15 April 2012: Spring has come to Shenyang..we think!

Greetings everyone and if you are in the US, hope you have your 2011 taxes done by now! One of the benefits provided by Michelin is to have a tax accounting service...and boy are we ever grateful for that.  When we see the stack of forms we have to fill out, then the ones that they fill out for us to sign...I'm quite sure we would never get everything done correctly, on time and I'm sure we would get audited and...well, you get the picture...so we're really grateful for that benefit living overseas!
Enough on taxes!

As my title says, we think that spring has sprung finally here in Northeast China.  We wild plum trees are starting to bloom and the winds are howling!  Here are some photos  below I took yesterday in a nearby park..which was full of people out and about taking advantage of the warmer weather (and I could wear the coat I bought last fall in Korea!)

Sarah in the Zhongshan park in Springtime

Plum blossoms in Shenyang

Rod in Zhongshan park in Shenyang

Another thing we like to do on the weekends is go to the markets...in this case, we went to a big indoor market here in Shenyang, call Wu Ai...and it is really big.  Imagine a multi-story, multi-city block, shopping mall with narrow aisles and people and goods everywhere!  It was just overwhelming for me and thankfully Rod was with me, or I'm sure I would have gotten lost!
Here are a few photos of the big market!

Wu Ai market, this is one of the bag areas...the market is grouped into types of merchandize...handbags in one area, steam irons and vacuums in another...etc

This is a view from about 1/2 way through the Wu Ai market in one of the connecting walkways..it is really about 6 buildings deep 5 floors tall and 3 city blocks wide...it's amazing!

If, it works, I also have a short video of one of the sellers trying to get people to look at and buy shoes.  So loud...and that's the way it is all through this market (or at least the small area we were in).  I'm convinced most of the Chinese in Shenyang are going deaf...otherwise, why would it be such an assault of the hearing sense at every market and on the street?  In Shanghai it doesn't seem so loud...even with several million more people!  One of the great mysteries of life in northeast China that has yet to be revealed to us!

So, after 2 years, we are still finding things, even just here in Shenyang that amaze us!  I'm sure after 5 years here, we'll still be amazed...probably used to it, but nonetheless, still amazed!

Have a great Spring (assuming you are reading this in the Northern Hemisphere) everyone and enjoy!

Rod & Sarah