Noodle Bar

Dear Friends,

The noodles, veggies and beans looked great at this street stall. The chicken feet and other poultry bits didn't look quite as appetizing.

Love,
H & B

Matching Outfits

 Dear Friends,

Couples just love dressing alike here.  This is NOT something we are going to pick up.

Love,
H & B

Phone Cover

Dear Friends,

I definitely would NOT lose my phone in my bag if I had this cover.  Of course, nothing else would fit in my bag.

Love,
H

Newspaper

Dear Friends,

Outside the local market, you can stop to read the news.

Love,
H & B

Rest Time!

Dear Friends,

When I originally went to take the picture of the overloaded bicycle, I didn't notice the man taking a snooze next to it.  He must have been worn out after peddling this bike around all morning.

Love,
H

Saturday in Shanghai

Dear Dani,

Thanks for showing me some of the more useful places around town. The pre-lunch veggie buns were yummy!

Love,
H

Contrasts

Dear Friends,

Just one of many contrasts in Shanghai. Sure the photo would have been better if it was a clear day. But...this is Shanghai.

Love,
H & B

Hair Salon

Dear Friends,

You can do anything on the street here, including getting your hair colored. Think I will wait to go to a more private venue.

Love,

H

Apple

Dear Friends,

Found this little gem in the large mound of apples I was sorting through at Carrefour.  It looks carved but wasn't.  I am not exactly sure how this design came to be on this apple. Would love to find out.  Any ideas?

Love,
H

Line Up

Dear Friends,

You might think this is a line up for concert tickets or a special give-away.  But, you would be mistaken. This is just your regular Saturday morning line to get into the grocery store.  The best part is in the produce section. Be sure to ask about the celery story the next time you see us.

Love,
H & B

Cruise

Dear Friends,

A busy first two weeks of school ended with a boat cruise. The view of downtown Shanghai was colorful!

Love,
H & B

Plastic

Dear Friends,

I just spent the last ten minutes unwrapping all our produce from the plastic it was in.  I tend to think of myself as environmentally friendly so China's love of plastic is a bit much for me.  I am working on finding some more earth friendly places to shop and patiently waiting for my cloth bags to arrive in the shipment.

Love,
H

Roses

Dear Friends,

I have been feeling a bit under the weather the last few days with "Shanghaitis", my first encounter with the pollution related respiratory issues.  My sweet husband decided to get me some beautiful long stemmed roses to cheer me up. Each was individually wrapped in cellophane and then the entire bunch was wrapped as well.  (Sorry I missed the shot of that.)  The beauty of the flowers almost masks the plastic starfish cup I had to use as a vase.  Looking forward to the day our shipment arrives and I have 6 vases to choose from!

Love,
H

Tory Burch

Dear Friends,

We spent some time the other weekend checking out one of the markets near the school.  As we left the US, our friend Stacy wanted us to keep a look out for Tory Burch bags. Guess we can check that off our list.

Love,
H & B

New Classroom

Dear Friends,

Here it is. . . my new classroom.  Got in with less than a week before kids arrived.  YIKES!!! Check back in  a few weeks to see how it is coming along.

Love,
H

Pizza Delivery

Dear Friends,

I was out for a walk the other day and came across a Papa Johns. They have quite a delivery fleet.

Love,
H

Corn Juice?

Dear Friends,

Saw this in the juice isle at the grocery store.  From the picture, we are guessing it is corn juice.  Have you ever tried it?

Love,
H & B

Watts

Dear Friends,

One of the best things about our move to Shanghai...the Watts. Greg and Di worked with us in Romania. Having them here has made our transition much easier and way more fun!

Love,
H & B

Transport Bike

Dear Friends,

By local standards, this guy is carrying a small load on his bicycle. We are amazed at some of the things we see people carrying on bikes.

Love,
H & B

Dragon Fruit

Dear Friends,

The fruit basket in our apartment when we arrived was a welcome sight.  These two beautiful dragon fruit were inside.  As pretty as they are, no matter how hard we try, we just cannot convince ourselves that they taste good.

Love,
H & B

Tea

Dear Friends,

Sorry for the grainy shot on this one... had to quickly pull out my camera to get a shot of this guy pouring our tea.

Love,
H & B

Flower Tree

Dear Friends,

Saw this interesting "flower tree" on one of my morning runs. Sure brings some color to the park.

Love,
H

Flies Head

Dear Friends,

Saw this delicacy on a local menu.  Not sure what it is.  Maybe next time we'll give it a try.

Love,
H & B

Chair Store

Dear Friends,

Ran into this chair store on the side of the road. Not sure where the owner was.  Good thing we weren't in a buying mood.

Love,
H & B

Yuyuan Gardens

Dear Friends,

Spent a morning at the Yuyuan Gardens or, more accurately, trying to find it.  It was worthwhile. The gardens were a peaceful break from the bustling city.

Love,
H & B

Red Bean Scone

Dear Friends,

I am sure none of you will be surprised to hear that there are plenty of Starbucks in town.  The do have some unusual items. I had to give this red bean scone a try. . . pretty tasty!

Love,
H

Woks

Dear Friends,

We went to Carrefour  to do a little shopping. Guess we know where to go in case we need a wok. They had quite a selection.

Love,
H & B

Shanghai

Dear Friends,

We made it to Shanghai.  We've been getting settled in and even took a day to explore the city. Think we are really going to like it here!

Love,
H & B

Lake Huron Sunrise

Dear Friends,

Just love getting up for an early morning run in Oscoda. I get to see these beautiful sunrises over Lake Huron.

Love,
H

Robin's Nest

Dear Robin,

Sorry we didn't get to spend more time at your "nest" this summer. Hopefully we will see you more next year.

Love,
H & B

Tawas Harbor

Dear Friends,

We enjoyed our last two weeks in Michigan.  It was great not to spend everyday in the car. Instead, we rode bikes, walked around town and took the kayaks down the Ausable.   We enjoyed every minute of the fresh air and green space.

Love,
H & B

Harrisville Wine & Food Festival

Dear Friends,

The Sunrise Side Wine and Food Festival...what better why to spend a Saturday afternoon?

Love,
H & B

Fiddle

Dear Friends,

As we left St. Andrews, our friends were sure to remind us to look for the giant fiddle  on the way to Fredericton . . . found it!

Love,
H & B

Hockey Life

Dear Friends,

This is my favorite store in the entire world.

Love,
B

St. Andrews, New Brunswick

Dear Deborah and Andrew,

We had a great time in St. Andrews! Thanks for the fun visit. See you next summer!

Love,
H & B

Charlottetown, PEI

Dear Nathan and Kirsten,

Summers wouldn't be the same without a couple days with you in PEI.  Maybe next year we can make sure to get to Gahans for their home brew.  Thanks for all the fun!

Love,
H & B

PEI Mussels

Dear Friends,

Our annual buck of PEI mussels was delicious!

Love,
H & B

PEI - B & B

Dear Friends,

We found the best B & B at Rocky Point. Every time we arrive, there are homemade goodies, fantastic beverages and amazing company.  We love you guys!

Love,
H & B

Cookbook

Dear Friends,

We saw this cookbook at a bookstore in Fredericton. Thought a few of you might like it but we didn't end up buying it.

Love,
H & B

Bikes

Dear Friends,

Loved the way this bike rental shack on the Halifax waterfront was painted.  We love bikes too!

Love,
H & B

Halifax

Dear Sean and Lee,

Thanks for the great time!  We enjoyed the porch party with you and the girls.

Love,
H & B

Jazz Festival

Dear Friends,

As we wandered around the waterfront in Halifax, we discovered the Jazz Festival. We stopped in to enjoy one of the free afternoon concerts.

Love,
H & B

Bradley Avenue

Dear Friends,

Did you know that Brad has a street named after him?  Just ask him, he can tell you the story.

Love,
H & B

Theodore Tugboat

Dear Friends,

This tugboat was offering rides around the Halifax Harbor.  We decided not to take a ride this time.

Love,
H & B

Canada

Dear Friends,

We had a fantastic trip to Canada.  Got to see so many great friends and family members.  Hard to believe it will be another year before we return.

Love,
H & B

Girls' Weekend

Dear Michelle, Ann, Stacy and Jolie,

Thanks for yet another wonderful weekend!  I am so lucky to have you gals as friends.  And, Robin...we all missed you!

Love,
H

American Spoon

Dear Friends,

Loved all the preserves in here.  Even loved more that this is a local company.  Bought some items to share with friends in Canada.

Love,
H

Wine Festival

Dear Friends,

Harbor Springs put on a fantastic wine (and beer) festival!  We loved tasting all the local beverages.  The local restaurants had wonderful treats out for us to sample as well.  The highlight was the local band.

Love,
H

Little Traverse Bay

Dear Friends,

The view of Little Traverse Bay is beautiful. If only it wasn't so COLD!

Love,
H

Vodka Slushes

Dear Michelle,

Our weekend wouldn't have been the same without your vodka slushes!  Delightful!

Love,
H