the Bund

This week has been a happy one. Wednesday evening was spent in Shanghai on the Bund with my wonderful family.

My Grandparents came to China and during their visit they came to Suzhou to spend time with us... After they'd been here for a couple of days we went back to Shanghai with them on the train. We headed straight for the Bund.

It was a holiday and there were (let me just say) so many people. We strolled up and down the crowded sidewalk as I snapped away.

I feel like I can't quite tell you how good of a time I had. My pictures can't show you how beautiful this place is and can't give you the "Shanghai" vibe.

My uncle had made reservations at "Lost Heaven", a fancy restaurant on the Bund (Woo Hoo!) and that was just perfect as well. As I sat at the long table in the the dimmed light with my Grandparents, Uncle and Aunt, five cousins, Dad, Mom and siblings I felt blessed.

Delicious food such as Green beans, Chicken, Broccoli, (all Chinese style) was piled onto the table.

My Grandma and big sister Rachael (now a Shanghai native :D)

My night came complete with pictures standing beside young Chinese men (not my doing, they ask.. don't worry!) I wore black boots and my new gray sweater. I feel so blessed to be able to do things like this. To be able to be near family and make such good memories with them. To be able to live in a city and visit Shanghai... even though this isn't the first time I've been on the Bund it is the first time I actually took pictures. 

                                                 It was a wonderful night and like I said, I am blessed.
                                                                                    Love, a


p.s. Want to know more about the Bund? Click here and here's a picture of The_Bund_of_Shanghai.jpg

Brother's and sister-

In December my brother came to China. He arrived in Shanghai and that next day we took him back to Suzhou to our home. We spent two weeks in Suzhou exploring and having a blast! Matt is such a great brother. We played a ton of games and listened to lots of music and ate a lot :)

After the two weeks for spent, we headed to Shanghai again to take care of my Uncle and Aunt's foster baby for two weeks while they went back to the states during Christmas. We got there and the next day they left and we had a baby again... for two whole weeks! It was great fun! But the post is about one day in particular.

Matt, Rachael, William and I took a taxi down to a subway station where we hopped on a crowded subway and hopped off at the place where all the "huge" buildings are. When you come out from underneath where the subway's are, you see all the huge, huge buildings and it is amazing! We met Andrew there. We walked through this really fancy hotel (I think it was a hotel or something?) And looked at the pretty Christmas decorations. We were all dressed in nice coats by the way, which we do here :)
We walked a lot. The biggest building in Shanghai is well, really big! And it cost's kinda a lot to go up to the top so we went in the one right next to it which is still quite tall and costs nothing.  Most of us had already been in that one but of course not Matt! We got to the top and it is so pretty looking out over the city! Its funny because this is a tourist place and to think that I can go there quite often and do those fun things which are right next to my city is pretty amazing! After that we said goodbye to Andrew and walked (more) down next to the Water side. On the opposite side from where we were is the Bund! All the old buildings which are very pretty on the outside and the inside!

 We were going to take a ferry accross to the bund side and walk around there. We started off to the right and walked all the way to the end and didn't find the ferry. We walked back to the left and found the ferry after a lot of walking. We paid the 2 Kuai and got our little blue chip and got on the ferry. It was short but we looked out the window the whole time and warmed ourselves in the sun. It was a very nice ferry ride :)
We got off and walked around on the bund a little bit. Its a very pretty place, one of Rachael's favorite!
After a while we were all hungry (an important part of the day... food) and so... we made the short trek to, Baker and Spice, a bakery with coffee and a place to sit at big wooden tables. Very enjoyable.
We all got our little treats and shared a couple coffees and some bread Rachael bought. We talked and ate and had fun like brother's and sister's are supposed to. Along we went home and ended are fun day in the city. Thanks for reading this everybody! Matt I love you very, very much and really had a fun day with you!!!! Ben i'm sorry that this post isn't about you- your gone too! But maybe another one. I love you too. The rest of you I love you very much too! Even if you weren't with us~

All the huge buildings here are so cool and in pictures they just don't look quite big enough (I guess there just bigger in person) so i'll just let imagine how big and awesome they are and think of are day there.