One Spring Morning

I would have to say, one of the perks that come along with living in China, make that Suzhou, would have to be the 'early' arrival of spring. 'Early' according to Michigan standards, of which I happen to be a bit more familiar.

As I looked out the window this morning, I noticed many subtle but pleasant changes. While I love all of the seasons for different reasons, I do have my own particular favorite. I’m sure if you know me, or have followed my blog, it’s not too terribly hard to figure out which one. However, spring runs a pretty close second.

Now it’s safe to bet, that in the upcoming days ahead, winter will undoubtedly have a few last words, but in the end, will make way for its welcomed replacement.

Below are the photos I promised. Klynt took most of these, okay, not most, but ALL. My camera and I are having a bit of a spat. Don’t worry, we’ll work it out. (Is anybody interested in buying a really nice digital camera?)

Aren’t these tiny, little blossoms sweet?

Harbingers

Pssst…look who’s in town! Spring is quietly making her appearance. Just wait until they blossom; soon, very soon. I will post photos - promise.
*Note* Do not be startled or confused by the use of a big word in the title. It is the only one I know and can spell. It probably won’t happen again.

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Guanqian Jie (Walking Street)

You may have heard me mention Walking Street before, but in case you haven’t, it’s a popular shopping district downtown Suzhou. There are no cars, scooters or bicycles allowed, hence the name. I know there are a few photos of vehicles, but these were taken near the entrance. Since we’re on holiday, Klynt and I decided to spend the afternoon doing a little people-watching…with our cameras of course!

The Year of the Ox - 2009

On more than one occasion Klynt has said “the year of the ox, hey, it’s my year….what does that mean?” I usually reply with “it doesn’t really mean anything unless you follow the Chinese Zodiac. Do we follow the zodiac?” The answer is no, BUT since we are living in China, with the Chinese New Year upon us, AND it IS my hubby’s “year”, I thought I would check it out. Here’s what I came up with:

The traits of the ox on the positive side are; responsible, dependable, honest, caring, honorable, intelligent, industrious, practical, and on the negative side; inflexible, possessive, stubborn, critical, intolerant and materialistic.

What does the New Year have in store for our ox friend? Well, to sum it up nicely, he will be feeling the yoke of responsibility, frivolities are out, he must remember to do things the conventional way and it is definitely not the time for tricky shortcuts. There is no doubt that this year will bear fruit, but the motto is; No work, no pay! Now on a final note for all you rebels out there, even though the stoical Ox is often soft-spoken, he carries a big stick, and this is his year.

Well, there you have it. Let the fireworks begin!

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Photo Booth

How sweet are they? I just had to share this photo. The girls were chatting and all smiles until I asked if I could take their picture, and then they became SO serious.

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So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

By now I should be used to time passing quickly, I mean, it hasn’t stood still for as long as I’ve been on this earth, why would it start now. The past four weeks really felt more like two. It was great having you here Trent, come back and visit us any time. I’m sure it won’t be long before you start missin’ our crappy cable, the hit or miss internet access and frozen pipes, or how about the Chinese cuisine; squid on a stick, duck tongue or pig intestines. Oh, and you really never got to experience a truly wild cab ride. You lucky dog! Hey, don’t forget about us. :)
Along Jin-Ji Lake, this is very near the apartment, just a hop, skip and a jump away.

There was a Rocky sighting in Suzhou. Ba, Ba, baaaaah…

No Trent, you can’t eat THIS bamboo unless you’re a Panda.

We spent an afternoon at Tiger Hill, one of Suzhou’s most famous gardens.

I feel pretty, so, so pretty…

King of the….Bonsai Garden.

No lady, you give me joking price! C’mon you say how much…

1047, 1048, 1049…..C’mon Trent, there’s still a lot of Shanghai we haven’t seen yet.

New Year’s Day we did a little shopping down on Walking Street, and it was busy, very busy.

Lost in the crowd, yet so easy to spot.

Good Morning Sunshine

How does the old saying go? "A picture is worth a thousand words." Yeah that's the one. Dang Chinese Paparazzi.

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