Our trip to Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region will be over soon and it is making us very sad, sensitive and sentimental...

While Mads, Grace, Mr. Huang and I are still in Yinchuan and while we're busy with getting around, everything's going to be okay.

To say it in Mr. Huang's manner, it's going to be "OK, OK".

Team spirit

Mr.Huang is our guardian angel here in Yinchuan. He arranges meetings with the local authorities and all the field trips for us. Our leisure time activities are also strongly influenced by Mr.Huang

But his image is far from a bossy boss. Mr.Huang brings us to different local restaurants and finds the best places for us to shop. He's always smiling and always saying "OK, OK".

Together with Grace from Beijing, they take great care of Mads and I, being our eyes, hands, and, what's even more important, our tongue here in China.

We are fortunate to have such lovely and caring colleagues. Sometimes we call our team the "Fantastic Four". When our legendary driver Mr. Chen joins us, we become the "Fabulous Five"... talk about modesty.

Now, when there's just one day left to spend in Yinchuan, it does make me feel too sentimental and almost brings me to tears.

Tears of joy

Today, I found even more reasons to cry. Luckily, those were tears of joy and tenderness. Like Mads mentioned in his previous blog post, an "emotional roller-coaster ride" is now in full swing.

We visited the new Muslim village in the city of Wuzhong. On our arrival, we were immediately surrounded by kids of all ages.

Children are always open, sincere and whole-hearted. But Chinese kids living in quite poor rural neighbourhoods are especially touching. They are pure gems.

They were happily running among the yellow corn cobs, which their parents were drying outdoors in the sun. Some were laughing, some were playing, some were just hanging around, but they were happy. One can't fake it.

Mads made the little angels even happier by giving each of them a candy. Oh Mads, our big-hearted Santa.

With the eyes burning with excitement and curiosity, they were following us everywhere and were glad to pose for the pictures. Hardly ever in my life before had I seen anyone as ingenuous and wide open as Ningxia children.

Better stop this blog now... tears of joy are dropping on the keyboard.