Recently the whole of China has been celebrating the start of the Year of the Dragon.  During this time of year, it is ordinarily not advisable to travel as the plane, train, bus, etc networks are over loaded with people returning to their hometowns for the festivities associated with the lunar new year celebrations.  As some estimated 250 million people are traveling over this period, the Lacy family traditionally takes some time out from traveling and enjoys the relative quiet of Shanghai.  However this year we thought that we should break up the 7 day holiday and take a short trip to visit Nanjing.  Primarily because we’ve always wanted to visit this former capital of China but also because we’ve heard that it is so accessible from Shanghai by China’s new high speed rail network.

Nanjing is now the capital of Jiangsu province and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture.  With an urban population of over five million, it has been the capital of China on several occasions and, in fact, its name means “Southern Capital”.  The city will host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics and there are many posters around in preparation.

Getting to (and from) Nanjing was super easy and comfortable.  This is not a statement usually made with a 4yo and 2yo in tow (especially during Chinese New Year).  However I want to highlight the super High Speed Rail (HSR) network that China is building.  For your reference, HSR refers to any commercial train service with an average speed of 200kph or higher (we travelled on a new maglev line at ~350kph for most of the journey).  China has the world’s longest HSR network with about 13,000km of routes currently in service and about another 17,000km of lines under construction!  Nanjing is about 300kms away from Shanghai (by rail) and we got there in a little over an hour.

Getting into the Shanghai Train Station

Benjamin running thru the station

everyone wants dad although we've 4 seats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day one saw us: travel from Shanghai to Nanjing; visit the mausoleum of Sun Yat Sen (father of modern China); and getting in to our very comfortable hotel (Intercontinental Nanjing).  For the first time we arranged for two adjoining rooms that were interconnected by a special door.  We did this to hopefully have some sleep.  However we still ended up having Michael in our bed (sleeping with Mum) and me having to settle Benjamin both nights.

breakfast at hotel

dad is feeding Benjamin watching TV!!!!

rare family photo...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day two saw us: go boating on the Lake Xuanwu (in a pathetically slow touristy electric motor boat); and have lunch with a work colleague (and her family) in the Confucius Temple area.  In the past, Nanjing’s nightlife was centered around the Confucius Temple area along the Qinhuai River, where night markets, restaurants and pubs thrived.

having lunch at a NJ restaurant

Michael in front of the temple

Benjamin woke up happy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day three saw us: visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall.  The Memorial Hall commemorates the Nanjing massacre which happened during WWII at the hands of the Japanese.  An estimated 300,000 civilians were brutally slaughtered and many other atrocities occurred.  The hall is wonderfully designed from an architecture perspective and is filled with enlightening displays – a must visit if you are near Nanjing.

the first shocking statue

then it gets more intense...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As previously mentioned, we had another relaxing train ride to conclude our trip.  Once home it was back into the routines, followed by a return to work.  Xin nian kuai le!

we took the subway to the train station!

time to go back to Shanghaigood bye Nanjing!!!good bye Nanjing!!!good bye Nanjing!!!

 

Click below:

Michael’s bike ride

benjamin wants to do everything michael does!!!

We were lucky to have Uncle Frank and KK to come and help us out while Nila ventures for her visa.  Always grateful for their support.  Christmas is around the corner and we can’t wait for the summer and beach down under soon!!!!
Much love from Shanghai,

Ian, Stacey, Michael (turned 4) and Benjamin (who is going into school in January!!!)

As most of you know, Michael has an imaginary set of family, which consists of 11 kids (one is baby and the others are all ‘stronger’ and ‘bigger’ than Ian / Stacey).  Their mom and dad allow them to do ANYTHING!  This set of imaginary family bring us a lot of good stories and joys throughout Michael’s childhood.  Yesterday morning, Ian asked Michael “how he can be more cool than his kids?”  Michael thought about it for about 3 seconds and said to Ian, “you need to have a I-Phone.  Then you’ll be cooler than my kids.”

Thanks to Auntie Karen, our lovely bubba who doesn’t even own any smart-device is able to ask us why our phones are not I-Phones and can’t swipe on our cameras…  Steve Jobs should be smiling from heaven – he has made a difference in so many unique ways.

In the meantime, Ian / I is still holding out to have a I-product and hope that Michael & Benjamin get  the maximum of real toys and grass / outdoor time.

Til next time, love from Shanghai,

Ian, Stacey, Michael & Benjamin.

The boys are having the best of times.  The beach is still so huge to them and so Ian made Benjamin little pools to dip in and Michael is learning to jump the waves.  And they are loving the swimming pools and Benjamin just couldn’t wait to get his swimming “lessons” from dada.  Michael is swimming like a fish – getting very confident (sometimes too much) around the water, diving board and slides (thanks to the Kellys!)  Benjamin is babbling a lot more clearly these days:

- Ben ben is his name

- Saw Saw is when he is saying sorry (he does it very quick whenever he knew he got into trouble!)

- Ai is his hi and Bye seems too easy to say now

- a blow kiss melts all of us away…

When it was raining outside (like now), Michael enjoyed learning from his activities book of English and Maths (of course very limited TV was allowed!) with either Ian or me.   We all had a somewhat very relaxing time (and managed a romantic dinner when the boys are down asleep!).

Until next time, enjoy our photos and much love from Phuket, 

Our Boys’ Album – October 2011

Ian, Stacey, Michael (almost at 4) and Benjamin (at 19 months soon).

Benjamin is now talking so much that we wish we could understand him.  His understandable few would be:

- Mine mine (is Bye Bye)

- Ai… (Hi)

- Bull (Ball)

- Mus (Bus)

- Mama / Dada (how could he not get that one right!?)

- Muck (Michael – this was how Michael used to call himself!)

- Last but not least, singing “Rain, Rain going away”

Benjamin’s Singing in the Rain (please click here for Benjamin’s video!)

On the other hand, Michael is still adapting to his new class (he becomes the youngest again in his new class).  They taught him the latest as below:

From Our Boys’ Album – Video in July 2011

Meanwhile, we’re all well and it seemed as though Summer had just come and gone.  About to welcome Autumn already!

Love from Shanghai and til next time,
Ian, Stacey, Michael (who is mesmerized w/Transformers and small legos!) and Benjamin (whose 7th teeth is finally coming out)!

We travelled to Lijiang with Ian’s parents (their first time to the west of China too!) and stayed at the Banyan Tree there.  It was definitely a treat and we loved every day of our holiday there.  However what we discovered was how we have taken Shanghai for granted!  The variety of choices in LJ was quite limited and while we take for granted that Shanghai has all these imported grocery and Chinese selection, we now become very grateful for these little small things.  LJ is a beautiful city with blue sky and nice people and we couldn’t have been luckier to visit such a gem in China.  Can’t wait to explore more of China again next year (hoping it to be Xian next!)

in the meantime, enjoy our boys and photos.

Our boys’ Album – July 2011

Ian and I are soooo excited!  Benjamin finally took his first step today without any assistance, Tuesday May 3, 2011 (just about 13.5 months young!).  Benjamin was a somewhat slower developer, he is only starting to have his upper fourth teeth to grow in the last 1.5 month.  He didn’t turn to his back by himself until he was 10 months old (normally babies turn at 5-6 months).  But he quickly learned to start to crawl (when he met his nanna in Oz during last Christmas) and walking with help seemed to come quite naturally when he “competes” with Michael everyday up and down our hallway.

We always knew that he was ready to take off anytime soon and he did it today!!!!!  Both Ian and I are a bit disappointed that we didn’t see it for the first time, but we are just so excited and thrilled that our Benjamin has taken his first step and became a real toddler.

From Our Boys’ album – Video Clips

Much Congratulations, our Benjamini… we’re so proud of you.

Your Mom, Dad and bigger brother.

Then there was a lot of catching up with friends and family.  Michael was especially stimulated from all the new sights, sounds, and public transport that his imaginary boarding house is  filling up quickly with green car, new kids and new tables / food.  It is amazing to watch a 3-year old boy absorb all these new things and translate / transform them into his imaginary world!

Benjamin has been quite the darling, although permanently attached to his mom.  He’d cry everytime I am out of sight.  It is fascinating to watch esp for me as I am a working mom (which means he leaves me every day for a good number of hours) but secretly thrilled that my boys are so attached to me!

We got Ian here for the weekend which was fantastic… we tried to do the least but managed to get away for a date-night as well.  It was nice to be back to Hong Kong, a place where we met, got married and had Michael.

Enjoy our photos and until the next blog,

Our trip to HK – April 2011

Ian, Stacey, Michael & Benjamin.

Benjamin had a great birthday and we made him a nice butter cake.  He was a little miffed about Michael “helping” him out with blowing the candle and all his new toys, but at least Michael knows that these new toys are Benjamin’s and he asks to borrow them for a play!  Benjamin is “almost” walking especially with the practice of chasing his brother every day with the walker or scooter.  It’s any wonder that they avoid the corners so skillfully!  It gives me so much fright just to look!

China doesn’t seem to agree with any of the photo uploader and hence we’re stuck with the below options.  Enjoy our photos!

 

With love from Shanghai,
Ian, Stacey, Michael (who can write and spell his name) & Benjamin (can now turn the walker direction as he pleases!)

While we have been slack w/ photos and videos, Benjamin is already almost turning into a toddler:

- He is almost walking (he races against his brother Michael with the walker and Michael’s scooter!)

- He crawls so fast that Nanna calls him speedy gozales !

- He is refusing to eat mashed up food (and want real pasta, fish, meat, and fruit!)

- He is almost out of his bottle (Mom has been adamant in “training” him in using a zippy cup!)

- He now baths with Michael where Michael draws a line in the bath to make sure that his little brother doesn’t “bother” him!

- He is babbling about curtains, ge ge (Michael), dada (Ian), and when he cries, he goes “mama mamma”….  so cute.

- He has got more nicknames than all three of us combined (didi – mean little brother in mandarin, mimi – a name suggested by michael, Benjamini – don’t ask us why?!)…

We are going to miss our little baby but we warmly welcome him to toddlerhood.  Happy Birthday, our beloved Benjamin.

Much love from Shanghai,

Ian, Stacey, Michael (at 3+ but still wants to be 5) and Benjamin (who turns 1 tomorrow).