Just want to say Happy Babies

Maela Rose Brekke...too bad the Gophers got beat Maela...but with a smile like that your dad can't possibly keep his mind on sports for long, can he? I'm sure he has already forgotten about it.

Sophia Lynne El Amin...only 2 minutes old and already smarter than most of us. Rachel...send more pictures.

Madeline (Maddie)

This is just a note to congratulate John & Hollie, Rachel & Elliott, and Kim and Lloyd who have produced beautiful daughters while I've been away to China. I think of you and your new lives often and wish I could be there. I should be home for the next delivery (KJ and Ben).

Chaoyang Park

Chaoyang Park , which means, Rising Sun, is a short walk from Beanstalk School and my apartment. It is also the site of the Olympic Volleyball venue and the future site of the Beijing Great Wheel which is in the process of being built right now. http://www.greatwheel.com/beijing_eng/home_english.htm Dave and I have enjoyed some lovely walks there now that it is spring. Here are a few more images.
Near the East Gate
The park is a great place for couples young or old to hang out.
Crouching Dragon on Water located in the center island. By now this area will be filled with water...must go back for a reflection shot.
This monument to PEACE is a gift to the people of Beijing from the citizens of Lima, Peru.
I searched for a plaque explaining this piece but couldn't find one. There are several interesting sculptures in the Art Park.

Non-Violence or The Knotted Gun Carl Fredrik Reutersward
Johann Stauss and Friend

Good-Bye Dave

March 29, 2009
About an hour ago I left Dave at the Northwest terminal of Beijing International Airport. He should now be on the plane and on his way home to Aitkin. He was here for 4 months and it was wonderful to have him here. We had a great time. I know that am going to miss him more than I can imagine right now.

Olympic Beach Volleyball

I live about a 10 minute walk from the Olympic Beach Volleyball site, just in case John is interested in knowing.
Above is a picture of the site. Looks like there is still plenty of sand

This sculpture still stands in the park.

Above is Kandu, or World View, where I live. The picture is taken from the Chaoyang Park, site of the beach volleyball.

Signs of Spring in Chaoyang Park

Flying Kites

Yesterday afternoon I took a look around the famous Friendship Store near Ritan Park where there is a large selection of intricately designed kites for sale for very reasonable prices. I made up my mind to start shopping around for one or two to take home with me. If you spend much time outdoors in Beijing you are bound to see people flying kites; this is not a passtime to be taken lightly. Often the kites are so high up and so far away from their owners, that it is impossible to know where they originate. Many times it is a job for two.

These 2 men, perhaps father and son, are flying one kite together in Chaoyang Park. In the top picture they have just reeled the kite in and are getting ready to send it up again in this photo.

This is one of the pictures I took of the kite as it was climbing back up into the air.

While I was watching the above kite, this guy arrived. I hurried over and was able to take several pictures while it was still in close range.
I was amazed by the color and clarity.

After a few minutes the first kite appear in the sky much higher but both visible in the view finder.

This guy is a real pro. He can make his kite do just about anything he asks it to do. I tried to catch a few shots that show off his skills...

For several minutes he had it hover over the ground.

Here it is flying around like it's looking for prey.
This is my favorite shot...wings lifted as if flapping.

Even the best flyers have accidental landings. The two guys who lost this one in a tree had pretty sheepish looks on their faces. These branches are very high up. I don't think they could ever get it out without special equipment.

Scene on the Street

March 2009....Spring has arrived in Beijing

Society in Beijing, and I'm guessing the rest of China too, is very communal. If anything can be said about society here, that is it. People are always gathering together to play mazhan, cards, chess, etc. On the streets, women walk hand in hand or arm in arm, supporting each other both physically and emotionally. This is something I admire.
Free exercise parks are all around Beijing. No need for an expensive gym membership. This is the big park along NanxiLu...spelling remains to be checked.

Wash day is every day...these are the back doors. We don't see the front from the canal.
Shoe repair and keys made while you wait. Next to this vendor sits a woman with an very old Singer sewing machine. She does a brisk business during all seasons of the year.

Don't know what was for sale here, but the horse brought it. I always wonder where the horses go "home" to. Someplace on the outskirts of the city or just down the alley a little way. Not far from us is the only Drive-In Movie around (yes...as in the 1950's and 60's). Sometimes taxi drivers cut through the back streets near there. Then we get to see how fresh our eggs really are. Think about it.

With the arrival of spring came fresh pineapple, already prepared, one dollar. The vendors usually have a big knife and a basin. They whack the outer covering off with the knife. Then they have a v-shape cutter, as used in linoleum printmakiing only larger with which they remove the pitted covering, following around the pineapple in a diagonal path. My plan was to by one every other day, but then I got sick.

The outdoor bicycle shop operates in all seasons and can be found everywhere even along the side of a busy expressway. This one is by the canal along Jiaojiangqiao.
The children wait while the parents shop or run the shop. I asked if I could take her picture. She was pleased with the result. Most children are "only child" and because of that they get special status treatment. This little girls didn't seem to be one of the little empresses. When we walk over to Jenny Lou's grocery in the LiDu area, we are always beseeched by beggars. All during the winter a little girl has been there with her mother who "sets her on" us. We always give her something, but if we don't give her enough she chases us a block or two, screaming in a terrible

voice until she gets more. Then she puts her two hands together, bows thankfully, and leaves.

I took several shots of this woman making the scarf/ribbon dance along the stinky canal. I like this one because I caught it in full loop with the wash in the background. The sun hit all just right.

We often buy our fruit from this woman who operates a stall along a side street off Jiaojianqiao Lu. When I first arrived she tried charging Cathy and me high prices, but once she realized we live here they came down. There is another stall that operates out of an alley on the other side of Ozone. They don't rent a stall, so overhead is low. Food is good and almost free.

This gentleman proudly shows off the new motor bike he just bought. He patted the back seat, offering to give me a ride, which I declined. A wise decision I decided when proceeded to careen down the sidewalk, narrowly escaping a number of close calls. A few more minutes and he was a pro.
The canal, only recently half-frozen and half-empty, is now filled with water. All of the fountains and ponds have been filled again too. Last Saturday or something was "Planting Day". Grounds crews are out digging, planting, watering, et., everywhere I look. Soon the trees will be in full bloom.

Shades of Blue Cervantes

Tilting at Windmills




Public art in the park borders the Fourth Ring Road near
Traders in the Upper East Side of Beijing. The canal has a
name...I'll look it up. Not far from here I found Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, below. The Quixote turned and shook his sword at me when I took his picture. Tilting at Windmills?

Hutong Courtyard (Quadrangle) House

When we took the rickshaw, or pedicab, tour of the Hutong area at Houhai, we had the opportunity to stop at one of the traditional courtyard, or quadrangle, houses that were chosen by the city of Beijing to be family stay homes during the Olympics. An English speaking guide explained the history of the house which is not far from Prince Gong's Palace. It was built around 1780 for a high-rankiing general and his family, and as the name implies, it is built around a quadrangular shaped central courtyard.





The south room is the reception area and the least desirable space because it has a northern exposure. The east rooms, the best rooms, are for boys; girls being held in less favor, get the west rooms. The family living area is in the north rooms. Around 1912, with the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the general's family lost the house, or one could say that it was confiscated, and the present family took up residence there.

During the Cultural Revolution they were allowed to remain in the north rooms while the government moved several other families in to occupy the rest of the house. Around 1997 the home was returned to private ownership and has undergone complete restoration. The bed and wardrobe seen in this picture are from 1780s and were part of the living quarters the family was allowed to live in. The family welcomes pyaing guests. Here is the address and telephone number if anyone is interested. #39 Nanguanfang Hutong, Shichahai, Xicheng District, Beijing 100009 Telephone: 010-66572057. Or Google Courtyard House Beijing; there are many others.

Shichahai Again...

Thurday, March 19, 2009

This is the 3rd time I've been to Shichahai and I highly recommend it. Dave and I went there with Lanny in 2007, and Patty and I went there with Lanny last October. This time Dave and I went by ourselves. It was a beautiful spring day and we had the place almost to ourselves. Shichahai is the northern end of the Grand Canal. The southern terminus is West Lake in Hangzhou, about 1800 kilometers to the south. We don't hear much about the Grand Canal in the USA, but to me it is equally impressive as the Great Wall. Constructed and maintained since the 5th century BC, it linked the cities along its route and was the major thoroughfare for commerce and travel for most of that time.

I have uploaded some videos from the day at Facebook. Check out Shichahai and the Grand Canal on the internet. Here are a couple websites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canal_of_China
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/shichahai.htm


The end of March isn't really tourist season yet, so business was pretty slow for the hundreds of rickshaw drivers. Dave and I decided to take the tour. I bargained down to 100 RMB for the two of us, but our driver was obviously a special guy, and we gave him a big tip at the end. I wonder if they get to keep the tips.