When I wrote my December blog I was preparing for my trip home to Canada for my Christmas vacation. In addition to the shopping which I wrote about in December, I made several other stops before my trip home. One "necessary" stop was to have a manicure and pedicure at Lily Nails on the fourth floor of Ya Show Market. I visit there regularly to get this service at reasonable prices (always using Opi nail polish which is the best for pure color and good texture). I use a card which Lily customers are given to have their service prices recorded and this record accumulates to allow free services in the future. I have tried several of the high-priced spas for nail services and still find Lily Nails at the Ya Show Market to be the best for price and service. The basement vendors at Ya Show are always my choice to buy numerous purses for cousin Debbie and daughters Amanda and Samantha. My favorite purse vendor who is very patient and fair is Linda at Stall # 162 which is in the basement of Ya Show on a corner, not far from the escalator. Watches, which I buy for my brother Bill and friends, are bought from Hannah on the fourth floor of Ya Show at stall #7 which is near the front of the watch marketing area. For silver bracelets, necklaces and earrings I always go to the Sunny Gold Market in the Lido area and buy these items from Miss Gao who has a stall right inside the front door of this market on the first floor with a wide collection of reasonably priced jewelry. I also visited the Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market) to buy some pearls for friends and relatives at home and I always find the best price and quality of pearls at stall #155 on the third floor directly in front of the escalator. The clerks at this stall are very patient in the selection process and the quality of the pearls is always good. I buy freshwater pearls or the more expensive sea pearls and these are expertly formed into necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings by the vendors while I sit and watch the process. I also always buy small souvenir items at the Hongquiao Market such as key chains and magnets from a small stall #137 on the first floor. The vendor of this small stall always makes a point of suggesting many items which are low in price to make excellent small gifts for the younger persons at home such as cousin Bradley. They enjoy getting gifts which feature Beijing sites. In the days before my departure, all my items from numerous shopping trips were stuffed with great difficulty into my large suitcases to prepare for my departure.

        My trip to Canada began on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Loaded with 2 large suitcases and fearing the overweight charges, which I always incur, I arrived at the new Terminal 3 quite early and started my own "pre-departure" with a great meal of chicken at the Kenny Rogers Roaster Restaurant in Terminal 3. There are several restaurants located above the check in area on two raised patios which are easily accessed by elevators. These elevators are very handy if you are early for check in and have a large luggage cart. On the second raised patio, across from the Kenny Rogers Restaurant, there is a Burger King which has received raves from foreign friends and I intend to try it on my next visit to the airport. I prefer the restaurants in the check in area of this airport since they offer a greater variety of foreign-style food than those which are located in the International Gate Departure Area. I found on my last trip out of the country that the restaurants in the gate departure area are lacking in foreign food items. There is a smoking room in the departure gate area which is now an historic item in many international airports but a much appreciated necessity for those who wish to nervously smoke before their departure. (continued on next page)