Able to post again

Hey y'all,

A rare trip to HongKong is enabling an update. We use a VPN to work around the China firewall (not including HK) and it's been working poorly. We are going to try a different service for improved results. But find below the pics I could scrape together from my limited supply on the phone and iPad. We are doing well but missing home, as always.

Rachel makes even the mundane look so pretty.


Rachel and Sammy at Lake Michigan, South Haven this summer.

Elijah speeding during vacation earlier this year in southern China. His goggles got plenty of use.

Anna would at least pull the goggles up off the face.

Sammy checking out a large statue at the Radisson hotel in People's Square, Shanghai.

A poor picture of Rachel but one that I had in the phone.

Elijah is currently missing 3 front teeth. A real once-in-a-lifetime experience we keep telling him.

That's Elijah on the left with me. A friend, Andrew, is on the right. And yes, Krispy Kreme is in Shanghai.

Again, hope all is well. We think of you often!!!

Anybody out there?

Long time, no blog. Really, we just need to find an improved VPN service to work around China's Great Firewall (no blogging allowed here).

A trip to HongKong has reminded me how beautiful effortless surfing is.

Hope to get some pictures up soon. Maybe in the next 48 before I leave Internet Bliss.

Ryan

Rachel is 4!!

the birthday girl with her birthday breakfast.


Rachel got her very own tea cup for her birthday. She loves to have tea parties with Mom.

Rachel had her first friend birthday party. She was beaming the entire time. We had a tea party, decorated cookies, did an obstacle course balancing sugar on a spoon, and had lots of play time.




We love you big girl, Rachel!

Shanghai Zoo

We visited the Shanghai Zoo with our friends, the Crandall's a couple of weeks ago. The kids all had a blast.

The first one bites the dust

Yep, there's now a draft of sorts!! Can you tell he was thrilled????

What's your favorite movie snack food?

I took A and E with a couple of friends to see KungFu Panda 2 in 3D. Great movie for kids and adults alike! And really cool to see it in China and appreciate Po's home country first hand!!! The 'interesting' food options are further down. But first, a couple of pics of the kiddos.

Each ticket is assigned to a particular seat which is a little different than the "first come first served" in the US. Worked out well considering we were no where close to "first come". Getting food/drink/3D glasses/bathroom break completed before the lights went down was a homerun in my book! (Thanks Emily for your help at concessions!)

Here's the crew. We hit the local McDonald's afterward and the kids got KungFu Panda toys in their happy meals. I personally got 3 toys because I decided to just eat 3 happy meals myself.

Ok, maybe not.

You may need to click on this photo to read what was on the menu at the concession stand. You'll notice some familiar things, ie, "popcorn" and "chocolate" although good luck figuring out what "chocolate" means exactly. But I love the other options - "Roasted Squid Toast Eel Chip" is a must have for any cinematic experience. It gives the 3D that extra "pop"! And who could pass on the "Duck Gizzard and Liver"? Well, me I guess. And for Final Jeopardy, Alex, "What is Collon?" I might field a wild guess but the dry heaves have already started so I'm going to subscribe to the old adage, "Ignorance is Bliss", thank you very much!

What a fun date with the kids even though we didn't play Fear Factor at the theater!

Peace out y'all!!

China Life

The most popular mode of transportation in Shanghai is the bicycle. And I have yet to see a pick-up truck. I think this contrast explains the following pics. I snapped them both within a couple minutes on a commute home from work.

Difficult to tell from this angle that he's basically got a full on roll cage.


Big, fat luxury SUVs, watch your bumpers!

And then there was this guy ready to joust.

Hope all is well!!! The Bowman's are looking forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks!!

BBQ #1

We had 33 work colleagues over for a BBQ a week ago. It was certainly the largest group we've ever hosted. The whole family had a lot of fun. We BBQ'd chicken kebabs. Aimee made desserts and a very popular spaghetti dish with bacon (always a winner with bacon). We ordered in a popular, local spicy pork dish. They hammered everything except the massive amounts of rice we prepared. Apparently, they don't fill up on rice if other great food is available. Lessons learned for next time!

Of course any get-together is going to include basketball with the guys. The quality of play is better with this group than in 2007/2008. I've officially become a role player.

They really enjoyed hanging with the kids. Samuel was finishing up his weekly chores as the party started. No slackin' allowed.

Elijah found a new goalkeeper.

We filled our grill along with the neighbors'. The chicken was very popular as Aimee used an asian seasoning.

Unfortunately, the after-dark photos did not turn out real well. Aimee decorated with candle table lights. Our yard includes some ground lights which really helped too. They enjoyed playing card games, listening to music, and chatting.

This is the best group shot we could find. Ryan explained how God orchestrated a return to China. (Translator in the green shirt.)

They surprised kids with a Wii. That has been a big hit this week. And all arguments now get resolved in the boxing game.

We look forward to getting to know these folks better in the future. Some of them have become great friends interested in hanging with us. We certainly share that sentiment!

Happy Memorial Day to all you in the US!!

Defending the Fanny Pack

I was traveling via subway today and realized why it's so easy to wear a fanny pack in China. I mean, it's very practical when you need to haul paraphernalia associated with 4 children. A diaper, hand sanitizer, tissues (most public restrooms do not have tp), various snacks, rabbit foot (jk), small toys and the like. It's also home to the wallet, phone, keys, maps, and other necessities. But beyond the infinite practicality, there's another reason. How can you feel bad about wearing a fanny pack when there are so many other 'bag violations' for guys. I snapped these photos in about 7 minutes time amongst random people in the subway. Check it out.

The Satchel.

Even if this guy pleads that he was simply holding it for his girlfriend, you NEVER sling it over your shoulder. At minimum, adopt the "football" hold and abandon the strap. But of course, there is no love for securing the pigskin here. Pity.

You might find American guys with a bag like this, but if you're going to sling it over your shoulder, compliment it with a teddy bear sweater.

Minor infraction.

Now, this doesn't look quite so offensive, does it?

Bowman Vacation

Hey y'all, we had a nice respite in Southern China. We returned to the exact same hotel we stayed at twice before (in the firstChina Tour of Duty). In fact, I think we had the same rooms this time as last. See pics for some scoop. Thanks for checking in!!

Always on the cutting edge of practical fashion, kickin' the fanny pack.

Tiered.

"Stay hydrated Elijah."

Sisters.

Rachel stays hydrated

Samuel did well in his ring.

Action shot.

Anna in torpedo position.

Elijah got the camera and snapped photos of every furniture piece, hinge, floor board and lego creation he could find.

Catching shade at the beach.

We spent 1/5 days at the beach. The kids preferred the pools. Mom and Dad liked the sea water because of the cooler temp.

With camoflauge.

We picked up googles for these 2 in Shanghai. I don't think they ever came off their noggans.

Googles galore.

Hope you are doing well! And we have confirmed that we'll be back in the US mid-July to mid-August. Hope to see many of you then!!