That's So China

Today when I got home from work, I was walking up to my apartment building and heard a chicken squawking. I turned around to see a man in a sports coat and slacks taking a chicken out of his black Peugeot sedan. The chicken was uncooperatively trying to escape from a cardboard box, so he put his black leather briefcase on the box lid.

I went up to my apartment, but few minutes later when I was again getting on my elevator, he was coming out, with the box and the chicken. He put the chicken in his trunk and drove away.
I'm not exactly sure what happened, and why, but a story that involves a chicken, a briefcase and a Peugeot is one that needs to be shared.

I never cease to be amazed by the juxtaposition of things both modern and undeveloped that make up China today.

Hangzhou

Since we had no tombs to sweep for Tomb Sweeping Day, we went to a nearby city, Hangzhou, for the long weekend. Hangzhou is known throughout China as one of the most beautiful cities in China, along with Suzhou. There is actually an old Chinese saying : Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.

Xi Hu, or West Lake, is the main attraction. Decide for yourself if you think it's a little bit of heaven on earth.

Family Portrait

Don't we look great?

Hong Kong vol. 3: Hong Kong at Night

Dusk over the Harbor as seen from Victoria Peak

Also from Vicoria Peak, the view of the city. I like to compare this to seeing the Grand Canyon. They are each views that are magnificent, awe inspiring and humbling. One speaks of God's majesty, the other of Man's ingenuity. Both are incredible.

See, we were actually there. Well, at least there is proof for four of us.

The kids outside the Hong Kong LDS Temple on Christmas Day.

Hong Kong vol. 2: Around the city

A view from Hong Kong Park



A picture of people taking a picture of people taking a picture in Hong Kong Park



In Times Square. It seems like every Chinese city has a Times Square, even Suzhou.



Small shopping street, much steeper than the picture shows



The gate of an old prison



Next up: Hong Kong at Night

Hong Kong vol. 1: The hotel and Soho

I'm finally posting some images from our trip to Hong Kong for Christmas:

This is our itty-bitty hotel room, actually at a guest house (kind of like a hostel). We all stayed for a week in one small room, about the size of John's bedroom at our apartment. There were three bunk beds, you can see the one overhead, the one in the background, and the one to the left in this picture. The bathroom is to the left, actually the size of a shower stall, and in fact, it doubled as the shower stall, with toilet and shower in one small space. With a view right into someone's kitchen if you opened the window. When we got back to Suzhou, we actually felt like our apartment was huge!

The Soho area of Hong Kong has an outdoor escalator to carry people to the higher streets in the neighborhood. I understand it moves down the mountain in the morning to take commuters to their jobs, then switches to up the mountain for the remainder of the day.

Views from the escalator:

Next up: Views from the city

Opting-out

It's supposedly the last night of the Chinese New Year (we thought it was last night, or maybe tomorrow night, who knows?). Maybe you thought it was a one night deal, but it's not. We've had fireworks, ranging from just a couple a day to the full barrage, every day since my last posting. That first night of fireworks remains one of the coolest things we've seen, but after two weeks of fireworks, we're not really feeling the need to experience it again tonight. Plus we have to work tomorrow. So, with the help of earplugs, we're opting out.