This is China. This is Beijing.

It’s been a while since I have updated this blog. It’s so hard to keep up with two blogs, facebook, and my photography business all at the same time. We have been in China for a little a month and half now. I have to say I love this place more each day. Life is just full of surprises here, so much things to discover, and so little time.

Our flight was great, we will definitely fly with Hainan Airline, not only because they are the cheapest flight we could find, also because their beautiful interior, new and big comfy chairs with your personal entrainment center, attentive flight attendant, and a snack bar in the back of the flight. Only thing was we had so much luggage even after we checked in our bags, three carry-ons, two big heavy back packs, stroller, Tyler, Tyler’s bag, my purse and my big camera bag, it was pretty ridicules. We did survive at the end of the day with bloody hands, both our hands got multiple cuts from dealing with our luggage. Tyler had a really good time at first, but after two hours of flight, he was already “all done airplane”, sorry bud, not for another 10hrs.

We found an apartment pretty fast just to end our life in suitcases that has been going on for the last month. I love our place, two steps left is the fruit and vegetable market where you can get really cheap stuff, and two steps right from our apartment is a French owned super store – Carrefour. We have so many vendors just outside of our complex, massage, hair salon, nail salon, restaurants, pharmacy, shoe repair place, bike repair place, beauty spa. We are two bus stops from the most upscale mall, expensive enough to make me feel sick in my stomach, but also two bus stops from the really cheap little boutiques. We are 15mins cab ride from Ikea, and 15mins cab ride from the outlets(not much cheaper than US retail prices, luxury goods are super expensive in China). There are three big parks with in 5mins drive from us, and all have lakes, and boats that you can rent for a ride. Cheap or expensive, take your pick, you can all get something.

Here are some pictures of our new home.

view from my desk in our home office.

we have heated floor all through the house, and actually a king size bed. All the apartments are fully furnitured when you rent them. Personally it’s a little too brown for me, but it’s a lot better than some other ones we’ve seen. 

 

we have a pretty nice kitchen, even has an oven. It’s small, but I’m not planning do a lot of cooking here, hehe…

entrance and office. We bought the desk and chair set for a little over $100 new, pretty good deal, eh?

view from our bedroom

 

Lobby/landing area

 

Lobby from our side windows at night.

 

The outside garden area. The whole complex is guarded, and cars are not allowed to drive in it. All cars goes to an underground parking, so kids can just run around.

Grandparents spend a lot of time with the grandkids playing outside, like my mom and Tyler. 

tunnels in each building that connect to the next garden area.

Tyler loves going down stairs and playing. The little house on the right is the entrance to our underground gym with indoor swimming pool.

We also have a big tennis court and a play ground.

 

Tyler’s new hobby is staring outside from my office window, it’s just fascinating him so much. He bring food and water supply with him in case he’s hungry or thirty

and he likes to close the curtains and go hide.

Ok, that’s enough from me today. So busy so little time. I’m seeing a doc tomorrow afternoon; photo shoot friday morning; meeting another client friday afternoon; and one of my clients just ordered an album that I have to get it designed by June 6th.