The Clan's China Adventure, Episode 22: Grandma Comes to Visit

This year, we did not have our typical large scale family vacation that we have typically had (e.g. Northern Europe in 2015 or Sichuan in 2014). Instead, my mother came to visit us right here in Shanghai!

It was a very low profile visit, but I have to say it was much more relaxed than doing the grand family trip, which often results in getting tired and worn out. In fact, we pretty much just hung out around Shanghai, although mom did take a few side trips while here in China to nearby Suzhou and the amazing Zhangjiajie (inspiration of the Avatar floating mountains):

Not taken by us, but Mom's photos really are just as awesome...

Instead, we pretty much just let Mom experience our normal day-to-day lives, complete with me taking business trips throughout. That said, we still made a point to go visit a few local attractions!

First, other Grandma, the kids, and I took mom to one of our favorite hangouts in the city - Tianzifang, a series of well-preserved narrow alleys that sell various arts, crafts, trinkets, and snacks:

Next, we went to nearby Sun Yat-Sen's former residence and Zhou Enlai's residence, where Mom got to see firsthand Mainland China's accounts of the early Modern Era of China, which provide quite a different spin, in many cases, than what she grew up with in Taiwan! In the past, I think she would have been very reluctant to visit such places, but she was very open minded this time around and rather enjoyed the different viewpoint!

A week later, after her trip to Zhangjiajie, we took her to nearby Thumb Plaza:

And spent a day at Heping Park in the Puxi side of this city, where we visited its small (and somewhat depressing) zoo:

Watching some fishermen work - they caught three or four fish just in te time we were watching!

Fifi steering the boat all by herself!

Finally, I took a day off to spend the day with the family at nearby Dishui Lake. Actually, originally I had wanted to visit the Shanghai Maritime Museum, but alas, I failed to remember that most museums in the city are actually closed on Mondays! Still, we got to see a cool new site in Dishui Lake, which reminded me quite a bit of the beachside towns in Florida!

Doesn't it look like Fort Lauderdale?

Doing some Kung Fu with the massive Crowne Plaza hotel in the background

The beautiful outdoor pool of the Crowne

A small petting zoo on the premises of the Crowne

Newborn Bunnies!!!

Feeding the goats was interesting...

It was a great change for the kids to see Grandma again after nearly a year! In particular, it was the first time Grandma really got to talk to Baby Lukas, since he didn't really start talking until after our family vacation last year. Now, Grandma knows just how talkative my little boy can be!

A Visit to Clermont

Not long ago, I traveled back to the US for work. I hadn't visited my brother Ed in several years - in fact the last time I went to his home was back when Fifi was still just an infant, back when he lived as a Chinese teacher in Lakeland.

Since then, Ed's become a pretty successful professional photographer. As a professional photographer, Ed pretty much has to travel for almost all of his jobs. One of his jobs took him to Clermont, Florida, and he fell in love with the area, somewhat to the family's dismay since it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, after visiting him there this last month, I can kind of see why he likes it!

For starters, Clermont doesn't really look like anywhere else that people usually think of when you say Florida. Its rolling hills conjure images of the Carolinas instead of Florida swamps and beaches:

It's hard to find vistas this high up in South Florida

But Ed's house is really a pretty nice place, remote as it is. It's on a natural preserve waterfront!

And, he's got a heavy bag!

And stormtroopers on his desk!

What could be better?

The next morning, we took a traditional family (or, in this case, brotherly) walk at nearby Lake Louisa:

Now this does look a lot like Florida...

Lake Louisa's characteristic tea-colored water, dyed from the nearby vegetation

It was a great opportunity to see Ed in his home turf!