Saturday is Done, Sunday to go Then Madi!

First of all wanted to send out a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Scott and Jennifer on their new daughter Kate. Was on your blog guys and she is absolutely adorable. Cherish these moments forever, we can't wait to see and meet her.

The "Dirt Market"


Well we visited the "Dirt Market" today and it was certainy an interesting experience I think we pretty much have the haggling down to a science. If China is in your future plans this is a definite must on you places to visit. It is open Saturdays and Sundays. Nothing has a price tag on it so everything is up for negotiations which means all you yard salers out there would have a ball! First you ask how much? They then grab their calculator and punch a price usually about 1/2 of what the sale will end in. They then say "you no like the price?" "How much you want to pay?" Let the games begin! If you watch what you are doing you can get some bargains on some great Chinese culture based items which are you won't find back home in Canada. Take for instance the carving in the picture.



This must have taken hours to carve it is a a ball inside of a ball, inside of a ball, inside of a ball, that's right four balls carved out of a single piece of coloured Jade. The asking price was $360 chinese yuan which is roughly $45 well I purchased it for $120 yuan which works out to be around $16 CDN a great deal on a beautiful piece.

The cab drive back and forth was....hmmmmm.....interesting is the only word that describes it. Toronto or New York taxi drivers have nothing on driving in Beijing. It's unbelievable how everyone respects the tiny space cushion around one another's vehicle, and rarely do you see a vehicle with a scratch or dent....still amazed how accidents are avoided.

Christmas in China? Below is a pic of us in front of our hotel along with Shelly and her sister Teri. There seems to be some westernization of China as even here there is Santa Claus.



Tomorrow, which by the time you read this will have already arrived, we are going to see the Chinese people do their morning exercises the Tai Chi stuff, should interesting so we'll take lots of pics.

ONLY ONE MORE DAY until GOTCHA DAY!!!!!!

Chris & Tracy