Bit bleary-eyed this morning. Apparently the smog, cigarettes and 100 zillion germs have finally caught up to my sinuses, head and throat. So bear with me if this post is not exactly tack sharp.
Yesterday, I crept out of bed around 5:45 and showered so as not to traumatize Juni with Mommy being eaten by the shower again. Juni and Steve woke up an hour or so later. Did I mention how insanely cute Juni is when she wakes up? She's like a little blinking mole and needs lots of gentle hugs to ease her into the day. (Anyone remember those mandrakes from Harry Potter movies?) Anyway, after that it was bath time for Juni and this go around was way better than the first. She actually played with the toys and didn't cry until we took her out. Seriously, look how cute she is. I smile just thinking about her.
The itinerary for yesterday included a trip to the porcelain selling area in town and a stroll around a giant park. So after a quick breakfast at the hotel buffet, where there are both western food items and things like noodles and sheep's knuckles (well okay, I know they don't technically have knuckles but that's what it looked like. Oooh, which reminds me, I saw a woman the other day eating a bowl of noodles with a giant chicken foot sticking out the top. I sooooo wanted to stick around to watch her eat it but felt that would have been a bit rude. It's not that I am horrified or anything, in fact the exact opposite. I very much respect the fact that if you are going to kill something to eat it, you might as well go the whole nine yards. Using every edible morsel is a good thing. Anyway, I digress.) we all trundled onto the bus and away we went.
Juni eyeing the street life of Nanchang from the comfort of the bus.
First stop, Porcelain Row. Apparently, Jiangxi is known for its pottery and now there are shops that line the streets in a certain area of the town. I love to make pottery and I'm wowed by the incredible skill it takes to make these unbelievable pieces of porcelain. There were pots that stood taller than us and tiny paper-thin teacups that the shop owner held up to the light to show us the translucency. Beautiful but really, how are we supposed to pack something like that? Next thing I know, Steve is eyeing a tea set. Just to give everyone a bit of background here on how odd this is. Steve and I are not big shoppers and buying something completely non-necessary like a jade dragon or a porcelain tea set is well, just way out of the norm. So anyway, much to my delight and amusement, we walked away with an entire porcelain tea set. God help us trying to navigate the next several days of travel.
I included this porcelain detail because it reminded me of Aidan and Sam parading around our house playing drums, harmonicas, saxoflutes, etc. Luckily, Aidan did not cut his hair this much when he decided to give himself a trim at school a few weeks back. We miss our boys so much and can't wait to get home and give them giant hugs.
Next stop Xiang Hu Park
It was beyond nice to be in a quiet peaceful setting with things that grow. It was extremely peaceful and the light rain only added to the softness of the meander. The park is used as a place to contemplate and enjoy nature but also as a spot to exercise. Do not picture NYC joggers here but more like elderly people doing Tai Chi, stretching and using all sorts of metal gadgetry to work out the kinks. Kind of like an adult playground. There were also spots for kids to play as well but in a separate area. There were also things like paddle boats, amphitheaters and teahouses. Steve wrote a bit yesterday so I'll just plug in his words.
"The group went to Xiang Hu Park today and although it was another kind of gloomy, overcast day, the scenery was beautiful and there were various paths, bridges, courtyards and ponds to walk through, over, and around. It was very quiet and serene and we would occasionally come across a courtyard with people exercising or playing badminton. It was very interesting that there was not only a playground set aside for kids, but an exercise area for adults that had all sorts of equipment for stretching, hanging ,walking, flipping, etc. We saw barely any Chinese children in the park, but there were plenty of adults in the exercise courtyard." -SD
I guess great minds think alike.
Xiang Hu Park
There was this incredible 30 to 40 ft-long sign made out of flowers and I think cabbages (stop cringing all you gardeners) at the front entrance. The Chinese characters spelled out "2011".
I love Steve and sheep. Need I say more.
We continued on from our morning exercise and followed many the wandering path. Some were big like this one and others were just small stone slabs winding through bamboo.
Then we stumbled upon this scene.
"After wandering around for a while we started hearing some traditional Chinese music and followed the sound to a small outdoor amphitheater. There was an older man playing an instrument that sounded similar to a violin and a woman singing on the stage and we sat down as an audience of three. The woman was obviously excited to have us listening and she even took out a couple of wooden seats for us to sit on while we were watching. Not being too familiar with Chinese music, it sounded almost like a combination of opera and folk music, but it was a great moment sitting there in the drizzle as the couple performed for us. She even came over and smiled as she pinched Juni's cheek before we moved on." -SD
The rain really started to come down so we scampered over to this teahouse jutting out into a lake. A few minutes before I had seen a swan paddle boat glide by but with the rain steadily increasing, we opted for dry land. Plus can you imagine what the granny police would say boating with a baby in a downpour?!
We eventually worked our way back to the bus but not before spying this marvelous gate. I really wanted to explore that little alleyway. There are some aspects of group travel, like an itinerary, that annoy me for the constraints.
Next stop, a lunch gathering at a restaurant that had this enormous free-standing circular fish tank in its lobby. The kids loved it and I don't think we ate any of the fish.
Then it was back to the hotel room for nap time. Due to the rain, we decided to stay in our hotel and play after nap and order room service. Juni was hysterical. She is really coming out of her shell and we can definitely see the outgoing and stubborn little personality traits that were checked off in the tiny boxes on her update description. She has fits of deep belly laughs and a wild impish nature. We love her through and though and can't wait for you all to meet her.
Love to you all!
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