The instructions made it look easy...

I don't actually have any photos today because the students were operating as independent small groups  so I didn't see them for much of the day.  When we finally rendezvoused at a coffee shop near Jingshan Park, I simply forgot to take photos.  For all those family and friends who are reading this, I promise that everyone is okay.  Everyone, however, was challenged by the task of going to three different locations and testing their negotiating skills against the master salespeople at the Pearl Market. I think that everyone was satisfied with at least one of the "bargains" that they were able to negotiate and I like to think they gained an appreciation for the difficulty in coming to agreement on price with a party that has opposite motivations and there is not clear definition of what the "right" price is.  Alas, we are so used to seeing price on a label that bargaining for something as simple as a t-shirt can be both exciting and frustrating at the same time.

Perhaps the greatest challenge that students faced was finding the Alley Cafe located across the street from the east gate of Jingshan Park.  Sounds easy right?  Jingshan Park is a major landmark, right?  To varying degrees all three student groups got lost.  There was confusion about where they were, which subway stop to take, and on more than one occasion what direction they were going.  They all walked farther than they expected.  In some cases they walked much farther than they expected.  Frankly, they struggled at times to decide as a group where to go next and how to get there.

It was challenging for a reason.  Being a leader requires dealing with uncertainty and helping a group work with that uncertainty (um, I think it is this direction, but I am really not sure.)  Being a leader require balancing your own beliefs against the beliefs of others (I know you think it is this direction, but...)  Sitting in the lobby of the hotel this morning the students were well rested and excited to venture off on their own.  Several hours later as students grew hot and tired, the uncertainty and interpersonal negotiation became more of a challenge.

I will say that I am proud of how well everyone persevered and it was great when we finally had the chance to sit down and share our adventures for the day.  There were many ups (ask Jordan about her jade necklace) and there were some downs (don't ask about trying to find a cab outside Jingshan Park).  Importantly, everyone worked hard and worked together.

Tomorrow we are back on a conventional tour.  We will ride rickshaws through some hutongs and also visit the Summer Palace.  Students also have the option of seeing a show in the evening and some are planning on going to some Peking Opera while others are planning on going to see an acrobat show.  As for me, I need to get some sleep.