A repost from July 2016:
Last year we spent two weeks in and around Jiading, China – a ‘suburb’ of Shanghai. Our oldest son, Joshua, was living there with his wife, Emma, and we were fortunate enough to visit. A rainy day had given us a break from sightseeing and when it stopped we ventured out. What we stumbled onto ended up being one of my most satisfying and favorite memories.
***************************************************************************
When the rain tapered off we ventured out for lunch and ended up exploring the streets and shops in the surrounding area. Our group split up which left my son, Patrick, and I hanging out together. 
We were wandering around, ambling in and out of the little shops when I spied a sign with a teapot. Loving all things tea, and especially drinking tea in Asia, we went into the shop to see what was what. The shopkeeper seemed excited to see us and began talking. Unfortunately, we had no idea what he was saying. We wanted to ask him questions but were not able to communicate effectively with him.
Between using hand gestures – and speaking super slow (as if that would help) – we found no success asking if his teapots were for sale or just display. We left the shop to find Joshua – who speaks fluent Mandarin-and, upon our return, discovered this gentleman was completely delightful and wanted nothing more than to share his tea while working on his painting and flute-playing.
One of the things I love about staying in less touristy areas is stumbling upon these amazing experiences that you can’t buy with money. It had been a lazy, rainy day calling for a ponytail and no make-up. No matter that I was ultra-casual, our host could have cared less. Discovering this hidden gem and being treated to an absolutely wonderful encounter completely made my day and ended up being a highlight of the trip.
If you would like to see other posts from our China adventures check out these pieces:
Confucius Temple and Huilongtan Park
Looking through glass doors Hubby managed to get a picture of the altar.
A great dog who joined our family as a puppy, we loved her dearly. Full of life and energy, with two different colored eyes, the softest ears ever, and a black, cold, wet nose. A nose that she would affectionately ‘goose’ us with – particularly when we were wearing shorts. Yow! Her personality was sweet and outgoing and she was ever-so-patient with all those around, especially children. She loved to be loved and was never shy about asking people to pet her. With a keen awareness of human emotion she instinctively knew if we were happy, sad, sick or excited – and would stay near no matter the circumstances. When no one was looking she hopped on beds and pretended to be totally innocent when we walked in the room. And, she relished joining the fun no matter who was jumping on the trampoline. If anyone was hugging – or dancing – Ricki would stand on her hind legs so she could also be part of the action. And, if you played the harmonica she would howl until the raucous stopped. She had a ferocious bark but never harmed one person. She loved to run free off the leash and right into the lake, river or creek – and even the snow – but she always came right back. Wanting to experience a little freedom she never once drifted too far away from us. Whenever we came home she always ran up to the gate to greet us.
A lovely family waiting for a small bundle of joy to join them.
My Crazy Graced Life 