Exploring Science and Tech

While M was going to preschool the month of May, R and I explored the city.  We went to a number of places  One that we really liked and will definitely go back to was the Science and Technology Museum.  We ended up getting a membership, well I did since kids shorter than 1.3 meters are free.

Our driver and I had our first miscommunication.  This was pretty good since he speaks no English and I speak no Chinese.  I asked to go to the museum, which means to most of the expat drivers "wife wants to shop at underground market."  So he took us to the underground parking lot.  The market is underneath the museum and there is also a metro stop down there.  What I didn't know was I would need to climb a gazillion stairs up to the main entrance and carry the stroller.  Needless to say I was about spent getting R and our stuff all the way upstairs.

This picture is outside of the museum before we went inside.

Once inside it became clear it would be best without a stroller.  They have elevators, but getting around, letting him look and explore and not get lost in the sea of children - best without the stroller.  This is the start of us realizing that while the museum is somewhat kid friendly, most of China really isn't.  Curbs don't have ramps,  pedestrians are never in the right away, sidewalks are alternate places to park and they are rarely smooth.  Walking is much safer and its much better with one on one defense.  One parent/adult, one child.

R loved the place.  There was a kid area he could run and play in.  It had displays that showed water and how rainbows were formed.  He could step on a color circle and watch a bird come out on the wall from that color birdhouse.  Lots of fun stuff for a little one.  None of these places are really clean and this one actually felt very dingy and old, but nothing an antibacterial wipe afterwards couldn't fix.

After the children's area we went to the electricity room and R loved the giant balls you touch.  The most disturbing room was a very very large area with every kind of wildlife animal you could thing of, stuffed, and set up in wildlife displays.  Some quite realistic in the circle of life scenario.  Flying past that and not thinking of the fact they are stuffed, R liked it.  He kept pointing and saying the name of the animal, elephant, panda, wolf, etc.  

The most disturbing room was a very very large area with every kind of wildlife animal you could thing of, stuffed, and set up in wildlife displays.  Some quite realistic in the circle of life scenario.  Flying past that and not thinking of the fact they are stuffed, R liked it.  He kept pointing and saying the name of the animal, elephant, panda, wolf, etc.

R loved it.  Mom was exhausted from taking the stroller.  Overall win-win and we will be going back.  M needs to see this when he's out of school for the summer!