Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday Dear Dena
Happy Birthday to You

Dena is 38 today!

Wu Mart

We also went to Wu Mart the grocery store. We bought new inside shoes for me, notebook paper, and a children's Chinese book. On our way out we bought two bottles of green tea and two delicious sweet pastry thingies. I don't know exactly what they are called but they were good.

We stopped by the bakery and bought a small loaf of some bread. It looked good.

Shu shu met us at the bakery and walked us home. The electricity was back on. We ate lunch: steamed pork buns and a delicious cucumber. Chinese cucumbers are smaller than our cucumbers. They remind me of a cross between English cucumbers and the American ones.

We took a rest. During our rest it rained and still is. But the rain will not cool it down. It will make it hotter! We are getting acclimated to the heat.

Delainie's view:

Wu Mart is AWESOME! There is a upstairs. They have stationary. I got a note pad and a composition book for homework. When you walk in Wu Mart you see these delicious rolls, and lots of other good stuff like candy!

Hot

Well today we awoke to no electricity. In China, you prepay for your electricity. We have been very busy and running fans, air conditioning, computers etc. Sorry Mom & Dad about not being able to talk to you this mornings but no electricity to run the modem. So, we used it up. I gave Nan 300 yuan and decided maybe all we need to run is the fan when we are in the room. I want to get a fan like Nan's. It is small, cheap, puts out a good breeze and uses less electricity. I will look for one this week. Delainie and I went out this morning by ourselves. We were looking for a bakery. We found it but it was not open.

Later we went to the bank to cash a few travelers checks. The bank opened at 9. We were there at 8:30 and the 4th in line. It took us 45 minutes. When you do business at the bank or the phone company you are handed a number and you wait until it is called and you go to you assigned teller. They filled out a mountain of paperwork. Well, maybe not a mountain but 5 different forms that were then checked by two different officials. They then gave us our money. I got enough to last a few weeks and to reimburse Nan. She gave me some money when we got here just in case we needed some right away. She said you can cash your travelers check and reimburse me when we go to the bank. So, I did. I got as little extra because I am going to be teaching soon and want to make sure I have enough to buy our neccesities for the school.

Walmart

This morning we went to Walmart/Sam's Club. Beijing Sam's Club
158 Fushi Road,Shijingshan District. When Shu shu came to ask me if we wanted to go I thought he meant Wu Mart the grocery store. So, I did not take my camera. It was red large and had an escalator that carried people and carts to the second floor. There are 3 Walmart's and 1 Sam's Club in Beijing.

I would still like to go to the regular Walmart to shop. Here are some pictures of the Sam's Club from their website.

A lot of the items were labeled Sam's Choice but were Chinese Products. It was very nice. Thanks to Nan's Mom we were allowed to enter. I bought Delainie 4 books, some hangers, a hair turban from drying her hair and some house shoes. I wonder if my Sam's Card would have gotten us in as well?

Too Hot

Today, we just stayed around the house. It is about 100 degrees outside and too hot to do anything. The rain last night did not cool it off any. Tomorrow is supposed to be as hot or hotter. I can't imagine. Shu shu and I talked about homonyms. You know the words that sound the same but are spelled different? Like four, fore and for. It was like a mini English lesson. The I started thinking. Depending on what age I teach, I could use them as an example in my lessons toward the end of my teaching assignment.

Beijing Department Store

Today we went to the buy me a cell phone. We tried two different ones and neither worked. I was afraid of car sickness so, I took a motion sickness pill and slept most of the trip. We also one of many Beijing Department Store. Well, it was just like a mall but with many stories. We ate lunch and looked around. The things were very expensive. I didn't take pictures it was way too crowded and didn't want to look like too much of a tourist. I do know one thing,. I need a different purse/bag. The small back pack kills my back and it is too bulky. What I need is a slim short tote bag that I can put in my camera, purse, map and phrase book without being too bulky.

When we go to Walmart I will look for one.

Beijing Zoo

This morning we went to the Beijing Zoo. It was a two bus 1 hr ride from Shu shu & Nan’s. It was a nice walk. We saw all the regular creatures: snakes, turtle, penguins, monkey’s, marmosets, & two Giant Pandas. We had lunch at the zoo. Tammy had a fish sand, Delainie a “cheeseburger”, & Shu shu a hot dog and a sand. Delainie’s “cheeseburger” tasted nothing like beef. My sandwich tasted exactly like fish. They put a lot of ketchup on them. We were wiping some off Delainie’s. Look at the great pictures we took at the zoo. Delainie was the main photographer. We are back and resting. I hope to get this uploaded today.

This was a stone carving at the zoo.




Here are our tickets to enter the zoo.











Here we are at the entrance




Delainie eating ice cream.








Here are Shu shu and Delainie.










Here are the liang ge pandas.





For all of you who just wondered.
What do the squat potties look like?

That is all they had at the zoo.