A Seafood Hotpot at Shifu Square on a SnOwY day in Shenyang

How’s that for a title?

Today it snowed!! I figured it would, and I am just like a young girl!!! eek BIG squeals! Watching from my window on the 11th floor, playing “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”  I couldn’t wait to get out and play in it…rather just walk in it. Today was full of traffic jams in slow moving traffic, taxis that didn’t want to take you anywhere, and overcrowded subways and buses because EVERYONE is using them today. SNOW days create a WHOLE new adventure in China!

15355757_1169509039783964_1883374236791759662_n 15390737_1169509149783953_1131657017718607501_n 15285013_1169509173117284_724836972556199281_n 15337525_1169509266450608_8777770906324635064_n 15337650_1169509243117277_2795293920620151827_n 15350695_1169509356450599_8264516546739722519_n 15338717_1169509469783921_8037714076449585894_nBUT I had to get to Shifu Square ( Government Square)

15390703_1169509279783940_2856259353785348787_n 15267981_1169509346450600_6952743402021153529_nAnd Today’s special EVENT was a Seafood hotpot with some members of the hiking group that we used to go out with on the weekend. 3 guys, 3 girls and me. They were thrilled to hear I was back in China and of course wanted to treat me to dinner. Sometimes I feel like I get invited to things like this just so they can have a foreigner sit with them at their table. Unfortunately the 3 ladies that were coming were traveling together and had a fender bender, very common on a day like this. I am so glad we took the subway rather than taxi. Anyway it ended up that I had lunch with the group leader (far right), my Chinese friend and another person I have never met from the club.

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This was interesting as I could just sit back ( the conversation was mainly Chinese) and enjoy as many plates of crabs, prawns, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters and the like… were steamed in front of us.  After the seafood came the regular hot pot items with one very interesting item…bone marrow. eww…but I ate it and it was ok.

15349597_1169510976450437_455697254639987923_n 15380803_1169511063117095_6901023685145405452_n 15401107_1169511069783761_7418087806039254819_n 15391150_1169511079783760_1010091772887330243_n 15380682_1169511123117089_1310440801254403067_n 15317909_1169511299783738_4745886773324783963_n 15400581_1169511296450405_5030596152482682533_n 15193535_1169511373117064_7922528435260082132_n 15319023_1169511469783721_2398376140902623989_n 15355580_1169511519783716_8372580289171226810_n 15380355_1169511553117046_8788938569672746138_n 15439855_1169511566450378_8048144196187691426_n 15380398_1169511699783698_6301004296171389197_n 15400345_1169511709783697_4189732096660466945_n 15232066_1169511729783695_1686701527414244829_n 15284840_1169511803117021_2227984062883327239_n

15390957_1169511836450351_5873541475521389427_nOne thing I can not get used to is the mixed washrooms, side by side, at these restaurants.

15350497_1169511856450349_2533056416229015720_n On the way home I took more pics of the lovely snowfall before taking the subway which was sooooooo crowded. No pics of this because I was literally sandwiched between hundreds of people. I kept thinking if anything happened…explosion or whatever…I would never be found. SO MANY PEOPLE!!! That’s what happens on a snow day.

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David was late getting home from work. He had fun in the snow too, rather trying to get home in it from Michelin. Normally they take a bus but because of the weather the company figured it would be faster by subway too!

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This evening we were invited to dear sweet friends for dinner. Sarah has been here from the start of the Michelin Project in Shenyang and for the past two years has taken the position of site manager. You have to know she is an amazing lady to communicate in Chinese, and keep things top notch at the plant with mostly Chinese colleagues. There really aren’t too many expats left these days so her circle of business and the people she relies to get these accomplishments are Chinese. Our very first Christmas in China in 2011, they invited us to their home for Christmas dinner, along with a few other expats who didn’t go home for Christmas. Sarah & Rodney live in a serviced hotel apartment that does not have a kitchen and so over the years they have become close friends with the chef that prepares delicious meals for them tailored to their special diets. How wonderful is that?  It was so lovely to catch up with her and her sweet husband Rodney. A perfect evening!

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Everyday here is like a gift and I will treasure it in my heart for days to come…or at least until one day I can return?

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Adventure For Two

I am from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada and I'm back from traveling with my husband on an expat assignment to foreign lands. 2011-2012 we were in Shenyang, China. Spring 2012- Spring 2013 we were in Resende,RJ Brazil then back to Shenyang, China in July 2013 until the end of July 2014. Expat life WAS amazing! Adventure abounds no matter where we travel to. We really enjoyed the amazing opportunity to live and experience culture and tradition in these places. BUT now we are finished and adjusting to life in our small town in Canada. Our days of travel and adventure are not over.

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