Here we were at Tianman Square in Beijing.  Casey is showing Ellen his favorite poses for taking pictures....or for when the Chinese take her picture!

Oh what a night...and a trooper!

Here we are stilling in the hospital in Beijing on our first day of our vacation.  Why you ask?  Well the night before at dinner Casey and Ellen were doing 1, 2, 3....jump and the next thing you know we are leaving the restaurant and heading for Dr. Denis's office.  Since it was 8:00 o'clock at night the doctor was happy to see us but was not able to offer a real solution.  We told him we had an 8:00am flight to Beijing in the morning and wondered if we should cancel it.  He said no and actually referred us to this hospital.  So he bandaged Ellen up in a sling, gave her a sucker and sent us on our way.

As soon as we landed in Beijing we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, grabbed a taxi and headed to the hospital.  Mind you that Ellen was still in pain and barely had any sleep, rode on a plane for 3 hours, took the subway to the hotel and the cab to the hospital.  Needless to say she fell asleep on the way...which was a good thing!  As soon as Casey and I told the doctor what happened he walked over to her, grabbed her arm and slowly rotated it.  Ellen woke up as he was saying he thought he heard something pop back into place so it was most likely dislocated.  He told us we had to give her 30 minutes to see if she would start using her arm again.  I gave her my cell phone and she was cured!  Wow!  What a way to start off our trip!  Luckily the rest of the trip went much better!  

I should also mention that on the way home from Dr. Denis's office I realized I did not have my house keys and either did Casey.  We were with Joe and Karen so we all made it into the building and headed to our apartment to see what we could do.  (Bekah I even tried my credit card trick from college, but no luck.)  I ended up calling Takila and asking her to help.  She found me someone that worked at our complex and was going to charge me 250 RMB.  I didn't care at that point, I would pay anything!  Ellen was in pain and we needed some sleep before our trip.  But as I was on the phone I look at Joe and he is taking his shoe lace out of his shoe.  He ended up sliding it in the door on the top of the lock and pulled it out the bottom.  He then pulled on the shoe lace forcing the latch in and allowing our door to open.  He was a true life saver and saved me some cash!  He would do anything to make sure Ellen was home safe and in her bed!  Thanks again Joe!

The destruction of my laundry room!

I love that they have been doing construction below my apartment since right after we moved in.  Oh wait, no I haven't!  It has been so loud and noisy it is hard to stay in our apartment during the day!

 We then ended up finding out there was a leak from our laundry room that was causing them issues below.  So as a result, I now will be without my washing machine for several weeks while they tear up my back room.  Here they are carrying my washing machine out to the front patio.  Love how they use their handy stick!

Here a gentleman is carrying loads of tile and concrete that they have broken up in the back room.  Again...using his handy stick!

The pagoda!

 Here is the pagoda we can see from our window in our living room.  We spent a Sunday afternoon riding our bikes to it and because the hill was so steep, we had to get off and walk the rest of the way.

See how hard they were working to make it to the top!

Happy Easter!

This was our first Easter in Chongqing.  We went to the Hilton Hotel for a delicious brunch and then they had a very nice Easter egg hunt for the kids.  Ellen had a great time and loved the Easter bunny.  Even though when he got hot he would take his mask off and you could see he was a regular man.  She didn't care one bit!

The final celebration of the Chinese New Year!

The Chinese New Year starts off with a bang and ends with one as well!  We were sitting in our apartment one night and suddenly were surprised by the display of fireworks going off outside.  We later learned it was the mark of the end of the Chinese New Year.  

 Ellen now hopes they do them every night!  She was soooo excited to see them from the balcony.

What can you get at a local Chinese market?

Well, of course you want to begin with one of these cool Chinese baskets that serve many purposes.  A lot of people use them to carry their young children (there is a wooden seat inside) and their groceries from the market.  Karen and I decided to purchase brooms, so we carried those!  And let me tell you, we were getting a lot of stares and most people were wondering where our babies were.  

So, what else can you get at the market?  How about some live chickens?  I don't know about you, but the bird flu did not come as a surprise to me!  Sad it happened, but these are not the most sanitary conditions.

A Chinese Carnival!

We are very fortunate where we live as they always have events on the weekends that are catered to the young kids.  And of course, thank you to Takila for translating the signs and letting us know what is going on!  :). We were even lucky enough to have her join us on this day with another family that lives here in Palm Springs.  The first thing we did was try some Chinese cotton candy...Takila's treat! Ellen would not try it, so I ate it and believe it or not, it tasted just like any other cotton candy I have eaten!  

 Here Ellen, Takila and I wait in line to throw darts and pop balloons.  Poor Ellen could not throw a 

dart and could you say...dangerous!  Another game was shooting a BB gun to pop balloons!  Ellen 

actually did better at that.  The line for the ring toss was too long, but my child could have won 

anything from a tube of toothpaste to a bottle of wine!  Classic!

This was probably my favorite part of the day!  There was a man their doing self-portrait drawings and I was fortunate enough to have Ellen get one done!  She even sat still the entire time.  He framed it for me and now I have a great memory from our time here in China. 

A stroll through the park!

Winding down our week in Hong Kong, we wanted to do some sightseeing, but keep it low-key.  From the suggestion of a friendly patron we met one afternoon, we went to the this free park in the city of Hong Kong.  As soon as we walked in, Ellen was hooked as there were statutes of monkeys.  The best part was that we got to see real monkeys by the end of the visit!

 Cheers!  Grandma and grandpa were hooked as they sold ice cold beer!  It was a hot day and we actually ended up walking a while to find the park.  Here they were able to find a comfortable seat in the shade and have an ice cold beverage!

Ellen and I enjoyed the beautiful day with a nice ride on the swing!  We haven't done this since we left our gorgeous apartment in Michigan!

Back to Disneyland!

I never imagined we would travel to Disneyland in Hong Kong, but instead we have been there twice now.  We tried to do some of the other rides we did not do during our first visit.  Here Ellen wanted to pretend like she was in jail.  At times, she is so naughty, mom would like to threaten jail!  :). 

 Unfortunately grandpa Steve did not make the trip to Disneyland as he was back in the hotel sick.  Instead, grandma got the pleasure of riding all the rides with Ellen.  Here they are riding "Slinky" from the Toy Story.

Here Ellen is driving a car (which we did before), but this time I got to ride with her and I don't think I have laughed so hard.  This girl had soo much fun......but needs a lot of practice driving before she turns 16!  

The happy and not-so happy tourists

Here are two happy tourists enjoying the beautiful views overlooking Hong Kong city and Kowloon.    They are thankful we changed our trip from freezing cold, air polluted Beijing and came here instead.  

Here is the not-so happy tourist in Beijing that would not let us take her picture.  This was her second time to this viewing area and I have yet to get a good picture of her.  The first time she slept the entire time.  This time she was being a stinker and wanted to eat her goldfish in peace! 

Grandma, Casey & Ellen

Three generations!  Can you tell they are related or what!  

The fish and bird market

 As most of you know, Ellen is crazy about animals....any animal.  So when we mentioned we were going to the fish and bird market she was sooo excited.  Little did she know that these animals were going to be bagged up and hanging from the wall.

Or, stacked in cages ready to be bought.  Thank goodness she didn't ask to take any home with us!  She just enjoyed looking at them for the day!

Chinese New Year Parade

Since we were in Hong Kong over the Chinese New Year, there were a lot of activities going on.  We decided to stop and eat before we went to watch a parade.  Lets just say, good thing we ate because we could not see the parade because it was so busy.  This is a picture of what we could see!

Mastering the subway

The first time we visited Hong Kong we stayed out near the airport and traveled into the city on a train.  This time we stayed in Kowloon which is north of Hong Kong Island.  Instead of a train, we used the subway to get where we were going.  Ellen thought the best part was that she could twirl around the poles.  Although she would often forget the part where you have to hold on when the subway takes off and stops.  Good thing there were four of us to catch her!

Meat on a stick!

We have lived in Chongqing for several months now and I still have no desire to try meat on a stick!  First of all, it grosses me out that it all lays in piles together.  Secondly, it usually stinks.  I have been told it is because of the spices, but I still can't bring myself to try it.  Steve was here less than three weeks and he was brave enough to try it!

Here is Steve enjoying some meat on a stick!

Chinese New Year

We spent the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.  We left on the eve of the new year, February 9, 2013.  

Here we are at a flower festival on the eve of the New Year.  It is very common for the Chinese to buy fresh flowers or trees to take and/or have at their annual reunion dinner.  

Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendaris lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. Often, the evening preceding Chinese New Year's Day is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity." Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.

Pat & Steve's last night in Chongqing

This evening marked the last night of Pat & Steve's stay in Chongqing before the five of us headed to Hong Kong for a week.   Takila came over and helped us make homemade dumplings and even had us try some other traditional Chinese dish.  It was a great way to end their stay with us and also for them to meet our good friend and learn more about the Chinese culture!

Ellen enjoyed using her hands and getting messy!

Patty's first massage....ever!

Here Patty is enjoying her first foot massage.  The nice part is you get the added bonus of a neck massage while your feet our soaking in a hot tub of water!   

Cupping-  

Please note:  That is my foot in the picture below!

The specific origin of Cupping Therapy remains in obscurity - the consensus is that the action of suction has been part of therapeutic efforts throughout human history, migrating with human tribes along migratory routes. These ancient cultures used hollowed out animal horns, bones, bamboo, nuts, seashells and gourds to purge bites, pustules, infections and skin lesions from the body, and many are still in use today. Ancient healers also used Cupping devices to draw evil spirits out of the body and to balance the humors. Earthenware and metal were fashioned into Cupping vessels before the development of glass.

Cupping therapy was used in Egypt dating back some 3,500 years, where its use is represented in hieroglyphic writing. The earliest recorded use of Cupping is from the famous Taoist alchemist and herbalist, Ge Hong (281–341 A.D.). In ancient Greece, Hippocrates recommended the use of cups for a variety of ailments, while in the early 1900’s eminent British physician, Sir Arthur Keith, wrote how he witnessed Cupping performed with excellent success.

Suction Cup Therapies remained a constant in professional medical treatment throughout Europe. It was practiced by such famous physicians as Galen (131-200AD), Paracelsus(1493-1541), Ambroise Pare (1509-90) and surgeon Charles Kennedy (1826).

In China, extensive research has been carried out on Cupping, and the practice is a mainstay of government-sponsored hospitals of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The fundamental therapeutic value of Cupping has been documented through several thousand years of clinical and subjective experience and has advanced its application to many areas.

Steve's new truck or is it a motorcycle?

Well, actually it is both.  Let me introduce you to the Chinese tricycle truck built with three wheels.  And if you are not a fan of trucks, it also comes in a car version.  If you look closely you can see it does not have a steering wheel, but handlebars.  

Harley-Davidson....

Who would have thought there is a Harley-Davidson dealership in Chongqing, China?  But there is and it is very nice.  A bit more expensive, but it is well worth a visit.  It also has a pretty good restaurant above it.  The best part though is that it is located right on the river and next to a cable car that takes you into Jiefangbei, which is also known as downtown Chongqing.  

It was a great thing to do at night as the entire city was lit up along the river.  Ellen was having fun holding on tight during the ride!

Wasabi anyone?

Here we are at a Chinese restaurant near our house.  We were enjoying a variety of dishes which included sashimi, deep fried calamari, duck, broccoli, oysters, beef, noodles and many other delicious dishes.  It was all you could eat, but more than some could handle!  :)

Steve couldn't handle the wasabi, so had to hide his face and maybe a few tears!

Casey on the other hand had no problem showing off the effects of the wasabi!