So today was packed full, but overall a good day. I have had more symptoms with my transverse myelitis, so the doctors here had me go for another MRI to rule out that it is MS. So, back in the US, getting to the hospital to do an MRI is not too involved. Here however, it is always a different story. I dropped Danny off at school as fast as I could and Tom and I left with about an hour before my appointment. Normally, this would be plenty of time, but today it is raining. Actually it has been raining here for a little over two days. Quite frankly, I feel a little like Forest Gump where he is in Vietnam and he says one day it began raining and it just keeps going on and on. Traffic in Shanghai is typically not good, but any sort of rain, makes it crazy.
The greatest part of the traffic here is that while there are two lanes, this really means nothing, if you can get your car in front of the others, then they will. On our way to the hospital we had people passing in the lane for oncoming traffic. Also, anywhere that the road widened beyond a single car (i.e.--there was a shoulder or just bend in the road), they tried to push their cars in before the others. Then there are the places where the road went from two lanes to one under a bridge of sorts (where they are doing construction for an elevated road). If you thought merging was bad in the US, you have no idea. Basically, each car just keeps trying to go in front of the other, until they either are blocked by a guardrail, or the actual bridge. Of course, all this crazy behaviour just resulted in it taking longer.
We finally arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes late, but as this is a new MRI machine, I am one of the first to have an exam (this may be good, or bad who knows). I had one done this summer, so I was expecting something similar. Unfortunately, while in the US, they pull you out and do the contrast part and you can sort of move around at that time, here in China they did the contrast through an IV. So, instead of breaking it up into two 30 minute sessions, I had an hour of just lying as still as possible, with nothing under my legs to support my back. By the end I just felt really out of it. (Mostly due to the loud noise of the MRI machine).
From there Tom and I joined the traffic back home to pick up a friend's daughter. She is sick, and both her parents are out of town (her grandfather is staying with her, but he does not speak English, nor understand how the clinic works here). When I arrive they are eating lunch, so I have Tom drive me to the clinic to set up an appointment. We have a little time before getting my friend's daughter, so I grab a bite to eat and then head out again. We pick up my friend's daughter and head to the clinic, then we drive them back, and then Tom drives me home. (The guards at the two stations between our two communities must have wondered what on earth we were doing).
After the clinic I get home and my ayi shows me that where Dustin and I heard water in our masterbedroom ceiling the night before, the drywall has fallen and water is dripping into his closet. My ayi and I move all Dustin's clothes out of the closet and I go and call the office to send someone to come fix it.
Just as the "engineers" (what the office calls the maintenance men here) arrived, Josh woke up from his nap. I bring the men into the bedroom and then run and get Josh. Two engineers look at the ceiling and then need to call a third man who comes and cuts open the ceiling. Inside, to no surprise is a lot of water. They clean up the water and tell me that they will be back tomorrow to fix it. Thankfully, the rain stops. Praise God!! I was envisioning how we would catch the water that would now pour through the large hole they cut. Now I do not need to worry.
After they leave, I head over and pick up Danny from school. I get him down for a short nap and then we all go out for dinner at the clubhouse--we even order dessert. :-)
Whew...what a day! Glad that I can say it is not a normal one. Looking forward to tomorrow when I do not have to set foot into a clinic, hospital, and most importantly...a car.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
And I Thought Yesterday was Long
Today was amazingly even crazier day than yesterday. It began similar to any other, with Josh and I dropping Danny off to school. Afterwards, I met Monika at the clubhouse to discuss our room mother responsibilities for the Halloween and Thanksgiving Parties. As she is from Germany and these are mostly American holidays (apparently Halloween is celebrated in other countries, but not where Monika is from in Germany), I explained how our family celebrates these two holidays. We were able to decide on the treats and crafts for the kids and overall we accomplished a lot. I got home and got Josh his lunch and down for his nap. It seemed like I blinked, and I was out the door again to watch Danny swim and then bring him home.
By the time dinner was over and the boys were in bed, I was exhausted. I decided to not go to bed directly, and instead do some stretching. I was just about finished when my cell phone beeped, meaning I got a text message. It was from Maria, our friend's daughter. She had hurt her wrist playing volleyball. I consulted Dustin and we decided I better take her to the emergency room to have an x-ray done. So at 8:30, after summoning Tom to our house, I headed over to pick up Maria. We made good time to the ER and waited to see a doctor. They this time wanted a letter from Maria's parents that I was indeed the caregiver. We quickly got a hold of Maria's mom in the States (her father was in the middle of a meeting in France) and she was able to fax us a note fairly quickly. They x-rayed Maria's arm, and by 10 it was decided that it was not broken, just badly sprained. They gave Maria a half cast and wrapped up her arm and gave her a sling to wear. We headed back home and I arrived back to my house around midnight.
Whew, more of a day than I expected, but glad I was able to help out. You realize how much a child needs you at the age that the boys are at, but I failed to realize that at Maria's age they need that guidance and support just as much.
By the time dinner was over and the boys were in bed, I was exhausted. I decided to not go to bed directly, and instead do some stretching. I was just about finished when my cell phone beeped, meaning I got a text message. It was from Maria, our friend's daughter. She had hurt her wrist playing volleyball. I consulted Dustin and we decided I better take her to the emergency room to have an x-ray done. So at 8:30, after summoning Tom to our house, I headed over to pick up Maria. We made good time to the ER and waited to see a doctor. They this time wanted a letter from Maria's parents that I was indeed the caregiver. We quickly got a hold of Maria's mom in the States (her father was in the middle of a meeting in France) and she was able to fax us a note fairly quickly. They x-rayed Maria's arm, and by 10 it was decided that it was not broken, just badly sprained. They gave Maria a half cast and wrapped up her arm and gave her a sling to wear. We headed back home and I arrived back to my house around midnight.
Whew, more of a day than I expected, but glad I was able to help out. You realize how much a child needs you at the age that the boys are at, but I failed to realize that at Maria's age they need that guidance and support just as much.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The PTA Mom
So it is official, I am a PTA mom. Today we had our first official PTA meeting for Danny's preschool. There are actually five grade levels here since they actually start kids at 18 months old. (This personally seems a little young for me, but some mothers I have found feel this is the only way their child can socialize with other children their age, as most kids here are in the school--sort of like a vicious cycle). Danny's class is actually the oldest in the preschool with the kids ranging from 4-5 years of age (Danny being one of the youngest as he turns four in a couple of weeks). The meeting was nice and we got a preview of the holiday parties and the field trips the kids will be taking. There are two moms per class and we are in charge of planning out the parties for the children. It was a little funny as one mom asked if we can be involved in helping the class in any other way--i.e. coming in and reading a book to the class, etc. but this was in a very round about way declined. The classes are small here, Danny's only has 12 in his class, with one teacher and a teacher's assistant. So, I understand in part that having parents come in is not really necessary. The nice part of the PTA is the other mom that signed up for Danny's class is my friend Monika from Germany. Her daughter, Jule and Danny are friends. This should make planning the parties fun. The interesting part is that they celebrate most of the US holidays even though most of the people are not from the US. I figured they would do Halloween, but was surprised they have a Thanksgiving party. I am happy though that Danny will get to celebrate these holidays, as he would be able to if he was in the States. It is though one example of how much the US affects or influences things as there are no other holidays celebrated from other countries
Overall, it will be nice to meet the other mothers and connect with them while helping at the school.
Overall, it will be nice to meet the other mothers and connect with them while helping at the school.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Some Funny Sights of China and the Preschool Romances
So on our way home yesterday we saw yet another funny sight of China. People were actually cleaning by hand, with just a bucket and rag, the highway divide. Yes, the plastic (usually cement in the US) divide that runds down between the different directions of traffic on the four or more laned highway. Just wanted to share some things here that are completely normal to China, but we would just find unbelievable.
Onto a totally different subject, Danny has been going to preschool now for a couple of weeks, and I have enjoyed meeting the various moms at the school, and it is nice that some of my friend's children are in Danny's class. As we headed into the school today, Danny saw his friend Mia and they were talking as they headed in. Her mother stopped me and asked if this was Danny. I said yes and she said that Danny is the only one that Mia talks about from school. Pretty cute. As Danny got settled in and started playing, he saw his friend Alivia come in the door and he screamed out a welcome to her. (He really likes Alivia a lot). Her mom is a good friend of mine (probably one of the first people I met here), and I told her that Danny was excited to see Alivia. She smiled and said that her son last night was asking her about her wedding ring, and that she explained it meant she belonged to their dad and vice versa. Alivia then said she wanted Danny to give her a ring. Pretty adorable.
Overall, it is great to see Danny is definitely enjoying preschool and that the girls he talks about all the time to me think as highly of him as he does of them. Of course I hope the ring thing comes along closer to twenty-three rather than three. :)
Onto a totally different subject, Danny has been going to preschool now for a couple of weeks, and I have enjoyed meeting the various moms at the school, and it is nice that some of my friend's children are in Danny's class. As we headed into the school today, Danny saw his friend Mia and they were talking as they headed in. Her mother stopped me and asked if this was Danny. I said yes and she said that Danny is the only one that Mia talks about from school. Pretty cute. As Danny got settled in and started playing, he saw his friend Alivia come in the door and he screamed out a welcome to her. (He really likes Alivia a lot). Her mom is a good friend of mine (probably one of the first people I met here), and I told her that Danny was excited to see Alivia. She smiled and said that her son last night was asking her about her wedding ring, and that she explained it meant she belonged to their dad and vice versa. Alivia then said she wanted Danny to give her a ring. Pretty adorable.
Overall, it is great to see Danny is definitely enjoying preschool and that the girls he talks about all the time to me think as highly of him as he does of them. Of course I hope the ring thing comes along closer to twenty-three rather than three. :)
Monday, September 7, 2009
Had to Come to China to Meet the Governor
The entire delegation from Indiana
Mayor of Noblesville (also pictured Ramon--works for the sister company of Dustin's here in Shanghai)
Our family with Governor Mitch Daniels
So today was quite a treat, as we were invited to meet the Governor of Indiana and the 29 other people of his delegation. They came to China and then on to Japan to focus on bringing investment to Indiana (always a good thing). The event was held at the Shanghai Yacht Club on the Bund. This is quite the interesting title as the bund is actually across the river from where the Yacht club was located. It served as some confusion to us and to our driver, but we thankfully made it there on time.
We were not there more than fifteen minutes when the Governor came walking in. We were able to talk to him right away and found him to be extremely personable and quite down to earth. The rest of the evening was spent mingling with the different people that had come to the event. Most in attendance either went to Purdue or IU for their degrees, and there were only a handful Americans, besides those in the delegation, and even fewer that were from Indiana. We did meet a nice couple from Noblesville that actually live in the community next to ours here in China. This is sort of unique as Shanghai is such an enormous city, the likelihood of meeting at one of these events and living close to one another is slim.
The boys did great during the event as well. We were told the children were welcome and that people were bringing their families, but it was a little more an adult affair. Danny spent most of the time playing with the tie on my dress, thus why in some of the pictures it looks like it has had someone swinging on it. :-) Yet, I have to say for a three year old and one year old to put up with a bunch of business people networking, and speeches and finger foods for dinner, they are pretty amazing. We got McDonalds on the way home and thankgoodness, because getting out of downtown took an hour and then we had an hour drive home from there.
In addition to meeting the governor, we were able to meet the mayor of Noblesville (this is where Dustin's company's corporate headquarters are located), the president of IU and one of the chancellor's from Purdue (Dustin actually knew him from his time in the Glee Club at Purdue).
Everyone was so friendly and in good spirits for arriving in China just the night before (they had to be suffering from major jet lag). Tomorrow night, Dustin gets to have dinner with the president of IU and about 20 other graduates living here in Shanghai, should be nice.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Chinese Can't Say "no"
Today was quite fun... but I'll start with yesterday.
As tomorrow is Labor Day in the USA, several American families got together for a cook out. Most of us had forgotten that it was labor day weekend, but had noticed a drop off in the emails from home.
My highlight was baked beans. Real, homemade baked beans. The kind only someone from Arkansas can make. So as we were starting to eat, the gentleman from Texarkana says to his son: "come here knothead".
I about choked and said: "Man, you must be from Arkansas. That is what my Dad called me!"
And so the evening progressed; there were some color characters there, but there is no reason to go into that on these pages.
Today we went and had lunch and most of the afternoon with the Germans. Yes, we were the only Americans and the only people who could not speak German. We had a great time. The kids don't care what language you speak and it was a blast watching them all.
As I was sitting around realizing that I could not understand a single thing. However, a few words did come through, such as Nein. (Which is German for no and is used in the same way as we use it: to tell kids to stop.)
At that moment, I realized that Chinese parents have it rough. You see, there is no direct translation for 'no'. Of course, they can get across the point of a negative, but it is always coupled with an adverb, adjective, or noun. There is no simple negative word.
My language learning continues. Tomorrow is another day of 2 hour class. We'll see how that goes as we are getting to the point where we are making complex sentences. Critical to sounding fluent, but not critical for daily survival. Needless to say, I'm going to stick with it as trying to give some instructions to our driver tonight regarding what I needed him to bring from the office (company chop) and where to take Jackie and where we want to go tomorrow was a challenge. I'll know how well I did about 11 am tomorrow...
As tomorrow is Labor Day in the USA, several American families got together for a cook out. Most of us had forgotten that it was labor day weekend, but had noticed a drop off in the emails from home.
My highlight was baked beans. Real, homemade baked beans. The kind only someone from Arkansas can make. So as we were starting to eat, the gentleman from Texarkana says to his son: "come here knothead".
I about choked and said: "Man, you must be from Arkansas. That is what my Dad called me!"
And so the evening progressed; there were some color characters there, but there is no reason to go into that on these pages.
Today we went and had lunch and most of the afternoon with the Germans. Yes, we were the only Americans and the only people who could not speak German. We had a great time. The kids don't care what language you speak and it was a blast watching them all.
As I was sitting around realizing that I could not understand a single thing. However, a few words did come through, such as Nein. (Which is German for no and is used in the same way as we use it: to tell kids to stop.)
At that moment, I realized that Chinese parents have it rough. You see, there is no direct translation for 'no'. Of course, they can get across the point of a negative, but it is always coupled with an adverb, adjective, or noun. There is no simple negative word.
My language learning continues. Tomorrow is another day of 2 hour class. We'll see how that goes as we are getting to the point where we are making complex sentences. Critical to sounding fluent, but not critical for daily survival. Needless to say, I'm going to stick with it as trying to give some instructions to our driver tonight regarding what I needed him to bring from the office (company chop) and where to take Jackie and where we want to go tomorrow was a challenge. I'll know how well I did about 11 am tomorrow...
Friend's Birthday Party
Today we all woke fairly tired for some reason. One highlight to our morning was that we were able to skype with my brother's son Ryan. He was staying at my parents house overnight. The boys were so cute talking back and forth. Even Josh was extremely excited and shared it with an ear piercing scream which I am sure our neighbors appreciated. (It occurred approximately at 7am on a Sunday morning). After skyping with my parents and Ryan, Dustin and I traded places, and I went back and laid down for a little bit. I could hardly keep my eyes open. At 10, I got up and got the boys a snack and put them both down for naps. Dustin and I got ready for the birthday party which started at 11:30 and then got the boys up to go.
The party was in the upstairs restaurant where there is a huge buffet. Our host (and birthday guy), Marcus greeted us and explained we had the whole back area with three circular tables for everyone to sit. As we had imagined, we were the only Americans present as everyone else is from Germany. (The invitation was sent out by e-mail, so I knew some of the women that were coming to the party). Our other friends we know fairly well were already seated at one of the tables, so we joined them. Danny got to sit by Jule their daughter (another girl from class that he has become a good friend). Another family, that I had just met recently joined us as well. This was great because we got to know them better and also meet their husbands.
The buffet of food is amazing as there is everything from traditional Chinese, to Sushi, to Italian, and the list goes on. They also had delicious desserts--including ice cream/ice cream cones and even cotton candy which they prepared right there for you. As we sat down, Dustin and I made the decision to forgo church as Marcus said there was a surprise for the children at 1pm (they have two children themselves that are really close to Danny and Josh's ages) and we did not want to be rude and leave before the party was over.
At 1:00 our host directed the children (and parents) to another room. Two women from Danny's school (actually one is the assistant in Danny's class) had a whole bunch of fun games and crafts for the kids to play. The first game was to push a large ball across the room and back. It was so cute to watch the children as the ages ranged from a little younger than Josh (18 months I would say) up to about 8 years old. They all had a great time doing this and all worked well together. The second game was a take off of hot potato, but this was a present with multiple layers (enough for each child of course) to peel off when the music stopped. There was a small present tucked within each layer. After this game, the kids all created party hats and then finished with another game where they looked for little papers and then got to pick a present out of a bin in the order of how many of these papers they found. Overall, a lot of fun and a great time for the kids and the adults.
Marcus then informed us that we were all welcome to go back to the dinning room as we had the space until 3pm. They had planned the activities, because they knew all the kids would get tired of just sitting in the dining room while the adults visited. Wow, that was great thinking. We all headed back and enjoyed coffee while the kids played with their new toys. Danny even opened up a little more and played with some of the boys there. It was such a great party and much more than what we were expecting.
We headed back home (much later than we planned due to the fun had by all) and went straight to our beds for naps. Tonight, Dustin is riding out on his bike to get our traditional McDonald's dinner, and we will all relax before tomorrow. We have another big day planned tomorrow as this is when we get to meet the Governor of Indiana and the delegation of mayors and the president of IU that he is bringing with him. We are really excited.
Overall, we have had such an enjoyable weekend. It is nice to connect with not only fellow Americans, but also families from around the world.
The party was in the upstairs restaurant where there is a huge buffet. Our host (and birthday guy), Marcus greeted us and explained we had the whole back area with three circular tables for everyone to sit. As we had imagined, we were the only Americans present as everyone else is from Germany. (The invitation was sent out by e-mail, so I knew some of the women that were coming to the party). Our other friends we know fairly well were already seated at one of the tables, so we joined them. Danny got to sit by Jule their daughter (another girl from class that he has become a good friend). Another family, that I had just met recently joined us as well. This was great because we got to know them better and also meet their husbands.
The buffet of food is amazing as there is everything from traditional Chinese, to Sushi, to Italian, and the list goes on. They also had delicious desserts--including ice cream/ice cream cones and even cotton candy which they prepared right there for you. As we sat down, Dustin and I made the decision to forgo church as Marcus said there was a surprise for the children at 1pm (they have two children themselves that are really close to Danny and Josh's ages) and we did not want to be rude and leave before the party was over.
At 1:00 our host directed the children (and parents) to another room. Two women from Danny's school (actually one is the assistant in Danny's class) had a whole bunch of fun games and crafts for the kids to play. The first game was to push a large ball across the room and back. It was so cute to watch the children as the ages ranged from a little younger than Josh (18 months I would say) up to about 8 years old. They all had a great time doing this and all worked well together. The second game was a take off of hot potato, but this was a present with multiple layers (enough for each child of course) to peel off when the music stopped. There was a small present tucked within each layer. After this game, the kids all created party hats and then finished with another game where they looked for little papers and then got to pick a present out of a bin in the order of how many of these papers they found. Overall, a lot of fun and a great time for the kids and the adults.
Marcus then informed us that we were all welcome to go back to the dinning room as we had the space until 3pm. They had planned the activities, because they knew all the kids would get tired of just sitting in the dining room while the adults visited. Wow, that was great thinking. We all headed back and enjoyed coffee while the kids played with their new toys. Danny even opened up a little more and played with some of the boys there. It was such a great party and much more than what we were expecting.
We headed back home (much later than we planned due to the fun had by all) and went straight to our beds for naps. Tonight, Dustin is riding out on his bike to get our traditional McDonald's dinner, and we will all relax before tomorrow. We have another big day planned tomorrow as this is when we get to meet the Governor of Indiana and the delegation of mayors and the president of IU that he is bringing with him. We are really excited.
Overall, we have had such an enjoyable weekend. It is nice to connect with not only fellow Americans, but also families from around the world.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
American Barbecue and the Difference between Playdate and Party
Today we continued to keep it sort of low key, but I was pleased that Danny did not have much of a cough today. We did walk down to the stores near our house to pick up a gift that Dustin needed and a birthday present for our friend's birthday party tomorrow. There is a neat little store that carries a lot of home accessories, wrapping papers and cards called Tai Tai's Corner (Wife's Corner), so we stopped in there to pick up some things. When we got home we ate a quick lunch and got the boys down for a nap. I made cookies and a vege tray to bring to the barbecue. Danny has been really excited all day, as the barbecue is at his friend Alivia's house. They have become extremely close at school and from what their teacher has told me and Lindsay (Alivia's mom) they are inseparable during play time. I have been praying that the party will go well and that Danny will have a good time. I have been trying to prep him that it is a party and not a playdate, and other children will be present.
After naps, we pack up and head out to the barbecue. Danny is so excited as Alivia apparently tried to give him directions to her house and Danny wants to lead us there. (So cute as he takes charge of us all, by giving directions and telling us to hurry. Unfortunately, the directions lead to the school, so we have to redirect him a little). When we arrive, there are a few families there, and Lindsay brings Danny upstairs to where Alivia and her older brother Logan are playing. Slowly more and more people arrive and it is soon quite a fun barbecue filled with almost all Americans from either Joel's work (Lindsay's husband) or other families that they have met through the three years they have lived here. It was quite nice as I have met a great deal of the women, and it was great to connect their children and husbands to them.
Unfortunately, as I feared, Danny had a hard time at first with the fact that there were other children present and Alivia wanted to play with everyone. Both Dustin and I tried to encourage him to play along with Alivia and the other children. He spent most of the beginning of the party following her wherever she went. The lowest part, was when he came in crying to me, as he could not track her down and he interpreted this as her not wanting to play with him. It was so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time as he sat in my lap just sobbing about it all. I was able to calm him down and we talked through again how this was not a playdate, but a party. It also helped him that first Alivia checked up on him through a window (she had been outside playing while this was going on) and then came in to see how he was doing. Finally, either Danny got more the concept that it was okay to play with Alivia and all the other children, or she gave him more focused attention, or maybe a combination of both. Yet, Danny had a great time the remainder of the party and did not keep coming up to us looking for Alivia.
Josh spent the party in absolute bliss, either playing outside with the slide, or pushing a cart around inside. There were also a lot of older children that we really sweet to the younger kids, and some doted on Josh, which made him happy and feeling a bit more grown up.
Overall, the barbecue was fantastic. Joel had barbecued a bunch of ribs, and chicken for the adults and cooked hot dogs for all the kids. Everyone helped out and brought sides to the party. Someone even brought authentic baked beans. So for a couple of hours in the backyard and inside our friend's home, we were all able to get together as fellow Americans and celebrate the holiday and one would never have thought we were in the middle of China.
We of course were hit with a dose of reality as we walked home and the traffic light was turned off. Normally in the US, everyone would treat this intersection as a four way stop. Yet, here in China, where even with the light you take your life into your own hands, no traffic light translates to a free for all. This of course was all happening in the dark. We thankfully made it across without incident, and walked the remainder of the way discussing what fun we had at our American barbecue in China.
After naps, we pack up and head out to the barbecue. Danny is so excited as Alivia apparently tried to give him directions to her house and Danny wants to lead us there. (So cute as he takes charge of us all, by giving directions and telling us to hurry. Unfortunately, the directions lead to the school, so we have to redirect him a little). When we arrive, there are a few families there, and Lindsay brings Danny upstairs to where Alivia and her older brother Logan are playing. Slowly more and more people arrive and it is soon quite a fun barbecue filled with almost all Americans from either Joel's work (Lindsay's husband) or other families that they have met through the three years they have lived here. It was quite nice as I have met a great deal of the women, and it was great to connect their children and husbands to them.
Unfortunately, as I feared, Danny had a hard time at first with the fact that there were other children present and Alivia wanted to play with everyone. Both Dustin and I tried to encourage him to play along with Alivia and the other children. He spent most of the beginning of the party following her wherever she went. The lowest part, was when he came in crying to me, as he could not track her down and he interpreted this as her not wanting to play with him. It was so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time as he sat in my lap just sobbing about it all. I was able to calm him down and we talked through again how this was not a playdate, but a party. It also helped him that first Alivia checked up on him through a window (she had been outside playing while this was going on) and then came in to see how he was doing. Finally, either Danny got more the concept that it was okay to play with Alivia and all the other children, or she gave him more focused attention, or maybe a combination of both. Yet, Danny had a great time the remainder of the party and did not keep coming up to us looking for Alivia.
Josh spent the party in absolute bliss, either playing outside with the slide, or pushing a cart around inside. There were also a lot of older children that we really sweet to the younger kids, and some doted on Josh, which made him happy and feeling a bit more grown up.
Overall, the barbecue was fantastic. Joel had barbecued a bunch of ribs, and chicken for the adults and cooked hot dogs for all the kids. Everyone helped out and brought sides to the party. Someone even brought authentic baked beans. So for a couple of hours in the backyard and inside our friend's home, we were all able to get together as fellow Americans and celebrate the holiday and one would never have thought we were in the middle of China.
We of course were hit with a dose of reality as we walked home and the traffic light was turned off. Normally in the US, everyone would treat this intersection as a four way stop. Yet, here in China, where even with the light you take your life into your own hands, no traffic light translates to a free for all. This of course was all happening in the dark. We thankfully made it across without incident, and walked the remainder of the way discussing what fun we had at our American barbecue in China.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Danny's First Sick Day from School
Today, Danny woke with what has become a familiar sound in our household, the cough sounding like a seal bark which indicates croup. Overall, Danny was not too sick, but I still kept him home from school. It seems that whenever Danny gets a cold it always begins as the croup. Thankfully, as he has gotten older, it has gotten more mild. We have had two trips to the hospital in the past due to croup. We are very grateful that this more mild form coincided with our move to China.
Josh was extremely tired this morning, so I put him down for a morning nap, and Danny and I spent this time on our sofa bed in the playroom watching movies and drinking orange juice. The afternoon Josh and Danny switched places, and Josh went with me to pick up things from Danny's school while Danny slept.
Danny has a notebook he brings home every Friday and when I picked it up this week, they also handed us a scholastic book order form. Boy did this bring back memories of my childhood. I loved to read and my parents always let me pick out some books from the order. I look forward to sitting down with Danny and continuing this tradition. Who knew we would have this here in China.
As everyone was tired from this week and Danny was still recovering from his cold, we ordered pizza and relaxed at home together. Tomorrow we have a big evening, as we are going to a barbecue at a friend's house (Lindsay I have know since we moved in here, and Alivia, her daughter, is good friends with Danny--they are in the same class at school and inseparable at play time). After the barbecue the club here in our community is having their General Manager Pool Party. It should be a fun evening.
Josh was extremely tired this morning, so I put him down for a morning nap, and Danny and I spent this time on our sofa bed in the playroom watching movies and drinking orange juice. The afternoon Josh and Danny switched places, and Josh went with me to pick up things from Danny's school while Danny slept.
Danny has a notebook he brings home every Friday and when I picked it up this week, they also handed us a scholastic book order form. Boy did this bring back memories of my childhood. I loved to read and my parents always let me pick out some books from the order. I look forward to sitting down with Danny and continuing this tradition. Who knew we would have this here in China.
As everyone was tired from this week and Danny was still recovering from his cold, we ordered pizza and relaxed at home together. Tomorrow we have a big evening, as we are going to a barbecue at a friend's house (Lindsay I have know since we moved in here, and Alivia, her daughter, is good friends with Danny--they are in the same class at school and inseparable at play time). After the barbecue the club here in our community is having their General Manager Pool Party. It should be a fun evening.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Shoe Shopping and a Low Key Thursday
So after the beginning of the week being fairly filled, Josh and I are tired. Therefore, the thought of doing my original plan of going to IKEA made me want to run out of the house screaming. (Don't get me wrong, I enjoy IKEA, but not the trip it takes to get to the store and back). I was also planning to go shoe shopping this afternoon after IKEA. We would have never made it, or at least it would not have been pretty. Therefore, I changed the plans to just go to the little mall that is near our house that has the Carrefour. I want to make something for the barbecue, and the boys are consuming yogurt at an unbelievable pace, so I thought I would run into Carrefour and then check out the two shoes stores I have seen in this little mall.
We got through Carrefour fairly quickly, and headed down to the shoes. Tom was fantastic in entertaining Josh while I looked around and tried on some shoes. Thankfully I was able to find two shoes that would work. I was also able to manage through working with the sales clerks okay. This was clearly a cheaper line of shoes, as I got both shoes for $30, but I think they look much more designer than the price alludes. I am pleased with them and feel they will work well for Monday. The question now, is how long they will last, but when in a pinch it works. (The other shoes I bought here cost much more, and are better quality, but we were in Hong Kong when I bought them and the only store here is by the IKEA, and that was not going to work before Monday).
Now, I am just resting while I wait for either Josh to wake from his nap, or the time for me to go get Danny from school arrives. I think I will watch my new favorite thing--Dustin got me the box set of the TV series Gilmore Girls. I used to watch the reruns of this when I nursed Danny. Now doesn't that seem like forever ago.
We got through Carrefour fairly quickly, and headed down to the shoes. Tom was fantastic in entertaining Josh while I looked around and tried on some shoes. Thankfully I was able to find two shoes that would work. I was also able to manage through working with the sales clerks okay. This was clearly a cheaper line of shoes, as I got both shoes for $30, but I think they look much more designer than the price alludes. I am pleased with them and feel they will work well for Monday. The question now, is how long they will last, but when in a pinch it works. (The other shoes I bought here cost much more, and are better quality, but we were in Hong Kong when I bought them and the only store here is by the IKEA, and that was not going to work before Monday).
Now, I am just resting while I wait for either Josh to wake from his nap, or the time for me to go get Danny from school arrives. I think I will watch my new favorite thing--Dustin got me the box set of the TV series Gilmore Girls. I used to watch the reruns of this when I nursed Danny. Now doesn't that seem like forever ago.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
This Could Get Addictive...
Today was another fun filled day. Josh and I dropped Danny off to school and then headed off to meet my new friend Erin at the Fabric Market. She and her husband have had clothes and coats made here, so she was kind enough to show me around. I just have to say that I can see how this could become very addictive, except for the fact that you do in fact have to pay for the items, and as I enjoy shopping until I have to hand over my money, I am sure I will be able to keep it within restraint. Yet, if somehow become instant millionaires, I will probably have to buy a house closer because I would be there often.
Anyways, you enter the building, and it is four floors of little cubicle style shops with every imaginable style wool and cashmere coat, trench coats, dresses, suits, sweaters, pants, etc.... You go from stall to stall looking at what they offer and coming up with the style you want them to make. You choose your fabric and choose your stall/shop that will make it for you. You can also bring in pictures and have them copy that style, or bring in your favorite top, dress, pants and they will copy it in whatever fabric you would like. Of course the tricky part of this all is that they do not speak English. So, I will have to ask around to make sure I pick a stall/shop that is good at their job, and I can communicate with them effectively. So excited though...I will keep you all updated as I have heard some funny stories of things not working.
After the fabric market Erin, Josh and I got a quick lunch and then Josh and I headed back home. Josh was exhausted while we were driving home, and I actually had to get in the back seat (the car seats are in the back row of the mini van) and rub his head until he fell asleep. So adorable (well not the screeching that he did before he fell asleep, but once asleep, just precious).
As Josh was still exhausted when we got home, I decided not forego waking him up when it was time for me to go and watch Danny swim. It was my first time leaving him with the ayi (Dustin usually works from home Wednesdays and can keep an ear open for Josh waking up), and I just prayed he did not wake up while I was gone. I figured since he went down with quite the fuss, he may wake up in the same mood. Yet, I headed off to the clubhouse, as I knew Danny would be looking for me through the big window.
I was exhausted and so got a coffee while I waited. I tried a cafe lattee and was really pleased. I had never tried one before, but I really liked it. I was a little early, and so I was the first one there, even before the kids came out. They are so cute when they come out. They help them get changed in the locker room, and then they come out in this little single file line. I have to remember to bring my camera (hopefully they would show up through the glass). The other moms arrived, and we all had a really nice visit while watching our children swim.
My friend Lindsay (I had met her in the spring and now go to the bible study with her on Tuesdays), her daughter Alivia and Danny are really good friends, invited us over for a barbecue this weekend. It should be a great weekend. Saturday we now have their barbecue, and a party following that at the clubhouse (kids included). On Sunday, a new friend invited us to his birthday brunch. This should be interesting as they are German, and I believe everyone besides our family is from Germany. Yet, I know at least most of the moms and some of the kids that will be there and we all get along very well. On Monday we get to go to a party on a boat here in Shanghai to meet the delegation of business people and mayors traveling with the Mayor of Indianapolis, Mitch Daniels. Dustin and I are most excited to meet the Governor of Indiana, as we are big fans of his.
For dinner, the boys and I just went over to the clubhouse. I knew by this point in Dustin being gone, I would be pretty tired, so I planned in not cooking tonight. We ran into one of the ladies from my bible study, who just moved here a couple of weeks ago, and her family. After dinner, we just headed home and got ready for bed. Overall, a fantastic day. I am looking forward to the fact that Dustin will be home tomorrow, although late, I will at least get to see him before bed.
Anyways, you enter the building, and it is four floors of little cubicle style shops with every imaginable style wool and cashmere coat, trench coats, dresses, suits, sweaters, pants, etc.... You go from stall to stall looking at what they offer and coming up with the style you want them to make. You choose your fabric and choose your stall/shop that will make it for you. You can also bring in pictures and have them copy that style, or bring in your favorite top, dress, pants and they will copy it in whatever fabric you would like. Of course the tricky part of this all is that they do not speak English. So, I will have to ask around to make sure I pick a stall/shop that is good at their job, and I can communicate with them effectively. So excited though...I will keep you all updated as I have heard some funny stories of things not working.
After the fabric market Erin, Josh and I got a quick lunch and then Josh and I headed back home. Josh was exhausted while we were driving home, and I actually had to get in the back seat (the car seats are in the back row of the mini van) and rub his head until he fell asleep. So adorable (well not the screeching that he did before he fell asleep, but once asleep, just precious).
As Josh was still exhausted when we got home, I decided not forego waking him up when it was time for me to go and watch Danny swim. It was my first time leaving him with the ayi (Dustin usually works from home Wednesdays and can keep an ear open for Josh waking up), and I just prayed he did not wake up while I was gone. I figured since he went down with quite the fuss, he may wake up in the same mood. Yet, I headed off to the clubhouse, as I knew Danny would be looking for me through the big window.
I was exhausted and so got a coffee while I waited. I tried a cafe lattee and was really pleased. I had never tried one before, but I really liked it. I was a little early, and so I was the first one there, even before the kids came out. They are so cute when they come out. They help them get changed in the locker room, and then they come out in this little single file line. I have to remember to bring my camera (hopefully they would show up through the glass). The other moms arrived, and we all had a really nice visit while watching our children swim.
My friend Lindsay (I had met her in the spring and now go to the bible study with her on Tuesdays), her daughter Alivia and Danny are really good friends, invited us over for a barbecue this weekend. It should be a great weekend. Saturday we now have their barbecue, and a party following that at the clubhouse (kids included). On Sunday, a new friend invited us to his birthday brunch. This should be interesting as they are German, and I believe everyone besides our family is from Germany. Yet, I know at least most of the moms and some of the kids that will be there and we all get along very well. On Monday we get to go to a party on a boat here in Shanghai to meet the delegation of business people and mayors traveling with the Mayor of Indianapolis, Mitch Daniels. Dustin and I are most excited to meet the Governor of Indiana, as we are big fans of his.
For dinner, the boys and I just went over to the clubhouse. I knew by this point in Dustin being gone, I would be pretty tired, so I planned in not cooking tonight. We ran into one of the ladies from my bible study, who just moved here a couple of weeks ago, and her family. After dinner, we just headed home and got ready for bed. Overall, a fantastic day. I am looking forward to the fact that Dustin will be home tomorrow, although late, I will at least get to see him before bed.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
God's Continual Faithfulness
Today was a day just filled with moments of God blessing me in different ways. We headed to Danny's school and from there I went with one of the other moms to a women's bible study group in the neighborhood next to us. We were running a little early, so we were trying to walk slow. On the way we bumped into a mutual friend that neither of us had time to catch up with yet since being back in China. It was great to finally be able to stop and visit for awhile rather than just passing on the go.
We arrived at the bible study and I began meeting the women already present. We had a nice visit over coffee and a light breakfast. We then moved into the other room and did the formal introduction of everyone. It was great to hear everyone's backgrounds, and where they had lived before Shanghai. There are quite a few Americans in the group--quite a few actually from the midwest. Josh did pretty decent in the meeting, he had been pretty tired before we took Danny school--so much so that he brought his blanket with him. As Josh was still doing okay, I stayed a little longer and visited with some of the women after the formal meeting part ended. One of the ladies just got here a couple of weeks ago and was visibly in the part of ready to scream running about how crazy it is to live here. It amazes me looking back, that the culture shock I felt and what she is going through was not in the big things like I thought it was going to be, but rather in all the small things that just drove you nuts. (i.e.--not stopping for pedestrians, etc). After talking with her and another lady that I had previously ran into at our church, we began talking to our host. We were talking about grocery shopping and where to purchase items that you can feel safe about feeding to your family and self. There are quite a few stories here about the amount of pesticides they use here and other methods of not so safe food processing. Our host gave us two fantastic sites--one for ordering vegetables and another for purchasing meat. I am really excited about this, and also the great resource these women will be to me not only in finding things in the city, but also just a great support network.
After leaving the bible study I headed home with Josh, I was able to stay longer than I thought because Josh actually fell asleep shortly after the meeting. When we got home, I was expecting our ayi to have lunch prepared for us (I had requested this last week, and even had Dustin help translate). Unfortunately, when we got home, she did not have anything made. (She had brought in the ingredients this morning, so I knew she was prepared to make it, and was not sure what happened). Josh and I just sort of regathered up our stuff and then headed down to the clubhouse for lunch (I am sure she was trying to figure out why we came back only to leave two minutes later). I was a little frustrated as we headed to the clubhouse, but God turned it into a great blessing. Josh and I had no sooner sat down when some of the women from the bible study came in for lunch (as I was leaving I had overheard that they were going to go out for lunch). I was therefore able to have lunch with them and had a great time visiting more with them. If our ayi had made lunch I would have missed out on this completely.
As Josh slept earlier, I kept him up (with the plan for him to nap later with Danny) and we played until it was time to get Danny from school. Before we went to get Danny I started feeling extremely tired. The kind where I feel like just weeping. The great news to my exhaustion, really an answer to prayer, was when I got downstairs (we were playing upstairs) our ayi was making up what I thought was going to be the lunch. So the fact that there was a major miscommunication actually worked out for the best in the end, because I have dinner already made now. The boys are sleeping now for their nap, and we will try her dumplings for dinner. God is so good.
While I was typing this out our ayi came in to say goodbye and she tried to tell me something in Chinese. The only part I understood was tomorrow. I thought she was talking about the meal she made, so I was trying to say that we were going to eat it for dinner. Of course I was saying this mostly in English with Chinese thrown in. She shook her head and asked for paper (with hand motions that is), and she wrote out a phone number and three Chinese characters. I have no idea what the characters mean. She then spoke again in Chinese with the only thing I understood was telephone (she held up her hand like a telephone) and the number three, I know my numbers up to ten. So, I have decided that there are a couple of scenarios she could have said to me--She might have said she cannot come until three tomorrow and she will call, or I am to call this number at three (which may or may not be hers), someone is going to call me at three tomorrow, or she was saying someone called here today at three and she will see me tomorrow. I am sure there are plenty of other possibilities, but I have no idea. I just had to smile to myself and think of how funny life can be here in China, especially when you do not know the language. Definitely makes you realize you have to depend on God for everything and trust God in everything, because the self reliance thing can only go so far here--you can pretend so much easier that you are the one in control in the US. I guess I will find out tomorrow what this message means. Although, now that I am thinking of it, maybe I will go to the office and see if they can read the characters she wrote out and dig through my contacts to see if the number matches anyone I already know.
Looking forward to a short evening and heading to bed early. I am going to the fabric market with Erin tomorrow and that should be a lot of fun. I believe I successfully told Tom when to pick us up and the street we need to go to tomorrow. Just in case though, I texted Dustin what I told Tom, so if I said something wrong, he can maybe straighten it out. Tomorrow will be another adventure I am sure. Overall, a truly blessed day, and I look forward to what tomorrow holds.
We arrived at the bible study and I began meeting the women already present. We had a nice visit over coffee and a light breakfast. We then moved into the other room and did the formal introduction of everyone. It was great to hear everyone's backgrounds, and where they had lived before Shanghai. There are quite a few Americans in the group--quite a few actually from the midwest. Josh did pretty decent in the meeting, he had been pretty tired before we took Danny school--so much so that he brought his blanket with him. As Josh was still doing okay, I stayed a little longer and visited with some of the women after the formal meeting part ended. One of the ladies just got here a couple of weeks ago and was visibly in the part of ready to scream running about how crazy it is to live here. It amazes me looking back, that the culture shock I felt and what she is going through was not in the big things like I thought it was going to be, but rather in all the small things that just drove you nuts. (i.e.--not stopping for pedestrians, etc). After talking with her and another lady that I had previously ran into at our church, we began talking to our host. We were talking about grocery shopping and where to purchase items that you can feel safe about feeding to your family and self. There are quite a few stories here about the amount of pesticides they use here and other methods of not so safe food processing. Our host gave us two fantastic sites--one for ordering vegetables and another for purchasing meat. I am really excited about this, and also the great resource these women will be to me not only in finding things in the city, but also just a great support network.
After leaving the bible study I headed home with Josh, I was able to stay longer than I thought because Josh actually fell asleep shortly after the meeting. When we got home, I was expecting our ayi to have lunch prepared for us (I had requested this last week, and even had Dustin help translate). Unfortunately, when we got home, she did not have anything made. (She had brought in the ingredients this morning, so I knew she was prepared to make it, and was not sure what happened). Josh and I just sort of regathered up our stuff and then headed down to the clubhouse for lunch (I am sure she was trying to figure out why we came back only to leave two minutes later). I was a little frustrated as we headed to the clubhouse, but God turned it into a great blessing. Josh and I had no sooner sat down when some of the women from the bible study came in for lunch (as I was leaving I had overheard that they were going to go out for lunch). I was therefore able to have lunch with them and had a great time visiting more with them. If our ayi had made lunch I would have missed out on this completely.
As Josh slept earlier, I kept him up (with the plan for him to nap later with Danny) and we played until it was time to get Danny from school. Before we went to get Danny I started feeling extremely tired. The kind where I feel like just weeping. The great news to my exhaustion, really an answer to prayer, was when I got downstairs (we were playing upstairs) our ayi was making up what I thought was going to be the lunch. So the fact that there was a major miscommunication actually worked out for the best in the end, because I have dinner already made now. The boys are sleeping now for their nap, and we will try her dumplings for dinner. God is so good.
While I was typing this out our ayi came in to say goodbye and she tried to tell me something in Chinese. The only part I understood was tomorrow. I thought she was talking about the meal she made, so I was trying to say that we were going to eat it for dinner. Of course I was saying this mostly in English with Chinese thrown in. She shook her head and asked for paper (with hand motions that is), and she wrote out a phone number and three Chinese characters. I have no idea what the characters mean. She then spoke again in Chinese with the only thing I understood was telephone (she held up her hand like a telephone) and the number three, I know my numbers up to ten. So, I have decided that there are a couple of scenarios she could have said to me--She might have said she cannot come until three tomorrow and she will call, or I am to call this number at three (which may or may not be hers), someone is going to call me at three tomorrow, or she was saying someone called here today at three and she will see me tomorrow. I am sure there are plenty of other possibilities, but I have no idea. I just had to smile to myself and think of how funny life can be here in China, especially when you do not know the language. Definitely makes you realize you have to depend on God for everything and trust God in everything, because the self reliance thing can only go so far here--you can pretend so much easier that you are the one in control in the US. I guess I will find out tomorrow what this message means. Although, now that I am thinking of it, maybe I will go to the office and see if they can read the characters she wrote out and dig through my contacts to see if the number matches anyone I already know.
Looking forward to a short evening and heading to bed early. I am going to the fabric market with Erin tomorrow and that should be a lot of fun. I believe I successfully told Tom when to pick us up and the street we need to go to tomorrow. Just in case though, I texted Dustin what I told Tom, so if I said something wrong, he can maybe straighten it out. Tomorrow will be another adventure I am sure. Overall, a truly blessed day, and I look forward to what tomorrow holds.
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