Tuesday: shopping and boating

The morning's activity was shopping on Shamian Island.  This is a beautiful little area with restricted automobile traffic.  It is also very popular with photographers taking pictures of models for advertisements. The most interesting one we saw was a tall, leggy blond with about a 20 inch waist wearing a mini skirt and 6 inch heels pushing a baby carriage (with nothing in the carriage).  

Shamian Island has shops, but also a lovely park and  some old, historical buildings.  From what I read, it was at one time British property and so many of the buildings look European.  It seems that its history goes back to the mid-1800s.

Although Davina and I did a little shopping, we mostly sat in the park.  We even bought and played a hacky-sac like game...I was abysmal at it, but we had fun.  We played with another family in our group and attracted a small crowd.  The game seemed to be played by a lot of adults who stand in a circle, chatting, and kicking the thing (it looks a lot like a badminton birdie) to each other.  Just like chopsticks, the natives make it look deceptively easy!

At night we went on the Pearl River cruise.  This is a quintessential tourist activity in Guangzhou.  We enjoyed sailing down the river and looking at all the buildings lit up--many with colorful lights.  We also saw the Guangzhou Tower which is the tallest building in Asia.  It was beautifully lit up with changing colors.  I also had a delightful time visiting with our table companions.  It was fun to share our adoption stories.  Davina had a lot of fun taking pictures and looking at the sites.

Several times today as we sat silently looking at the sights and listening to the sounds including women singing, couples dancing, children talking, I was praying that these sights and sounds would be permanently etched in her memory as happy moments to reflect upon when she misses China.

We laughed a lot today.  Davina is just so fun to be around,  When I look at Davina, I think of these verses:

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21