New favorites

I'm currently hooked on exploring TED.com talks when I get a moment here or there or some dishes to wash. "Ideas worth spreading" is their motto. I like it! I don't agree with everything I've seen, but there's many fascinating presenters.

It started when my friend sent me this cool overview called "Changing Education paradigms" which is an animated talk given by Ken Robinson. Does this ring true with anyone else? I have a handful of thoughtful friends who homeschool here and back in the US for various reasons and now one that has had her kids in a leadership education charter school. I find it all fascinating! I know each generation sees changes in education but I really appreciated this overview to think about my children's education - what I hope it achieves and how I can supplement to fill gaps I find. Never mind that we're not in the US! We've felt very blessed to have the opportunities we've had at the Int'l School here.

Other favorites:
Lisa Bu "How books can open your mind" -- but really it's about finding happiness and it resonated with my own lifelong search for what to be when I grow up or my dream job. Not that I want to enter the workforce right now - my life is full and I like it as it is - but if I had to I wanted to have an idea of what I'd enjoy doing. Lisa, on the other hand, knew what she wanted to be but wasn't able to convince the adults in her life to take her seriously. "What happens when a dream you've held since childhood … doesn't come true? As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books."

George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece. His story of being pressured to make a deal in time for world financial markets opening favorably rung true and made me cringe. Interesting. "Greece has been the poster child for European economic crisis, but former Prime Minister George Papandreou wonders if it's just a preview of what's to come. “Our democracies," he says, "are trapped by systems that are too big to fail, or more accurately, too big to control” -- while "politicians like me have lost the trust of their peoples." How to solve it? Have citizens re-engage more directly in a new democratic bargain. George Papandreou draws on lessons learned from the Greek debt crisis as he helps guide the EU through difficult waters."  

I've also made my way through some of the "Guest Curated" playlists on Education and also Social Change. Fascinating ideas and projects people are working on!

While looking for Newberry titles set in China in prep for our trip, I stumbled on "Bomb: The race to build - and steal - the world's most dangerous weapon" by Steve Sheinkin. 

I loved it, 5 stars! My hometown is in the Hanford area of Washington where the plutonium was enriched for the second bomb dropped on Japan. I have always wanted to find an engaging overview of the race to build the atom bomb and here it is! I loved reading this book! It covers the major players in the world, the challenges to overcome in such an endeavor, and interesting spy trade craft that I think youth and adults will enjoy. I know a handful of 9 year olds that would love this, but it's probably suited for 10+ or so. 

Beijing Day Two: the Forbidden City, Kung Fu show, and Dinner

Saturday greeted us with mostly clear skies and it was hot. We did the Forbidden City and the Kung Fu show at the Red Theater. Our guide brought her camera along to snap shots of her atypical customers. She got some good ones that I am glad to have for our memories. 

And we're off for the day. That's our hotel behind us. Jake was determined to start the day walking and NOT in the stroller!

My biggest and littlest men. So cute!

 

Here we are approaching the Forbidden City with its moat behind us. It was here that we came across our first potty training child being held over a trash can to do its business. That's what you came here to read, right? 

Morgan was in good spirits being scooped up by strangers at the beginning of the day and the reason is below. 

Once we got to the gate area, our guide told us the price of tickets and Ryan gave her the money and she went and got the tickets while I lathered the kids up with sunscreen. Such great service from this guide!!! Many Chinese carried around their umbrellas to keep the sun off – light skin is strongly preferred. Isn’t that funny how our cultures are opposites in this regard?!

Nine is a revered number in China since it's the largest single digit. 

Us in action. Kids snacking as always! Jake, our Little Boss.

Ah, our globe trotters, I'm so proud of them! 

The Forbidden City was massive! We only scratched the surface on our tour but it was hot and I don’t do heat and children well together. We’d brought snacks, lots of water and I remembered to bring the spray bottle which saved us from Morgan having melt downs. I don’t remember much of what our guide was trying to share but she kept us moving along and even did Morgan’s potty stops with her! Now that’s service! I knew she’d be efficient, knew where she was going, and Morgan was probably better for her than she would have been in a new situation with me.

No trees = less place for assasins to hide or fire hazard. Their shade was sorely missed!

Tourists can pay to dress up and have their picture taken looking like the Emperor, Empress or concubine.

We saw these all over the place as a means of transporting goods. Wow!

Male lion with the ball under foot. He's the ying to the ting-yang balance.

Getting around in style! 

Ahh, shade and our secret weapon to keep Morgan happy! Our guide brought her that bow in her hair and while I wanted her to wear some comfy shorts, she picked her girly pink tutu skort.  

Our guide tried to get Morgan to charge 1yuan per picture posed with her!
Ever the capitalist, our guide!
Morgan was just happy with the spray bottle in her hand!

Jake's happy place - an incline to run or slide on!
As long as you didn't try to touch him, he was a happy camper.
Many learned by way of his ear-piercing scream that he's not touchy-feely with strangers.

Cuteness!!! So fun to see kids look real hard at our children.

You can't hear him, but he let out a shrill one!

McKay says he likes being famous because you get free stuff, like these flags.
It was with mixed emotion that we let our boys wave those flags around.

Emperor's bedroom

Beautiful gardens which I was too tired and hot to enjoy.
Glad Ryan ran around taking pictures of many of it's beauties.

The Forbidden City's exterior wall.

After exiting the Forbidden City, we hopped on a bus with Helen to head to the Red Theater. We really enjoyed the “Legend of Kung Fu” show. It is such a tourist trap but nice to sit back, relax and be entertained. We did the earlier 5:15 show. 

Afterward, Morgan couldn't stop showing off her kung fu skills for the rest of the evening. It was hilarious!

We took the metro back to our hotel’s neighborhood at the Oriental Plaza Mall. We didn’t wander long looking at menus when we found the equivalent of a Chinese Applebees with some pretty decent food. 

We were many people's dinner entertainment. Imagine witnessing our first real meal with ever using chopsticks and we were starving! McKay is a champ with chopsticks! Easton gave up and Morgan gave it a go but took to spearing her food - corn pancakes. 

Dinner: sticky rices, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, corn pancakes, salad, spicy noodles, beef and noodles.

Very refreshing and yummy and I'm not even a walnut fan. 

Everyone's so happy to sit down and eat real food after a day of snacks!

It didn't take long for those chopsticks to become pancake swords.
Shocking, I know!

Before long, Jake was done so I walked him around the area in front of the restaurant. We mostly enjoyed watching the beautiful fish in their pond with other restless toddlers and typically their grandmother.

Next stop, DQ blizzards for our pint-sized globe trotters! The kids now began negotiating a deal – what if the better they behave, the bigger the blizzard they earned? Works for us!

My baby was so tired!!!

Morgan won't die til she's dead, she's like the energizer bunny!
And she loves her blizzards! 

And Kung Fu!

We bought one of those silly cheap rubberband spinners you shoot into the sky from a street hawker and the kids had a blast with it.
Ryan had given them some yuan to barter the price and they did well.

 We took the route through Snack Street to see it lit up at night on the way back to our hotel.

Again, showers and baths for all, a load of laundry and attempt to get to bed when our bodies say it's not near bedtime yet! I think it was 1:30am Beijing time when we all settled down. Turns out a six hour time difference makes a difference!