Soft landing

Josh's "national week" vacation allowed us to descend from our Hong Kong high gently. On Monday we welcomed two new Cummins compatriots. A young couple from Indy has moved here so the husband can participate in a three month exchange position; it made Josh and I feel good to give them a walking, then driving, tour of our general area sharing with them some of our key survival information. Then later that night we were blessed with the arrival of our first friend visit. Our amazing friend Dave, also one of Josh's co-workers, is here for just a handful more days, but already I can tell his presence has boosted the spirits of all of us.

Double decker bridge which starts our walking street adventure.

When people come to town, we really don't know what to show them as our town lacks any real tourist coolness. But since street food is our favorite, a walk along the so-called "breakfast street" provides for a bit of Wuhan culture and culinary delights. I love the opportunity to be able to go to these places with Josh so there are more hands on the kids and I can have a chance to try and capture some of the sights on camera.

eggs galore

bowl of tentacles

or on a stick...

Lotus pods and those dirty purple things are still around, but the lotus flowers have stopped blooming.

People watching provides great entertainment always, and our locals definitely don't disappoint. You really never know what you are going to see and I suppose that is part of the energy that I like. On a recent trip this man and his barrel of monkeys were quite the attraction. One would go about the crowd and collect money for him. Just add that to my constantly expanding list of "Things I have never witnessed before China."

But there is no better show to some than the life that is my own. The paparazzi continues to find us wherever we go.

I do have to share some images of my favorite street artist. This adorable old man and his steel wok of caramelized sugar creates very cool candy treats. First, he allows the child to spin a wooden spinner to determine which sculpture he will create.

 

Then with careful hand, he takes his paddle back and forth to create the selected design, adds a wooden stick, allows it to cool, and it is ready to be admired (or quickly eaten, whichever the case may be!) This  treat is 10 RMB ($1.70) I like to visit him because if he has no one he is currently candymaking for-- and we stop and show up-- a whole crowd quickly joins in.

Here you can see a caramel horse and a scorpion on display. I have a bunch more pictures of him!

 Okay, how about some more food pictures. Two of my favorite stops are the juice girls and the fried rice/egg moment. Juices are fantastic and run 10 RMB a cup. We have had kiwi, dragonfruit, lemon, mango, passionfruit, watermelon, and apple so far. The girls all coo at the boys.

 Of course there are things which I have NO idea what they are. I don't want to know what they are. So please don't share if you do! Like these red-shelled fellas....

 I have seen way too many animals without their skin or fur in this country. (But that is on another list called "Things I will never blog about.")

The distraction of vacations and fellowship with a good friend were a wonderful way to blend back into life. Now, Josh has returned to work and we have fallen back into the business of our "normal" China existence.