Playing Cards ….as long as we speak English- is Oral English…right?

Bought 4 decks of cards this morning. This is what I am doing in class for the next 8 work days. Taught them Crazy 8's ( Loved it!) and the rest played Chinese Card games - which they had to explain to me in English, as I walked the room….

 Oh- and I let my Pre-Juniors draw on the board. Can you find me?

 Played a really fun Chinese Card game with these little sweeties…….and won!

New Apartment, New Appliances……………..

The blue-eyed Duo- AKA my sweet daughter and her sweet fiancé- have found me a lovely apartment within walking distance to the college. I am so excited!!!!!

It is "pot-luck" approved and I am already planning my first get-together in late July- early August.
The bad news is it does not come with kitchen appliances. The good news is it does not come with kitchen appliances.
You know you are old when you can spend hours drooling over stainless steel online…….

 Mmmmmmm…..maybe these……………………………..

If you ever come to Asia and need a Spa……………...

Dragon Fly is a China Spa/Nail/Beauty outlet located in all the major cities here. I'm sure it's owned and operated by a European/Western company.  You certainly pay Western prices. I have been 4 times now - at two different branches, and the decor and the "beauticians" are definitely European-inspired.

It was so nice to wake up with a "clean" face  after nine months in one of the most polluted places on earth…………...

Looking SOOOOO forward to a facial today

It's been nearly 9 months since I've had my face cleaned. Bianca, Adelia and I are booked for facials today at 2:30 pm. - after my classes end.
The Internet is really bonky today and I am waiting for an email confirmation from Dragon Fly

Happy Dragon Boat Festival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home-made ZongZi from colleague Danny.
Boil for 30 minutes. Unwrap and enjoy!
I shared with the Foreign teachers and the Ayi. She looked pleased!

 Greasy- filled with pork and pork fat. Delicious!!!!!

Short Videos at the K11 Mall

K11 Mall, Claude Monet and Fresh Element for dinner

So this is the gift shop.  No pics allowed of the Monet exhibit ( Although the other patrons were taking pictures anyway). I tried to take a picture of the crowd in the exhibition and a guard rushed over and warned me…….

These paintings were for sale and the artists were Chinese- pretty interesting.

Sunshine, Bianca and I paid 100 rmb ($16.00) to see 55 Monet paintings in two Exhibition Halls that had too many people meandering and you could not get close enough to see the work. It was quite frustrating. Art  consumption in Shanghai is hard to describe. It is a little like riding the Metro here- elbows in your back, bodies pushing to get forward - and nobody really gets to see the art. This is the fourth art exhibition I have been to and it was the worst experience. The space was too small, the attendees let in too many people at once, it was "Children's Day" ( June 1st), so there were too many crying babies. Sunshine could not stay for a bite to eat afterwards, so Bianca and I felt free to compare notes. Her feeling were identical to mine. Living in a culture that does not queue up for anything can be very frustrating. I continue to maintain it is the sheer size of the population that promotes the pushing to the front, but I don't know.

The Claude Monet display of books, scarves, and trinkets

K11 is an "Art Mall" with installations throughout the 4 floors. Really fantastic!

This map shows the areas where Art is found in the mall

The architecture is spectacular and the mall is eco-friendly

The design of the K11 Mall lived up to it's reviews- magnificent!

While looking for Element Fresh -  for a late lunch- we took the elevator to the 4th floor and stumbled into a hotel lobby

Lounging on the elegant furniture in my inelegant Gap shirt

Butterly outside the building

Dinner at Element Fresh-  a fabulous Chain in Shanghai

Bianca and red wine and fish with squid pasta

Indoor vegetable and herb garden in the Mall

Mush room shop

Tomato plants

Dolce and Gabbana window display

 Bianca took these wonderful shots of me in front of a perpetually moving screen at the entrance of the  mall

Day 2 of a three-day weekend was fabulous! In spite of the crowds at the art exhibit and the man on the Metro who was practising his English with Bianca and I. He asked me to be his English teacher - and then unceremoniously asked me why I was not "retired". Meaning I was "old". Sigh…………you gotta love the Chinese people………….