Merry Christmas!

Shengdan Kuaile! (Merry Christmas!)

What a treat to have the twins visit us this Christmas in Shanghai! In this photo we're modeling our tailor-made clothes (suits and tuxes for less than $60 each). Elaine also bought a "prom dress".

Yesterday we helped lead music at church, and singing Christmas carols is putting us in the Christmas spirit. I hope all of you enjoy a time of peace and renewal.

Anniversary in Suzhou

Mark and Luke helped us celebrate our 32nd anniversary in Suzhou, a scenic city a few hours from Shanghai.

Art in Zhu Jia Jiao

With Elaine visiting family and friends in Boise over Thanksgiving, Ben decided to take a trip to Zhu Jia Jiao, a water city one hour west of Shanghai known as the "Venice of Shanghai".

Traveling solo, my expectations weren't too high...I thought I'd just stay a few hours, look around and go home. But on a boat ride I met some nice art students from Shanghai University. We ended up having lunch together, then sketching by river until dusk. What a pleasant surprise!

Cobbler Tale

Today Elaine and I went for a walk to the neighborhood market. I had my backpack since I planned to do some work afterwards. Sadly this favorite backpack had a torn handle, and in the US would have been headed for the trash.

On the way home I saw a cobbler, and (using sign language) asked if she could fix it. She carefully disassembled it, made some modifications, then restitched it with her manual sewing machine. It's better than new! I came back for the photo of her shop on the street, but she was too shy to have her photo taken.

Washing Windows at Shimao

Here's how they wash windows on the 23rd floor of our apartment...

The Astonishing Power of the Chinese Bicycle

Everyday we see slender Chinese men (both old and young) pedaling rusty, decrepit bikes laden with every imaginable item. here are some we've captured on camera. Though it's common for men to carry the ubiquitous "sparklett's size water cooler bottles" on a bike CART, today I saw a man cycling WITHOUT a CART balancing not 2, but 8 massive bottles all on a simple bicycle. Who needs a gym?

Here's another test w/o VPN

Blue skies, puffy clouds and comfortable temps and humidity have increased my enjoyment of Shanghai this week. The downside - shredded wheat costs nearly $9 a box.

We're On from Shanghai!

Darcy's Wedding

John and Darcy McGrath. Photos from their wedding day on July 28, 2007.

Congratulations!