all about october

I love October in Beijing. The weather's been so pleasant and it's been big on holidays with Chinese national days and the mid-autumn moon cake festival that fell in October this year. I was grateful that Rob was also home for Columbus day too.

We don't like to travel during Chinese festivals. It's too crowded. I was happy to spend most of our week off at home organizing the garage. The kids were happy to play with friends at River Garden. We planned short outings for two days.

On Monday October 5th, we took all the kids to the plant market not far from us. They have a variety of houseplants and cut flowers and little creatures like fish, turtles, frogs, worms, even some scorpions. We bought Ben's turtle a new companion, since our replacement turtle passed away.

I've been trying to begin my morning pages with a scripture each day. It is always interesting to how the verse fits into my day. Monday I copied down Doctrine and Covenants 59:18

"Yea all things which come of the earth in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart."

I wish we had brought Rob's camera. I love seeing the children peer into the tanks at all the varieties of fish. The girls helped me pick out an assortment of flowers to make a mid-autumn bouquet for our kitchen. Here's a picture. William is peeking out behind it.

So the next day I read from Mosiah chapter 2 and recorded verse 32 in my morning pages.

"But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you...."

It was a verse well suited for a day of travel into Beijing with a van full of children.

We were headed for the Beijing Zoo. We've been there before. The kids can't remember. It was back in 2004 when we accompanied Rob to Beijing on a TDY. I took the kids by myself. Our favorite part that day was the tropical bird collection. It's nice if you're expecting more floral than fauna, more people than animal watching, and, if you don't mind being "the watched." I knew that would be a challenge on a Chinese holiday.

As it turned out we didn't make it to past the parking. The gates were overflowing with people and the traffic surrounding the zoo was so dense, it was clear that parking would be very limited. Some profiteer motioned for us to come park with him, "just 100 kuai, same price for everyone."

To "avoid contention" we just changed our plans and headed for the Blue Zoo.

I wrote about the Blue Zoo last April. Here are few pictures from this visit.

The kids love riding the moving passageway through the aquarium tunnel. Kyle is feeding the fish through the hole in the glass. They nibble on the kids' hands.

We stopped to buy candied hawthorn on our way to van.





Everyone was ready for Kro's Nest pizza, just like last time. Only this time, since the weather was so beautiful, we sat outside. That's the best pizza in Beijing.

I was grateful to have Rob's company on Columbus Day. The big kids were all in school, of course. Rob helped me with Grant and William so I could dig my way through the mess in the girls' room. I've almost finished (two weeks later) just the puzzles left to sort through. I should take an "after" picture, since the "after" is sure to be brief.

Qing Ming

April 6, 2009
Today is Monday, Qing Ming, a traditional Chinese festival that became a national holiday in 2008. “Tomb sweeping” is the most important aspect of Qing Ming. People take flowers , fruit, wine or other items to the graves of deceased family members. Qing Ming means clear and bright. It is also a celebration of Spring’s arrival. Rob and the children were off of work and school and everyone was ready to get out of River Garden and go on a family adventure. We decided to go to Beijing’s aquarium, The Blue Zoo.
We managed to do a quick clean-up around the house and still be in the van around 10:00. We stopped at the little strip mall around the corner. I ran into Jenny Lou’s to buy water, bananas and pretzel bread and Rob took orders for what we call egg sandwiches made by the local vendors with their hot plates on carts on the back of their rusty bikes. Spicy or not spicy. Our second breakfast. We started into town.
Spring has arrived. All throughout the countryside and city there are white tulip trees and mauve tulip trees, soft pink cherry blossoms, and bright yellow forsythia, and lime green, tender and new leaves on branches. Even the sun is yellow today! If we don’t have rain soon the sky will turn light brown with Gobi desert dust, but for today we were happy to see these signs of Spring back dropped by a bright blue sky.
We didn’t check out the price of the aquarium before we left so we were a little nervous, but it wasn’t too bad. The cost was 75 yuan for adults and 50 yuan for children, kids under one meter were free. Our oldest, Sam, just qualified as a child. His twelfth birthday is a few weeks away. Caitlin, Grant, and William were free.
The aquarium was nicely arranged and housed the usual favorites…big sea turtles, sea horses, exotic, colorful poisonous fish. The kids’ favorite thing was the walkalator that we rode through a glass tunnel as sharks and eels and tuna swam overhead. We made it to the end more quickly than expected, but the kids were happy to go through again. It was fun to see the Chinese tour group of old men in matching hats file in around lunchtime. We left the main building and walked up some steep stairs to an older section that housed a seashell collection and a tank of fish that will come and nibble on your fingers…a crowd pleaser.
For lunch we had promised Kro’s Nest pizza, a favorite among Beijing ex-pats. The kids love the western atmosphere and the man flipping the dough almost to the ceiling…they swear, and the pepperoni, not salami, and the pizzas as wide around as your arms. The always beg us for root beer and we always say, “Not in China, it would cost more than the pizza.” Overall, the day was a success…a few tantrums here and there but most of the time we were happy and cooperative. What a blessing!