Saturday stroll

After a yummy lunch out on Saturday we strolled over to Dagu Lu where our favorite DVD shop is. It was going to rain all week end, so we wanted to be prepared for a cozy time at home. On the way we saw this gentleman taking a break from transporting a couch. Sorry not to have a zoom on my camera, but clicking on the photo will give you a better look. It seems easy to take these sights for granted, but I don't want to forget how amazing and industrious these people are.Further along the street a large crowd gathering around 4 men playing cards. I am not sure if a lot of money was involved, but something was keeping everyone glued to the game. Maybe a local play-off.
We had to cross Yan'An Lu to get to Dagu Lu, and this is the overpass and the view of the very mild traffic below. The overpass with the planting is the elevated high way. Saturday is much quieter around town. Friday night is crazy, so maybe everyone is still recovering. In traffic, oftentimes a left hand turn is taken from the right hand lane. It is always hard for me to know where we are going from which lane we are in because the light might be green for going straight, but in the far right hand lane we don't move. The light goes red, and then a green arrow appears and the two right hand lanes turn left. It is really crazy, sometimes, trying to make sense of it all. Crazy in the most wonderful sort of way!
Sunday Ridley and I had our first babysitter and ventured out to - what else - a movie! We saw the new James Bond. Fun to get out and meet Julie and her husband. On the walk to Xintiandi we passed this wonderful old pedicab. It was waiting, poised, next to a bakery emitting mouth watering smells.
After the movie we went to a French restaurant in the area for a lovely quiet meal that involved talking to other people! Ridley was a trooper as he wasn't feeling his best and was still trying to get back to Shanghai time, but it was a treat. The babysitter we found is a sweet Phillipino woman who has a 12 year old daughter and 4 year old son back in the Phillipines. She is here trying to work as jobs are hard to find back home and don't pay much. That says a lot that she comes to China to find work with the millions of people here willing to work, and with the hourly work rate at most about $4. Wow. She was darling, and the teeniest woman any of us have ever seen. Definitely smaller than the Pearson girls. When we were walking into the lane, a Chinese man who lives in the lane passed us and smiled and made a little sound when he saw her and patted her on the head!
The week end is already gone, it is Monday, the girls are doing homework and Storey had swim team today. She seems to be swimming faster every day. They have a meet on Wednesday. Zai Jian.