Winter and a Winner

Snowy walkway in our complex.

On the lunar calendar, yesterday (November 6th) was the first day of winter. Back in LA, this would be laughable, but it is certainly wintery here in Beijing, with temperatures staying in the mid 40’s and 50’s in the daytime hours. November 3rd felt like Christmas morning as we woke up to a few inches of snow on the ground, and snow still falling. Aside from a few forays out into the snow to play and pick up food, we enjoyed a cozy day at home. Yesterday friends newly arrived from a stateside trip brought us a big can of hot cocoa mix with mini marshmallows, so let winter bring it on!We are ready.

And the winner is….

...our #1 son! Dian Da (our language school) held a photo contest from our field trip to the Great Wall. Entries were displayed for a week, and each student was given two colorful star stickers with which to vote for their favorites. Excitement built as we watched Ian’s photo jump to a quick lead. Several others gave him competition, but when the voting was finished his photo of greenery and sections of the stony wall viewed through an arch had gathered the most votes.  His prize will remain a secret, as it has been designated as a Christmas gift for someone special. Another field trip this Friday means another photo contest, and the An Family (Our Chinese surname, meaning peace.)  will be entering once again.

Ian's winning photo!
 

Here you can see how the votes were cast.