Spring Break

I found Gabby feeding her dolly, or "Deedee," which means little brother in Chinese. She put her in the high chair all by herself. It was really cute.

We only had two school days off this year for Spring Break because we started school late due to the Olympics. We planned a trip to Guilin and Yangshao but received some bad news and stayed back... We took Gabby to some fun places, including this sand box place at the mall nearby. She had a blast.

Xi'an was Right On

Terra-cotta Warriors

Having a Laugh...

Gabby used chopsticks for the first time!

On top of the walled city

At the Muslim Mosque and Gabby picking her nose...

 Muslim Mosque

This weekend we flew to the walled city of Xi'an (pronounced Shee-ahn). It's infamous for being the site of the Terra-cotta soldiers and host to a really cool Muslim area. We went with some friends, who were visiting for the weekend, which was great for many reasons- but especially for the good company and the extra set of much needed hands since we come well equipped with baby stuff. I was thoroughly impressed by the Terra-cota warriors. They're brilliant and worth the trip. I was told that it was just "okay," but it's right up there with the Great Wall as an important site to see in China (at least in my opinion). We hired a guide who spoke English so we got to hear the story of how the farmer found them in 1974 and other fun facts that we wouldn't of known from reading it in a book. I was surprised to learn that they were painted but lost the color when they were exposed to the air. The muslim quarter was awesome and we went to a mosque that was still functioning. It was interesting to watch the local muslims pray. The mosque felt authentic and had a certain "untouched" feel which I enjoyed. All in all, a short but fabulous trip.

Come on, Mama!

Gabby is now saying three word sentences and is officially part monkey. No, really. This girl is a climber. Chen, our ayi, says that she plays like a boy- fearless. Here are some pictures of her in the indoor play gym. This will be one of the amenities we'll enjoy once we move to Capital Paradise- whenever we find a decent house.

Lama and Confucius Temple

This me at the Confucius Temple- FREEZING! 

This is also at the Confucius Temple- I really like these trees. They're thousands of years old.

Cool Architecture in the Lama Temple. These are several buildings close together.

The HUGE Buddha. You're not supposed to take pictures, but Travis took this very fast, which is why it is a bit blurry.

It was a VERY cold and windy Thursday in Beijing, but that didn't stop the Tebos from being tour guides to some friends who were visiting. Since we haven't gone yet, we decided to see the Lama Temple, and afterwards, walk to the Confucius Temple. Like UK and Europe, who have the ABC (Another Bloody Church) Syndrome... Asia has the ABT (Another Bloody Temple) Syndrome. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, they are old and amazing. Yes, they have historical significance. But once you've seen a couple- they kind of lose their magic. I have to say, though, the Lama Temple is pretty cool. My favorite part was the HUGE Buddha carved from sandalwood. It was enormous and magnificent (and really dusty). I enjoy looking at Tibetan art and there was plenty to see- I love the bold colors an intricate designs. Plus, I get a kick out of looking at all the fat, happy Buddhas. There were also several people praying and monks walking around- which I always find fascinating. All in all, I think both the temples are worth the trip, but go on a warmer day and bring the appropriate clothes.

Ballet With Chinese Characteristics

Expats have this saying in China. Whenever we encounter something that is familiar to us yet has a certain Chinese twist to it we say that it has Chinese Characteristics. The ballet "The Red Detachment of Women" is a prime example of this. 

On Friday, Cara and I went to see this ballet that was first performed in 1964. Although technically ballet, this performance includes some singing and choreographed arm pumping and gun thrusting. Swords, daggers, and guns play a big role in communicating the concept of how the revolution offered strength to those who were weak or downtrodden. 

Check out this wikipedia page that describes the ballet in detail. Chinese Ballet

Although this was my first experience with any ballet, I thought the dancing was pretty incredible. The story gives insight into the struggle that occurred during the years before the founding of the PRC. My favorite part of the ballet was the live music performed by a full size symphony orchestra. I'm not sure if I will become a fan of ballet but I certainly will not see another one that features meat cleavers, swords and rifles. 

Everything is "Okay"

This is a page from the book, Goodnight Gorilla. Every time Gabby sees this page, she giggles.

Stacking boxes- a gift from the Tebos (Toby, Deb, Stuart, and Wesley)

Threading wooden fruits and veggies, which is great for her fine motor skills- a gift from the Bollerts (Tahnee, Geoff, Emerson, and Langston)

Not much happening on the Tebo front, but I would like to share some Gabriella highlights.

• She always says, "okay" now. Gabby, do you want to play? "Okay." Gabby, do you want a cracker? "Okay." It's pretty funny.
• She can say all the letters in the alphabet, except W. We play some online games through fisherprice that our pretty cool.
• She points out everything she knows in books- tiger, giraffe, cow, flower, tree (the list is endless) and does sounds that goes with them. To her a sheep is "ba!" so we need to fix that, I suppose. She can also do a great "moo" sound.
• Playful! She likes making us laugh and will do anything to get a giggle, like give a funny face.
• Dancing! I'll put some more video up. I've never seen a kid like to dance like her, but maybe it's just me. She wakes up and says "Dance! Dance!" and points to the computer room where we usually play music.
• She says, "Bye Bye Poo Poo (even if it's pee)" when she helps me flush the toilet. I always get a kick out of that. May seem strange, but we're trying to get her interested in toilet training- so she gets me tissue paper, flushes the toilet, and watches me when I wash my hands. When I try to put her on the toilet, she could care less. No worries, just not ready yet.
• Chinese! I asked what these are (pants) and said "yifu," which means "pants" in Chinese. Fair enough.
• Her new favorite toys are both from her wonderful aunts. She's lucky! They have great taste in clothes AND toys. 
• Moon! She has a thing for the moon... at night, she asks us, "Moon?" We look outside the window and sometimes it's there and sometimes not. When it's not she says, "Bye bye moon!"

It's Snowing!

This picture was taken from our front door step

It snowed last night and the roads are pretty bad. In fact, Travis got in an accident while taking Gabby to a play date this morning and hit a bus. Thank goodness Chen was there to talk to the driver. 100 RMB later, the issue was resolved... Needless to say, icy roads, a Chinese made rear wheel drive SUV, and Travis driving don't mix.