The morning started off with a bank run as I repaid the debts I had made during dinner and karaoke. With some extra money now, I went to the convenience store and bought all the cute pens and pencils I had wanted to get earlier on the trip. While we didn't have class today, we did have some group activities. The first was dumpling making, which sounded like fun until we realized dumpling making is hard. XD We made a ton too! We didn't stop until we had no more filling to put inside of them. People started getting creative too, making them into tortellinis and other funny shapes.After dumpling making, we went back to the hotel to finish packing until it was time for the big group picture! We all met on the steps of the library, and, for the first time, I realized that this study abroad actually had a lot of people involved! The students, teachers, and Chinese partners actually took up several rows of steps. I was so thankful to all these people for making this experience possible. It was also very emotional too as Lee gave me her present and I received the journal they made for me. They are both so artsy! I could tell they put a lot of thought and time into making it. <3 I will definitely treasure it forever.
Once the picture was taken, we all walked back to the hotel where our reception would be held. Speeches were made and those who had participated in sports day got certificates and presents for taking part. We then dug in on all the great food! Even the dumplings we had made earlier were set out there for us to eat. Lee took one of the funny shaped ones thinking it looked cool. After we ate our fill, the formal setting turned into a school cafeteria after yearbooks were handed out at the end of the year. People ran around taking pictures, getting people to sign our memory journals. I have gotten to know so many people, it was hard getting them all to sign.After lunch, we had a free day ahead of us. While we had plans to see my buddies again for dinner, we still had a while of nothing to do. Thus, we set out on a quest to find Kelsie's panda at the store we had visited the other day! With no buddies in tow, our small group (following me which is always a bad idea) walked back to the store. We may have gotten a little lost, but luckily the store is located in Dalian's foreign language campus and we found someone who spoke English. ^^ When we got to the store, the pandas were still there! Kelsie ended up buying the big one, then we just walked around the other stores until we got bored.
Once back at the hotel, Ash came and joined us. We ended up teaching her how to play ERS (a card game that includes slapping) and she was actually really good! When Lee joined us, we taught her too. Then we ended up going to Kelsie's room which had somehow collected a ton of people. This huge group hung out for a little while before we all went to go get some dinner. For our last meal, we ended up staying on campus. I got the delicious fried rice for the last time, this time in a bag! Can't say I went to China without eating something straight out of a plastic bag. We ate and talked until it got dark, the headed back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel, it was apparently game night. We went to a room that was full of people, and I was somehow roped into a mahjong game. Let me just say: the real deal is NOTHING like the computer game. Without fully understanding the rules, even with the help of a buddy, I somehow won. .-. After another round, I left that game to start a game of Mafia. This was a ton of fun, but we only got through one round before the buddies had to leave for the night. After everyone was gone, I ended up helping one of the other students pack all his stuff with Kelsie. Apparently we are the queens of packing because we somehow got a bed full of items to fit in a duffle bag, backpack, and laptop bag. Exhausted, I went back to my room.
This was going to be the last time I slept in Dalian. :(
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