Yesterday we went shopping at a local mall. Kelly unfortunately went back to the hotel shortly after we got there, since she was feeling a bit ill and very exhausted. The driving in China is just totally crazy. You just go where you want, don’t worry about lights, direction, people crossing etc. Kelly’s cab ride back to the hotel was one she will never forget and probably won’t want to do again.
So, it was Jim and Nicole shopping in a Chinese mall. What an experience that was! The traditional way of shopping in China is, you make your selection, get a ticket from the clerk, go to the counter and pay, then take the receipt back to the clerk and she gives you your merchandise. Might not be the most efficient way to shop, but definitely interesting. I got Nicole two outfits. The mall we were in had 3 floors, and of course the baby items were on the 3rd floor. Going up and down an escalator with a baby stroller was a new one for me.
Later on we went to a McDonalds in the mall and had some American food for the first time on our trip. It was a nice change. While in McDonalds, I got busted by the "Clothing Police." In China, it is very normal for strangers to just walk up to you and inspect how well your child is covered, hence the name, "Clothing Police." Well, I neglected to cover a couple of inches of Nicole’s legs, and got busted. It was very sweet to watch how gentle these folks were in straightening out the errors of my way.
You might notice in a couple of the pictures of Nicole that she is holding a photo of herself attached to Kelly’s small purse. Kelly has had the photos attached to her purse ever since we first got them last month. It was so sweet to watch Nicole grab Kelly’s purse and just sit and stare at the photo.
Our Thanksgiving Dinner was very special. Our group went to a local restaurant within easy walking distance. We had a traditional meal, which in China is served on a rotating platter in the center of the table. Later we had a very special cake served with the most amazing candle we had ever seen. The candle shot flame up as you can see in the picture, and then opened up into a flower shape with candles attached to each petal. It was really amazing to see.
Today I’m going to shop at an embroidery factory while Kelly stays with Nicole in the hotel. Apparently this embroidery factory has some unique styled embroidery and it is a highly recommend trip to take.
We were a bit late this morning for the dancing in the square, so hopefully tomorrow we will get an earlier start. I plan on dancing with Nicole in my arms! So far, she has not said she won't!