On Sunday afternoons, we try to take time and relax from our busy week. Last weekend was cold, so we made a rare stop at a Starbucks for a hot drink. It is interesting to note that very few restaurants in our city have an “A” rating – not even Starbucks:
After our coffee, we walked to the nearby museum, currently hosting an international art exhibition. Alongside the street, there were the usual vendors selling very cheap socks (about 50 cents each):
and a woman happily feeding her son to a creepy monster:
At the museum, there were some beautiful works on display, including Korean embroidery: 
seascapes that threatened to douse the observer:
an unplanned contrast in perspectives of peace:
artwork that reminds us of young children we’ve seen crossing dangerous streets here:
fun-loving minority girls picking apples:
and then, there was the American “art” display which seemed a bit “grade-schoolish” to us (we’re obviously not art aficionados):
Of course, if you knew the minimal level of protection provided for your paintings, you might not want to send your best works to this exhibition!
Looks so cultural! Like the photo of Mom dancing…!
Now that Starbucks is aggressively pursuing growth plans for Teavana, wonder if they’ll try to make inroads on fancy tea in China… maybe it’s an easier sell than coffee.
Starbucks is doing well among the name-brand conscious residents of our city. McDonald’s is coming on strong with their own separate McCafe coffee bar in many stores that looks very similar to Starbucks, selling high-end teas at higher price points than their coffees. Definitely a good market for that.
The paintings look so picturesque! Where are all pictures of smoggy, crowded cities?