Friday, July 27, 2012

moving...

Hello!
Sorry I've been M.I.A.... We're moving this week and I am in full on house cleaning.

I still have many pending posts, but I just haven't found the time to do them. Truth is, I think I will be missing from the blog for the next week or two. Let's just say, I'll be taking a Summer break! : )

I'm sure that when I come back, I will have some more adventures and new stories about our new neighborhood. I'm soooo exited, can't wait!

But today.... 
Olivia turned 10 months! 
It's so crazy how fast time goes by! I feel as if it was Yesterday that I had her. She was just this tiny little thing! Now, she's all big, chubby and more adorable than ever! 

We ❤ her!




Happy 10 months Olivia!




I can't believe she'll be one soon! 
That reminds me... B.day coming soon!!! You all know how we loooove B.day parties in my family! ; )

See you all in a bit! 
xoxo 
T.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Shanghai

Hola!
I've been wanting to do this post for a while now, but sometimes it's just too hard to keep up. Sooo much going on at the moment!!! I've been organizing & cleaning before we move,  S. was in the UK, for work, and the little guys caught, yet another cold.....busy week....

A couple of weeks ago, Sean had to head over to Shanghai. Since it was mid week, (and a short flight away) we thought we should all go and see the City over the weekend. I mean... we are in Asia! The opportunity of getting to know, and see, this part of the world is a once in a lifetime chance! 


✻✻✻ I wish I could give you more detailed info. on the areas and places I went to, but the truth is, this was an unplanned and sudden trip. Most places we went to, we either found by chance, or by asking at the Hotel. Since internet censorships in China is so stringent, I wasn't able to do my usual proper research...
 like going back in time... 

Our hotel was one of the very few places we could connect, but besides the fact that it was a really bad connection (think dial up connection), getting into my Gmail, Facebook or just to Google anything was impossible. The only thing that worked, and oooonly once in a while, was Instagram. 



This was on our drive from the airport to the Hotel. 
I didn't have any expectations, as what to find when I got there, but I surely didn't expect it to look like this! Throughout the drive, I felt as if I was somewhere in Europe. All the houses alongside the highway looked like European cottages. I was charmed! 


And charming it was...

Shanghai, de visita en Shanghai, que hacer en Shanghai, Mixed kids, Asian American, Boricuas en Seoul, 

My cute little guy...


Old Town...
This was the view from the lobby of the Hotel. 

Yu Garden, Expats living in Asia, Expats in Seoul, Korea, South Korea, Family, Boricuas en Asia, 

We stayed in the downtown area, near the Yu Garden and the Old Town Market & Bazaar...


& we began our adventure... Walking around the Yu Market. 


You can find just about anything here... Let's just say I came back a professional bargainer!  



& I got my Chinese tea set... ♥

Boricuas en Seoul, Boricuas en Asia, mixed kids, Shanghai, China

"Waaaaaaa".... What are the chances!!!!! 
We were sooooooooo lucky that our friend, from back home, (and by home I mean Puerto Rico
 was working at that time in Shanghai and we got a chance to hang out with her. 
Dari = Fun! 
Like sunshine on a cloudy day... 


& we went for a walk around The Bund...


The Bund is a riverfront boardwalk & Shanghai's most famous landmark.


On the Bund side, the view of The Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower... 


We took a ferry across the Huangpu River & had a great dinner...

beautiful sunset in Shanghai, China, de viajes en Shanghai, boricuas en Shanghai, boricuas en Seoul.

& we saw the most amazing Sunsets... This picture was taken with my phone and no filters! Isn't it just stunning! ♥


& we walked around some more...


The Year of the Dragon...


An elevated walkway and traffic roundabout. This was around the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower surroundings. 


& we went to some amazing Markets... 

Some of these pictures I took while walking around The French Concession. Others at Dongtai Road Antique Market, Xintiandi and Tianzifang...


Villas around the French Concession...




Around the Yu Bazaar...




The alleys in Tianzifang...


Yu Garden...


mixed kids, niƱos mixtos, Boricuas en Shanghai, China, Boricuas en korea. 

Cutie pies... 


 While S. was working, I walked trough some incredible areas. 
 I find these neighborhoods to be the most interesting. I feel like I will see nice shops and Markets just about anywhere in the world. But these places... Only in China... : )


 I saw countless shirtless men, chickens, rabbits, ducks, cats and dogs wondering around, meat left in the open air for sale, (in 90 degree weather). Cucumbers three times the size of a watermelon.


I don't know much about Shanghai, but I know one thing... these are happy people! 

 From ladies hanging laundry on main streets. Babies squatting to do pp on the sidewalks and people walking around in their jammies. Ladies singing out loud or musicians playing Chinese folk songs in the parks...


Couples riding bikes, (while the guy biked the girls sat sidesaddle on the rear rack). The people dancing in the parks...  The smells, the heat, the toothless smiles... 

The good company...




 priceless memories...

I will NEVER forget our weekend in Shanghai...

Boricuas en Shanghai, boricuas en Seoul, Korea, Boricuas en Korea, Mixed kids, multicultural family. 

xoxo
T. : )


Monday, July 16, 2012

N Seoul Tower

The day we went to the Prehistory Museum, we ended up heading over to the observation tower located on Namsan Mountain. The Seoul Tower is one of the main tourist attractions and offers panoramic views of Seoul and the surrounding areas.

To think... it took a year and a half to finally make it here! And we don't live far away.... Last Summer, I was too pregnant, and by fall I had a newborn. The winter time, was just too cold. Even though Spring is the perfect weather, we found it to be a little bit chilly for the kids. So, early Summer was just the right time for us to go... not too hot, not too cold.


We went up the Namsan Mountain cable car. 
The waiting line at the cable car looked pretty long, but it moved really fast... we did maybe a 10 minute wait. 


We got a good spot!



& up we go... strollers are a no-go here...  : /



The Tower from the outdoor terrace. 





& we got the tickets to go up to the observatory...


❤ Thousands & thousands of promises of eternal love...❤ 

 Locks of love is a popular costume, in which love birds write their names/messages on a padlock, lock it & throw the key away. This symbolizes their love will be locked for ever... how romantic... 


hummm... I'm thinking, this is a big dating spot... : )


& there was a Teddy Bear Museum!!!
 It showed the chronicles of the history of Seoul trough the use of teddy bears. 


The view from the observatory.



You get a 360 degree view of the city...


As clear as it gets these days...


Who wouldn't want to get "locked" to this love... : )


Marky is always interested... 


And after a long, long, long.... but fun, fun, fun day.... 

Back home! : )

xoxo
T.