Jintian in Pictures

Today started out with a trip to one of Shenyang's fabric markets to barter for fabric to make curtains for two different class rooms at school. Two of our new teachers wanted curtains for their classrooms as well--a growing trend at SYIS.
The picture below is a scene we passed as we walked from Wal-Mart to the fabric market.

I got to practice some more vocabulary. For some reason, I've gone fabric shopping a lot lately and am learning how to order curtains with a little more ease and confidence...although I still make a lot of mistakes.

One of our new staff members with her fabric selection. The shop keepers at this vendor made the curtains for us while we ate lunch.


On our way back home after a successful curtain adventure, our taxi driver thought it would be smart to drive behind this bus on a sidewalk for a few blocks. Never. A. Dull. Moment.

Hannah and Liz with all of their dongxi.

Went to school for almost four hours almost immediately after the curtain adventure. It felt like I was there for only 5 minutes. I hate how quickly time flies by when I'm in my classroom!


On the way to the main road to catch a taxi, we have to walk past many factories--including this baked goods factory which sells fresh bread out of their window to pedestrians for dirt cheap prices. How can you pass that window up? Adam buying several loafs of his favorite "snail" bread--for only 3 kuai!


The roads near our school are having some....issues....they are either under road construction, or being completely demolished by the heavy trucks that are constantly driving on them. In addition to the road construction, other roads are made impassable by low bars that prevent buses and trucks or piles of dirt and rocks. I'm not sure what's up with the piles of dirt and rocks this summer. Hopefully they will be gone by the time school starts.

Walking to the main road.


Another pile of dirt and rocks that Adam and Dave are crossing over.

Discovered that this road was basically finished. It used to be a dirt road with incredible potholes and moguls that could decimate the undercarriages of buses and cars. We predict it has a year before it looks like a dirt road again.


Cute kids playing in a pile of dirt.



Seems like there was a party going on to advertise for the new district in our apartment complex.

Walking with friends, old and new, on our way to eat at a yummy Indian cuisine restaurant.

Watching the second half of our group catch a taxi, after we ran across the street.

Racing to the Indian restaurant!

Sitting at the Indian restaurant, holding our friends' beautiful baby girl! She fell asleep in my arms almost instantly because she has jet-lag (awww!).

Ordering mango smoothies at a little hole-in-the-wall shop near our apartment complex.

Adam, waiting for his smoothie with Shui. He is not dramatic at all.

What a fun day! I wish that I had pictures of everything we do and see each day. It seems like our life is so ordinary, predictable, or monotonous...until I look at our pictures.

~julie