Summer holiday - 4

Summer holiday - 3

Summer holiday - 2

Summer holiday - 1

Exploring

Street antiques stall downtown Shanghai.

Autumn 2

Autumn 1

Pollution is pretty bad at the moment

Growing

Check out these beautiful long legs and big 6 year old feet!

Riding - a couple of short videos

No trainer wheels!

It was a shaky start but we've now got a little 6 year old who can ride with no trainer wheels! Quite remarkable how it happens. One moment they can't do it, then the next moment they can!

Oil for China

A fear of mine in living in China is facing the cooking oil section of the supermarket. It is very, very overwhelming and stretches across multiple aisles. Canola, sunflower, soy bean, mung bean, black bean, rice, vegetable, olive and all sorts of blends too. I'm sure there is a Cooking Oil Department Manager and a few deputies to keep things in order.

Footpaths

Max is learning to ride his bike and the poor fellow has to contend with dodgy footpaths and keeping a straight face when confronted by a surly woman carrying a ridiculously dressed poodle.

Parent duties

Tuesday was reading day at Zara's school and I managed to snap a few quick pics.

Pink Ferrari

Pretty sure they don't come out of the factory in Italy looking like this. Unsure how anyone can spend half a million dollars on a car and choose this colour.

Up goes the tree

Food court

This is part of the food court in the basement of the shopping mall beside where I work. There are plenty of tables to share lunch with a friend, but they've installed a special "sit up for singles" area where you can perch on a padded bar, slurp your noodles in relative privacy and be entertained by advertising in Chinese courtesy of individual LCD screens. I actually sit here quite often! Modern China!

Snack

Well that's Christmas gift shopping sorted.

Yellow mountain

Bananas on sale at Carrefour - imported from the Philippines. And priced at about $1 per kilo. Wonder how much the poor farmer gets.

Tasty treats

Well, that's Christmas shopping taken care of.

Shanghai cut

Snapped this on my phone as I strolled past while waiting for Zara to finish gymnastics on Saturday. Quite happy with how it turned out - the light, framing and detail - all made to look better with a bit of help from the Instagram app.

Chopstick violin

Chinese tea

The Chinese love their tea - there are all sorts or varieties in all colours. This man was happily drinking tea in a courtyard tea house - but I can only describe it as some sort of rock tea. Almost like pebbles at the bottom of a fish tank.