Week 45 - Christmas Eve

This is the 'grown up' Christmas Eve dinner complete with a summery Pimms and lemonade drink.  Jie Jie and Didi have been enjoying eating at their own little table - called 'our restaurant' and have enjoyed the independence.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2011.

Week 44 - Malvern East

The kids and I arrived safely for our 7 weeks in Australia, Grandma and Bob are thrilled to have the grandkids visiting and we got straight into the Christmas spirit with tree decorating and Carols by Candlelight... Jie Jie and Didi did us proud and walked all the way (1km) from home to Central Park for the Carols.

Week 43 - Blue Frog, Jinqiao

Jie Jie had been nagging us to have one last lunch at her favourite restaurant, the Blue Frog, before we headed back to Australia for Christmas, and what's better than just lunch, but lunch and a play with one of her best friends, and for me, lunch with one of mine!!  Thanks guys for being such great friends all year, and happy Christmas in Canada from all of us down under.

Week 42 - From the 53rd Floor, Lujiazui

Went to lunch on December 1 to celebrate my good friend's 40th birthday (I must be getting old too to have friends turning 40!) at Scena Restaurant in the new Ritz Carlton Hotel.  I loved looking down - the ring is a raised pedestrian walk to cross all the roads, and linking each corner at Super Brand Mall, the Apple Store in the IFC, Lujiazui Metro Station and of course the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Week 41 - Guest Blogger... One night in Tokyo

Guest blogger?  Well, I had a slow week and my dear husband went to Japan for a conference and took my camera, so I want to use his photos instead this week!  So here is Mike to fill you in...

Akasaka Capusle Hotel

Living in a Box


Having the opportunity to spend the night in an Capsule Hotel was one of the highlights of visiting Tokyo this week.

The over all experience was very surprising, the capsule itself was surprisingly comfortable and not as tight a squeeze as I imagined.
It was difficult to judge the time of day.. no wonder the Japanese business men who typically stumble out of these hotels in the middle of the day look so disorientated after a big night on the Sake.

Psychologically it was also a bit of a shock.. having spent a few hours earlier in the bar of the Ritz Carlton on the 42nd floor of the Midtown tower where I spent as much on beer as it cost for my capsule room!!

Tokyo itself was very surprising. It was not as busy as I had expected, yes there were a lot of people but there are a lot of people here in China too.

Week 40 - Suzhou Creek Park

According to legend, there used to be a sign in this park that said "No Dogs or Chinese Allowed".  It is near the Monument to Peoples Heroes, at the junction of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu at the north end of the Bund.  It is a pretty little park, and seems so far away from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai!  It was recently determined that the sign actually didn't exist, but there the guidelines for the park included  reserving it for the foreign community, and prohibiting dogs and bicycles.

Week 39 - Busy little market, Jinqiao

Look at how fresh these leafy vegetables are... this is just outside our local post office, a little community market most mornings.  That big green thing is a bitter melon, used in stir fries and you buy it by the slice, about 3 cm thick.  I love the modified tricycle to peddle her wares. Can you see the fish in little basins just behind?  They are all still alive and the fishmonger man will clean and fillet them for you!

Week 38 - Winter mist

In the chill of early morning the mist clings to the ground.  It looks quite mysterious and from 21 floors up, almost like a lake.  It burns off as the sun warms up the day!

Week 37 - Happy Halloween

Another Friday, another dress up day.... Jie Jie had her heart set on being Diego, from Go Diego Go.  I didn't think it was a very exciting costume - shorts and a t-shirt, but she loves it!!  Especially Rescue Pack.   You can see a little Batman in the background.  On Halloween proper, she insisted on wearing the same outfit, and Rescue Pack is a particularly good collector of 'candy'.  Happy Halloween!

Week 36 - Gumboot Dancers

One of the annual events on an international school calendar is UN Week.  In Jie Jie's class they have learned about all the countries represented by their classmates with the mums coming in with a sample of food and a story or activity for the kids to do.  These dancers from South Africa made a big impact with their boot stamping and leg slapping dance moves - Jie Jie has preferred to wear her gumboots all week!!  UN Week culminated in a national costume parade at Ducks and an enormous food fair in the Junior School courtyard, and the volume of food was amazing... meatballs from Denmark, hot dogs from the States, pavlova from Australia, sushi from Japan, and Irish Stew from ?

Week 35 - 10/10/10

What a date!  It's my birthday, and I was born in 1974, also the year of the Tiger... so what an auspicious celebration.  What do you think of my Tiger cake?  I was quite impressed, even though I made it, for me!!  We had a little soiree, with lots of champagne and tasty morsels... and it was a ten out of ten day!!

Week 34 - Hey di, hey di ho, the elephant goes so slow

This beautiful animal, Jambo, took us for a short walk through the Thai jungle.  Jie Jie was so excited about riding an elephant, and had just enjoyed feeding another one bananas, papaya and guavas.  Didi thought they were pretty amazing too, and walked around swinging his arm like a trunk, and trumpeting away!!

Week 33 - Samui Beach Village

We have just had a lovely relaxing holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand with two other families.  We stayed at this resort in a Villa with a private pool, but this was the shared resort pool, right on the beach.  The kids loved swimming, and improved out of sight after spending hours swimming each day!

Week 32 - USA Pavillion

Last weekend we went to Expo, and loads of people were comparing their arm span (and height) with Kobe Bryant.   Most people were significantly shorter, and had a much smaller span.  Mike created quite a stir, as clearly he was a professional basketball player (except for the manbag), and was photographed by loads of onlookers!

  

Week 31 - Science lesson

I'm spending a lot of time in this room at the moment... I'm doing my second prac for my teaching diploma.  I'm teaching Year 6 at the moment, and this was a science lesson that rocked.  The kids were engaged, interested and got on with their work.  I was impressed with them all!  FYI They are using Newton meters to compare the difference in force required to move an object in and out of water.

Week 30 - Rainy day

Apart from having cut off the top of his head, there are a number of things about this photo that I'd like to bring to your attention.
1. He's now able to walk up steps without a helping hand or crawling.
2. He loves to carry around leaves (as in his right hand) which he subsequently 'posts' in cracks or drains.
3. He finally fits into his first pair of gum boots... and aren't they cute?  Hello, muddy puddles!!

Week 29 - Autumn morning

Yesterday morning the kids and I took a bucket of water, a water pistol and a water cannon down to our lake to try and shoot down Peter Pan and the Wendy Bird.  Captain Hook and Smee did a pretty good job.  When they weren't in character the two kids were gorgeous and the sun was shining and the sky was blue - a perfect morning to be outdoors!

Week 28 - First Day at School

This is my baby.  Wearing a uniform.  Carrying an enormous backpack.  Taking a packed lunch. Going to school.  Where has the time gone?  She's so grown up.

Week 27 - Moon Cake in Carrefour

Coming up in late September is the Mid-Autumn Festival.  It celebrates the end of the summer harvest, and the autumnal equinox.  Celebrations include eating moon cakes.  Like Christmas decorations, these seem to be appearing earlier and earlier each year.  This one we called the 'Whole of the Mooncake' - it's enormous!!!  And so you'd expect for costing 2888RMB (AUD$478). Those baskets behind are full of bite size mooncakes... some are delicious, and some have awful surprise meat fillings in!  I particularly like a coconut one this year.

Week 26 - Natural History Museum

After sweltering in 40deg heat, we decided that one way to escape the heat would be to visit a museum.  We caught a taxi to Puxi to the Natural History Museum, except that the taxi overheated and dropped us closer to People Square, so we had to walk back almost a kilometre to get to the museum... And then it was cool only for being in the shade and with high ceilings, this old museum had some portable air conditioners and ceiling fans only.  It was interesting to see all the specimens, skeletons and stuffed animals.  And a year after visiting and loving the Natural History Museum in London, it was funny that Jie Jie didn't like the dinosaurs because they had 'no skin'.

Week 25 - First haircut

It was so hot and sticky, and his long curls were giving him heat rash on the back of his neck and a few dreadlocks were forming, so I took him to Head to Toe, Jinqiao to have his first real haircut at 18 months old.  (We have trimmed it once before.)  He sat so still, while the snipping and combing was going on, sitting in a little red car - you can just see the steering wheel and back tyre.  He never ever stays still that long when I try to brush / comb the knots out!

Week 24 - Baishuitai, Yunnan

Baishuitai, or White Water Terraces, are about 100km from Shangri-La and was one of the most beautiful localised spots we saw on our trip. The terraces are formed as a combination of erosion and deposition of limestone, and the area has an incredible amount of water continually flowing, higher up the mountains in streams, and then just flowing over the stone. It is high altitude, so the water is cool, and also I think the cleanest flowing water I have seen in China!

Week 23 - Shangri-La

That's me and Ellie lolling about in rubber rings. We are relaxing in the Tianshenqiao Hot Springs not far out of Shangri-La. The water in the pool comes out of that cliff, and is hot like a bath. The minerals in the water made our skin tingle. Such a magnificent spot for a swim, surrounded by the cliff, mountains all around and you can hear the rapids in the river running just next to the pool.

Week 22 - Dali, Yunnan

This lady was selling chickens, for dinner, not egg laying, and although these 3 were on top of the basket, it was full of more chickens. Not exactly RSPCA approved! And certainly not free range now!

Week 21 - Kunming

We're on holidays in Yunnan, and while this is not the most beautiful photo of the region, it is interesting! This guy is curing pork legs using a blow torch, on a gas barbecue!! Then he picked up the leg and scraped off the burn, and then did it again. We didn't have this guy's pork, but cured pork leg is used in loads of dishes and is delicious. Mike was thinking about a dish called Pork Propane.

Week 20 - The Bund

Mike and I went out for lunch at Lost Heaven on the Bund, and then thought we'd go home via the Bund to Nanjing Dong Lu station, thinking there would be very few people because of the weather... How wrong were we? The crowds were still there, just under umbrellas. I love the sea of umbrellas crossing the road and up on the riverside promenade, where there is no shelter at all. I also love the misty view across to Pudong.

Week 19 - Thumb Plaza, Lianyang

Mike and I were out celebrating the end of the school year with his colleagues, and decided to walk home. It had been raining while we were there, and the lights were looking beautiful in the puddles. Mike took this long exposure shot, and I walked through it. So did a lady wearing elegant high heels... Sort of eerie.

Week 18 - Duolun Road

Our last ditch tourist outing for Mum and Dad's trip was to Duolun Road Cultural Street, in the Hongkou district. It's full of sculptures of writers, and there is a Modern Art museum, and loads of little trinket shops, one of which reportedly has the largest collection of Mao Badges. We went while Ellie was at school, and it was just a morning outing. We had coffee and cake in this building, the Old Film Cafe, but these girls, and also some very well dressed men were doing a model shoot and we kept seeing them as we walked along the street. I thought their qipaos were beautiful, and they looked so elegant in their various poses.

Week 17 - M on the Bund

I have wanted to go to this restaurant since arriving in Shanghai (almost). It is run by Michelle Garnaut, an Australian chef and Kylie Kwong visited the restaurant in one of her TV series. Anyway, with Mum and Dad visiting, I finally got to go!! We left the kids at home, and Mike was working and the three of us went out for lunch... the table setting was exquisite, and the view fantastic. We were sitting out on the terrace with phenomenal views down the Bund and across to Lujiazui. Lunch was delicious!!! This photo of course is of the view, through our glasses of Taittinger - what else would you drink?

Week 16 - Womende jiating

Womende jiating means our family in Mandarin. This is my family - my mum and dad, my sister, my husband, my kids and me.

We were all together for one week in Shanghai - Marnie flew in from London to see us while Mum and Dad were visiting too. Our house was full, but it was so good to have everyone here! Of course we talked about arranging a full family photo a number of times during the week, but this was taken just before we called a cab to take Marnie to the airport to fly home again!

Week 15 - Expo

This week I went to Expo for the first time! It is on here in Shanghai for 6 months until the end of October. Shanghai has been getting ready for Expo since we arrived, and is now blooming and beautiful as all construction has finished and they are ready to welcome millions of people as guests of the city. These are the flags of all the participating countries in Expo.

Week 14 - Welcome to Shanghai

I have never seen Ellie run so fast as she did when we met Mum and Dad at Pudong Airport, and truly leap into my Bob's arms. I don't think I have ever seen a smile as big as my Dad's when he caught her! They are here for 4 weeks, and loving being hands on grandparents again!

Week 13 - Wake up Jamie

So, it's been a bit of a slow week... so how cute is Jamie waking up?? It's rare that I get into his room at the same time as him waking, usually I go in after I hear the screams... so it was lovely to watch him wake up this time, and fortuitous that the camera was handy!

Week 12 - The Bund

The Shanghai government gave Shanghai residents a bonus two days holiday on each side of the Labour Day May holiday to celebrate the start of Expo 2010. We stayed in Shanghai, and against all advice decided to make the trip down to the newly opened Bund to have a wander alongside the river. It was a glorious day, and everyone was happy, and pleasingly it was actually not too crowded. The Bund is stunning, and ready to take on the masses of tourists expected to converge on the city over the next 6 months. I like this one with glimpses of the SWFC and the Pearl Tower in the flash of sky, and the pretty pink sun umbrella on the left.

Week 11 - Anzac Day

Early in the morning, but fortunately not dawn early, Ellie, Jamie and I went to the Anzac Day service at the Australian Consulate General's house in Puxi. The service was nice, it was a beautiful day, and we were proud to be Australian! Thanks to all the Australian Servicemen and women who have looked after our country. They also had the best ever lamingtons at the morning tea afterwards.

Week 10 - Farmers Market

At Mike and Ellie's school each season there is a farmer's market. Typically there are about 20 stalls with produce which is unusual compared to that readily available in Shanghai, and yet craved for by the expat market - for example chutneys, jams, yoghurt, cupcakes, meat pies and sausage rolls - yes, I should start my own cottage kitchen industry making chutney again!! Enterprising people import, or make available through markets like this and email sales, cook ware such as cake tins, flans, cookie cutters or popsicle sticks. Back home, you don't think about these things as they are so readily available - here, we're well stocked on soy sauce, noodles, woks and rice cookers, but not so much on sundried tomatoes, breads, food processors or mixers. So farmer's markets are well attended, and quite the social occasion... as well as quite the fundraiser!!

Week 9 - Spring, finally

The cherry blossoms are out, and look stunning. The trees are regrowing their leaves. The cats are having babies. But this winter is still going on... come on, we're ready for warm weather!!!

Week 8 - Teppanyaki

We went out for a grown up dinner with some friends last week. Ayi stayed late to look after our kids, and we headed out for a long night of 'all you can eat' at Kagen teppanyaki in Taojiang Lu, Puxi... it was delicious and a bargain!!! Started with this beautiful sashimi... look at that salmon, then enjoyed the show of having our dinner cooked at our table, and finished with full full bellies!

Week 7 - Cross curricular hair

At school this week Ellie's class have been studying the number "5". This photo was taken on Friday, when Ellie picked out of her myriad selection of hair ties 5 small(ish) plain bands and said she wanted 5 bunches. Initially I was skeptical, but think it turned out OK. And she was pleased with the result, as you can see her admiring in the mirror. And she was excited to be the star of the counting game in class!

Next week is brought to the Toddler Class by the number 6 - hmmmm....

Week 6 - Jinqiao 8k

I ran 8km, I ran 8km, I ran 8km!!! First time ever, I've run in a 'fun run'!! My goal was to do it in under an hour, and I did it in 52 mins!!! It was a perfect day and I was so proud of myself!! Entering the run was sort of a new years resolution, but I wasn't very good at the training for it... prior to the event I had slowly built up my distance and the furthest I'd gone was just under 6km. It had been so cold getting out and running. I don't even like running. But I can't stop now.... or shouldn't!

Week 5 - view from Shimao

This is the view from our back balcony, hopefully you can see the yellow circle in the middle of the photo - well, that's Mike pushing the pram! I have never walked through there, but Mike assures me that it is much nicer down there than it looks from here. The powerlines remind me a bit of "The Castle"... aaah the serenity!

Week 4 - Kangqiao

I went on an excursion with my Year 3 class (from my last prac) around Kangqiao / Cambridge Forest New Town as they are studying their local area. We walked from school down the local road alongside a canal to a museum of traditional life, which is still under construction, but very interesting. The buildings were being built using reclaimed/recycled materials in a traditional manner. The grounds were farming vegetables, and there were loads of hens, geese and ducks.

Week 3 - Jinqiao

This was taken from our apartment window. On the 21st floor, we are level with the fireworks!! These fireworks were for the last night of the Chinese New Year celebrations, on a night called Lantern Night. This was the night that Jamie was born last year.

Week 2 - Dong Jiao State Guest Hotel

This amuses me, and I felt was appropriate as we are still celebrating the Chinese new year - this tiger, is made out of electrical cords and little fairy lights (so would look gorgeous at night) is in the middle of a garden bed, adorned with FAKE flowers! Yep, the pink and red blossoms are fake! The pansies are real!

Week 1 - Xintiandi

So, hi. I like this photo as the starter for my photo diary of the Year of the Tiger... it kind of summarises right now in Shanghai: welcoming Expo with Haibo and his girlfriend, the crackers and lantern for Chinese New Year and the cumquat trees, which seem to be synonymous with the Spring Festival and of course the slogan "The Wind is blowing China's Way" - which shows how China is booming in business as well as all the development in Shanghai coming to completion as Expo approaches. Also the hearts are kind of nice as Valentines Day coincided with New Years Day. I think it will be an exciting year.

Xinnian Kuaile. Gong xi fan cai!