Chinese New Year

We attended the New Year festival at Daming Lake in Jinan.   Fireworks and firecrackers erupted from everywhere on New Year’s Eve  (February 7).  They started at 5:00 PM and ended around 1:00 AM.  They continued every night for the next 10 days.  The Chinese people celebrate big for this holiday.  It is comparable to our Christmas break.  The first few days are designated family days.  

The park was very crowded.  It was a beautiful day and many took advantage of the favorable weather to celebrate with family.

The lanterns are a huge part of the celebration.  I would like to bring some home.

The lantern festival is the final holiday concluding the New Year celebration.  Every business hangs red lanterns and other décor for the event.  The city was truly festive.

 This is a potato – thinly cut in a spiral fashion, placed on a skewer, fried, and drizzled with Ketchup.  Delicious!!

Daming Lake is a beautiful, serene spot in the middle of the city.

This is an interesting carnival game depicting the old Chinese money.   Throw the ball through the center of the coin.  An Asian twist on an old carnival idea.

Downtown decorations.  This décor usually has an historical story accompanying it.  I just don’t know all of them.    

This man is making small dumplings.  First he spins the small “dough balls” in flour, then rinses them in water, they drain and then the whole process is repeated.

Notice the multi-colored-flavored marshmallow treats. 

Rick sampled the orange flavored treats.  Yummy!!

Familiar Sights

KFC is EVERYWHERE!  I believe there are more in Jinan than in all of Utah.  We’ve not yet dined here.  It is a little pricey and we’ve heard there is no white meat to be found in any menu choice.

Burger King is not as prevalent but there are a few in most cities.

The golden arches are everywhere also.  We’ve only sampled the ice cream here.  Rick didn’t eat at McDonalds in the USA, I don’t expect it will be his choice in China.

Unimart is China’s version of 7-11.

These beautiful shoppers just left RT Mart.  It is comparable to Kmart.

There are many different banks.  Every transaction requires a copy of our passports, photos taken of us, carbon paper forms, and a lot of patience.  Our shortest stay in the bank has been 27 minutes.  We are learning how to work with the Chinese system of endless paper shuffling, but for several months “bank” was a four-letter word.

The Chinese Walmart is so much fun, craziness beyond measure.  We buy all our snacks here as well as several necessities.

The frozen chicken breasts at Walmart are kept of ice.  Use the tongs and fill your plastic bag.

These fish are not as fresh as the ones in the tanks.  They must be fresher when you can buy them still swimming.  I’ve not had much appetite for seafood here.

Everybody’s favorite – chicken feet!!!  This is a true delicacy.  I’ve not yet tried them.  All our Chinese friends claim they are delicious.  What is there to eat on these skin-covered, strange looking bones?

There is a wide selection of dates, dried fish, and several unidentifiable foods.  The aroma is most unusual – I can’t even place it in a category.  Shopping is truly an adventure.  Let me know if any of these items make their way to Walmart in the USA.

Hong Kong 2016

The Hong Kong Bay light show happens every evening at 8:00.  What a beautiful sight!

Here is view of one regular street in Hong Kong.  The congestion was amazing.

The ferry was a major source of transportation to and from events.

We took a bus above the city to Stanley.  This is a beautiful view of the bay.  It is on one of the high hills above Hong Kong.  There were several shopping areas also, I did score a great find. 

The Peak is another “high” spot that provides a splendid view of the city.  The refreshing walk was a welcome activity on this rainless day.

We took these double decker buses to all the city sights.  Imagine sitting on the top level while driving up the winding hills to reach “The Peak” and “Stanley”.  Now, imagine the trek down with speedy bus drivers.  No need to visit Disneyland Hong Kong with adventures like that.

The red brick building with the steeple on top near the bay is the Church’s office building in Hong Kong.  There are also meeting areas inside.  It is a multi-use building, just like the temple.  We visited two other churches for our workshops and meetings.  This is an important place for a gospel hub.

Visiting the Hong Kong temple was a highlight for me.  This beautiful structure is located in a residential type area of the city.  The multi-purpose use of the building was fascinating.  The temple workers were FABULOUS!!  I felt immediately at home.