The Buddist Temple instead of live chicken bait (see below)

Well, we decided to go to a Buddhist temple instead of the wildlife park. It was traditional chinese and probably more like what everyone expects China to be like. It was a real temple with people coming in to pray and light incense. It would have been tranquil, I suppose, if Ella hadn't picked that time to throw numerous fits. So as the monks ate she screamed, as they chanted down the hall she screamed, I think pretty much everytime we really wanted to watch something she had some drama. I'm thinking that a good bit of the praying that was going on in the temple was for us. Or atleast I hope it was. Is that selfish? Anyway, the Happy Buddha helped a little. It atleast brought some funny moments. Like Ella saying, "there's another fat guy" every time she saw one. It is a tourist trap though. They charge for everything you do. Some Buddhas you could look at for general admission others were extra and the coy food cost more than the general admission which you had to buy, if you wanted to take a picture. It was still a good day and at the end of it we stopped at a little pub by our house that welcomes children and met another couple from the US there. The wife had been here about as long as I and the husband as long as Mark so we hit it off and they had a daughter Ella's age. We may have made some new friends. Only in China can you go to a temple during the day and a bar at night (with your kids) and come home feeling satisfied. Is there something wrong with that?