The Notorious Asian Fruit

During our first week in Shanghai, Scott encountered some complications with his hand and was medically evacuated to Singapore for about 10 days.  While he was there, he was able to tour around a bit.  Singapore is a fascinating fusion of China, Malaysia and India.  The result is a highly educated, impeccably clean, diverse but peaceful place.

Singapore sports one of the largest indoor botanic gardens in the world—including the highest indoor waterfall.  I am impressed at their ability to create oasis of nature amidst a concrete jungle. 

Their high tech is evident the amazing light shows and impressive architecture including the 4 story “trees” which light up.  

A local Singapore favorite is durian fruit.  If you haven’t been privileged to try it yet, you might be interested in this description of it.

The Smithsonian describes it as "the notorious Asian fruit has such a potent stench that it's banned on the Singapore Rapid Mass Transit.  Food writer Richard Sterling has written 'its odor is best described as ...turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.  It can be smelled from yards away."  

Thankfully, a surgery, two pins, physical therapy and antibiotics later--Scott is doing much better.  His hand looks like it will recover full function

Ni Hao!

We arrived to China--the land of ancient history, dumplings, and the Great Wall that has kept history in and out for many years.  We are excited for a new adventure.

China is a land of intrigue and beauty.

A land of tradition.

A land of strength and pride.

It is full of culture.

Diversity of terrain and demographics.

A fascinating study of economics and power.

This time we will be living in the heart of economic power--Shanghai.  

Dia De la Mama

Kate's class put on a special program for the mother's around Mother's Day

                                         Here is Kate singing with her friends Seth and Sariah.

The kids even served us breakfast.  Yummy!

Bubbles!

An amazing 34 birthday

 Dinner out with Scott at the Villa Maria in Mexico City

 A family celebration, including a cake.

A surprise candelight dinner at home.

Wow.  I am spoiled.  

Oh La La Beauty Spa

My girls invited me to be their VIP client at the Linton Lady Oh La La Beauty Spa.  They soaked my feet in a plasstic kitchen bowl of cold water and painted my feet alternating colors.  My hair was styled with detangler and a miscellaneous assortment of bows and clips--with a headband around my neck.  I was offered water with chunks of pears and oranges in it.  Genevieve even reached her hand in to add floaties.  The uniform of employees was swimming suits.  And the luxurious location was the dining room.  Without a doubt...the most enjoyable spa experience ever!

The Heart of the City.

Scott’s favorite thing when traveling is to make to “the heart of the city.”  After 8 months in Mexico City, we finally made it to the heart of the city.  J  It is a bustling metropolis full of modern Mexican cowboys, indigenous older women with French braids, highly educated professionals, drunk men against walls reading the paper, religious enthusiasts preaching on red boxes, mothers pushing babies in strollers, tourists checking maps and lots of people in between. 

The city center is a large plaza with a large (and I don’t mean sort of big, I mean ENORMOUS) Mexican flag in the center.   The plaza is flanked on one side by the presidential palace where the president works, another side by the national cathedral, a government building on another, and a commercial building filled with jewelry stores and food shops on the other.  

 The girls loving the arched walkway in the plaza.

 Katherine pretending to be Colombus.

 Just tucked into the corner is the temple mayor—some ruins of an old Mayan city just discovered a few years ago.  This is Scott and the girls trying to to imitate the frantic pace of this Mayan warrior.

 Katherine and Scott pretending to be the stone mummies at the ruins.

 Some of the original paint is still left.  How did they get these gorgeous colors?

 This is exactly what you think it might be.  Human sacrifice was very prevalent in the pre-colombian, Mayan, and other indigenous cultures in the area.  This was one altar with several real skulls discovered inside and believed to be an altar to human sacrifice.

 Whew!  All this exploring is exhausting!

 This one is ready to go though.

 Inside of the cathedral.

Triple Decker Dad.