We have heard from several of you that we did a terrible job on our blog this past year. You were all very gentle in how you told us. Our promise is to do a much better job next year so keep visiting us here!
A few things found in China Walmarts not sold in US Walmarts.
1. Corcodiles
3. Exposed Mixed Meat
5. Turtles
7. Rib Cages (Where is the expiration date?)
8. Assorted Dried Reptile Parts
12. Antibacterial Men’s Underwear
I can’t wait to get home and shop in the USA!
(Uploaded pics from my friend Mike’s FB page. Felt like I was plagiarizing if I didn’t say that.)
We really enjoy the occasional clear day to get out of our beautiful, upscale neighborhood and explore more of real China. Often just a few blocks from the apartment we can witness things we might never otherwise even imagined. All of these photos were taken on one 45 minute Sunday afternoon outing.
On our way out we witnessed our first “fire as entertainment” spectacle. We walked up to a large group of locals actively watching this bus slowly begin to catch fire. It appeared quite important to view the fire and talk about it, but we saw no one on cell phones calling emergency services. (Calling ourselves is impossible with our language barrier- a distinct problem if we are ever in need of emergency services.) Everyone seemed quite content to watch the fire while oohing and aahing over the occasional explosion. It took over 15 minutes before we heard the first sirens, by then the bus was completely engulfed.
After such destructive entertainment we were ready for a snack. Fortunately the local sugar cane man was just down the street. For about 60 cents this fellow will strip the bark off an 18-24 inch section of fresh sugar cane. One simply gnaws off a section, chews the delicious sap out, and then in true local fashion, spits the pulp into the gutter. Occasionally you may spot the oddball spitting their leftovers into a plastic bag. We never know if this is out of a sense of civic pride or if these chewed remains serve as the base for some future delicacy.
(”Mommy can we have the braised Ox penis on a bed of pre-chewed sugar cane?”)
If the sugar cane seemed a bit too sweet, perhaps something more hearty is more you taste. We saw this tasty morsel a bit further down the street. Drying meat on the street is a much more common practice here than it had been in the south. We often see ladders set out horizontally over chairs with multiple carcasses drying. Bon Appetite!
On the way home we walked through a new park being put in behind our apartment complex. This is set up as a western style entertainment venue, with several small pubs and restaurants set near the canal. There are a series of outdoor sports courts, skate park, and amphitheater encompassed among the buildings. It is a great addition to the community, but is world away from the China we had experienced just across the street.
Right outside the gates of our apartment complex is Eric’s favorite store, well van but still a store. Yes, this is our Blockbuster Video. Here you can buy movies within 24 hours of them being released in theaters in the US for about 80 cents. Sometimes you can even get them BEFORE they have been released in the US. We would pay for the legal copies of these movies, if there were some in China.
This past week brought on a very busy time for our family. There was volleyball practice, staff meetings, choir concerts, bible study…. Unfortunatley, a friend of ours was put into the hospital. No worries, she is out and home now. I went to visit her and I was first frustrated by the cab driver who couldn’t find the hospital. Thank God this wasn’t an emergency.This particular hospital is broken up into two parts, one for the Chinese and an “International” section with doctors who are from all over the world but speak English. Once admitted any forgeiner is placed into the VIP section. This section isn’t quite what you would find in the States but it is not far off either.After my visit on the way out, it was late so I had to leave the hospital via the Chinese section. I walked through the waiting room and here is what I saw…
Everyone waiting has an IV. It doesn’t matter if you are there with a broken foot, an eye injury, or a tummy ache. To even get your name on the list to see a doctor, you must have fluid first. As I continued walking I wondered if this particular hospital was a “help yourself” format as this is what I saw…
As you come through the door, it appears you have a choice in fluids, which you select then move right on to check-in. Not caught on camera were all the wonderful stares and questions I was getting for taking these photos. ;-)
During our two stay-cations in Shanghai we have found a few places that we really enjoy. They feel like what you imagine when you think of China. Really it is Old China we all have in mind as New China is all about the high-rise and apartment blocks.
Above, Molly is so adorably posing in an artsy back ally area called, Taikang Lu (”Lu” pronounced “Loo” is the word for road). Here you can enjoy tea, find a photographer, buy original art work, eat dim sum and even have your shoes shined. These allies are not big enough for cars and the area is more for the art appreciating foreigner than it is for the local Chinese so it is not crowded.
Poor Molly, we always make her pose for these pictures. You can tell she is really suffering. 
This is Yu Yuan Garden in Old Town Shanghai. Yu Yuan is the “Garden of Peace and Comfort”. The garden (now a favorite shopping and eating area) was built over 400 years ago by a young man who used all of his savings for 20 years to build a place that would please his parents in their old age. Sorry Mom and Dad, I love you but there are no 20-year-garden-building plans in your future.
Unfortunatley, Yu Yuan is VERY crowded but there is no better way to get right into the Chinese culture. Crowds are just part of life here.
You too can come and experience the joys of Chinese culture. For viewers of this website only, we are offering a chance of a lifetime opportunity to come visit Shanghai. With the purchase of any round trip ticket, room and board are free. Advanced reservations are required as is an affiliation with the website’s designers.
Chinese New Year is often referred to as Spring Festival here as it hopefully ushers in that most verdant of seasons. After what seems an eternity of frigid mornings, including snow on the ground last Saturday, we have been most excited these past few days to actually enjoy warmer temperatures! It’s amazing what several days in a row of warm, clear days can do not only for the local flora, but for the local inhabitants. Everyone has enjoyed being outside.
We have also noticed a marked change in the length of our days. Shanghai is situated 31 degrees north, a higher latitudinal level than we have ever lived before. It is really a blessing to be riding to and from school with the sun up! While life is Shanghai has its ups and downs, it can be a wonderful place when the weather is good and the sun is out!
Our school’s facilities are more than we thought imaginable. We particularly enjoy the recreation portion of the school. Just this year they completed a brand new high school building that is amazing.
This is the gym at the school that we use for working out. We appreciate that the school grounds are open to us 24/7.
Even Molly comes to hang out while we work out. We let her on the treadmill but we don’t let her touch the weight equipment yet.
I have yet to see the brand new dance room used yet. Apparently, there is a group of lady teachers who use it twice a week to do some aerobics videos together. It is a really nice spring loaded floor.
Ping Pong anyone? This is a large open space that they were unsure what to do with so they put in ping pong tables.
Just outside of the dance room is this climbing wall.
We don’t ever want it to seem like bragging, but we also want to share with you all how fabulous this school has been for us. At some point I will take pictures of the rest of the school.
Finally! I have been too timid to walk right up and take a picture of the pee-pee-process in China but I finally decided to play tourists and chance being yelled at. Here we see Grandma (most likely the father’s mother) in the traditional Chinese squat position holding the granddaughter and whistling. They whistle every time they take the babies pants down so that the baby becomes trained to pee at the sound of the whistle. No need for diapers but what about sanitation? You can see just to the left of the grandmother some other drizzling tiny-tot did his duty without any care for cleanliness. Watch where you step!
Hot Pot in China is very popular and sticks to the communal eating philosophy of the Chinese: Everyone dips into the same pot. At least with Hot Pot you don’t worry so much about germs because the broth is boiling the entire meal.
A group of us decided to venture into “China” for a friendly eating adventure, remember we live in America-town. The photo above was taken by the waitress. I even cropped a bit of the ceiling out of the photo. I don’t think she has ever taken a picture before. Please notice the mold on the walls, which isn’t even a concern for the Chinese.
Ahh, now that is a better picture of us all (taken this time by one of our own).
Our waitress was more concerned with her stickers than bringing our food. When we first arrived they handed us a sheet of stickers. Soon we discovered they were for the wait staff but when we handed her the sheet of stickers she insisted, by miming of course, that we put them on her. Of course this made for some pretty interesting photos (this is the polite photo).