A girls weekend working in Nanjing...

Nanjing is located about 2 hours Northeast of Guangzhou by plane.  I got to go help with a promotion to help open another Country Garden Kindergarten in Nanjing, China

 

Photo op of Hattie and I in the Guangzhou airport. 

Beautiful day to fly

Airport in Nanjing

Our beautiful Country Garden Hotel.  This was the view from our balcony.

The lobby where we would entertain the children and their families.  The theme for the event was a passport around the world.  The children got the opportunity to try different activities from around the world. 

Hattie, Luca, Me, Anna and Tony

First Performance...glad we didn't have to dance :) Although we did have to lead the Hokey Pokey and If You're Happy and You Know It...

My station, with Luca, was drawing like an artist from France

Us with Felix the other English speaking teacher on the trip.  He teaches in the Foshan Country Garden in China

We got to tour Nanjiing later in the day, some history according to Wikipedia

The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanking (Nanjing), the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. During this period, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were murdered by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.^[1][2] Widespread rape and looting also occurred.^[3][4] Historians and witnesses have estimated that 250,000 to 300,000 people were killed.^[5] Several of the key perpetrators of the atrocities, at the time labelled as war crimes, were later tried and found guilty at the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal, and were subsequently executed.

It was a sombering experience to say the least.

Photo op with some German foreigners we met

Headed to eat and shop

Pumpkin and Pig Bao Buns

Outside the local Nanjing Restaurant where we ate duck blood and liver soup, won't need to try that again.  Also Anson and Anna delivering our dumplings, which were yummy!

Touring the downtown area of Nanjing

Hattie goofing around with Felix and Anson

We ate most of our meals at the hotel in this private room, the table seated about 15 of us.  The food was very artistically presented.  It was also delicious.  The jenga looking food was actually tofu.

We even tried softshell turtle, check it off the list...it tasted fine, but I think I will pass next time.

Fun at dinner

Time to board our plane to go back to Guangzhou

Some airport Chinglish...Discared???

Our shadow as we landed back in Guangzhou

Our Memorial Day Weekend in China

Just for fun, we didn't even plan the green thing today :)

 To the dismay of both his brother, Gabe, and his sister, Hattie, Mason has grown a bit this year!

The kids like this pear drink and they love mascots in China!  Another, "really mom" photo op.

 On Saturday May 25th we headed to Foshan to the "Ancestry Temple"

Known as "Chan Cheng" (Zen City), Foshan City is in a scenic part of Guangdong Province. It has a long history and there are many attractions, however, the Ancestors' Temple is the most famous.
Located in the main part of the Zumiao (Ancestors' Temple) Road of the city, the Ancestors' Temple was built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127) and was mainly used as a place where sacrifices to the Xuantian God (the God of Water in Taoism) occurred. Having now been rebuilt and enlarged, the temple covers an area of about 3,500 square meters (0.85 acre) and has a series of well-built architectural features such as the Wanfu Stage, the Lingying Archway, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Jinxiang Pool, the Sanmen Gate, the front and main halls and the Qingzhen Tower.These buildings are mainly located on a north-south axis.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/foshan/ancestors-temple/

Some Chinglish on the map...glad to report it was not really a "Crap Square"

Speaking of crap, I got a photo, hopefully tastefully enough, of the pants often worn by young children so that they can easily use the street or where ever they see fit as their bathroom.  If you look closely he has no underpants and his pants are split open from front to back.

Lion Performance

People came forward to pay the lion and received a banner with a Chinese saying such as, "Prosperity" or "Good Health"

Beautiful Decoration hanging from the ceiling

Sword in the Temple

 Xuantian God (the God of Water in Taoism)

Naptime...also a common sight around public places???

  The southernmost courtyard was used for Guangdong Opera and the Wanfu Stage.  We were lucky enough to be there on a day they were performing. 

Loved the contrast of the old Temple in the foreground

                    and the new City in the background

Also. at the Ancestry Temple. there was a Marine Exhibit?  Many of the animals looked paper mached, but many were stuffed

A few photos around our Country Garden neighborhood inside our gated community and the neighboring community located just outside our gates. 

 This is a common occurence that we don't see in the US.  They just hold there babies while driving on their scooters..

Girl riding on fender area of the bike

West Gate entrance of our gated community - Xi Yuan

Ally near where Hattie tutors in Bijiang

Construction in Bijiang neighborhood

 Hattie's students

 Here are a few shots of the market out in Bijiang where we purchase our vegetables.  We can buy tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, garlic and lettuce for about $5 total.

 This is my favorite dish at a restaurant we call Muslim noodles.  It is served cold and the noodles are homemade. 

This is the little girl and her father that own the Muslim noodle restaurant.  Here the little girl is checking out the customer.  These strollers are very common and remind of antique strollers in the U.S.