Local Chinese Restaurant

Just a pic of one restaurant up the block from the new secondary school. I pass by this daily. It is one of at least four similar restaurants in that block. They all look about the same and every block has 3 to 5 of them. The Chinese characters (in red) of this one say they sell Rice, Dumplings, Noodles, (no kidding, that is a surprise), they make most items with lots of cheap hand labor. Many people grab a chair and sit on the sidewalk to eat.

Lantern Festival

February 9th, the 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival and is marked with the first full moon after the Chinese New Year. This is the next day of celebration in China. It kind of signifies an end to the Chinese New Year Spring Festival. The date changes every year. The day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China. Children carry around small lanterns on a stick that are about the size of a oatmeal box. There are many fireworks and you must eat these small round yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) that are very, very sweet.

Bev and I went down to the Seaworld Plaza, one block from home, to have a coffee at Starbucks and people watch. Here are a few photos that I took from 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. The fireworks went off all night long but this does mark an end to the guaranteed all night long fireworks we have had for weeks now. The fireworks are to keep the bad spirits away for the coming year.

Grocery Store

Ren Ren Le is a department store with the grocery area all underground

We like this store because it is pretty clean and many items are packaged

Rice

Complete soups in melamine bowls

Picking out a fish

Lots of dried stuff

Lots of baby things!

On our counter at home, this is what we bought today

Ren Ren Le, (Everyone Happy, loosley translated) grocery and department store is one of our favorite places to get food items. Tim and Bev did a early morning shopping run on Saturday. Total time including 15 min. bus ride each way was 2 hours. You can see what we were able to buy for $32.20 US dollar equivalent. We both go as we have to carry it home.

I had to take pics kind of undercover as no photographs are allowed.

New Business Moves In

Click picture for larger view

So, this new building, that has been in a remodeling state ever since we came to China, is suppose to be a animation incubator type place (in total it is a couple blocks) to get China's cartoon and video business going. China put in a law that says that at least 50% of the TV and Movies with animation and cartoons must be created in China. They were all imports. We recently found out that the corner 1st floor business will be a Starbucks. This will make a great office spot for Tim. WiFi, coffee, westerners, and great stuff to watch on the street. Use your imagination its China anything can happen, just pull up a comfy chair, wait and watch.

Our other Starbucks is a block and a half away!