I arranged to pick up Rachel after her AP Computer Science Exam, to spend the afternoon together. We took the subway to a shopping area downtown. To both of our delight, we found a really nice dress for Rachel’s upcoming graduation. This is saying a lot, because finding just the right dress in China is not always easy. Afterwards we took a ride in a small 3-wheeled taxi-type vehicle over to a the historic Astor Hotel. Built in 1863, this hotel has a rich history as a prime venue for diplomatic activity in Tianjin. The Astor offers English Afternoon Tea which is one of Rachel’s favorite outings. We enjoyed tea and had a nice time planning for the busy weeks to come.

Sweet old gentleman who drove us in his 3-wheeled “taxi”

Historic Catholic church located at the end of the walking shopping street called Bin Jiang Dao.

A new family from Malaysia, enrolled in our school late last fall. We have become good friends, sharing life as foreigners in China. Although this family looks Asian, their language is different. They speak Malay and Cantonese, which is much different than Mandarin Chinese. I think it is often more difficult for these Asian foreigners because local people expect them to know how to speak their language. Whereas white faces like ours don’t usually speak fluent Mandarin.

Last Sunday night our friends treated us to traditional Malaysian food. Here’s a picture of our girls with their new friend, Poh Ann, enjoying dinner, and Sean and me with our new friends.

As we get familiar with our new apartment complex, we noticed many efforts to make the grounds nice. One way is to plant new trees in the spring. Here is an typical Chinese three-wheeled farm truck. When the engine is turned on, you can hear loud rumbles from the exhaust pipes that sound similar to a Harley Davidson motorcycle.