This is how easy glasses should be...

Choose frames, hand over prescription, count to 600 Mississippi and pay 245rmb ($50NZ) then Bobs your Uncle and you have a new pair of glasses and a happy Moo. 

Zheng He treasure ship temple golden lucky horse dragon.

Together with five other families from school we went to see Zheng He's ship (replica). It's famous because Zheng He was a Chinese Muslim eunuch who took a fleet of 700 ships around the globe, travelling to Africa, northern Australia and possibly America 100 years before Columbus!

We enjoyed the quiet gardens and had a pot luck picnic, I am learning to make bread, ciabatta is coming along well :-)

Isla and Benji

Watch tower

Mia, Emily, Charlotte, Kate and Isla pictured above.

A Piklet says Wok?

Sara Woking the Sunday morning piklets! 

Confucius temple at last!

So it turns out I had actually walked past the Confucius temple several times, because of all the shops around it I just hadn't noticed it... It was beautiful out at night much more impressive than during the day time, unfortunately we had to use Mia's iPod for photos so the quality is pretty rubbish - sorry about that.














New family rule at markets - no touching unless you seriously want to buy. Luke's argument that he is a tactile learner didn't cut the mustard, after the umpteenth time an excited vendor saw him picking up a sword (that I had no intention of letting him buy despite how much he always wanted to be a ninja) Mia and I agreed enough was enough, no touchy touchy!
On our way to the metro we passed a rou jia mo shop (we remembered this from Qingdao, it's referred to as a Chinese hamburger, but its so much tastier than a hamburger!). Interestingly when Luke asked what the meat was meat was (it's melt in your mouth tender, chopped up with herbs and spring onion then stuffed into a sort of crispy delicious pastry pocket). I decided not to have one when the lady replied "hee-haw" yes that's right it was pooh's friend Eeyore not piglet as previously thought!



The little donkey pictures should have been a dead give away :-)

My grilled cheese Woks

Thank you Sarah!

Felt like Christmas when opening his surprise box of treats from a very dear friend, thank you! Sarah you'll be pleased to know there were no injuries and no smoke alarms set off - a successful start to baking club I think.

Yesterday we decided to celebrate the mid-autumn day festival with an insult to cake.
The so called 'moon cake' was an utter disappointment and I honestly think that red been would have been a more appetising filling. Instead, it had numerous boiled egg yolks all through the middle and the texture was rather glutinous. One nibble and we were all conspiring against it. The rule ' don't judge a book by its cover' definitely applies when buying these odd delicacies; with their beautiful cases and putrid fillings.

- Posted by Mia

Location:Moon Cake

A few randoms from the iPhone

Moo's Bananagram victory. 

Our version of Where's Wally ( or Waldo for our American friends).

Next photo is from my classroom window of the military helicopters that fly constantly round the area where we live in formations of 2 to 9 helicopters. Like mum I have flying machine OCD and this causes problems when in meetings, or teaching a lesson, as I can not go and watch ( same applys with fireworks OCD, but no point adding photos of fireworks as they are only let off in the day so you can't see them).

Have to show you how we watch TV... Scary that the rest of the house is lit the same way. 

Spiral spicy sausage at the Wacky Market. 

A Head of Candy Floss (the new measurement unit for Candy Floss)

Sesame oil press in the back of a van - smell was amazing. 

Basket ball is enjoyable now the heat has dropped. 

On my new eBike outside our apartments. 

Xx

Lukey 

Out and about in Nanjing

Too tired to write but in a nutshell we headed to a lake where the kids sailed a little yellow boat, sans life jackets... Then after an unsuccessful attempt to get a drink we ended up at a Starbucks before a long hot metro ride home.

Train to town at 5:30

Metro @ 6pm... Like a mosh pit in both pushing and fragrance.

 

McAwesome Mia

So before we left to come to China, Mia joked about being in a school where she might be one of the sportiest kids...anyway today in PE she received a merit! She cleaned up in the ping-pong. Best player in middle school :-) pretty funny to those of us who know her well. Isla moo came third xxx
Turns out Mia is also a rounders champ; she can pitch, bat and catch, that's my girl!

Happy birthday to me!

Birthday breakfast, with the best mango I have ever tasted! Great start to my 35th year.






Big thank you to Mary for sending me birthday goodies, candles and party blowers made it feel like a real birthday :-)


Birthday cake was more cream than cake but it did the job, do you remember these cakes QD crew? Bet you don't miss them :-)


Birthday dinner collage. Splashed out and went to our "fancy" local restaurant rather the cheapie one and it was very nice, pull apart pork was good but not a patch on yours Lolo.


- Posted by the birthday girl herself xx