#watercalligraphy

A nice warm day today and hubby and I decided to check out this park a couple blocks from our building.  We had passed by many times while en route to somewhere else, but never took the time to actually go in.  Walking into the park was like looking through a window into the lives of the everyday Chinese people that I seldom see in my day-to-day activities.  It was magical and inspiring.

Maybe it was the nice warm sun that we hadn't seen in a week, or maybe it was the high from the cappucino I just drank.... but something about all those people doing so many different things in the park seemed to be so amazing.  The park was filled with the young and old.  Literally.  They were either senior citizens, or babies.  Or senior citizens looking after babies.  Very few in between.  Activities ranged from stretching, dancing, cards, calligraphy, chess, walking (forwards and backwards) with one section even dedicated to one-on-one kung fu lessons.  This is where we saw the only other white guy.

I mostly admired the various dancing groups dotted around the park.  These ladies had grace and sparkle, and did a mean rendition of Gangnam Style!

Water calligraphy.  So beautiful, but so ephemeral!

The lady with the parasol was dancing on her own like a star ballerina. I like the juxtaposition of the pagoda in the park with the buildings in the back.

And the real reason I went into the park to begin with... A French daddy in my building told me about this amusement area for the kids: