Chinese Grace

For the next week, we are hosting a Chinese student as part of an exchange program between Lamar High School (where two of our daughters go) and Dalian, China. When Grace (her American name) first came home with us, we asked her what she wanted to do or see while she was in Houston. She said,

"Museums."

How absolutely perfect....I immediately started taking a mental inventory of some favorite museum collections here in town. Time is not an abundant commodity while Grace is here. If at all possible, several stops should be on a list for all Houstonians and visitors alike.

Our first stop on Saturday was the The Byzantine Chapel at the The Menil Collection. This is probably my favorite place in all of Houston, besides my own home. The Menils redeemed fragile frescos from the black market and designed a small museum around their preservation. The chapel is stunning in it's simple beauty and is always a place of peace and calm.

And then a most amazing thing happened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston(MFAH) on Sunday. It just so happened to be family day, and the focus of the event was celebrating the Chinese New Year! We walked in to the beating of enormous Chinese drums chasing out demons of last year (presumably.) One drum had to be at least six feet in diameter and eight or nine feet deep---huge. I can't even describe the booming sound it made. There were also Chinese crafts for the kids to do, such as Chinese character writing. It was sweet to watch Grace; she was so excited to see something familiar.

After making our way through the museum's collections, we ended our jaunt strolling through the Sculpture Garden. The weather couldn't have been more perfect; crisp, cool, and clear.