Chinatown Adventures

The high school boys group had an adventurous day enjoying soup dumplings and arcade games in Chinatown! They used their smartphones to look up directions to the restaurant - Joe’s Ginger – and identified the right subway route to take. We took the 6-train downtown to Canal street and when we got off, the group members utilized Google Maps again to look up the walking directions to the restaurant. As we walked, the group members socialized and engaged in friendly conversation.

Conversation flowed freely through out lunch. Members discussed trips they have taken, weird foods they have eaten and even exchanged social media accounts and phone numbers! Group members were able to be flexible and share dishes between themselves. We spoke about the importance of language – how it is important to say things like “the boy in class who has autism.” as opposed to “the autistic boy in class.” We also spoke about plans they have for the future and for after school.

Once we finished lunch, the fun continued at the Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center. Once again, we pulled out our smartphones and identified the best route to take. The arcade exceeded expectations and it was very hard to pull the teens away from the video games and basketball machines. Everyone left reflecting on the good time they had, the good food they ate and the great company they were in.