pretty much what you see coming out of our building.

there's a mobile phone store (where we buy all our cards), a fast chinese food place, a massage place where i DO get a monthly $8 massage! then it's mcD's, KFC, Papa john's, circleK, 7-11, starbucks, & many other high-priced western restaurants (we eat 1x/wk if we earn it).

we've recently learned that our city (Shenzhen) is the richest in china-even more than beijing!

our apt. goes for $1000US/month-more than our house in CO! & it's way smaller!

ian decided to go take pics outside at "Seaworld"-the tourist spot only 2 buildings over. here he is getting excited to use the camera (our 2nd in china, as the 1st one was stolen, along w/ our bikes, my bag, ...) this one's not as good as the last one (pentax worlds better than samsung)

we Kathy's family over for christmas dinner. benny (dad) is a big-league watch salesman (has been for over 20 yrs) & can't count how many countries he's been to. he's taken us for a couple nice chinese meals, his wife's cooked traditional wonton soup for us w/ jao zi ("ja ode si", dumplings), & now we're sharing our american roast, grama groff's mashed potatoes w/ tons of butter, sour cream, cream cheese!!!!(can you tell what's my fav. part of the meal?) ...stuffing, cranberries (both kinds!), plenty of black olives, cheese (which is 3x the $ here), & aunty ethel's brocholli-corn casserole. i cooked ALL day, just like my mom used to do!

(but in a kitchen an 1/8 of the size, for sure!)


aren't they beautiful?