Week 4: D

DALIAN: Lying at the tip of the peninsula in the Yellow Sea, Dalian is a city of 6 million people. To find it on a map, you go to North Korea and then head straight west. Nicknamed the Pearl of the North, it is one of the cleanest cities in all of China. It is full of giant squares, tranquil parks and lots of green areas. From what I've heard from others who had lived in other parts of China, I am very lucky to have landed here. I'm probably ruined for any other city.

These are the characters for Da lian, meaning big thoroughfare or big intersection.

As you can see from this map, Dalian is surrounded by the sea and has a large coastline.

DOWNTOWN. At night they light up this ball with green and purple lights and in the trees they have what we would call Christmas lights. It is beautiful. In fact, most of the buildings have "Christmas" lights on at night.

Not every building is brand-spanking new. Remove the Chinese characters and this building would be at home in downtown Naples.



DRUM CORPS: After watching this group, my new goal is to retire and become a member of the all-female drum corps.

DESIGNER DOGS: Before arriving here I was expecting to see a lot of mangy street dogs. While there are some of those around (and they all look like smaller versions of my old Tater-girl), there are a surprising number of breeds. So far I've seen Pekignese (of course!!), schnauzers, cocker spaniels, golden retrievers, and even a Dalmation. My neighbors across the way have a great dog that looks like a mix of bulldog and sharpei. He rules the terrace and terrorizes the chickens. I think that owning pets is probably a sign of the growing prosperity in this city.