Plants 4: Fields and Friends

Two boys run-walking together on a Spring afternoon.

Dress Up 3: Bo Peep?

To my Western eyes, this young girl seems to be dressed like a little maid from a nursery rhyme.  Her mother and grandmother dressed her with loving attention and much joy.

Dress Up 2: Tibetan Robes

These Tibetan robes, crowns and necklaces look extravagant and awkward, while also being beautiful.  It is easy to see; however, that each of these children has within him or her a touch of royalty.

Photo Gift

My husband, an excellent photographer, likes to take portraits of local people and then to return a week later to give them prints.  Here he is asking for help to find the people he photographed the previous week.  Again I marvel at his success in communicating with hand signals and smiles.

Chinese Grandma

This young woman is studying English and hopes to travel to America soon.  While she studies and travels, her mother lovingly cares for her baby son.  The young woman told me she had learned from her English teacher that American grandmothers don’t take so much responsibility for their grandchildren.  I wanted to tell her she was wrong, until I realized that she wasn’t.

No Discount Girl

Our guide books say that all prices in China are negotiable.  This is not true in this shop.  Although I asked for a discount in my best Mandarin, this young girl, under the watchful eye of her mother, insisted I pay full price.  And, yes, I did, buying a fuzzy panda vest for our littlest family member.

Ride in Style

In the same open square, you can rent a ride on this cart, fit for an empress.

Rocket Man

In an open square, you can rent a ride in a rocket.  It is perfectly safe, since it seems to be made of cloth and stuffed with plush.

Photographer

Although I can speak a bit of Mandarin, my husband manages to communicate almost as well using only hand signals and smiles.  Here he is interacting with this young boy before taking his portrait.  My husband often prints the photographs he takes and brings them to the people later as gifts.

Market Friends

These two friends loved posing for photos.  We see one of them almost every time we visit the market on weekends.