Before moving to China I had never heard of Dalian – a city due east of Beijing on a peninsula. I assume that most Americans are not familiar with Dalian either, which is funny because it has over 6 million people (over 2 times the size of Chicago – the 3rd largest city in the US). Brett and I have been spending quite a lot of time in Dalian due to his work, and I imagine there will be many more trips in the future. So – I think the best way to document the city is through photos and captions. This way I will be able to update the stories and experiences of this city by the sea often and easily.
The beaches in Dalian are actually quite bare. While there is definitely no shortage of humans, luxury resorts have no presence at all. In my opinion, someone is missing out on a great opportunity here. Will someone please get on this? I would love to have a cheap beach option that is only a 1 hour flight away from Beijing!
Of course most places by the sea offer tasty and fresh seafood but Dalian takes this to a new level. Almost all of the restaurants allow you to visit tanks within the dining space to select your main course while it is still living. Sometimes your dish is still living when it is served! This is Brett kissing our sashimi. The fun part....it kissed him back!
Hand picked lobster. I waited to eat him until after he was properly prepared!
Back wall of restaurant - lined entirely with tanks, buckets, and baskets with everything from sea sausage (don't ask and don't eat) to king crab.
We typically stay at the Kempinski Hotel during our trips to Dalian, which is right across from Labor Park. The park is sort of a hybrid between an amusement park and a pedestrian area. There are beautiful gardens with areas to relax mixed in with a handful of rollercoasters and games. We took the gondola ride to get a better view of the city. Unfortunately it started to rain shortly after our trip began....but on a positive note - we did get a lovely view of the inside of a cloud!
The Gondola at Labor Park
This little girl is literally fishing for gold fish. I think this explains why they are so thin. Clearly...this is going to be my new diet plan.
Enjoying local ale at the Paulaner Brauhaus & Restaurant. This place has a great live band every night. And...like everywhere else in the world - they are googoo for GAGA!
A Blonde in Beijing 
If you find a white/creamy white 10-13mm South Sea Pearl with a gold bale,under $100, please snag! Just a plain pendant. No guts no glory, haha! Probably impossible task, but you are the Queen of shopping an haggling :). It is wonderful to see you so very happy, you did good.