Friday Evening...
Abi got home yesterday afternoon. She was exhausted and starving. I asked her what she wanted to eat and she said steak, a hamburger, spaghetti, and french fries. By the end of the evening she had eaten almost all of these things and is still eating every few minutes today. Her trip was very good....they hiked 30 miles in three days...from what she said and after looking at her pictures it was straight up and straight down. My favorite picture.....two monks standing on a wall talking on a cell phone.

We are all packed and ready to be at the airport at 6:30am.....yuk!!! We are taking a jar of peanut butter and bag of rolls just in case we need nourishment. Abi said she ate a lot of rice and Yak. There were also vegetables but as we all know.....she is not a big fan of anything green. I am sure after a week in Tibet we will all be ready for.....anything but rice.

Abi had a half day of school and Tim took the day off work. I was very spoiled with a birthday breakfast, birthday lunch, and a trip to the bead store. We finished off the day with an ice cream cake and a pedicure. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!!!

Good bye Shanghai....hello Tibet....not sure if we will have Internet so it may be a while before I can blog again.

Today started with my Chinese lesson which totally overwhelmed me.....too much..too fast....I think I better tell my teacher I am a sloooooow learner..... By the time my lesson was finest (my head felt like it was going to explode), Tim had already put in a 1/2 day of work. The rest of the day was a "Tim and Debbie" day. We rediscovered an "artsy" area in one of the back alleys of Shanghai. We walked around this area during Chinese New Year last Feb. but most of the shops were closed. It sort of fell off our map until today. This area is being converted into restaurants and small boutiques. The shops a scattered among homes where people live. It is a fascinating mix of old and new.

This is one of the small alleys where we had lunch

This is my lunch date.....

More of the alleys......the lady on the right is selling flowers off the back of her bike....

More of the shopping alleys...

After shopping in the alleys we went to an Antique market and from there we went to the Portman (Ritz Carlton) Hotel so I could get my hair cut. Tim had a foot message while he waited for me...

After my haircut I walked through the hotel to meet Tim. There was a "girl band" playing in the lobby.....they had very traditional instruments and played beautifully. I also discovered a sidecar motorcycle on display so I took Tim back to have a look...

It is a small world...the guy that makes these "convertibles" is the music manager for the hotel. We talked with him for a while about his manufacturing process......i.e...my eyes glazed over and I listened to the girl band while they talked.

We got back home just in time to have dinner that Xiao Zhang had prepared.....okay...okay...I am really spoiled!!!! Dinner was delicious!!! My contribution.....I lit the candle on the table.

Interesting news from China....

The Shanghai Daily reported some interesting statistics about the net income for the residents of China.....China's economics are booming but this will put it into perspective and give you an idea about the struggles of the Chinese people.

"The gap in net income between urban dwellers and rural residents reached 8,172.5 yuan (US $1086.77) last year, a rise of almost 2,300 yuan from 5,892.74 yuan in 2005, Vice Agriculture Minister Yin Chengjie told a press conference in Beijing. Urban residents' average annual income reached 11,759 yuan in 2006, while incomes for rural dwellers are only 3,587 yuan. The average income of farmers around the country grew by 314 yuan, or 13.3 percent, to 2,111 yuan in the first half of this year, which was the fastest income increase since 1995."

Tim and I have had a relaxing day. He worked 4 hours this morning before I even thought about getting out of bed. I was greeted with coffee and breakfast in bed.....oh yeah!!....that's how every morning should start.
My parents called this morning and said they had made it home safely. They said that many many moon cakes were confiscated in the San Francisco airport but they got to keep theirs because they did not have meat or egg yokes in them. Tim and I will be sampling ours later this evening. We are especially looking forward to the "ice cream" moon cakes. The moon big and bright and the sky is very clear so the mid-Autumn Festival should be successful.

This is the water front park on Sunday night. The small blue line of lights is The Bund. All the lights went out for 1/2 hour and then came back on.....we thought it was weird. The next day we read in the newspaper that the lights went out on purpose. In four major cities the lights were turned out for 1/2 hour in public places to make a point about conserving energy....
Mom and Dad with Xiao Zhang

On the way to the airport on the Mag Lev train.....speed...431 kilometers per hour

Our driver, Jan, gave the beautiful roses to Mom.....Mom gave them to the United ticket agent......holding them on the plane for 15 hours did not seem like a good idea...

The weather is very hot today in Shanghai. We took my parents to the airport this morning and I think it was a good day for them to be going home because it was hot and muggy as early as 9:00am. Tim was able to go with us to the airport so we took the Mag Lev (much faster way to get to the airport but not as easy to get luggage on and off without a lot of muscle)......and Tim was able to get seat upgrades to Econo Plus so Mom and Dad will have more leg room. I would say it was a very successful morning!!! We gave Mom and Dad instructions about the forms and lines they needed to get through and sent them through the gate. We have not heard from them so I think it is safe to say that they are on their way back to the US. They should be in Portland about 2:00pm tomorrow afternoon. I think they had a great trip and it was fun to share China and our crazy lives with them. Last night we had dinner at a German resturant on the river and we sat outside (the weather was wonderful) so we could watch the ships go by and the lights of the city come on. After dinner we walked down the pier and did some "people watching". People watching in China is fascinating.

Tim and I went to lunch together this afternoon and then he went to work and I met my quilting friends at a store that was having a quilt show. The show was small but it was nice to find another "resource" for sewing and quilting supplies.

I did not think I was tired but I came back home and took a nap and a hot bath. It was really nice!!!! Tim is taking part of the next two days off work so we are looking forward to spending some time together. Tomorrow is also Mid-Autumn Festival in China so we gave Xiao Zhang and Jan the day off. How will we survive????

Abi has texted us several times from Yunan and it sounds like she is having a great time. She is learning a lot about Tibetan culture so she should be able to share that with us next week as we all travel to Tibet. We will not hear from Abi for the next two days as she will be "treking" somewhere in the mountains.

I am not sure if I told you about our new driver. So much has happened in the past month that it is hard to keep it all straight. Anyway.....while I was in the US we got a new driver. Her name is Jan....she is about my age and has a son, age 20, attending university in Shanghai. This is Jan's first experience as an "expat" driver. She has been a taxi driver for several years and before that she worked in a factory. She is very funny and speaks very good English. Tim thinks there are too many women in our household now...ha ha!!!! I guess he is sort of out numbered....4 to 1. Jan was so cute with my parents....helping "grandma" in and out of the van every day.

Well....I am going to go and introduce myself to my sewing machine. It has been a long time since I have used it and I am afraid it has forgotten me. Ah....so many quilt designs in my head....so little time to make them!!!

PS: during the mid-Autumn festival it is customary to give your family and friends Moon Cakes. On the evening of the festival most families get together and and enjoy watching the moon and praying to the moon for good things to happen. We have not tasted moon cakes yet. They are very beautiful.....but....the first time I saw them I thought they were soap. From what I hear....soap may taste better than moon cakes. It is not considered rude to "regift" moon cakes to someone else (as long as you do it before the 25th).....I think it is like getting a fruit cake at Christmas time.....it is the gift that keeps on giving until it eventually comes back to you. I am fascinated with the packaging that hold moon cakes. The boxes are very elaborate and beautiful. As the "new China" emerges it is now acceptable to give your friends "moon cake" coupons. We got some Haagen Dazs coupons!!!! That is one we won't be "regifting"!!!!

Today we went for a walk to Yu Yuan Garden. We walked through the neighborhoods surrounding the garden area....Here are some highlights...

Moon Cakes for sale on the street

Mom and Dad "shopping in the rain"

More rain.....more shopping...

The tea garden at Yu Yuan Garden

Feeding the fish.....

fish....fish....fish....

Lunch anyone???? Pigeons on a stick or maybe some squid??

More of the garden....I love the architecture in this area

We decided against the pigeons and squid and went for something familiar.....

Shopping....shoppng.....shopping....

Friday continues...
We went downtown to find a silk factory but instead we found a very small shop of silk clothing...the clothing was very beautiful but it was not exactly what we were looking for....

When we came out of the shop these kids were walking back to their school. They were carrying musical instruments. They were so cute!!!

Friday night dinner at the Tai Restaurant-The Banana Leaf

Friday morning we left Abi, Tim and I left the house at 6:45am. We had breakfast at East West and took Tim to work and Abi to school. Abi met her hiking group at school and took the bus to the airport. Excitement was very high!!!

Abi on her way out to the car......I think it might be better if the big bag was on the back.....but....what do I know???

She is way too smiley for 6:45am!!!

Thursday continued.....

Dad modeling his new sports coat and Abi modeling her "rectical" hat. The name of this hat came about last Christmas. We were on our way to SunRiver and Abi, Kim, and I stopped to buy yarn so we could knit and crochet during our "road trip". Abi was attempting to make a hat with ear flaps and ment to say "rectangles". She got rectangles and triangles mixed together and said "recticals". We had a really good laugh about this and for evermore all hats with ear flaps will be "rectical" hats.

Abi spent the evening packing for her backpacking trip to Yunan Province....

On our way to the Majestic Theater to see 42nd Street...the play is part of a "Broadway in China" promotion. During the summer Tim and I saw Mama-Mia. Both musicals were FABULOUS!!!

Oops!!! Again I am slow to get my blog posted......This is what is happening in Shanghai.....

On Thursday we picked up the rest of our clothing pieces...everything fit this time. After the fabric market we took the Ferry across the river to get a different perspective.

Mom and Dad on the Ferry...Haungpu River

Sights from the river.....this is the Pudong sky line

This is a restaurant that we ate at last week. I think they must have removed the canopy from the dinning area because of the "big storm".

As we were crossing the river this ship passed in front of us.....I thought it was pretty interesting.

Yesterday was a very long and busy day.....today we just rested....I sat in our orange chairs and watched it rain....and took a nap...and read my book. The river was very quite today as everyone prepared for the storm. As they say....expect the best and plan for the worst!!!

Tonight Abi is packing for her trip to Yunan Province. I think she is going to be a backpacker after all....well...maybe I should reserve my excitement until after she returns from the actual hike?? Abi will leave on Friday morning....Mom and Dad will leave on Monday...Abi will return on Thursday....and we all leave for Tibet on Saturday. Life is soooooo boring I can hardly stand it!!!

I am exhausted after all this resting today....I better go to bed now.

We arrived in Beijing early Monday morning. Anny met us at the train station and transported us to our hotel for a shower!!!

Beijing Train Station

From the hotel we went directly to lunch.....


We had soooooo much food. Here is part of our feast....eggplant and mushrooms, a fruit that looked like green olives that were sweet and sour, garlic green beans, and yellow fish. The fish were deep fried in very hot oil so the outside was very crispy. Anny said we could eat the head and tail if we wanted.....I know you will be surprised but I did not eat a single fish head. Call me crazy but I draw the line when it comes to eating something with it's face still attached...

Our final dish were noodles....the last time I was in Beijing we ate these noodles cold.....this time we ate them warm....I like warm much better. The noodles are served without broth and a variety of cold vegetables like beans, onions, and cucumbers.

Dad taking a picture of Tieamen Square

The mid-Atrium festival is September 25th. This festival is the second most important celebration in China. During this festival, moon cakes are exchanged and families and friends get together to celebrate the festival. As part of this festival, Tianamen Square was being decorated with beautiful landscapes. It reminded me of very elaborate displays at a home and garden show. All of the display above was created with plants and rocks. This is part one of three......you can see that this was still under construction but it represents Rome....
The second display will show the journey of the Olympic torch

The third one is the Great Wall

On to the Forbidden city.....

Mom and Dad hiking through the Forbidden City....I say hiking because it is a very big place.

More of the Forbidden City

The City was painted in very "regal" colors....the Emperor was the only that

could use Gold and Yellow

The royal garden....just as we arrived in the garden it started pouring rain....We took cover in the well house.

As we were waiting for the rain and lightning to subside we watched many tour groups run for cover....it was very entertaining!!!! Anny carries her umbrella with her all the time....if not for rain...she uses it for sun. She walked to the gate and purchased each of us a rain poncho so we would stay dry.

Peking Duck dinner ... poor duck!!!

These are dishes that were served with our duck. Top-left.....we call those "slimy noodle things". Anny said they are made from potato. They were in a vinegar sauce and mixed with cucumber and other cold veggies. This was our least favorite of all the food we ate in Beijing. We also had eggplant with tofu, soup, and of course the toppings for Peking duck.

The next day was "Great Wall Day"

It was still raining on Tuesday.....the ponchos were very useful. To get to the wall you have to walk up a long road and then a stone street and then some stair. We took our time and I was very proud that my parents made it to the top....not an easy task! still climbing...
Ah....finally we made it to the tram...

Up...up...up....up.... we were happy to be riding

TA DAH!!! We made it.....see the Great Wall to the right....the white line is the wall as it goes across the mountain side for as far as you can see.....


The view in the opposite direction is just as beautiful...

China is a beautiful country

Walking on the wall...


Taking shelter in one of the fortresses....

Looking to the south....or was that the west???
Another view of the "Great Wall".....very impressive


Dad fishing for lunch


The great fisherman!!!!

I will call this our fish lunch.....The fish (top leftish) was cooked in a wood oven. We also had soup, stir fried potatoes, rice, and eggplant.

Look closely at the utensils.....do I see forks???

After lunch we drove to the Hu Tong.....the old city. Hu Tong means different tribes living together in harmony. Peking was a very big trade area and many different minority groups come to trade their goods and live in this area.

This is my "picture of the week". These two ladies were sitting on the step visiting and watching the people. I loved the shopping cart they had with them.

Enjoying the shops in this area......they are doing a lot of construction in this district in preparation for the Olympics...it was interesting to see the construction process...

Standing on the "gold and silver" river.

Rickshaw ride...

Great wall in the morning......standing by the lake in the afternoon...it has been a full day

The bride and groom


Standing in the court yard

Free time!!!! I remembered where the Starbucks was located...Yippee!!!

Then we were off to dinner and to see if we could catch a flight to Shanghai this evening. Our flight the next day would put us into Shanghai about the same time as the typhoon...yikes!!!

Our hostess and very cook cook...

Just as we arrived for dinner, Anny had confirmed a flight for us at 9:00pm....If we can make the flight we will get back to Shanghai before the storm hits. All the schools are closed tomorrow and many people were being evacuated from "at risk" areas of Shanghai...

Dinner was "hao chi" (deliouse)....we ate quickly and drove to our hotel to pack.

We raced to the hotel to pack, raced through traffic to get to the airport, and raced to get our tickets and find the gate.....I thought the flight would be very "bummpy" as we got closer to Shanghai but it was very pleasant!!! We arrived at airport around 11:00pm and waited in a very long line for a taxi...Did I say waited in line??? Yes...the taxi line was very organized....the quewing system is working in China. We were very happy to be back before the storm....

The flight we were scheduled to be on was cancelled today...so we would still be in Beijing. The storm has gone around the city....about 155 miles to the west. We are lucky...only a little flooding and some strong winds.