One Last Time

Hello all,

We are down to our last week here.  Crazy.  Lane and I both had our last lessons with our tutors today.  Yikes!  Now it is up to us to plug away.

Some of you will be glad to know that I now have a cell phone, but it is a local Chinese number.  The phones popular 20 years ago, yup, that is what I have, for limited calling and texting only. 

I also have a Chinese name now given to me by my tutor.  Ke An Pei.  An means peaceful/quiet and Pei means seeds of a flower bringing blessings and hope.  I know some of you are thinking that my tutor doesn't know me very well.  😜 And the rest of you are thinking that it is a perfect fit!  😉 Lane helped pick out his Chinese name.  His name basically sounds like "Lane" and means thunder and mercy, fitting.

Some of our recent adventures have included Bell Tower/Drum Tower, Lama Temple, Summer Palace, a few books stores I have fallen in love with and some great markets including a fabric market.  Now that I have been shown the good fabric vendors, everyone is moving due to the whole place being torn down.  😱

One of my highlights since being here was a cooking lesson Lane and I went to . . . .YUM!!!!!!

This past weekend was spent in Shanghai.  Lane just "had" to go for work and we just "had" to tag along!  Streets of Shanghai had some of the cheapest shopping we have seen so far, unfortunately we didn't really buy much.  Silly.

The highlight for the boys, bumper cars!!!!  My highlight, seeing the happiest elephant I have ever come across.  With a smile on his face he waved his trunk around then turned and waved his tail. Lane's highlight was watching the elderly dance the night away.  Drake loved this too and joined in with the dancing.

I am going to miss the view from our apartment!!!!  But I am excited to see everyone again!!!!!

Loves and hugs,

Summer Palace

Amber in front of mama Shi zi

 Shopping in Shanghai bazaar

 

 The Bund in Shanghai

The view from our apartment.  You can see Third Ring Road, it is the lighted strip in the middle.  Not bad huh?  This is only part of it.

Ni hao

Hello one and all. 


Note; please overlook misspellings, grammatical errors and sentences starting with one thought and ending with another as I try to finger type on an auto spelling kindle while being kicked off the internet or pausing for mommy duty.

We have officially crossed our half way mark.  We still have so much to do!!!!  Guy celebrated his 13th birthday eating a bigger than Costco size pizza.  I brought a cake mix for the occasion and ended up "baking" it in the microwave.  It worked.

For Labor Day weekend we rode a bullet train to Xi an and a slloooow sleeper train back.  Boys loved both.  Some highlights were: Shaolin Temple (birthplace of kung fu), Terracotta Warriors, and older boys riding bikes on the old city wall.  We stayed in a hostel in a room full of bunk beds. 😁

As we made our way to the train station at the end of our trip, a lady (one we probably wouldn't have approached to ask for help) sitting on her scooter began pointing us towards the street behind her.  This "right direction" was a short cut down a road winding through demolished buildings looking like there should be signs saying "turn back now" or " last chance for a safe return".  Sure enough it lead right to the entrance of the train station saving us time to figure everything out.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect.  We talked about how Heavenly Father inspires those around us to help us even for little things.  We now call her " Our Angel Lady".

The boys and I toured through the Canadian International School.  A hole new world of uniforms, ten day schedules, Chinese daily and personal lap tops that have the boys excited for a new adventure.  We have a few more to check out before making our final decision.

We had a good thunder storm last night.  As we are on the top floor in the corner all our outside walls are windows so we had a intense show with the lightening.

I wish I could share all the little moments from seeing the pandas at the zoo to the lady on the subway giving candy to the boys that has made this time rewarding.  I am surprised at how much the boys are enjoying themselves and talk about "when we move here".

In fear of being too long I will end here. 

Terracotta Warriors

Muslim Quarter in Xi'an

Although it is hard to tell it is dusk and lights on all the shops are shinning brightly.  It was fun to walk the streets and see the vendors prepare their wares.  The nougat pullers were the most exciting to watch as they pulled these long ropes of nougat and just as you thought it would touch the ground they flipped the rope into the air, looped it around a pole and pulled it out again.

Chips on a stick anyone?

Amber, Grahm and Drake ventured to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda while Lane, Guy and Duncan rode bikes around the old Xi'an city walls.  (They rode on top of the city walls, not next to.)

Greetings from Beijing

Hello everyone who cares to read this,


I am limited on my email availability and won't be able to send pictures :( but thought I should keep in touch anyway.


Everyone but Drake quickly adjusted to the time change.  We are staying in a 2 bedroom hotel/apartment.  Bought a basketball so the boys could play on the court and use up their energy.


We jumped right in with the Great Wall of China.  Then the Forbidden Palace with 2 other million people.  The size of the place is incredible!


The boys and I have explored our neighborhood, markets and a beautiful park filled with temples.  While some are cool the boys could fill the absence of the spirit. 


We have become quite the attraction ourselves.  Some of the people especially the kids are quite cute about asking for a photo.  The most common thing I hear or am asked about is, "si ge, si ge erzi?" "Four, you have four boys?"  I thin that was my first Chinese phrase I learned here.


Speaking of which we are all slowly working on the language and my tutor has just been found and I'll begin my lessons this week.  Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is quite interesting trying to have a conversation without knowing each other's language or being able to use sign language.  Only those in hostess/tourist places can speak English and sometimes very limited.


We took a taxi to church yesterday and the driver took a selfie of himself and all the boys in the backseat.  He wasn't done when the light changed so the cars behind began honking.


When we move here and I have a computer I'll start my official blog.  Maybe I'll improve my creative writing juices when I'm not finger typing an being interrupted or kicked off the internet.


Good luck with school starting and we wish we could see the Philadelphia Temple open house.


Until next time,


Amber

Testing, Testing, yi er san...

It has finally happened!  Amber has created a blog, something she vowed never to do.  Yet here she is at 11:02 pm blogging away.  Moral of the story....never say never