Can you spot the wai guo ren?

The Chinese are used to walking in a crowd and don't mind being jostled and bumped. This is hard to get used to at first being from America, where my space is, MY SPACE. Even in a crowd wai guo ren ( foreigners) are quickly spotted as we tend to stand out with our white faces, big noses, and tall bodies. Most days when I am outside I hear the whispers, "kan wai guo ren."(look at the foreigner)It doesn't bother me I just smile and pretend I am a movie star. :) Look it's Keli Schoon! Even those of us who are wai gua ren start to spot each other and point and say "hey, look there is a wai gua ren." Can you spot the wai guo ren?

The view from my windows

Tianjin is the warmest place we have lived in for a long time but winter can still feel long. Right now I am beginning to feel the walls starting to move inward and not only my apartment walls but the outside walls of the apartments around me. We live quite close to our neighbors and it is hard for me not to long for the forests of Sweden or the California canyon I grew up in. Most days I don't look out the windows because the view does not change. Concrete looks the same no matter what color it is.

Street food

Street food is very popular in China. You could eat a whole meal without even stepping foot into a restaurant. We have tried some of the food served on the street but I have to admit that we have never tried the one in the first picture. In case you can't figure it out he is frying squid tentacles.

Cotton candy to go.

These are one of my favorite street foods. BBQ'd peices of lamb on a stick.

My yummy boat

Ancient Chinese Art

A very tasty Chinese Art is called sugar art. This man uses a spoon and melted sugar to make beautiful figures. Unfortunatly or maybe fortunatly you can not save these for too long or they will start to melt and get sticky. They are made to be eaten. The kids did not have any problems with this and honestly neither did I. My sweet tooth loved it!

Brianna has two birds, B.J. a bunny and Eric an eagle.

Step One

Buying the Fireworks! Don't worry Grandpa we will be safe.

This place is boy heaven!

Mom, can I please have the big one?

The weather

We are getting a lot of e mails and calls about the weather in China and if we are having problems. The heavy snow storms have been in southern China and have only affected us by the price of fruit and other items driven in from the south. In Tianjin we have had sunny days as you can see in the pictures. The have been polution free and I have seen parts of the city from the 5th floor of the kids school that I have never seen before. The snow in this picture is man made and in a park nearby our apt. Brianna is racing her Middle School principle! Look who is winning. :) This is the only snow right now in our city. This week is Chinese New Year. The fire works have already started everynight and Wednesday night will be a blast! Litterally!!!