Let us try this again.

Last week I was the mayor of Grumpytown. President of Peevish Parenthood. Warlord of The Bad Wives Club. You get the idea. When you wallow in the bad attitude of life, the good news (for you AND those living with you) is only place your attitude has to go is up. So, while there was little joy to my last trip to the Wuhan Zoo (see blogpost here), I figured that to return and revisit that place could also give me a sign of my growth since we arrived. 

I know, you could not be less excited about a bunch of pictures of a zoo, but really, I found that the local zoo is just a smaller version of China as a whole. And to be fair, you've gotta take in the good with the bad, and therefore, there are plethora of images needed to illustrate that here.

China values different things than the United States. On the grand scale those things are obvious after living here a short time: education, wealth, religion, individual worth, personal space (!), and so on... Likewise, the investment they have made into certain animals at the zoo is different. Mammals, like the bears and lions are given great space and attention in American zoos. Here it is birds which are obviously more valued. Every single type of fowl had the best digs in the whole place.

And, by comparison, all the other animals did not. The enclosures were not just outdated or incredibly unclean. They were so very cramped.

The monkeys...I just don't know what to say. Their poor cages would be worth of a PETA picket line, but the way in which the visitor population feeds them is really what I find shocking. While I applaud those who chose to share bread-like snacks and fruit over candy bars (we saw it all), it is definitely a reason that I don't want to take the kids back for a third visit. I don't know how to explain to Hudson why I don't want him doing what all those other people are without being straight critical of their actions.

But you can see their little arms sticking through the bars, anxious for you to give them a treat.

Six peacocks in a sycamore tree.

The animals have a lot more freedom here than they do in cages back home. Some are not in cages at all. This flock of peacocks was free roaming and we found them in trees, later tormenting the kangaroos, and then stealing food from the llamas. While they had a cage to call their own and boundries to stay within, no one seemed to care that they were playing by their own rules. I find this similar to how we have been told that their are driving laws and yet after 12 weeks of road insanity, we have yet to see a police officer pulling someone over for a transgression. 

This guy was cute. Like I wanted to cuddle his face.

I have found China more and more beautiful now that I am able to relax a bit. The element of exotic is part of what I enjoy about it. It is marveling to continue to experience new things each and every day. It almost seems impossible that people can have such a different kind of life, but I am so glad to have seen this one. Of course, I find the people so beautiful. Especially the children. Those perfect rosebud lips they all seem to have. The heads of thick black hair. I wish I could photograph them all day long. Additionally, I enjoy the fact that China embodies so much history that is not my own. This was not as represented by our zoo trip, but from our other excursions.

And I just have to post this. I am sure my "open man hole cover" comments over the past couple of months have been confusing, I found one to photograph. It was just too perfect in the most terrible way: Here we are in a zoo full of running children and there you are--an accident waiting to happen. (Maybe I was just scarred by that baby Jessica who fell down that Texan well in the 1980s. The images of that STILL resonate in my head.)

Our "weather" (the way they talk about the smog here) has been extremely bad lately. We have seen some of the highest AQI ratings since we arrived. Interestingly on the day we were at the zoo, the levels were so high that the local international schools cancelled all outdoor gym classes because the reading was over 300. Meanwhile, we saw multiple local Chinese school field trip groups seeing the animals with us. These images were taken around 11 in the morning on a day with no rain in the forecast. It was just so dreary.

 Yes, yes! I took pictures of the kids too. They are just so OVER photographed by everyone else these days, I think I tend to lay off of them and let them go be monkeys without trying to capture their every moment.

Especially when the older one is manhandling the younger one into submission for the sake of a "good brother" shot.

The sadistic part of me, who is not the biggest fan of birds, enjoys this next scene immensely. In the midst of a beautiful, aquatic bird display, four feral cats had set up camp. Right in the middle of the zoo! One might have been pregnant too; it was to gauge as they ran into their home within the rock wall boundary.

As Josh would say, "Ni hao, Meow!"

 I adore this beautiful blooming tree. One of these needs to be in my yard.

And a bamboo tree like this one.

Tucker was the friendly one on this zoo day. He befriended the cutest little elf-like ladybug. She had a tremendous spirit and they had so much fun together. Her parents, also seen here, obviously were excited to share, tweet, and/or post pictures of them together.

She is gorgeous, yes, but they ask ME if Tucker is a boy or girl? Really?!?

 This little pack of kindergarteners was the best moment of my day. What a little crew. Makes me grateful that I am getting to share my days right now with Hudson. Not long until he will be joining the masses of kids on field trips like this.

I suppose the Wuhan Zoo represents of our China life. The exposure might be great, but it is not our preference of where to stay forever.