Isaiah 58: 11

Isaiah 58:11

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

China Adventure Day 4

Today we explored the Benxi Water Cave south of Shenyang. It is a beautiful park that contains a 2.2 km underground river. We traveled on a boat through the cave, deep into caverns measuring as high as 37 meters. We saw magnificent stalagmites and stalactites.

It was a pleasant day (just 4 degrees Celsius and sunny) so we played outside for awhile and then went to the Geological Museum to look at many beautiful stones -- amethyst, calcite, fluorite, quartz.

Monday, October 29, 2012

China Adventure Day 3



Today some of our activities reminded us of the Kung Fu Panda, an epic movie! First we visited the Imperial Palace. Shenyang is the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty. The Palace was the home of the Chinese Emperor in the early 1600s. Later a Palace was built in Beijing and these are the only two ancient Chinese Palaces still standing. The carvings and paintings in the Imperial Palace are beautiful and remarkably well kept for being 400 years old.
As we wandered the 60,000 square meter grounds, we were once again the only white people to be visiting the Palace today. The boys were more aware of people looking at us and smiling or whispering. And we were all surprised when one Chinese family wanted their picture taken with us. Tricia says this is a common request for visitors.



 
For lunch we went to a restaurant that served dumplings! Dumplings are a favourite food of the Kung Fu Panda. We like them too! Dumplings, called Jaozi, come in many flavours and styles. We had steamed, fried, and boiled filled with pork and cabbage, shrimp and spinach, radish and chicken.
We all agreed that the boiled ones, being somewhat slimey, are the hardest to pick up with chop sticks. And we can only get one in our mouth at a time (not 40 like the Kung Fu Panda).

We ended the day with some souvenir shopping.  Fancy chop sticks, Russian dolls (because we are relatively close to the Russian border), Russian chocolates. Simon bought a rice pickers' hat -- another favourite of the Kung Fu Panda!  

Sunday, October 28, 2012

China Adventure Day 2

Today was beautiful, sunny and 8 degrees so we were thrilled to spend the time outdoors. Although we all chose to spend our day outdoors in different ways.
Simon and Max spent the afternoon with two new friends their age that go to an International School here in Shenyang. We all went to lunch at the University. Chinese Food of course!
Tim and Alan went walking along the street where computers and accessories are sold. They saw street sights such as these chefs at one restaurant who came to the parking lot to rotate their Bai Cai (Chinese Cabbage). This is the season to harvest Bai Cai and prepare it for winter storage. The first step is to dry it in the open air. Bai Cai can be seen everywhere -- on streets, parking lots, window ledges.
Lisa and Tricia walked all afternoon in the Nan Hu Park. The park is relaxing in places but is also full of fun and activity.
There is a greenhouse with local plants. Orchids are readily available and reasonably priced.
 
There is also an amusement park with a variety of rides, cotton candy, and a Ferris Wheel that is 20 stories high!
And there are two areas of the park where we found something totally unexpected! First, is a monument to children where people gather to share the details about their own children.... in the hopes that they will find the perfect match! It is a matchmaking monument! Parents show up every week with papers such as this one. It describes a young man, born in 1980 that is 1.83 metres tall. He speaks English, is healthy, and more details can be received by calling the phone number.

The second part of the park that held surprise was a monument where many activities were happening. This man was writing poetry in water calligraphy and it faded as it evaporated. It was beautiful and peaceful to watch. But there were also people playing cards, flying kites, square dancing, playing hacky-sack. The beautiful thing is that these were older people -- not the young that you might expect to find in the park.

We all joined up at the end of the afternoon to share our experiences and surprises!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

China Adventure Day 1


On Friday afternoon we arrived in the city of Shenyang, in the north eastern part of China. We are visiting Tim's brother.  Alan and Tricia have lived in Shenyang for a year and a half and we are thrilled to be exploring the city with them!
Our first 24 hours has been full of eating and shopping, Chinese style. Our first meal was actually a Korean BBQ. Eating out in China is very reasonably priced and wonderfully delicious.

Tonight's Chinese food was surprisingly similar to North American Chinese food, but with added flavour and freshness. The one difference is that the dishes are placed in the middle, rotate around the table on a large "lazy susan" and everyone eats from the same dish -- no individual plates!  We are getting reacquainted with using chopsticks of course.

Our shopping experience has been varied. We saw the "underground" shopping mall, and Max bought a beautiful carved comb in this "comb store". Combs made of wood, shell, horn, and bone ranged from 20 to 1500 Yuan ($3 to $225). Max's comb is made of wood and lacquered in red with gold decoration -- beautiful! Simon bought a T-shirt with a panda face.

We went to another market that is seven stories high and each floor has many shops dedicated to one item. We especially enjoyed the candy floor and the nut/spice floor. Beautiful smells. There was also a floor of natural medicines. We saw bats-on-a-stick, dried mice, seahorses, Ginseng, sliced horns (and there was probably eye of newt and tongue of frog)!
One of the most fun parts of shopping today was to watch the reaction of shopkeepers to our presence. There are not many North American tourists in this part of China and there are even fewer teenager tourists. As Max and Simon walked by, people stared and smiled, followed them with their eyes, and exclaimed "How good looking!" Tricia's excellent understanding of the Mandarin language allowed us to hear what was being said. Sometimes she would reply to a comment and that would start lots of questions about our boys! Great fun!!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tim in Spain

Earlier this month Tim attended an International Baccalaureate (IB) conference in Madrid, Spain. The best part of this trip was that he had a few hours before and a few hours after the conference to do some sight seeing. Madrid is a city of over 3 million people and the capital of Spain.
Tim and his colleague, Sarah, hired a tour guide to take them on a walking-tour of Madrid. They visited many buildings, museums, historical landmarks, and beautiful spots.


Madrid Cathedral






 Tim and Sarah also attended a Jennifer Lopez concert.  Definitely a great experience! Max and Simon are sure they were the oldest people in the audience!
Although Lisa, Max and Simon do not like for Tim to be away, they do look forward to his return with presents! This time Tim was loaded down with leather purses and earrings for Lisa, a "Ripstick" (a skateboard with only two wheels) for Simon, and new bass guitar and amp for Max.
 





Thursday, October 18, 2012

Sacrifice

Today Lisa had a pedicure and manicure at the beauty salon on the compound where we live. Every few weeks, for about $40, she treats herself.  It is money well spent given that open-toed shoes are always in season and dry cracked heels are too! A pedicure is sometimes peaceful but mostly full of fun!
Ching usually looks after Lisa`s toes and Aljean beautifies her fingers. Today Ching (on the left) told Lisa that she is returning to the Philipines for her vacation. She will be gone for two months visiting her husband and two children (aged 13 and 5 years). Ching has not been home for two years. Isn't that a sobering thought? But not an uncommon situation here in Doha. Many people come here for work so that they can send money home for their family. It is a sacrifice but gives children a "better life" and an opportunity for education that would otherwise not be possible.

As a family we never discount the sacrifice that these people are making and we thoroughly enjoy their company and their service!

Friday, October 12, 2012

I'm Lovin' It

We started our weekend with an unusual trip to McDonald's after church. Breakfast at McDonalds has recently come to Doha and what they say is true -- an Egg McMuffin in Qatar tastes the same as an Egg McMuffin in Canada. That is the success of McDonalds isn't it? When we feel homesick we look for something familiar. Sad to say that McDonalds is familiar.

Lisa next to the car menu
But there are some unique aspects of McDonalds in Qatar. There is a Chicken Big Mac and a Double Big Mac (yes, 4 patties). Maybe those are now available in Canada too. In Doha you can also order McDonalds delivered to your home. There are many McDonalds delivery motorcycles on the roads day and night. Or you can sit in the parking lot of McDonalds, honk your horn, give your order to the clerk that comes to your car, and then wait for your take out bag -- all without leaving the air conditioned comfort of your Bentley.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Falcon Store

Falcons on display in the market
On Saturday Tim and Simon went to run a few errands in the Souq Waqif. They were looking for lemon cashews and bolt cutters. They found falcons instead.  The "Falcon Souq" has been recently renovated and there are now 14 shops selling falcons and falcon supplies. Simon was amazed at the metal stands you can buy with a pillow on top for the falcon to sit on. They are for displaying your falcon in your home.
Simon holding a one year old falcon
Falcons are the national bird of Qatar and falconry is a very popular sport for the local people. Traditionally the falcons were used for hunting food but now they are a leisure past-time. There is a hunting competition in the desert each year. We have seen these majestic birds of prey in malls and cars and shops. They are heavier to hold than they look but a very gentle, quiet bird. We hope to see them in competition very soon.