May-hem

The word 'mayhem' is associated with chaos and disorder.  I thought it was an appropriate title to use to describe all the fun and different activities we've been doing during this fair-weathered, spring month.

4/23/11: Check out this steaming bamboo container

filled with fresh, hot, Xiaolongbao soup dumplings...and

a glass bottle of 7up.

5/7/11: Who wouldn't want to take a photo with a 

50-lb. fiberglass Xiaolongbao?

5-5-11: Sleeping with the fishes.  We took some students on a

sleepover field trip to a local aquarium.

Can it be called a sleepover if no one actually sleeps? 

5/7/11: We visited St. Ignatius cathedral, built in 1910 by the Jesuits.

I was doing a gargoyle project with my 8th graders

so the timing was perfect.

It's the first time I've seen

stained glass windows with bamboo images

in a gothic cathedral (no photos allowed inside).

 

5/7/11: Later that night, we went to YuYuan and walked around the shops... 

...and I found a bronze turtle to sit on to collect my thoughts. 

5/7/11: On the way home, we noticed this 40-story building

near the freeway that is covered in LED lights.

One can watch a spectacular show while speeding along.

5/21/11: I helped our prom committee chairperson

by making a huge PVC backdrop stand.  We attended

the prom which had a great view of the

Bund, HuangPu River and Oriental Pearl Tower.

5/21/11: After the prom, we took the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

under the river to the Puxi side.  It was very...interesting. 

5-28-11: International Day festivities at school allowed

us to share some culture, art and décor from our

previous home.

As we head into June, who knows what other (ahem)

mayhem we will encounter?

(A friend of ours calls this the antithesis of a
teddy bear because of the sign.)

Moroccan Lights, Pretty Sights, and Highest Heights!

4/8/11.  In People's Square, there is a

Moroccan restaurant called Barbarossa.

The food is delicious, and the decor reminded us of our former home.

4/9/11.  At Tianzifang, we enjoyed a sensuous dinner at Tai Thai.

4/17/11.  We finally visited the Oriental Pearl Tower.

At the 263 meter (862 feet) mark, you can walk around on a clear, 

acrylic floor.  It is an odd sensation.

See the cars and buses on the road?

Check out the lighted freeways at night!

Very Tron-esque

Guilin and Yangshuo

Guilin and Yangshuo are among the top 10 sites to see in China.

We spent our four-day Tomb Sweeping holiday time down there.

The Reed Flute Cave was our first stop and it was spectacular!
It is spacious, well lit, and has eerie stalagtite and stalagmite formations.

The pools of water are as smooth as glass.

Afterward, we climbed the Solitary Beauty Peak to view Guilin.

This was our first glimpse of the many limestone peak formations that make this area unique.

One formation is called "Elephant Trunk Hill" because it looks like an elephant drinking from the river.

From our angle, it looked more like an armadillo or porcupine.

There are also several banyon trees throughout this region.  This one is over 1,400 years old!

Don't you just love pig benches?

The "Elephant Trunk Hill" can even be found on manhole covers.

Next, we sailed down the Li River in a motorized bamboo raft.
It stopped raining just before we set sail
and the mist gave us stunning views of the peaks.

Many famous Chinese artists have come here
to capture the beauty of these ghost-like peaks.
I painted small cards as we sailed down river.

The limestone mountains are also on the back of the 20 yuan bill.

It's not every day that chickens run up to have their photo taken.

At night, we sailed up river to see some peculiar

methods of fishing.

Fisherman use Great Cormorants to catch fish.

(They temporarily bind their throats so they

can't swallow the fish).

The travel books say, "You haven't seen China

until you visit Guilin and Yangshuo."

I agree!

Shanghai Science & Technology Museum

The metro stop for this museum also has a large market for souvenirs, tailored clothing, and kite flying.

Our interest, however, was inside this glass and metal structure.

Haibao, the Expo mascot, still welcomes guests near the entrance. 

Once inside, the displays have a Jumanji effect, with several animals from different regions on display.

How does one obtain a walrus?

There is a simulated, three story rainforest with colorful butterfly and insect displays.

The museum is very spacious and if I ever make an espionage movie where the good guys and bad guys eventually meet to exchange the disc for money, this would be the place.

The technology section contains water recycling information, deforestation and climate change displays, and a glimpse of a brighter future.  These guys look happy!

The robotics section attracted a lot of people and is very entertaining.  This robot is doing tai chi.

We ran out of time and missed the space section, IMAX movies, and some of the human body exhibits.  We will return.  Until then, I'll leave you with this photo:

It'll be the city hall in my adventure movie.

Bagels & Tianzifang

Exploring Shanghai is always an adventure.  I had a hankerin' for a bagel and found Egghead Bagels in Puxi.  Yum-my!

Nearby, there is a shopping center that has a ginormous Louis Vuitton suitcase in front.

As we strolled along, we also noticed these interesting murals on apartment buildings.

After breakfast, we went down to Tianzifang, a refurbished art district with several craft shops, photo studios, galleries, and restaurants.  It was fun zipping around the small streets and twisting passageways.

If you are squeamish, don't look at the video clip at the bottom (nothing dies in the clip).

There is also a "Wet Market" where you can get fresh chicken, locally grown produce, and of course, fresh fish.  Bon Apetit!