Handicrafts of all sorts...

Any one who knows me, knows I love a good craft show. And there was a time -- before Julia -- that I was a bit of a crafter myself. I guess blogging is crafting in a way -- the words with the pictures -- I've said before it's been a quick fix for scrapbooking that I also used to do once upon a time.

Yesterday was about handicrafts -- the morning at the Shu embroidery centre and the afternoon spent at the Jin Li "new" ancient market. This pedestrian shopping promenade is about 5 years old and is modelled after the old shopping alleys and streets of China.

There were crafts to eat...here are the sugar sculptures that we were amazed at -- all from dripps and curls of hot sugar syrup. Kate and Julia enjoyed the taste more than the handiwork.

There were crafts to wear -- here is the patient rice writer etching the on one grain of rice Julia's name in Chinese characters. This also became a chance for me to practice my very limited Mandarin (really limited to hello, I love you, thank you, good bye and counting -- I used mostly the counting to make sure the necklaces for Kate and Julia were done right, and later on for Sophie and Florence. I think Lianne might have a funny picture or two about that.

But the highlight of my day -- my true HIGH -- was not a handicraft in the true sense, but something I could hold in my hand once I crafted it to my liking -- my lonnnnnggggg awaited coffee. And it wasn't even a coffee that I would even drink at home -- Starbuck's -- far too strong for my Country-Style taste -- but let me tell you, after over a week without a good cup of coffee -- I was doing all I could to enjoy the moment my way. I had two cafe lattes yesterday -- that's why I was able to blog until 2 in the morning about the pandas last night.....it was a wonderful experience to walk in the shop and smell the coffee and hear the Starbuck's jazzy tunes playing.

Julia also had her first Starbuck's experience with a rich hot chocolate -- she had almost half of it and then announced that she liked mine better (is that one of my handicrafts as a mom -- being a good hot chocolate maker?) She surprized me at how she was able to appreciate how much I was enjoying my coffee experience... some empathy developing there I think.

And we weren't the only ones savouring the moment..

I also should add here that using the Starbuck's WESTERN bathroom was also a treat in itself - it took me right back home. I was almost expecting to come out into the Newmarket Chapter's store...

I felt rejuvenated - I'm sure the caffeine chased the cold I thought was coming on the last few days OUT of my body. So I was in good spirits for the delay that was going to come our way at the Chengdu airport for our flight to Hefei.

To pass the time -- more handicrafts were employed by kids, thanks to the French braid trend Laura Presley started.

And it really is a handicraft as she uses this spongy blue gauzy tensor bandage stuff for which I forget the proper name ... Julia sports her braid with a headband accent.

We received our meals at the gate as the flight was delayed two hours -- here are some of the locals settling in to enjoy their dinner.

And here is Julia having her dinner...

Not quite a handicraft, but it sure does come in handy when you need to eat your dinner on the airport floor. Anyone who knows Julia knows that this is a very comfortable position for her -- she's been known to fall asleep in this position as well. I've often wondered where she's learned to do it because it is certainly NOT a position that I use. She's certainly made it her own though, crafted it you might say, to meet her needs. Clever -- and flexible--girl.

And so ended the day of many crafts. We said goodbye to Sichan province and Chengdu city and arrived in Hefei in the province of Anhui - Julia's home province. Another journey begins...