Today we went back to the fabric market for fittings. Dad got three suits, a sports coat, and three shirts made. They were absolutely beautiful and were all made in only three days! With relatively few adjustments, they will be great. However, I got a women's suit made, and it fit terribly. They are going to have to make so many adjustments, so we will need to go back again tomorrow before we leave on the cruise. It is a long ways down there, so I feel badly about that.
Anyway, in the afternoon we came home and hung out at home and watched a video, ate dinner, then got ready for the "big night!" Alison and I could hardly wait. I don't think John and George were quite as excited, but we had bought tickets for a huge production of dance and music highlighting the different Chinese dynasties. It was being held at the theater which holds about 500 people, right down by the Pearl Tower. Mike picked us up and we got there about 15 minutes early. We weren't worried about getting there too early because we had reserved seats. However, when we got there, we saw no one there. Could we have come on the wrong night? Looking at the tickets again, we knew it was right and then thought everyone else must have arrived even earlier.
We had a man who was walking by take a picture as we were going into the theater. He must have moved the camera because it's terribly blurry, but it's the only one we have. 
Once inside, we couldn't believe our eyes! There were probably only five other people there!
A few more did arrive, but by the time the production started, we had only about 20 people in the audience. We wondered if we'd somehow chosen a dud of a show, but from the first musical gong to the very end, we were totally caught up in the production--one of the best I have ever seen!
Once inside, we couldn't believe our eyes! There were probably only five other people there!A few more did arrive, but by the time the production started, we had only about 20 people in the audience. We wondered if we'd somehow chosen a dud of a show, but from the first musical gong to the very end, we were totally caught up in the production--one of the best I have ever seen! I turned off my flash and tried to take pictures to let you experience a little of our magical evening! 
At one point, some of the dancers came and put scarves around our heads. 
George, John, Alison, and I clapped and clapped after each number in order for the performers to know how much we enjoyed them. At the end they clapped for us--they truly performed as if they had really filled the auditorium. 
Even the guys (George and John) enjoyed the wonderful evening! 
At one point, some of the dancers came and put scarves around our heads. George, John, Alison, and I clapped and clapped after each number in order for the performers to know how much we enjoyed them. At the end they clapped for us--they truly performed as if they had really filled the auditorium. Even the guys (George and John) enjoyed the wonderful evening! Well, tomorrow we leave for our cruise down the Yangtze River. I don't know if I will be able to download the pictures while we are on it, so I may not add to this for a few days. Until then, bye bye!
You start in the first large ball, then travel by elevator to the second, and finally another elevator to the third, which is the highest. You can really lose your breath there. Of course you are enclosed inside--you can't go outside, but you really feel like you are on top of the world...literally. The tower is over l,550 feet high! 
We could see where John works--the Bund Building, which is the building that looks like a flower on top. 
The Bund is the "financial district" of Shanghai. Also, we could see the current tallest building in Shanghai, with the newest one they are constructing right next to it. 
After the tour to the top, we saw a mock-up of it to show exactly how it is shaped. 
Then we visited the museum they have, which shows the history of Shanghai. You walk through streets from earliest Shanghai to today. It was wonderfully done with statues, sounds, and music, and took about half an hour to go through. The most interesting thing about the museum is that although many of the things have become modernized, many of the old techniques are still used today and in so many places. 
...which I highly doubt is used today, but it had 100 babies on it. Today they can only have one child unless they pay the government for more. The early rickshaws and bicycles are certainly still used. I don't know what the people would do without their bicycles! They load everything on them--they look like little ants with huge boulders on their backs. 
I haven't seen any horsedrawn carriages in the city, but probably would out in the country. 
Alison says she has seen women using those electrical wiring things on their heads in some of the shops. Wow! Now that is a hothead!
We are actually going to a musical Tuesday night with music from all the dynasties. I am so excited about that. 
It reminded me of the wonderful Pearl S. Buck book of "The Good Earth," one of my favorite books. And of course, the thatched huts of yester-year are still seen in so many places--although many of them not even as nice as a thatched hut. 
There is so much poverty, but basically the Chinese people don't know anything else, and amazingly, they have made the best of what they have. They are a friendly, warm people, and we truly are enjoying getting to see them and their country. 
The church is actually a large house where three branches meet. It is just wall-to-wall people...they need a real church building so badly! However, the government won't let them have one. They keep praying every day that the way will be opened for the government to say that they can either buy an existing building or build one. The church is ready to go when or if the permission is given. They only meet 2 1/2 hours instead of the three like all of us do because there just isn't enough space for everyone for classrooms after Sacrament Meeting. We enjoyed the meetings so much. What wonderful people there are here in Shanghai! 
We took a family picture in our own private room at the restaurant which Mike the Driver arranged. He knows everyone in this city and has connections everywhere. There were lines everywhere into this restaurant, and we walked right in and went to our own private room. 
Out on the streets, the people were eating a whole frog just like they were eating cotton candy. Then I saw a pan, full of something, and had to stop and see what it was. One of the young workers said in perfect English--"baby chickens!" When he saw my reaction, he started laughing hysterically. They had their heads, feet, wings...everything but the feathers. I about died! To say that this is a cultural education is an understatement. You have to experience it to believe it! 
Well, that's a wrap for the day! Love to all - Mom 
We finally got to the city where the canals were and boarded a boat with a little woman who paddled the boat with one huge paddle. 
She kept wanting to sing to us. She actually had a pretty good voice and she sang ancient Chinese songs to us. Finally, as we were about at the end of the tour, we realized why she kept asking us in Chinese (thank goodness Alison could understand her) if we liked her singing. Alison had kept telling her we loved it. Then we finally realized that was the way she got her tip. We couldn't wait until the end of the boat trip, or her boss would probably have gotten it. So, of course, we obliged and paid her right then. 
You could see the ladies doing their embroidering, painting the inside of glass containers (inside and upside down sometimes. How do they do that?), women stringing pearls, men making items of wood, women pulling silk and spinning, and little restaurants everywhere! 
The smells were horrendous! I took a picture of their delicacy--we couldn't figure out what it was. Well, it was barbecued pigs' hooves! 
Thank goodness, we had made sandwiches and rented a little table by the river to have our own picnic. Alison wasn't sure we could trust the food there, so we opted for that. You should have seen the Chinese people talking about us and some even coming up to see what we were eating. I guess they had never seen a sandwich before! 
After a stop at the factory that makes suits to fit Parker in his new Sunday suit and get one made for Tyson, we got home. 
Alison's housekeeper had the baby all bathed, fed, and ready for bed, plus our dinner was all made, the house was immaculate, and our laundry was all washed and folded on our beds. Can we all bring one home? These people are amazing! Such hardworkers and John and Alison probably pay her more than most do for all this--$300 a month for six days a week! 
