Saturday, December 8, 2012

Christmas in Shanghai 2012

Saturday, December 1, 2012
It seemed like when the month of December arrived, the weather turned cold!
Today we spent the morning cooking. Towards late afternoon, we headed to Pudong for the BASF American group's holiday dinner. It was sort of a cross between Thanksgiving and Christmas: while we watched a tape of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, there was Christmas tree in the house!
Whichever, we had a real turkey dinner:
We contributed three kinds of stuffing,
and two kinds of mashed potatoes.
For more Asian tastes, there was a noodle dish:
(Gingerbread cupcakes for dessert.)
Are we aware of the camera, or what?!
Yes, all American citizens!

Some photos around Shanghai;
This biker is not dressed for the holiday weather:
At Ferguson Lane.
Some shopping at the Secret Door/A-Room (antiques and coffee):
The Secret Door:
The gate to Lane 120 Tai'an Lu:

The sycamore trees have lost their leaves.
All Saints Methodist Church at Fuxing and Danshui Lu:
Site of the First Cadre Meeting of Peasants and Workers, on Danshui Lu:
Jiashan Market was supposed to be dressed up for Christmas:
But I later learned that might have been only for the weekend.
Xintiandi Style Mall is decorated for a Mexican holiday:
What is the Chrysler Building and Statue of Liberty doing in the Mexican themed display?
Xintiandi Style has the world's largest portrait of Marilyn Monroe:
Created by New Zealander Maurice Bennett from 6,000 slices of small toast.
This is what I want for Christmas:
Ha! This tree at Lippo Plaza has gaps like a real tree:
No gaps in the Cartier tree:
The next day, they had fixed the tree with gaps:
The Christkindlmarkt on Fenyang Lu:
You hear a lot of German spoken, so it really feels like a Christkindlmarkt!

Grand Gateway is decorated for Christmas, with thousands of lights on the trees in the mall's food street:
*** I am going to add the Chinese New Year decorations here, to compare them to the Christmas decorations. I think they are able to make some adjustment, and change the color of the lights!
Out on the street:
Hanging off the residence porticos:

The entrance to Grand Gateway Mall:
**For Chinese New Year:
The Grand Gateway Clubhouse has cotton snow in the open atrium:
At night:
**For Chinese New Year:

Saturday, December 8, 2012
The Grand Gateway "Fashion and Action Christmas Eve Party" took place this evening.
The club lobby:
Tamiko & Kent pose on the stage:
The buffet included a "salad" bar:
Some "holiday" flowers:
A roasted turkey!
And roasted pork:
Desserts:
There were also chicken fingers (not chicken feet!) and roasted potatoes, beef and peppers, fried rice, and spaghetti.
Some cute attendees:
There was a cover band:
Shadow puppet show:
The narrator and gong player hides in the back:
Fascinated kids:
The story was of the tortoise and the hare:
Stage prop with a sign for the country of "American:"
Some break-dancing boys:
Mr. Bubble Magic:
The stage was getting crowded!
In a bubble!
There were activities for the children, including the popular goldfishing:
Santa's Chinese elves:
Cookie cutter Christmas cookies; these may not make it to the oven:
Green cookies?
Already have icing, which they borrowed from the gingerbread house building activity!
The example house:
Working the "glue:"
Very meticulous work:
Mommy didn't help with this one!
Hmmm... what do they call it, deconstruction?
The gift exchange pile:
There was "action," but the only fashion we saw was this "Pageboy" letter jacket (with white pants):
What a fun party!
Tree in the lobby of the residence tower:
Merry Christmas!
Later, Happy Chinese New Year:

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