Park & Porcelain

Yes, I'm behind in my blogging but slept a little bit later each day and during the day I don't want to take time away from Maya. Though she has been on the computer more than me. Let her do it only because she's found some Chinese games to play and since we're yapping English to her I wanted her to have something fun she can do but as with all kids she quickly got used to it and wants to go all the time but there are other stuff to do. Today our guide took us to a park nearby. The day started out with rain but we went anyway, taking some umbrellas with us from the hotel. It was a lovely park with a lake and a playground which as soon as Maya saw she did not want to do anything else. I explained that we would take her but Mommy and Daddy wanted to see the lake and we'd go around to the playground but it couldn't come soon enough. Anyway the playground is an outdoors gym for young and old, some things a little too twisty for me and I really didn't need a sprained ankle again so I stayed off it. It rained on and off. We fed the colorful orange fish and they sure fight for the food. Maya was so excited to feed them and got two bags. Charlie joined in on one of the dance groups around the park. That's the thing about Europe and other places people get out a lot more, even if air is not so good like here in China people often wear masks just to go out for a walk, definitely wear masks on the mopeds.

Even though it rained it does not mean it cooled things off, no it was very hot and humid, sweat was still pouring. We tried to pose Maya against some backgrounds so we can keep the memories for her for later. She may not care for it much right now but will oblige most of the time. In typical nine year old fashion she's bored with it and often says Canada. I think and I hope that she's wanting to go to Canada as soon as possible.

I thought this was hilarious, I turn around and there was Charlie dancing, using his umbrella as the prop. The Chinese ladies got a kick of it it. An then at last it was the playground and Maya ran around from one apparatus to another. There was the turning drum, it goes fast.

Maya often wants to do a staring contest and she's good at it. She usually wins though we try hard. So it's like stop what you doing and do a stare down, lol.

See this big beautiful smile on Maya, that is not always just out of sheer joy it is also a smile when she suddenly gets a little anxious, this is usually follows if she's wanting to go somewhere else and we said no, mostly because we have to follow the group and she's come aware of the group but usually makes her own agenda and wants us to follow hers rather than ours. So this gives her a little anxiety and she will get all giddy laughing and will do he opposite of everything we ask her to do. From our point of view we are not asking a lot, walk with these people, get on the bus, sit down on the bus, get off the bus, go to our room etc etc. In that respect I can't wait to get home as her surroundings will be a little foreign to her and will slow her down just a bit. At the root of this child is a very very sweet little girl, very thoughtful  and helpful so I know the transition is hitting her more than she originally let on.

The porcelain shop was beautiful, lot's of porcelain of all kinds, hard to chose just one or two items, many sets were in huge cases which we could not carry with us, so we chose a small tea set, bracelets and a porcelain panda Maya chose for herself.