Year of the Dragon

We're done, the Year of the Rabbit is over... come and find us now at
Our Year of the Dragon - Photo Journal

Week 51 - New Years Eve, Jinqiao

We rugged up for our first outing in true winter. We escaped some of the long Shanghai winter by staying in Australia for a few extra weeks past Christmas, and have dropped 25 degrees to venture out in 1 degree  cold today. It's funny to think that the last time we were outside we were running around in shorts and sundresses... and now hats, scarves and gloves.  Didi wasn't quite prepared to ditch his crocs just yet!!

The silly season has started and we can hear firecrackers and see fireworks from our building.  The Year of the Rabbit has been a good one for us, and seemingly quick!  Happy Chinese new year to you!!  Xinnian kuaile!!

Week 50 - Boomerang Princess, Healesville

As part of our Australian holiday, Mum, Dad and I took the kids to Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley to see koalas, kangaroos, dingoes, platypus and an amazing free flight bird show.  After the bird show, this man came out and played the didgeridoo (an aboriginal musical instrument) and demonstrated boomerang throwing. At the end of his show he said, and I quote "If you'd like to buy a boomerang I have some for sale here for $15, but at the end of the show I like to give away my boomerang to the girl with the most beautiful smile" and then proceeded to walk all the way around the arena and climbed over seats in front to Jie Jie, and said to her "Here you go Princess, you're beautiful".  Jie Jie was gobsmacked, and Didi was very jealous.  Loads of people bought them, and then we went down and he gave her a quick throwing lesson.  Jie Jie couldn't get the smile off her face all day!!  Highlight of our visit to Healesville!!

Week 49 - I want ABC4kids, East Malvern

This move is straight from Grandma if the children don't listen to her when she speaks and they were watching TV.  The pout is model's own due to disappointment that his grandfather was insisting on watching adult TV as opposed to ABC4kids, which as you can tell by the darkness outside is probably long since finished for the evening.

Week 48 - Queens Bridge, Melbourne

We walked from Flinders Street Station to the Aquarium to see the new Sharks and Shipwrecks exhibit, and this bridge with the sunshine and the light caught my attention. 

The colour of the water in the Yarra caught Jie Jie's attention - why is the water brown Mum?

Week 47 - On the Ferry, Sydney

What a beautiful city!!  And we were here to check out our house to check out how the tenants are treating it... fortunately they are looking after it, so we were free to enjoy the rest of our time in Sydney footloose and fancy-free!!  We saw friends and family, caught a ferry to Manly for lunch and a frolic in the sea and were blessed with Sydney's famous blue sky - what a beautiful city!!

Week 46 - Bush Playground, Wagga Wagga

We have come home to Australia for Christmas, and were lucky enough to be invited to stay with a really, old friend of mine - in years of friendship of course - and her family, including a delicious newborn baby only 14 weeks old in Wagga Wagga.  I had so forgotten the dry hot heat of country NSW.

Our girls (and Didi) got along like a house on fire, and had a good play at this, and a couple of other playgrounds in Wagga.  I hope that it is not too long before we see you again!!  Thanks for having us guys!!!

Week 45 - 'Twas the night before...

our Christmas trip to Australia, when all through the house, packing cases were everywhere and we were watching a total lunar eclipse.

One child had succumbed to the late night moon show, and was tucked up all snug in his bed. 

The other had set up a viewing chamber (including midnight snack) from her room to watch the eclipse, although our best photos were taken from the balcony where it was about 1 degree, and the tiles felt like ice.  Luckily it was our last night in Shanghai for a while, and we could enjoy watching the moon turn red!

Week 44 - 4 degrees, Jinqiao

Brrrr, it's beginning to feel a lot like winter here in Shanghai... the wind chill is making it colder, the tiles on the kitchen floor are so cold it hurts to walk on them barefoot, we're using the heating and it is taking longer for the hot water to reach the shower.

This morning was the first morning we really needed to rug up to go to school - hats, scarves and gloves. Didi is even wearing lined jeans.

Lucky it's less than two weeks before we escape Shanghai's winter and go home to Australia for Christmas!!  Summer time for six weeks!!

Week 43 - 10pm, Jinqiao

Who knew? Every evening, and I checked this with the stall holder, these guys (there's 3 more just like this one all in a row) come here with this delicious assortment of meats and vegetables (although I have to say I would pass on a dish that looked very much like slug) set up and cook over a super hot wok, check out the flames... and then serve to passers by, even this smart looking girl!  There are some very portable tables and chairs set up behind them on the footpath.

This stand is right on the corner... you can see the two zebra crossings which meet behind the end of the stall.

For the locals, it's Biyun and Baihua Lu Corner, near Head to Toe!