A Day With Middle School Friends

(Editor's Note:  Evidently blogging is being blocked in mainland China... all my backdoors into the blog don't work.  I'll share a couple of updates today from Hong Kong, but if I go dark after that don't worry... I'm being well cared for in Guangzhou.  You'll get the rest once I get back.)

On Saturday, Vicky invited her friends from Middle School over for a visit.  This series of friends has stayed together over the years... several of them own businesses and really support each other in each person's endeavors.  The day started with them all bringing their children over for a portrait session.  (Yes, I took a flash and a reflector to China with me.)  We had a great morning shooting various combinations - even Tiger (Vicky's nephew) joined Vicky and me for a "family" portrait.

(I won't bore you with all the photos... check out www.georgereiner.smugmug.com for the others - under "Travel" and "2014 Chinese New Year")

We had a great time hanging around Vicky's apartment for a while before heading over to Dim Sum.  Then in the afternoon we went over to the Agile development's recreation center and used their indoor sports arena for some badminton.

Throughout the day I observed that kids in China are just like kids in the USA... in a mixed social situation, they prefer to get lost in their cell phones (probably texting each other), and responding to the occasional interruptions by adults.

Late in the afternoon, the kids were returned home and we all met at a restaurant above a local fish market... talk about fresh seafood!  Their favorite teacher (who was only 20 and just starting out when they were in their senior year of middle school) joined them for a true celebration.  The starting dish was this plate of huge "peapod" shrimp.  Again, I was the group photographer.