First Day of School

Joaquin starts school this week.  Since I will be delivering in April, we need to make sure Joaquin has something stimulating to do while we are busy with the second one.  We found a school that is about two (long) blocks from our apartment.  It has a good teacher-to-student ratio and is Montessori-based.  We thought this would be a good start for Joaquin.  So this week, he will only be going two hours each day to get him used to the environment.  Starting next week, he will stay in school from 8:30am to 3:30pm.
Joaquin woke up surprisingly on time this morning so we got him dressed and took him to school after breakfast.  He was roaming around the room as usual and didn't seem to have much interaction with other kids other than a couple of times, he decided to ride his classmates like the way he rides the toy horses...  He followed the teacher a little bit during the singing time but most of time he does whatever interests him. He couldn't stop talking about it after school though.  So I guess for now, we'd call it a success...

Getting ready for school

Sitting with other kids for the singing session

Bingxin decided that he needs to sit on a chair rather than on the floor

Following the teacher during the singing session

Still behaving

Bingxin got distracted by this toy

Getting beat up by a kid who is four months his junior!

Chami Chami Feb 4, 2010

Jordan Day 5 - The King's High Way

We checked out of the hotel in Amman and took the King's High Way down to Petra.   We picked up some breakfast at Madaba and then proceeded to Al Karak, where the famous crusader castle was.  The King's High Way cuts through a couple of desert canyons and the view was magnificent.  The castle was first constructed around 1140 A.D. and is very well preserved/well renovated.  We spend the entire afternoon just walking and exploring the castle.  Joaquin attracted another friendly Jordanian mother who offered us sunflower seeds.

View of the Desert Canyon 

Guarding the Crusader Castle

Happy that there are so many rocks to pick

Exploring the Castle

Eating Sunflower Seeds

Little cute Jordanian girl who tried to pinch Joaquin when no one was looking

Jordan Day 4 - The Dead Sea

We drove out to the Dead Sea on Day 4.  We stopped at the city of Madaba enroute to Dead Sea.  This is where a 6th century mosaic (very detailed) map of Jerusalem and its surrounding was discovered.
We took the scenic route down to the Dead Sea, descending from the Sea level down to 422 meters below.  The view was dramatic.  We drove through clay mountains, passed by some occasional springs and came to the panoramic view point where you can see Israel on the other side of the shore.  The only unfortunately thing was that the weather was not on our side so we couldn't see the amazing blue color of the sea.
We stopped by one of the beach resorts to have lunch.  Dadu of course would not pass by the chance of floating on his back in the Dead Sea.  Since we were too cheap to pay for JD25 each for access to the private beach of one of these luxurious resorts, we opted for the public one which only charged us JD10.  The end result?  Dadu got his amazing moment floating in the Dead Sea but he had to rinse up onshore in open air when it was only 10 centigrade.  Chamu had a lot of fun picking up rocks and salt crystals on the beach.

 Breakfast at the cafe across from the mosaic church

Delicious Falafel that costs only a quarter JD ($0.45)

Joaquin deciphering the mosaic map

Wheels getting a Dead Sea clay facial

Looking into Israel

Swimming like a fish in the sea

Dadu is enlightened

Joaquin loving the beach but it was too cold for him to go in

Fancy Lebanese restaurant but we didn't know where to begin with the table decoration

Welcome the Year of Golden Tiger!!!

It's been more than 10 years since I last spent the Chinese New Year in Taiwan.  After we finished the Big Trip, we returned to Taipei to settle down and wait for our little Golden Tiger to arrive in April.  Surprisingly the weather was nice today (give the forecast of ten consecutive raining day).  We dressed Chamu up in a suit (his first suit ever) since it is a Chinese tradition that he needs to wear new clothes on the First day of the New Year!  He also received a number of red pockets for good luck!

 Don Draper 2010

Future Goldman Partner in Making

Happy with the outcome of the last phone call

Did I hear that Tag Heuer is looking for a Tiger replacement?

Mischievous Bingxin sitting with Yufu

Jordan Day 3 - Jerash

Jerash is mere 50 KM north of Amman but it is one of the most well preserved Roman city.  From the Arch of Hadrian to the Forum, to the Hippodrome and to the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, we could almost feel the bustling city of the Decapolis.  It's quite surreal when you walk down the colonnaded street.  How did these ancient columns survive 2000 years?
We initially thought we had seen it all after touring many Roman ruins but it is not until we saw Jerash live, we realized that there is so much more to Roman ruins.  Weather was unpredictable so it was rainy and windy at time but mixed with some sunny sky.  No complaint other than the fact little Chamu decided to jump around in the water potholes and got himself completely soaked (and freezing) for the second half of the tour.

Joaquin dancing in the Roman theater

Happy to take picture with the pipe players

Ancient city and modern city of Jerash

The Forum

Chamu rules!

The theater is almost intact after 2000 years!

The Roman street is not designed for baby strollers

Birthday dinner at the Benihana; free cake from the hotel

Joaquin dancing at the Sushi bar; free baby sitting and entertainment for Mamu!

Jordan Day 2 - The Desert Castle Loop

We drove out to the northeast of Amman the second day in search of desert castles.  It took us a long while to fine the first one (Qasr al-Hallabat) since the signs on the road were a bit confusing and they tend to disappear at critical junctions.  But once we found the first one (which is under restoration work), we were able to find the second (Qasr al-Azraq) and the third one (Qusayr ‘Amra).  We stopped for lunch at Azraq (Azraq Oasis), which was a huge oasis more than 100 years ago and now the reserve is only less than 10% of its original size due to huge increases in population in Amman.  We were also invited into the tent by local Bedouins for tea after we visited Qusayr ‘Amra.

http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism5.html

Local kids knocked on our car door and invited Joaquin to play soccer with them

Joaquin was excited to run into camel mamas and camel bebés

This is the castle located at the Azraq oasis where Lawrence of Arabia stayed

Little castle explorer

Happy to be up the steps with Dadu

This kid is fearless

Dadu trying to move the 1-tonn door

Indiana Chumus

Beautiful sunset at Qusayr ‘Amra