Out

Since Nate gets American holidays off, and the kids don't, Nate and I had a kid-free day.  So for Labor Day, we went out.  We decided to keep it simple.  We went to Nanluogu Xiang.  It's a street with some shops and things.  There were a lot of stationary shops, and book stores.  We bought the kids some book marks.

We ate octopus balls.  Like the shape, not the body part.

We went to a restaurant.  This is what you typically find on the tables.  Tissues (which are just about useless), hot sauce, and black vinegar.  It's a sign that good food is coming.

This is Chinese-made soda.  It's really good!  It's like pineapple orange-ish.

We had dalianhuoshao.  They were like a big dumpling with yummy goodness inside.  So delicious.  And a fiery cucumber salad.

Ruler

So here's our dog...

He's a good guy.  The first few times we put him on a leash he refused to walk.  He would just sprawl out.  He is good at it now.  Since he is a street dog, he still loves trash and will eat just about anything.  I've never seen a dog eat lettuce, but if I drop some on the floor while making a salad, he is in heaven.  He acts like it is the best day ever when he finds an apple or pear core to eat.  (People leave them all over the place.)  He also likes to eat leaves and sticks.  I wonder if he ate a lot of that before we got him.  The kids pick him up and carry him everywhere.  He's getting used to it even though he looks ashamed most of the time.  He loves running around with the boys.  And he bites.  Hopefully it's just the puppy nipping, but he's drawn some blood.  And I give him hot water.  You know, because he's Chinese.

We call him Hades, but his full name is Flipping Hades Hunson Abadeer.

Leave Them Kids Alone

August 17

It was a beautiful Saturday, and we were just hanging out at home wondering what we could do.  Then Travis called.  He wondered if we wanted to go to the Great Wall.  Heck yes!  He managed to find a van to rent that fit all of us, and we were happily taking advantage of his industriousness.

After an hour long detour, we made it.  First we walked around all the shops looking for something to eat.

There were beautiful displays of dried fruit.  It was expensive, but I bought some.

We ate lunch at a place right by this stand.  We ate super yummy dumplings.

Naked baby butts are very common.  I thought I'd share.

We took a tram to the top of the mountain.  Apparently the 17th living Buddha of Tibet took the same car we were in.

We didn't get there early enough to take the slide down.  (The detour!)  There was much disappointment in the crowd, but we promised to go back soon.

Great indeed.

It couldn't have been a more perfect day to visit the wall.

The whole gang.

Since we couldn't take the slide down, we had to go down the stairs.  There were so many stairs!  Everyone's legs were sore at church the next day.  Even my neck was sore from looking down for so long.

On the way out, we bought some panda bear hats for souvenirs.

We stopped at a restaurant on the way home and had some more Chinese food.  I remember the sweet potato fritter thingys fondly.  On the drive home, we played a few games in the dark, and even snuck in some reading of Harry Potter.

I love this day.  I love that it was spontaneous.  I love that we saw something awesome.  And we got to spend the whole day with great friends.

To Keep Me Company

My Mold

Instead of a first day of school, we had more of a first day week.  First the middle schoolers started...

Grade 7!

Grade 6!

I drove them on their first day in my super awesome tuk tuk.

Even though I walked them to their classrooms, I did not take a picture.  I think we've reached the "too old for that" phase.

The next day, the elementary kids had their first day.  It was actually a meet the teacher day, and a family picnic.  After lunch, Dare and Mads went to a couple hours of school.  G came home.  His first day was the Monday after.

Grade 2!

Kindergarten!

Grade 4!

I got a picture of all three of them.

I took them on the tuk tuk too.

Since Nate went too, he got a picture of all of us.

Can you just picture us cruising the streets of Beijing (not really, just our neighborhood) in our little electric car?  In our new Ray Bans?  I know, it's awesome.

Seriously though, that thing has been my biggest joy about living here.  I love it.

This was G's real first day.  I drove them that day too.  I thought they all looked cute walking together.

And now they are gone.  All of them.

Flippin Hades

So, a super awesome family moved to Beijing a month or so after us.  And they have already lived here once, so they know all kinds of places to go.  Which is great for us!  I love having cool people to hang out with, and not having to do the work to find fun adventures.

One night we decided to go into "the village" to get some noodles.  This was a real Chinese neighborhood, where real Chinese people eat.  

The people immediately gathered around to check us out.

That is my tuk tuk the S's are in.  We used one that I borrowed from a neighbor who went out of town.

Here's where we ate.  Right off the street.  A little out of my comfort zone, but it was fun.  I decided no meat because there was a meat market right next door, and it was less than appealing.  Who knows how long the meat was outside, not to mention all the flies.

It was a little hot that day too.  So we were eating hot noodles outside in about 90 degree weather.  We sweated.

Travis used wipes to clean the cups.  Just in case.

The food was delicious!

We had an audience.

By the way, that is been dubbed the "Beijing Bikini".  Men do it all the time.  If it is hot, you are guaranteed to see a dude with his shirt pulled up.  The men in Jakarta did it too, but I never got a picture as awesome as this one.

This night was extra special for us!  This is where we found our dog!

He was hanging out under the tables and chairs all night.  He was so cute, and I could tell he was just a puppy.  I really wanted to take him home.  We asked if he was anyone's dog, and they said no.  We decided it was meant to be. :)

Here we all are eating.

He was so dirty.  Bath straight away!

I took him to the vet a couple days later, and he is disease free!  A plus when you find your dog on the streets of Beijing.  Also, he said he was about 3 months old.

We've had him almost 4 weeks now.  Still no name.  Because we are lame.

We are to blame.  We feel the shame.  (I just added this because it rhymed.)

Wiz Biz

Ice King.

You Totally Redeem Yourself

I scheduled a tour of the school a couple weeks before the first day.  What a cool school!  The tour got the kids very excited, which is good because my kids usually hate the idea of going to school.  The kids played on the playground after.  

BA got a haircut!

And that's the big monster hand behind her.

Rhon is very upset that middle schoolers don't use the playground.

G was upset he doesn't get to use this playground either.

Conquered.

Apparently smoke comes out of this dragon's mouth.

I should have taken pictures of the inside too.

*****

After we got home a friend took me tuk tuk shopping.  I bought one!  And after having almost a month with it, I have to say it is one of my favorite things about living here.  It's like the Beijing equivalent of cruising down Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible.  Not really, but it is still pretty fun.  It's more like having your own battery operated bajai -  for all my Jakarta friends.  Only, there is actually space on the road to drive it.

Michelle ended up taking a few of us tuk tuk shopping that day.  I was the only one who ended up buying one.  They were all waiting for me, and I felt bad, so we worked it out that the guy who sold it to me would just take me home.  (I didn't know the way.)

Riding in the back of my brand new tuk tuk!  I don't think he really knew the way either.  He stopped to ask for help a couple of times.  And I think we went the long way.  But once I saw some landmarks, I directed him.  I'm not totally useless!

This is the street that my housing complex is on.  

*****

And even later that day, we went swimming.  The pool is much more crowded here than what we are used to, but it's okay.  And there is a lifeguard...

Honestly, "lifeguard" is a bit generous.  I don't think he'd even notice if someone was drowning, let alone save them.  That sounds mean.  I'm joking, of course.  But could he save someone?  I once saw him eating a meal with his back to the water.  It cracked me up.