Seeing Shanghai.

As we wait on Mary's passport and other important documents to be processed, we are spending time getting to know the city of her birth.  Shanghai is HUGE.  REALLY huge.  It has a population of over 26 million people and covers 6374 square kilometers (that's like.... a lot of miles...).  We are amazed at the busyness of the city and the number of humans that are here.  We are also intrigued by how the old and new Shanghai intermingle.  You will see one level homes that have been there for a hundred years sitting right next to a brand new high rise apartment complex.  It's strange and beautiful all at the same time.  Our guides all talk about how expensive it is to live in Shanghai.  They frequently mention that the culture in China only allows one child in most circumstances and how boys are favored over girls.  It's interesting to hear them talk about it in such a casual manner.... but.... that's their culture.  I'm sure that things we do in America seem strange to them, too.  They are always asking us things about America to compare to their culture.... they are most interested in how we learn to drive, the weather (do we have a rainy season?), and the cost of things.  More than once, after our answer, they will say, "It much better."

Speaking of America.  We miss it.  We are such homebodies that it's difficult for us to be away from home for so long.  I mean, even when we go to Disney World (and you KNOW how much the Powells love us some Disney), we are usually ready to go home after a week.  Well, tomorrow will be a week for us, but instead of heading home, we've got to be packed and ready to head to city #2 - Guangzhou.  But we're hanging in there.  We've washed our underwear in the sink, gone shopping in the POURING rain, and ridden around all of Shanghai in that little white van.

Anyhoo..... here are some pictures of what's been happening.

See the tall building?  That's new.  See the little houses below?  Those are REALLY old.  Everything is built right on top of everything else.  VERY crowded.  And note the greenery along the Interstate.  Most of these are rose bushes and are watered and kept by government workers.  Interesting to see that greenery along the road like that.

Again.... old meets new.  The tea house on the left.... that one is really old.  It became famous when Queen Elizabeth visited there and had tea.  It became SO famous, that they built the one on the right.  It is a restaurant and tea room, I think.  This is at Yu Garden.  Very pretty.  Oh.  And little thang got herself a new stroller.  She loved the ride.... until she didn't.  Then we just pushed an empty stroller.

Again.... Yu Garden.  The garden was built by a military leader as an oasis for his family in the middle of the city.  I think that's right..... it's hard to listen to the guides and deal with priss pot.

Joe is chatting it up with Edward, our guide for the day.

At one point, Edward started speaking in rapid Chinese to our other guide, Maggie.  She said, "Edward says you are an interesting family.  He says that you are all so happy all the time.  Most Chinese families are very serious.  He like you."  Well, Edward, you ain't seen nothing yet.  We're trying to behave since we're in a foreign land and all......

Tea room where Queen Elizabeth had tea.... there are people in there.... having tea.  We didn't have the tea.

Joe with his kiddos.  Sweetness.

Yu Garden.... very quiet and peaceful in the middle of a BUSY city.

Chinese door:  SHORT.  American Powells:  TALL.

Edward pointed out something about a giant TV being brought into this room for entertainment.  He said they would watch the Chinese Acrobats and Oprah.  Funny.

A bazaar set up outside Yu Garden. 

Toy store:  the same, but different.

This street reminded me of Gatlinburg.  Except for the ginormous city right behind it.

At The Bund, there's a statue designed by the same fella who designed the bull for Wall Street in New York.  Same statue, actually.  Since I'm toting around baby girl, I'm having to depend on my three boys (ages 41, 14, and 11) to take pictures.  When I said, "Somebody take a picture of the Wall Street Bull".... this is the only picture of it I got.  Lovely.

These walls along The Bund are covered in CUPS.  The flowers are placed in the cups to make a design and changed out every week.  Neat!

The Bund.

The Bund.

Baby girl starting to warm up to her brothers.  She doesn't give them the stink eye much anymore.  They must have been sneaking her some Cheerios.

Everybody up in the big bed!  Just as it should be.

This is the creative district..... basically row after row of tiny little "stalls".... shop after shop after shop.  They sell everything from art to silk to trinkets to tea to pottery to.... Chicago Style Pizza.  Our guide was very much wanting us to "look not buy".... she said it is WAY too expensive here and we can get a better price somewhere else.  We did get a little trinket box with a rabbit on it (Mary's born in the year of the Rabbit), a Chinese fan, and a little silk pouch.  There will be MUCH more shopping done another day.  Oh.  And it was POURING down rain all morning.  So, I window shopped with three boys, the pouring rain, a 20 month old throwing her spoons everywhere, and two guides saying, "Just looking, yes?"  I gotta get some stuff, people.  In Guangzhou, I shop ALONE.  

Turtles for sale!

For the above mentioned reasons, we decided to NOT go to the SECOND outdoor shopping place and went to the Silk Museum instead.  It was FABULOUS and INDOORS.  These are the worms..... (I thought they were fake until they started MOVING....)

these are the cocoons.....

The boys helped four lovely Chinese ladies pull the silk to make a comforter.....

See Jack getting the "thumbs up" from one of the ladies?  Funny.  They were SO cute.

Boys touching the worms...... they were really soft.....

When the tour was over, they dump you out in a shop filled with silk stuff (prolly learned this from Disney....) Anyway... we got a silk scarf for Mary  (to use as a blanket) and a bracelet.  It took me a while to talk Max out of the $175 silk pajamas and the $50 silk boxers he wanted. I've promised him LOTS of treasures in Guangzhou.... but no 11 year old needs pajamas that cost $175.  

And, after a long day of WET touring, this is what Lil Bit did in the van on the way back to the hotel.

When we got back to the hotel, she was SOUND asleep.  So, I decided we'd lay her in her crib while I blogged......

She slept about five seconds.....  Then she started doing THIS.... LOOK, MOM!  I CAN STAND UP!.....  Little thing has been keeping secrets from us.  I think she can do a lot of things she hasn't shown us yet!

Love you, you little firecracker.  You are just fine......