September 2008

We've had a few good weeks here, having the chance to see some more of the local scenery.

Leo loves playing at the big kids' park

Leo's first trip to the zoo, along with a new friend

This is why liability laws are just no fun at all. Who wouldn't love to play in a vacuum-sealed plastic ball in a water pond?

Believe it or not this will be a tasty salad, just as soon as that disinfectant kicks in and cleans the unwanted germs.

We decided to let Leo outside to play. Not three minutes go by without drawing a crowd.

Leo's paparazzi follow him everywhere. Literally.

Something we've found on numerous occasions: gawking is the public pastime. Don't count on letting your own domestic dispute go unnoticed.

A visit to the Great Wall.. of Nanjing.

The old and the new: the local Buddhist convent, situated against the modern city's backdrop.

Leo shows off his new haircut and a new emblem.

The English Dictionary According to Web**China**r's

Here are the pictures of the dictionary we bought at the imported books store:

A normal looking dictionary

Any offending material covered up with opaque white tape

Select biographical names cut out
(Chiang Kai-shek: leader of the Nationalist Party that was exiled to Taiwan in 1949)

Anything about Taiwan, and anything in proximity to Taiwan (too bad Lake Tahoe)

Sometimes a hasty black marker does the job

If you look just right, you can still make them out with a backlight. The censors need some more advanced technology to really cut out the information.

Leo turns 1

We've had a great end to the summer with Leo's first birthday party. We're also glad to be headed back to classes.

Hanging out on the rooftop with dad

A view from a different angle

Our vegetable market - It puts US grocery stores to shame!

A common storefront sight - very Western looking mannequins.

Leo's first birthday present - books from Grandma

No birthday is complete without balloons

Leo's only underage birthday party guest

The rest of our friends

Cake time!

Leo unsure of what to do with an open flame

Refreshing! We discovered a sanitary way for Leo to go swimming!

Not suitable for children under 3

Going for a walk in the nearby park

Our snaggle-toothed boy

A walk down Xi Qiao

This is a short visual tour of our street Xi Qiao (pronounced SHEE CHOW).

The ultra modern side of town, high skyscrapers springing up everywhere

Simply turn around and get a sense for the level of daily life in our neighborhood

Power lines? What power lines?

There are always plenty of local shops to fit every need,
a nice change from strip mall society

The produce is always top notch!

Not a playground, but one of many local exercise squares
for the early-risers

Buried within the utilitarian apartment high-rises, every now and again
a structure older than 50 years stands out

If it looks unsafe, you'll find at least three children playing with it.

Our street corner from curbside

Liz making her way to our stairwell, past the recyclers, fix-it shop and restaurant.

In our stairwell, the common areas tend to look a little dilapidated

65..66..67..68.. Just 28 to go!

Don't worry, the inside is much cleaner than the outside!