Basketball in Shekou

About a block from our house is this basketball court. It is filled with locals playing ball. Gavin actually saw this court on youtube a few months ago before we moved here and it actually is right by our house. Jonny and Gavin go down to play just about everyday. The first time they went they came back totally drenched with sweat because it is so hot and humid. They still get sweaty but not as bad. I think they are getting used to it. They call Gavin Kobe because he is so tall and good. Some of the guys down there are really good though. They play for hours just about everyday. It's a great place for Jonny and his friends to hang out though.

Jonny and the triplets (Jacob, Brad, and Derrick) waiting to pick up a game.

Gavin going for a block.

This is a plaza called Sea World. It is a few blocks from our house. There are restaurants all around the plaza. We could find every type of food here. It's not the cheapest place in Shekou but it still is pretty cheap compared to the states. This place is packed at night and especially on the weekends. The center of the plaza turns into a rollerskating rink. They play music so it feels like the old classic skating. The trees are all lit up at night and is really pretty. There is a McDonalds on the corner of the plaza where we can get ice cream cones for 50 cents. Can't beat that!!!! The kids love that part of it. At the back of the plaza is an old cruise. It's a former Russian cruise ship that somebody bought and dry docked it to turn it into restaurants and shops. It's a fun place to just walk around. The first time we went though we were followed by a woman begging for money. She was pretty annoying because she followed us for about 10 minutes. We saw her again a few days later and so we finally gave her some money but she still kept following us and wouldn't leave us alone. It's pretty sad because there are several beggars on the streets here and we want to help and do when we can, but we can't help everyone. There are a few that we see everyday and will give them a few coins when we can because they really are disabled and need help.