Fishing Village – drying fish

This is a piece inspired by scenes of Tai O village in Hong Kong. One of the famous produce of this fishing village is dried fish. See next photo.

I am not sure why some fish are dried in baskets, while some are hung to dry. Perhaps the fish in the basket is a different variety which birds love…. Anyway, a lady told me that the heads are covered to prevent flies from laying eggs (around the eyes, I guess)

Lots of fish being dried. The dried fish is quite delicious. We had meat and dried fish in  a clay pot, and fried rice with diced chicken and dried fish. Only a small piece is required since it’s quite salty.

Fishing village on stilts, Hong Kong

We spent several nights in Tai O village, on Lantau Island.

It was a fantastic experience; there was so much to see and to draw.

I am not sure if the above is a home or just a storage shed.

I will upload more photos later.  Have a nice week.

Watery Wednesday

Yuan Ming Yuan

It was very hot in Beijing. We didn’t want to miss out on visiting the Old Summer Palace (Yuan Ming Yuan) so we arrived here at about 9 am. It was already getting hot then.

The lakes were covered by beautiful lotus plants, with red, pink and white blooms.

Some ruins from of the buildings

It was a very photogenic place (pardon my photos, all taken with my iPhone). There were many photographers snapping away with impressive looking equipment…

Father and daughter enjoying their time at Yuan Ming Yuan.

We spent 2 hours exploring the garden. It was great having seen this lovely place, before we left Beijing. I had a great time in Beijing, and hope that you have enjoyed my photos.

Hope you have a great week.

Colourful wares, photos from Beijing

 

Stalls at the Great Wall offer lots of colourful souvenirs

 

It’s lovely to look but be prepared to bargain if you see something you like.

A colourful stall selling fresh and dried fruits at the Ming Tombs.

Colourful and pretty umbrellas.

Have a nice week.

A few more sketches in Beijing

Sketching in a taxi… It was a risk because I get motion sickness when I read in a car, so I drew quickly. I wasn’t feeling too good afterwards, but only for a little while. I painted it at home.

 

Sketches completed while my husband was getting a massage.

I was quite excited when I saw this cinema in Beijing. I haven’t seen one like this in a long time.

Doodling while having my breakfast in a bakery.

Beijing Shop Reflections

Reflection on the mirrored ceiling.

Reflection on a pillar on the left.

Visit Weekend Reflections for more.

Dragon Boat Festival

In China, the locals celebrated Dragon Boat Festival last Monday (6/6) . Everyone ate Zongzi. Zongzi is rice, wrapped and cooked in bamboo leaf. While at dinner last Monday, the restaurant served us complimentary Zongzi. This was a sweet version with red dates. They also gave us sugar, in case we preferred it to be even sweeter.

I like Zongzi. My Mom makes the best ones – rice with pork cooked in soy sauce, salted egg, chick peas, candle nuts and rice. Yummylicious!

Did you have Zongzi last week?

Shoes sketches

Katie passed on to me the Stylish Blogger Award. Thanks Katie. LOL, “stylish’ is not a word I would used to describe myself. No, not stylish at all….Anyway, here are some things about me…

I love shoes, but mine are mostly comfy shoes.

I love “Crocs” – yes, the brand of plastic shoes, which are oh-so-comfortable. Recently, my husband bought 2 new pairs of slip-ons. Here’s one, the top is fabric, the sole in comfy rubber. Finally, some nice looking shoes from Crocs. I am waiting for some nice ladies’ designs.

My gym shoes have been put to good use. I have been going to the gym diligently twice a week in the last 10 weeks. My husband and I share a personal trainer, so it’s a good way to make sure we exercise consistently.

I love drawing shoes – you may have already guessed that!

There you have it – a few things you didn’t know about me.  Thanks Katie.

Lakeside in Beijing

One of my favourite places to sit and relax. 

Connecting to Sunday Bridges and Weekend Reflections.

Happy Weekend.

Breathing space

Hi everyone. Here I am on the top floor of one of my favourite places to go to chill out, and get away from the millions of people in Beijing.

  

Comfy sofas, internet connection, cappuccinos, milkshakes,  black forest cake…. it doesn’t feel like I am in China.

Sometimes I find a spot under the trees. The grass is long, so it’s not comfortable to sit on, but there are lots of stone seats like the ones you see in the above photo

Relax by the water

There were lots of peonies a month ago. Click to see my photos of peonies in Beijing

Roses are blooming at the moment. Click to see my photos of roses in Beijing

If the weather is good, I take a walk and enjoy the beautiful blooms.

Hope your are having a wonderful week.

Apartments in Beijing

Probably apartment blocks look more interesting from the back…

Have a nice week.