AnBo Town

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Pictures taken in January./ Fotos fueron tomadas en Enero.


We have been wanting to try skiing for a long time now.  But every time we planned it, one of us was sick or we had other engagements.  Finally this past weekend we went and it was so much FUN.  We both are not very good on snow, I ( Maria) tried skiing and Arturo tried snow boarding.  We took lessons just to know the basics but even then we both sucked at it. he he
I do have to brag a little though, I didn't fall once, that was my goal.  I can't say the same thing for my loving husband though. :)

The town is named AnBo and it is very close to Lian Shan, where we bought the fireworks at.  Since it's starting to get warmer (32 degrees now) , there isn't as much snow so we had to get in as much skiing as possible before it melts completely. :)


Spanish Translation (ST):
Hemos querido ir ha esquíar, pero no abiamos tenido tiempo.  Finalmente este fin de semana pasado fuimos y no la pasamos muy bien.  No somos muy buenos en la nieve, poreso tomamos clases antes de aserlos solos.  Si quiero decirles que no me cai ninguna vez!  No puedo decir lo mismo por mi esposo. jeje

El pueblo de AnBo esta cerca de Lian Shan, donde compramos los fuegos artificiales.  Como el clima esta como ha 32 grados, queriamos esquiar lo mas que se pudiera antes de que se redita la nieve.


No joke, I was standing in this same position for 15 minutes.  I was so scared!

ST: Tenia mucho miedo y me quede parada asi como 15 minutos!


There were quite a few foreigners in this park, mostly Intel of course.

ST: Si avia algunos estranjeros y eran de Intel.







This was my first time all by myself without a teacher. yaay!  I was trying to not give away how tense I was in the picture, but I didn't do a good job. lol

ST: Esto fue cuando el instructor me dejo ir sola.. yaay!  No queria que en la foto me miraba tensa, pero no hice un buen trabajo en esconder mi miedo. :)


Arturo not able to stand up again. lol :)

ST: Arturo no se podia levantar.


I think snowboarding is so much harder than skiing so I give him credit.

ST: Esto que trato el Arturo es mucho mas dificil que esquiar.


A group of people just having an afternoon chat.  

ST: Un grupo de gente teniendo su platica de la tarde.


It is very common to see people using bikes as their primary form of transportation.   


ST: Es muy comun mirar ha gente en bicicleta como su transportacion principal.




This guys is selling meat on the side of the street.  

ST: Un señor vendiendo carne muy cerca de la calle. 









A restaurant leaves meat sitting outside on the table. Wonder if the restaurant food is any good?... 

ST: Un restaurante deja carne afuera en la mesa.  Pienso si la comida esta rica?...




Want A Ride?

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Living in China thus far has been the best experience we've ever had.  We've learned how to see things in a different perspective.  What seemed odd to us in the beginning now is no longer as strange.  We walk the streets of Dalian feeling more comfortable with the things around us.  We've learned to accept many of China's ways.  Mostly because there is nothing we can do to change it... so as they say " if you can't beat them, join them".    One of the things we really had to accept was China's crazy traffic.  It is nothing like you've ever seen.  Rush hour in China makes rush hour in Arizona painless.  Not to mention the way people drive in China is definitely something to see.  Basically there are no rules.....it's everyone for themselves.  Once in a while you'll see them magically stop at a red light.  (It rains that day) lol.....  If you've ever driven in Mexico, it's kinda of like that but triple the amount of vehicles.  And to make it worse, pedestrians don't have the right of way, they pretty much have to figure out on their own how to cross to the other side.  
So imagine rush hour traffic, people crossing the street and bikes and motorcycles in between each vehicle!
One day we saw the craziest thing, an "only in China" situation..... a man sleeping on the side of the freeway  past out while cars passing about 70mph less than 5 feet from him.



Spanish Translation (ST): Viviendo en China ha sido una de las mejores experencias en nuestras vidas.  Hemos aprendido ver las cosa con diferentes prespectivas.  Lo que se nos acia extraño antes, ahora ya no es tanto.  Caminamos las calles de Dalian mas confiados con las cosas alrededor.  Aprendimos acceptar las cosas por lo que son en China y no tratamos de cambiarlo.  Como dice el dicho " si no se puedo ganar ay que asociarse."  Una de las cosas que tuvimos que aprender ha familiarisarnos es el traffico.  El traffico de China comparado con el traffico de Arizona es mas doloroso.  Ni mensionar como manejan aqui.  Basicamente no ay reglas!......  Y cuando se paran en una luz roja llueve ese dia. jaja. :)
Imaginense como manejan en Mexico nomas que con muchos mas carros.  Los transitantes no tienen la razon en China.  Tiene que tener uno mucho cuidado para cruzar la calle.  Imaginense, traffico, gente cruzando y hasta motocicletas todo ha la misma vez.  Un dia miramos ha un señor dormido al lado del freeway con carros pasando 70mph menos de 5 piese de el. 




There are many different forms of transportation in China.  Above is one of the most common for the average Chinese.  Some can't afford a vehicle so they ride bicycles or motorcycles.  One time we saw about 50 bikes parked at a construction sight.

ST: Ay muchas diferentes formas de transportacion en China.  Arriba pueden mirar la transportacion mas comun.  Algunos no pueden comprar carro entonces bicicletas ho motocicletas es la transportacion principal.
  



This is a commercial street in Shanghai and most of those bikes probably belong to vendors.  

ST: Esta calle es una calle comercial en Shanghai.  La mayoria de la bicicletas le pertenese ha los vendedores.






These are considered motorcycles with a trunk.

ST: Esto se considera como una motocicleta con una caja.





Imagine how funky it gets in city buses during the summer with 100% humidity.  

ST: Imaginense que tan apestoso se pone en un autobus comercial con 100% de humedad en el verano.


Many locals don't care how big the items are that they're caring as long as they can move it, it's okay. :)  

ST: Ay gente que no les importa que tan grande sea lo que tengan que mover, lo hasen ha todo costa. :)

These vehicles only have 3 wheels, so it's also like a motorcycle with a roof.  Some use these as taxis aswell, much cheaper than a regular taxi.

ST: Estos vehiculos solo tienes 3 llantas, so es como una motocicleta con techo.  Algunos los usan como taxi, mucho mas barato que un taxi regular.







You won't have the full China experience until you rid in a taxi.  It's like riding in a roller coaster. :)

ST: Uno no tiene la experenica total de China hasta que se suve ha un taxi.  Es como suvirse ha una montaña rusa.


Like we said... as long as they can still move it it's okay.  Don't matter if they can't see where they're going. lol

ST: Como dije..... siempre y cuando lo puedan mover no importa que tan grande. jeje


Shanghai

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Photos taken: November 09/ Fotos tomadas: Noviembre 09

With so much going on we are lucky we find time enough to update our blog from time to time.  This particular post is actually when we went to Shanghai back in November.  We spent Thanksgiving there and let us tell you is was awesome!  It definitely is a woman's paradise.  It's full of shopping, shopping, and more shopping.

Shanghai has a population of about 15,000,000 while Dalian has a population of almost 7,000,000.  So you can imagine how much more crowded Shanghai is vs. Dalian.  And oh yes, we experienced that first hand when we took the subway.  A massive group of people coming out of the train while another grand mass of people trying to get in.  We had to push our way in, no joke.  Some of the staff were pushing people in in order to close the doors!  Just imagine New York's subway station on steroids.  The whole city is super charged compared to New York.

Spanish Translation ( ST) : Con tanto que hacer tenemos suerte que podemos encontrar tiempo para escribir de nuestras experiencias.  Este paseo en particular fue en Noviembre.  Pasamos el Dia de la Gracias ayi.  Y no la pasamos de maravilla, nos encanto.  Es el paraiso de la mujer.  Puro compra, compras y mas compras.

Shanghai tiene una poblacion de 15,000,000 cuando Dalian solo tiene 7,000,000 personas.  So ya se pueden imaginar que tan mas abarrotado es Shanghai comparado con Dalian.  De eso nos dimos cuenta cuando tomamo el subway (tren).  Avia mucha gente saliendo del tren cuando tambien avia un monton de gente tratando de entrar al tren, ha la misma vez.  Teniamos que empujarnos adentro para no perder el tren.  Algunos de los trabajadores empujaba gente adentro para poder cerrar las puertas.  Nomas imaginense Nueva York en esteroides.


This was our view from our room./ La vista de nuestro cuarto de hotel.



It is very typical to see this in China, buildings with extravagant lighting./ Es muy tipico ver esto en China, edificios con luzes extravagantes.















After dinner we decided to take a walk to Harbor Lake and enjoy the boats passing by, but enjoyment was not an option.  We were attacked by so many vendors.  They saw foreigners so they ran up to us and started selling anything they could.  "Come come, looka looka", is what they would say in English. lol  At one point we had 4 vendors and a homeless guy in front of us.  We kept saying "Bu yao, bu yao!" ( I don't want, I don't want), but they wouldn't give up.  The homeless guy saw that we weren't bugging so he snatched our left over food that we were carrying in our hands from dinner. lol

ST: Despues de cenar fuimos Harbor Lake para mirar los barcos pasar, pero no pudimos disfrutar nada.  Fuimos atacados un monton de vendedores.  Miraron estranjeros y se vinieron ensima. " Ven ven, mira mira", es lo que decian.  En un instante abia 4 vendedores y un señor pidiendo dinero.  Nomas deciamos nosotros " Bu yao, bu yao!", (no quiero, no quiero), pero no se hiban.  El señor que pedia dinero se fue con comida que nos sobro de la cena. :)



This was outside a very large commercial street.  Most of these bikes belong to vendors./ Aqui es una gran calle comercial.  La mayoria de las bicicletas le pertenese ha los vendedores.









Melissa and Mike

Julio and Maria


And the Kids :) 




Spa Day

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Woo hoo!.... we love spa days.  In China you get great services for very cheap.  Since I (Maria) don't work, I get to enjoy more of these great services more often than my hard working husband. he he.  But once in a while we go together and enjoy a nice anmo (massage).
Just so you get an idea a decent face massage will normally cost any where from $50-$100 in the US, in China 60RMB ( less than $10 US). 

On this particular day we decided to try something new rather than the usual oil massage.  We wanted to try more traditional Chinese services. 

Spanish Translation (ST): Nos encanta ir ha darnos un masaje.  En China uno pueda tener un masaje por bien varato.  Como yo (Maria) no trabajo, puedo disfrutar de estos servicios mas que mi esposo trabajador. he he.  Pero algunas veces si vamos juntos ha darnos anmo (masaje).  Nomas para que tengan una idea, un masaje facial cueste como $50-$100 en los Estados Unidos.  Pero en China cuesta como 60RMB (menos de $10).

En este dia particular decidimos tratar algo nuevo.  Queriamos tratar servicios tradicionales de China.

Chinese Cupping

 It's suppose to be good for relieving sickness, pain or stress.  The more purple the cup leaves on your back means the more tense that area is.  Arturo said it didn't hurt and all he felt was a lot of pressure.  Circles on his back lasted about 3 weeks.  I tried it a few days ago and it will be the last time I will ever do it.  It hurt so bad, the lady kept telling me..... "It hurts because you don't have enough skin for the suction, so you feel more pressure than others"....lol ha ha.  I thought it was funny the way she said it.
If you are interested in reading more about this here is a link I found: http://www.chinesecupping.net/

ST: Catacion Chino:  Este proseso es para aliviar todo el mal, dolor ho estres.  Entre mas morado deje las copas en la espalada es que ay mas tencion en esa area.  Arturo dijo que no le dolio nada que nomas sentia presion.  Los circulos le duraron como 3 semanas.  Yo trate este proseso ase 3 dias y no me gusto.  Me dolio un monton.  La señora me decia... "Es que no tienes tanto pellejo poreso sientes mas presion" ja ja







Scraping 

So I ( Maria) got my back scraped.  It's also meant for relieving tension.  I can't lie, this also hurt me a lot.  

ST: Yo (Maria) trate este tratamiento, se llama raspar.  Tambien es para aliviar la tension del cuerpo.  No puedo mentir, esto tambien me dolio mucho.  




This is the place we stayed at for the day.  It was awesome!  A full size suite just for us!  The bathroom has a sauna and jacuzzi.
ST: Este es el lugar donde nos quedamos por el dia.  El baño tenia un sauna y jacuzzi.






Over all Chinese remedies are great!  One of my favorite things to get done is acupuncture. / Dentro de lo que cabe, los remedios Chinos nos magnificos!  Unas de las cosas que me gusta tratar es la acupuntura.