SSDPP’s CDC Master’s Program! The majority of first and second year students embarked on a journey that would forever be seared into our memories as a wonderful day in history!

The international students (along with 2 beloved faculty members) proudly wore their newly pressed SSDPP T-shirts on this field trip, representing Beijing Normal University. As a team, our first stop was at The Little Donkey Farm (www.littledonkeyfarm.com) where we stood in awe at goats, chickens, giant pigs, a single donkey, a cat, and puppies! We got the chance to learn about the sustainable practices of life at the farm and even helped plant 3 plots of corn! Some students were better than others at this task. After working hard in the field, we enjoyed lunch composed of fresh vegetables picked from the nearby ground and then cleaned our dirty plates with wheat shavings! Cool! Although we already had an eventful time at the Donkey Farm, we were mentally prepared for what was next: a hike to the top of Jiufeng Mountain.

If you thought our minds worked hard, wait until you could see what our legs can do! Boy can these students hike! (and with hands full of ice cream)! Jiufeng Mountain National Park was just beautiful and the weather that day was perfect hiking weather, with clear skies and a light breeze. Students helped each other climb the mountain and encouraged each other to keep going! “加油! 加油!” What a great feeling it is to overcome the strife of our tired bodies using mind power and will! The escape of Jiufeng Mountain was just the kind of vacation we needed from the grey vibes of Beijing. After just being outside of class and enjoying this experience together, we felt a kind of rejuvenation that only the organic beauty of nature can give us! We even had a little celebratory dance at the foot of the mountain before boarding the bus home. Who knew Tope’s hips could move like that?