China Part 1

Back in October, the hubby and I cashed in our frequent flier miles for a trip to China to visit our daughter who was studying there for the semester. We have been to China before but had not been to Shanghai. We have been told that Beijing is the historical center for China, comparable to our Washington, DC, and that Shanghai is the business center for China, comparable to our New York city. Shanghai is much more cosmopolitan than Beijing. We saw many more international people in Shanghai than in Beijing. In fact, we saw no westerners on the streets of Beijing with the exception of family members of Olympic athletes when the games were there. Shanghai is a HUGE city. There are many skyscrapers, many cars, and many, many people. There is a considerable amount of smog. Many of these photos were taken from a moving taxi so they may be a little fuzzy. This shot is the skyline on a typical day.

This photo is the skyline on an unusually clear day.

I especially liked this shot of the painted water tower that we passed on our way into the city. Most people live in government apartments like these.

There are some luxury apartments too. I don’t know if these are government subsidized or not.

There are so many cars that some of the roads are “two layer” if you will. They have what they refer to as the elevated road which runs right on top of another road and both of them were packed with cars. 

 

  Throw in several million bicycles….(look closely next to the black fence).. scooters …..

trucks…three wheeled tractor trucks….and rickshaws……   and you have semi-organized chaos, otherwise known as Chinese traffic.

There were people galore. While we were there the international expo was going on so many, many visitors were in Shanghai for the expo. Many of them were Chinese who were bused in from other cities for the expo. We enjoyed a tour of the city on “The Big Bus”. We’ve taken Big Bus tours in other cities and thoroughly enjoyed them. We were able to see just how crowded the streets were from the top of the bus.

I couldn’t believe all of the people around the corner!  I’m not sure that the pictures do it justice.

This area is called the Bund. It is a street of beautiful historic buildings along the waterfront. Notice all of the Chinese flags along the tops of the buildings. Perhaps Americans could learn a lesson here. Patriotism is instilled in Chinese people from the day they are born.

We enjoyed some very good Chinese food. This restaurant had round tables with a lazy susan in the middle. The food was served in large bowls that were placed on the lazy susan so that each of us could taste all of the dishes. It was a great way to taste a variety of foods without making a commitment to any particular one of them.

The purpose of our trip was to visit our daughter who was studying at Fudan University.   When the weather was warm she rode her bicycle to school everyday. My question was how in the world do you find your bike after class since they all look just alike! There must be thousands of bikes lined up all the way around the square on both sides of the street! When the weather turned cold, she took a rickshaw to class. We spent one night at the VERY modest hotel on the university campus. We decided to take the rickshaw to the hotel. Since the three of us could not fit into one rickshaw, we had to take two. We were having a grand time racing in the rickshaws until a party pooper policeman came up in his car speaking Chinese over his car’s PA. We were trying to figure out who he was talking to when just as we arrived at the university my daughter exclaimed “Oh my goodness, he’s yelling at us! Get out, hurry!” As soon as we got out, the policeman drove away and the rickshaw drivers drove away, no questions asked! Apparently, they were breaking the rules! The hotel which was inside the gates of the university was next to a dormitory building. I was amazed at the laundry hanging outside the dorm rooms in the morning. The students wash their clothes in a small plastic bucket each day and hang them out to dry! Many of them also walk down the street to a bathhouse to shower (sort of like summer camp). The lovely daughter also planned a cultural activity for us. We went to an art studio and took a Chinese calligraphy class one night! The instructor spoke NO English so we had to have an interpreter. He was very serious about his art. It was one of the hardest things I have ever tried. The brush must be held a particular way half way up the handle. I felt like I would have more control of the brush if I held it lower down but he would not allow me to do so.

I’ll be adding other posts on the trip as I have time.

Reflections of the Past While Looking Forward to the Future

I have certainly enjoyed the Christmas holidays. Our family enjoyed some much needed chill time as we warmed by the fire while experiencing a white Christmas in South Carolina! The last white Christmas here was in 1963! Perhaps I’m just getting old, but time seems to be passing by more quickly now. This past summer and fall seem like a whirlwind now. Sometimes I wonder just what I did with my time. It helps me to do a little review from time to time. My biggest project for the summer was completing the Bunk Room at our summer cottage. You can view that post here. We also finished the lower screened porch which was a lot more work than it sounds like. I rescued a wonderful server at a sale on the side of the road and transformed it into something beautiful for the porch. You can read about it here. Then I made a lamp and changed the fabric on the cushions here. I did the flowers as we celebrated my niece’s beautiful wedding in August. I made window treatments and a tablecloth for my Sunday School classroom. I enjoyed cooking and hosting several large gatherings of family and friends. We made a trip to China including a brief trip to Xi’an to view the terra cotta warriors. ( I’ll be blogging about this later.) Then we had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now my thoughts are turning toward the new year. It is amazing how turning the page on a calendar can give us the feeling of a clean slate. I have high hopes of eliminating some clutter from my life.  I have already started  by purging my closet and a few Christmas decorations. I will be making a trip to Goodwill today. I have made a list of potential home improvement projects for the coming year to go along with my high hopes of exercising more, eating more healthy food, and spending less and saving more.  By this time next year I should be writing my last two checks for college tuition as both kids will be in their last semester!! My goal for the New Year is to make the best of every day that God gives me.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

I will be linking to Southern Hospitality Top Projects  and to Savvy Southern Style Best of 2010.

 

Christmas in the Dining Room

I love Christmas! In my opinion, you can never have too many Christmas decorations! I love the festivity of the season, the sights, the smells, and the hustle and bustle. While my goal is always to have the house decorated by the first weekend in December, I often fall short but I try to enjoy the process rather than becoming overwhelmed. I’ve learned to schedule my outdoor decorating around the weather forecast first. As I work inside the house, my goal is to do whatever I can to make the biggest impact with the least amount of effort. Setting the dining room table makes a big impact with a little effort. I leave the table set throughout the holidays. When we eat in this room, we simply use the plates and I return them to the table after they are washed. In this room, I use my Bethlehem Christmas dinnerware that I designed and produced in 2003. This dinnerware gives us the opportunity to share the Christmas story with all of our guests and visitors. I have even had plumbers who were in the house making repairs stop at the doors to the dining room to inquire about the dinnerware thus giving me the opportunity to share.  The centerpiece consists of a fruited garland. I found a nativity set in the same jewel tones as the dinnerware that I place on cake stands in the center of the garland.    Then I use some of the angels from my collection as exclamation points to the centerpiece. I don’t use a tablecloth in this setting, but instead I use  silver plated trays as place mats. I stack the salad plate on the dinner plate for an added layer of interest. There are eight place settings that tell the story. The first is the angel speaking to Mary. Next is Mary and Joseph making the journey to Bethlehem.  Shepherds are abiding in the fields. The angel of the Lord brings good tidings. The heavenly host proclaims His birth! The Bethlehem star points to the Christ child. Mary ponders these things in her heart. The wise men brought gifts and worshipped Him. More angels flank the punch bowl on the side board as well as the Bethlehem Christmas dinnerware platter and a framed print of the Christmas story.
My hope is that you will have a Christ filled Christmas this year!

Dinnerware: Bethlehem Christmas can be purchased here.
Silver plated trays purchased at the Mikasa store several years ago.
Ruby goblets purchased at the Mikasa store several years ago.
Sterling flatware International Silver Wild Rose.
Nativity set purchased at Lord and Taylor several years ago.

I will be linking to Tabletop Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.