Geo: 32.05, 118.78It only comes once a year and it's quit big in China.VALENTINE'S DAY.I got flowers. Roses. ( I only think I received flowers because Li was buying some for his wife so I think Luca thought he should buy some too... He assures me that wasn't true...) The Roses are beautiful, but like everything in China everything is over worked.When you buy biscuits. They are wrapped in groups of 6 and then those packs are then packed in groups of 4. Even the toilet paper rolls are individually wrapped and then put in bags of 12 or 24. The lollies are all individually wrapped and then they are wrapped with foil and then wrapped in the outside wrapper...The roses are the same. All of the leaves are stripped from the rose. It's then wrapped ... read more

Geo: 31.23, 121.47I had to go pick up the Kids European passports. Ok.... On My OWN....I went with Li to buy the tickets. He said "A little Snow""WOW great I get to see Shanghai with snow... that sounds great," I thought."No, the train a little Snow, Not so fast!""AHH..The train a little slow... more stops, not an express to Shanghai.OK. Then NO SNOW!!! and it will thake half an hour longer to get there.The train was going 283km per hour and the temperature 9.2*CThere where so many factories along the way bellowing out white smoke.Got to Shanghai, caught a taxi. Went to the embassy. Went up to the 17th floor and when I walked inside there where so many chinese people waighting.... AAHHH... how long is this going to take. I spoke my best Italian hoping ... read more

Geo: 31.23, 121.47Friends from Nanjing where coming to Shanghai for the day for Shopping......We went to the Antique Market.... But everything looked the same as Nanjing....We tried to find the Bird and Animal market..... but no good.The Duvall's and the Faris's where going to another market...."Let's join them," I suggested....... Luca did not look very happy. The kids thought it was a great idea.So we jumped into the taxi and off we went..... SHOPPING.We had a lot of fun.... Not Luca so much... But it was our first time in Shanghai so we had to see all of the Markets.... Didn't we?????? We went to the Blue Frog for Lunch and we saw a pigs face drying out on the side of the Walk way..... Hey that's CHINA...But we sure did lots of shopping....... Thanks to ... read more

Geo: 31.23, 121.47The one thing we had to do in Shanghai was to visit the Italian Consulate to get the kids European Passports. Then some shopping and of course some sight seeing. The fast train took 1 and a half hours to get to Shanghai. It would have taken 3 and a half if we drove.So Bright and early we went to the Italian Consulate... It really was like being back in Italy.Everyone was dressed very, very well. Hair perfect, nails and make up the same and the smell of Coffee in the air.... AHHH Italy.Ok.... out came all of Gian's paperwork. Originals, translations of originals, photocopies and authenticated photocopies he has them all in a folder. She asked us, "Do you have a copy of the birth certificates?" Matthew was born in Italy so we ... read more

Geo: 32.05, 118.78Confucian Temple is crazy on a normal day....But during the holiday's of the New Year..... it is crazier...It is really pretty. Red lanters everywhere and people EVERYWHERE...We went with an American Family so there where 8 of us. At one stage there was this little old man who was running alongside us. Maybe there was something happening up ahead that we didn't know about. He had a very nice and big camera. Suddenly he stopped. He jumped out in front of us and started taking photo's. Matthew loved it. He started posing. Then all of a sudden we all stated to pose with the peace sign.The old man loved it. He kept saying Thankyou... Sankyou. Sankyou. A little crazy.... but why not.It really was cold. I mean really, really cold. PHO... read more