Two Weeks In Pictures

It is no secret that I have been on "lock down" for a little bit and it was driving me crazy! If you live under a rock (which is exactly how I felt) you might not know that China is changing leaders for the first time in ten years. At the annual Congress, that took place for ten days here in Beijing, the "party" met and basically messed up the internet for everyone. Actually a lot more happened than just the internet being locked down but that is an entirely different blog post! I don't get very deep here at TimeOutForMe, so I will get back to my usual frou-frou posts. You don't even want me to get started about US politics!

During the first weekend of November, E went to an overnight camp with the other young women from church. This is the group raising a flag of virtue after a hike on the wall. That is my cute girl right in the center with the bright smile!

Monday Scripture Study group

Taxis in Beijing are a dime a dozen, but there are a rare few that look like London taxis. It was on our Beijing Bucket List to take a picture with one and ride in one. We are now one for two.

Remnants of Autumn Snow at RiTan Park

 The next set of pictures are of the Beijing Lama Temple. A friend and I moseyed around there on a lovely Tuesday morning. 

Breathtaking foliage at the entrance of the Lama Temple

It is not often you catch a picture of me here on the blog

Proof that life in the hutong still exists here in modern Beijing

 Since the Confucius Temple was nearby we decided to expand our moseying. It was a pleasant, serene surprise. 

It is totally rare to find anywhere in Beijing that is not crowded on any given day.
This place was one of those rare occasions.  

A quaint street to buy all of your Buddhist worship necessities. 

A typical alley in Beijing

No sightseeing adventure is complete without lunch with buddies.

The motto you will see all around Beijing now is
 "Beijing Spirit: Patriotism, Innovention, Inclusiveness, Virtue"

 It was a busy, busy week. We headed out to the kids school two nights in a row. That is not a big deal for those of you who live within five miles from your school. We live 27 kilometers from our kids school, and with Beijing traffic it takes us an hour to get there. But the kids are so worth it!

Thursday night we were able to attend E's "Great Works Concert".
She continues to play the bass clarinet.
Friday night we headed back to the school to support her at the Season 1 Sports Awards assembly. She participated in JV volleyball.

Early morning dancing in the park

 You may recall over a year ago when a group took me out to the "Trash Man". I had only been here a week or two and was completely overwhelmed. Well, it was time to go back. 

Treasures that a friend found

There is the "Trash Man". This place is a salvage yard of stuff. Fun place!

The gang with the Trash Man in the center

My purchase at the Trash Man. I had eyed these pottery lids last time I was there. They were caked with mud and grime but I loved the colors. This brass bowl was the perfect way to display them.

Nothing better on a cold, rainy Saturday morning than a chocolate croissant and hot chocolate date with hubby.

We had both seen the eye dr this past week and got new prescriptions...look at me getting health care in China! Did you know there is a complete market just for eye glasses called "Glasses City"? Well, we found it and got new glasses for a small fraction of what they cost in the US...oh, and in one hour. 

Next up...Surgery in China!