yeah, I know how very very fortunate I am

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Tomorrow I start my 24-hour trip home and I am looking forward to getting there very much.  However I know it is inconsistent, but I am really not looking forward to leaving either.

The last full day here started with me going over to Matt and Laura’s a little early (they were going downtown on errands and I was baby sitting till about lunch time).  The kids and I skyped with Patt for a long time.  The sound and video at our end was excellent (wish that were true for the USA end), and Julianna especially liked to talk to her Grandmama this morning.  

 Here is that same photo from the other side of the room.  Julianna is very intense about watching people and studies them very diligently.

After we disconnected from our visiting with Patt, I did some serious reading, first a “struction” book to Isaac (yes I have princess sticker on my forehead—Lydia puts one on early in the morning and pretty much keeps it on her forehead till bedtime- and this morning Lydia felt as if I too needed a sticker on my forehead.  Later I read "chapter books" to Julianna and Lydia.  Today was several sections from We Were There on the Oregon Trail and when we hit exciting parts, Isaac would join us.  We like "chapter books"

In the afternoon, among other activities we played cards, including a couple of serious games of Old Maid – I would not let them put the Old Maid card aside and said we had to play with that card too.   In the first game, I palmed the Old Maid and ended up holding it.    In the second game, early on I positioned the Old Maid card high in my hand for Lydia to draw.—oh such fun watching her anguish over drawing and holding the Old Maid and then watching Julianna’s careful drawing of a card from her.  Lydia’s face during the draw of the card by Julianna told anyone all you needed to know about where the Old Maid card was.  If you have not played serious Old Maid with small children, let me recommend it to you.  Using the Old Maid adds a real degree of excitement for the kids - and me too.

 For dinner we went out to a formal Korean restaurant and had a seriously good meal and good time cooking our food over the coal fire.  The kids were super as we stayed a long time -- they enjoyed the meat and vegetables cooked over the fire too.

 And then home late and I was of course the center of attention, as well as providing a chance to stay up a few more minutes past bedtime.  


See what I mean about being so very very fortunate. 

Such a wonderful time here –just wish Patt could have been here longer – skyping is good, but not as good….

more of an adventure -Shuangliu

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A little more about my adventure Friday – I rode the electric motorcycle to a nearby town on the west side of the airport, 6-8 miles away.  In the town as I was looking for the park I rode up and down some pretty streets.

 The streets were of course full of the little shops so very typical of commercial street life here.

 And the main business square had its share of – for this town - large buildings, this one complete with video board.

 And on the way I was on on a huge multilane highway that went under part of the airport runway access ramps.—This large red truck is the most common freight carrier I think -- at least I have seen a lot of trucks that look like this and are either red or blue.  and speaking of blue, -- check out that sky - it was a rare beautiful day.

 I passed and pulled into this place where huge statutes were being “carved”, made, or what ever - This was on the side of the rode in a large lot.  There was no sales office or whatever, just a little dormitory type building and these guys working.  It looked interesting --  These large resolute looking warriors of the past are 10-12 feet high.  They are made I think from the same material that bricks are made of and low heat treated so they are not as hard (often wrong, never …)-- 

 At any rate they are not solid – or at least this one was not.

And this one was being carved with an electric grinder and a hammer like tool.  The small piece of material I picked up looked like marble. 

  

  Now this looked like marble, probably was not but this particular Buddha was  being rinsed in something to make him glossy.

I also saw this temple on a hill top, stopped and went in.  There were many saffron wearing monks about, as well as various vendors of incense, fire crackers and red paper things.  This was the largest Buddha there and in the center you can see a monk tapping a drum and reading and chanting from a book.

 Of course in one of the associated buildings were the “guards”  or famous generals or something.—probably the later.

such nice people - and adventure too

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Today I must have been wearing a sign saying “be nice to this guy”  because I can not remember when I consistently ran across people who were so very very nice to me.

It started early when I entered this park in a nearby town (more later on getting there etc).  The park is built around a lake with many little waterways is quite beautiful.  There is a lot of old China type of construction in the park

 This guy enjoyed me watching him take money from the rest of the table (the woman in the foreground is taking money from under the cloth to pass to the smiling man.)

 They continued their Mah Jong game and thanked me for taking their photo.

 These guys tried to get me to play table tennis – not a chance of that happening after watching them play for a few minutes.  The guy at the far end was beating one after another opponent with wicked spin shots.

 I climbed this pagoda and I am out of Malaysian-mountain-climbing shape quickly too as I was puffing when I got to the top.

 And here is the park form up top – the park is in the middle of this small town ---remember small town here means something very different from in the USA.—try basically it would be one of the largest towns in most states.

 At the top I met this nice couple who, when I asked them if they would take a photo of me, – had me pose about half-a-dozen times- I liked it too.

  Note the posed photo at the top of the pagoda.

Down below on one of the pathways, this man playing an ancient “fiddle” and the woman singing in accompaniment could serenade you.

  

 And I had tea at this lakeside tea shop – (there were many tea shops around the lake).  When I tried to order some food like what was on the table near me, I was invited to join the people for whom the table was set.  Really it was excellent food too and I am afraid my conversation was a bit limited but they now know I have a wife, son, daughter and three grandchildren – oh and that I am retired and my name is Paul. 

We are talking a pretty good day here and it was far from over.

and a delightful dinner date too

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In case I have not mentioned it, I consider myself one very blessed guy.  A Prime example is yesterday when I had two wonderful dates. 

As detailed in the previous post, Lydia and I had a lunch date.  Then later Julianna and I went for a dinner date -- yesterday evening.  She dressed formally – over a sweater jacket as it is getting cold here -- and her Mom loaned me their car (change of subject – but that is one for the ages isn’t it?) and I drove down to the commercial area of this part of town.  

 We walked along the street where vendors where setting up their offerings for the evening – from clothing, to food stuffs, household items, and of course CDs, to most anything you would need—think street fair minus the balloon twisting guy  -I should add that such a location provides much to discuss in such a stroll and we did discuss much, -- and with a small world moment on our stroll Julianna was greeted by a classmate of Lydia’s, though I should add we were very near the school, so perhaps it was not a small world moment after all.

 We chose a restaurant that offered outside seating – as do nearly all the restaurants in this part of town.  These outside seating arangements are no minor undertakings with tents, lighting, and such.  Julianna took this picture of me.

 And of course I took this one.  We went for gidan chowfan – egg fried rice – and it was quite good too.  Once again, the ordering and finding the restaurant was up to me.  Soon enough the kids will be doing the taking out but for now….  And  I can say ZaiNar - (where?) - good enough to find a restaurant that has what we were looking for.

 And our after dinner entertainment included cake and juice from a nearby by bakery and a little play time on one of the corner pieces of art – (really it is quite something in this part of town – the corner art)  

At first I was using the above photo as a locational - atmosphere photo, but after looking at Julianna's pose -- well it is just to precious for a Granddad not to share -

 Yes it really is a computer and Julianna using her feet typed her name.  That is the "mouse" in the foreground, though the computer has a track pad.  and oh such a grand evening.  

Little truth in advertising here -- on both "dates" I spoke a bit of Chinese - ordering, finding which restaurant served what and so on.  During the course of my various Chinese conversations (that word is loosely used here)   at some time or another I had occasion to ask Lydia and Julianna what the Chinese person said to me.  I of course got a translation and that was fine -- and both girls at one time or another said "She (the Chinese person) said "she can not understand you"  -- and knowing that makes things much more clear to me as I frequently could not understand them either.

it was better than Just Lunch

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Lydia and I went on a date yesterday --  for lunch.  And as the saying goes - - its just lunch – well it as a wonderful lunch.

The rain caused some changes in plans but we adapted to the new means of transport – walk instead of ride the electric motorcycle – and some changes in post lunch plans but the rain did add a bit of challenge and excitement.

As we were walking to lunch, there was a continuous stream of words coming out from under the blue umbrella beside me.  Barely audible, but continuous and so very nice to hear.

 I did have to ask her to pose for another photo as she was so busy talking and I wanted youall to see who was under that moving, talking umbrella that was beside me.  Also note the outfit.  It was carefully chosen and somewhat discussed with her Mom concerning the degree of  "fluffiness" that this particular skirt had as compared with the apparent second choice.

 Our lunch site was a noodle shop on the corner near our apartment complex, and today we ordered choufan – fired rice- as it is a favorite, quite easy to eat – and a lunch type food that Lydia really likes -- I also should mention that I can say choufan pretty well.  Well at least well enough to be sure we would get it.  Also though Lydia is very good with Chinese I did not want to put her in the spot of taking me out to lunch.

 Our table was under the blue and white umbrella to the middle left of this photo.  The interior of the restaurant was full and we created a bit of a stir in there so the outside seat was preferred.   (it is also where I sit when going for noodles by myself- the interior decor is a bit plain- basically Chinese noodle shop decor) 

  

Later after ice cream, guess who got to play with the iPad and got to chose which game and not have to share or anything.  

Restaurant Review #16 -The Sultan

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Down an alley off a side street off the east side of Renmin Nan, near the Western Tower, is a Turkish restaurant named “The Sultan”.  After our day at DuJiangYen, we stopped for dinner, -- we were coming down Renmin Nan from TienFu square so the location and our travel was a perfect fit, and dinner is served.

As is the case for most early dinners we got the prime table, and had a delightful meal.

 The décor is somewhat you would expect having recently been in several “international themed” restaurants in Panama, Malaysia and of course China.   It was a just a little – well you had to appreciate the effort.

 The kabobs were outstanding and the beef-lamb burger type meat patty excellent, especially when the Turkish salad was added.

The bread was not as good as expected – speaking as a serious connoisseur  of bread. 

 The company and conversation was of course excellent

As we had much of the day to discuss.

 And it was late when we left, -- great end to a great day.

DuJiangYen

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As a birthday present for me, Matt and Laura took me and the other three children for an outing to DuJiangYan, a famous ancient engineering irrigation system that has been in use since prior to the fall of Rome. – we are talking pretty ancient now.  And not just me – actually the birthday gift was a little early as there are now only six shopping days left.

 We rode one subway, and two bullet trains, two hired cars, one taxi, one meinbao chu, (a hired car that is tiny, uncomfortable and named the bread loaf car because that it what it looks like) and one city bus.

 The bullet train interior seen below, went as fast as 196 km/hr, and was quite nice.

 The park like heritage site was being visited by many of our friends and neighbors – surprised with that I bet, and was very nice.  Julianna took the photo below

 And we randomly asked this Chinese guy to take our photo and in English “no-accent-American-sounding-English” he accepted our request and gave photo taking type instructions.  (never can tell who is around you in places like this—this being China)

The park was very harmonious (Chinese word of the day being explained to Julianna – if she remembers half the words she hears defined in a given conversation ….

 The park had two of these cable swinging bridges - note Laura's footwork -- that foot placement was because the bridge would swing quite a bit with sharp movements.  Note the hands on the sides of many of those on the bridge.  Lydia was with me and she just wanted off the bridge.  Together we walked fast with long steps -- she kept encouraging me to keep moving.

 It was a great time of being together.

 Julianna and I flexed our muscles after watching some Chinese guy do some pull-ups from a tree limb.  I tried some too.

 This little boy did some serious walking, and being carried by each of the “dults” on the “venture”  -apparently the initial “a” is now a challenge, but oh so precious.

 There were these two actors, below, posing as statutes and getting quite a reaction from Chinese who were standing a bit off and so me-- being sophisticated and knowing how these statute guys act, decide to show them how to play along.  Well the one who the joke was on was me as after the photo, I had to come up with 20 yuan.

The train station, like many public buildings is huge and has a vast courtyard approach.  You had best bring your walking legs with you should you come here.  This station is brand new as was much in the town as this was one of the many damaged in the 2008 earthquake.