Week 53 - I'm famous, for fifteen minutes anyway...

I entered an Instagram photo competition through Time Out Shanghai, to capture the essence of Shanghai.  I entered a couple of pictures, but one which was selected as a finalist was the last sunrise of 2012, from my bedroom window over Pudong.  We went to a glamorous cocktail party at Char Bar at the Indigo Hotel, on the Bund to see who the winner would be.  

I didn't think it would be me, but it was.

This was my winning picture... The judges said: 

This photographer exploits the limitations of their phone's camera to great effect.  The sun is dropping through the sky like a blow torch - Sam Gaskin, artinfo

Week 52 - Shanghai Museum

This is looking down from the top floor into the atrium at the Shanghai Museum in Peoples Park.  The building is shaped like a big cooking pot and has 4 floors of Chinese Art, including sculpture, painting, calligraphy and jade.  There are also collections of coins, furniture, tribal clothing and jewellery.

Week 51 - Great Wall of China

Here's my family on the Great Wall of China.  

On a beautiful day with a blue sky.

And no crowds.

Aren't we lucky???

Week 50 - Harbin

Mike and I went away for our first childfree weekend, and it coincided with our seventh wedding anniversary.  Mum and Dad were in town to look after the kidlets, so we braved temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius (yes, below zero) to visit Harbin in the top north east corner of China, not very far from Russia.

Every January there is a snow and ice sculpture festival, and this was the opening night at the Ice Sculptures.  Everything was built of ice, and illuminated with fluorescent lights.  There were a number of parks around Harbin each of which had ice or snow sculptures.  It was a real adventure, and we had a wonderful time!!

Week 49 - New Year's Eve Glamour

We were on our way to welcome in 2013 at M on the Bund, in the Glamour Bar.  We were unable to drive very far down Zhongshan Lu, and so were dropped off to walk a couple of blocks.

The mood was vibrant and happy, and the old buildings were all lit up, and crowds of people lined the promenade along the river... it was packed... we welcomed the new year in style with good friends, canapés and champagne.

And of course fireworks along the river.

Happy new year!!!

Week 48 - Family Reunion

Last Christmas when we were celebrating in Melbourne, Jie Jie announced at Christmas dinner that she wanted the next Christmas to be at her house, and invited, with a heavy expectation, Mum and Dad to be there too.  We are so lucky this year, because not only do we have Mum and Dad, but we also have my younger sister and her new husband visiting.  All arrived two days before Christmas, and here we are out at Pudong International Airport to collect Grandma and Bob.  As soon as we saw them come through the sliding doors the kids were sprinting down towards them for their first grandparent hugs after 8 months.  I don't know who had the biggest grin!!!

Week 47 - It's beginning to feel a lot like...

Christmas... 

Over the last 5 Christmases, Shanghai decorators are finally getting it right and putting up the decorations in early December.  In our first year here, they literally put the decorations up on Christmas Eve and took them down as they changed over for Chinese New Year.  This year, it is nice that our local shopping centre has their decorations up now... this is a display on the floor, and the sign says 'No trampling or stampeding'.

Merry Christmas!!

Week 46 - The Hamster comes to visit

Jie Jie's class have a pet hamster called 'Cute Venesa', and she's on a roster system for playdates.  I am not particularly fond of rodent-y animals, and was not particularly keen on having this little one visit our house.  But Jie Jie was determined, and desperate, to have her come and visit... so she came for an overnight stay after school, sneaking in midweek as weekends are running out before the Christmas holidays.

She wasn't here long enough to really bother me, and she was quite cute.

Week 45 - Ding dong ding, everybody sing

These little cuties are in the Early Years Choir... the ones with Santa hats on are 4 years old, and the ones without are 3 years old. They put on a Carols by Candlelight concert (with a lot of help from their amazing teachers) to celebrate the newborn King, and of course the other festivities that go with Christmas!  

The cutest bit was when they all stopped singing and dropped their jaws open when they heard a loud 'Ho Ho Ho' from Santa Claus!  

Week 44 - Christmas Tree Lighting

It's not even December, and Didi has befriended Santa and is leading him around to meet his friends! This was at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at school where the Junior School Choir sang and mulled wine and mince pies were enjoyed by all.

Week 43 - Hongqiao Flower Market

This week I went to the Hongqiao Flower Market, for the first time since moving to Shanghai, 4 years ago - loved it!!  How and why have I never been here before??  Has everything, and does not have the same feel as the fake markets, but can still find a bargain as well.  

The flower section was beautiful and had everything from potted plants, to cut flowers and stunning orchids.  These gorgeous little flower arrangements are especially for Christmas, as the Hongqiao Flower Market really caters for expats, not locals.  They said these would last for one month, so I'll have to go back next week to get one, as we went a few days before the 25th!!

Week 42 - Shanghai Zoo

Took the kids to the Shanghai Zoo, with some reservations with reports of poor conditions for the animals, and ended up being pleasantly surprised.  The gardens in the zoo were lovely, and it was a great spot to see some autumn colour.  Most of the enclosures provided a reasonable amount of stimulation for the animals in the outside sections but the inside enclosures tended to be a little bleak.  Despite no feeding signs, it infuriated me to see people leaning over enclosure walls reaching to the animals and throwing in human food, usually junk food.

I loved the red panda - in Chinese it's name translates to Inferior Panda, but I think it is just lovely, and this name makes it really seem like the poor cousin!

Week 41 - Step into an Optical Illusion

The old Shanghai Slaughterhouse was an abattoir built in 1933, and is now called the 1933 Building. It is made of brushed concrete, and is a series of ramps, bridges and staircases, basically in a spiral, but with a vast number of paths down.  The ramps are quite steep, but rough and ridged to prevent the cattle slipping, and the staircases apparently provided workers with a continuous line of sight to the cattle, while keeping away and safe from the stampede.

The space is now used for exhibitions and functions and is a secret delight of Shanghai that we enjoyed visiting.  That's me and the kids posing on the distant bridge!

Week 40 - Trick or Treat

Here we all are dressed up for Halloween.  My family are all pirates and my friend's family are all witches and wizards.  We had a great night trick or treating around the Green Villas compound, and the kids collected a huge amount of loot!!

Happy Halloween!!

Week 39 - United Nations Parade

This is Didi's class, all ready for the annual UN Parade.  His school has children from more than 60 countries, and his class of 16 manages to represent 12 countries!!  

Don't they look beautiful??

Week 38 - Sports Day

Hang on to your hat... first time these guys are having proper 'competitive' sports day, and in the sprints, you wouldn't want your hat to come off... even at the expense of first spot!!

Week 37 - Dead Things Museum

The Dead Things Museum, officially known as The Natural History Museum, really is just that...  hundreds of preserved dead animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures which have been in some fluid and have truly had all colour leached out!  There are also a couple of models, for example a big whale, and a poster demonstrating human ethnicity focussing on different noses!!

This is the most impressive room with the dinosaur skeletons... but it looks like it was curated in the 1930s, and hasn't been touched since.  It wouldn't be a surprise if Prof Indiana Jones stepped out with a group of students.

Week 36 - China National Day

Look at those flags waving proudly.  

Look at all those people out celebrating.

This is Lujiazui in the middle of the National Day Golden Week Holiday. 

Beautiful weather to cap it all off nicely!!

Week 35 - Fresh Vegetables

 

Look at those shiitake mushrooms, aren't they fabulous?? 

This little truck, which is a three wheeler comes loaded up with the freshest of fresh vegetables you've ever seen and sells them on the street corner, just outside the supermarket, where really you have no idea how old the fresh produce is. You just have to look and you can see it's amazing!!  And cheaper than from the supermarket too!!

Week 34 - View from Lujiazui

Went out for lunch with the girls to Din Tai Fung for some amazing dumplings. It was a perfect autumn day, and the parkland between the restaurant and the river had been recently landscaped.  The view over to the Bund was lovely, and the sunshine made everything glow.