the life we choose

still in china

2011-02-11T11:27:00.011+08:00

thanks everyone for your kind comments and thoughts. no, i haven't fallen off the edge of the earth, i'm still here! eager to get on with life and blogging, and of course catching up with all of you. many of you have moved and had great changes in my year of no blogging. i will be so happy to catch up with you and to peep in on you.

before summer vacation my family took a 10 day china trip. we went to some places we had been wanting to see and i had been meaning to share some of the images but, of course, never did. i am going to do this now. enjoy.

we spent a few days in beijing. i had so much fun and there was so much to do that i would love to return and have a more relaxed visit. not always as fun to cram more in to your time. i like to relax and enjoy my time. anyway, first we visited the forbidden city. there was quite a crowd and the non-queueing ( which translates to pushing, shoving, and dog eat dog atmosphere) was at its best.

holding hands so they don't get seperated

the iconic view of the front of the forbidden city

dragon rubbed shiny and smooth by the many fingers walking past. i hope they all received good luck. i rubbed extra hard. this was around a window frame.

all right guys, i am having trouble loading my pics has taken me three hours to load two pics will try again this evening

2009-12-14T09:43:00.003+08:00

if you hadn't noticed that my posts have not been up to the usual standard that is because i have been in a sort of funk. although i did do all but two days of nablopomo in november it wasn't very exciting. i must admit that life has been getting me down. if you remember a while back i posted about a site called hero factory. so this morning before i step out my door i made a little hero to go with me. he is armed with a flame thrower to go before me and take out all obstacles and foes. wish me luck!

ninth folder, ninth picture

2009-11-30T07:39:00.003+08:00

someone asked me to do this. so i opened my pictures went to the ninth folder and then chose the ninth picture. this was taken on a trip to hong kong. we were riding on the open-top double decker bus. whoever would like to do this please join.

chicken soup with rice

2009-11-28T18:29:00.004+08:00

In April I will go away
To far off Spain or old Bombay
And dream about hot soup all day
Oh, my, oh, once, oh, my, oh, twice
Oh, my, oh, chicken soup with rice

let's talk a little about chicken soup. chicken soup is the supreme comfort food. it is the soup your mother brought you when you had a cold or were sick in your bed. you ate it with crackers and let the warm broth slide down your throat. it is the soup you ate when coming in from a days play in the cold weather. it melted all the icicles and warmed you from the inside out. it would warm your frosty fingers as you cradled the mug between your hands.

today though when i am speaking of chicken soup i am speaking of the need to take a break. i am in need of a break. my children are in need of a break from me. when i sing carole king's chicken soup to my five year old all i can think of is the escape the song evokes. the escape from everyday problems and the saving grace of chicken soup to right all wrongs. a little chicken soup is much needed in our home today, with the power to heal and soothe and rather like calgon take you away.

2009-11-27T19:41:00.002+08:00

we are celebrating thanksgiving here on saturday. of all the holidays that i miss not being in the u.s. for, this is the one that is hardest for me. christmas was always about just my husband and kids. rarely did we travel or spend it anywhere else but at our own home and in our own way, so this really hasn't changed much.
thanksgiving on the other hand has always been about spending it with extended family. the brothers and sisters i grew up with and my parents. people getting their feelings hurt. teasing. burning the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. i miss those things. i miss that my children don't get to complain about sitting at the kids table, or the thrill of finally not sitting at the kids table. football games and heralding in the christmas season by getting out the decorations and listening to christmas music. so as we try to make our own thanksgiving traditions tomorrow, think about what your traditions are. what are the things that you cherish about this holiday?

quotes

2009-11-26T19:49:00.004+08:00

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" -Henry Ward Beecher

magical reindeer gems

2009-11-25T08:37:00.004+08:00

for a mere 20 dollars you could purchase that unique gift you are looking for. the gift that will put all others to shame. yes we are talking about the gift that is sure to be on everyone's list.

limited edition

reindeer dung necklaces.

i know 20 dollars may seem steep so if you are on a budget you could opt for the $7.50 ornament instead.

evidently there is a zoo in illinois that has the dung dehydrated and sterilized. wouldn't you like that to be on your resume? reindeer dung sterilizer. anyway, so they dehydrate, string them, add a little paint and glitter and presto, the world's most sought after christmas gift. do you give this to people you like? i do know people who have received "crap" for christmas only they didn't get any glitter with it.

maybe i should buy a pet and go into business for myself. magical goldfish gem bracelets. guinea pig gem earrings. it could be a thriving enterprise. so if you are looking for that gift for the person who has everything, or maybe someone who loves to recycle this is the gift for you.

http://www.cityblm.org/parks/Miller-Park-Zoo/gift-shop.htm

celebration of communism

2009-11-24T15:51:00.007+08:00

in october china celebrated 60 years of communism. today i came across these fabulous photos of some of the celebrations. the chinese attention to detail strikes me. i also loved the human blocks of color. i don't have them pictured here but the military women who marched in the parade were wearing mini skirts and boots, well maybe midi, anyway my kind of military. enjoy

viewing in a local mall

this is actually hong kong's victoria harbor

life is so daily!

2009-11-23T12:47:00.005+08:00

productive morning:

everyone out the door and off to work and school by 8:40. xxx ooo

chinese lesson with tina - she won't tell me her chinese name. she says it is too difficult.

hot chocolate from starbucks. hao hu! ( spelling?)

shopping for presents ( hubby returning to the u.s. wednesday - without me. boo hoo)

deliver school lunches. hao chi!

return home

listen to pomplamoose while blogging.

hope the rest of the day goes well.

quotes

2009-11-22T14:11:00.002+08:00

"by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart."

Gilbert Highet

2009-11-21T12:39:00.006+08:00

it is 12:40 and this is not where i should be spending my time. i have a confession to make -

my house is a mess

i know those of you who know me are saying: how can this be, she is so neat and tidy? doesn't she have a maid? What else does she have to do all day?

the truth is my house at the moment looks like we had a monster truck rally here.

the floors - yuck
the bathrooms - double yuck
the kitchen - ewww

not to mention the unfolded laundry

i mean is it really that hard to keep some semblance of order? is it necessary for me to have to stay up till the wee hours of the morning in order to have a clean and shiny home? the truth is that this is the home my family deserves - the clean and shiny home.

so yes, it is sad but i must leave and attend to these pressing matters so i may enjoy my sunday and so you do not have to read the sad and pathetic post about how my family deserted me for cleaner pastures.

brrrr!

2009-11-20T09:21:00.009+08:00

number 2 son is settling into school at last. we have not had any tears upon departure this week, and when asked about his day, he says, "it was a little good" instead of the "horrid" response i usually get. this morning i was overjoyed to hear him singing a little chinese song as we got ready.

it has been unusually cold here. last year i can remember the girls riding their christmas scooters with no jackets. it does get cold here in southern china, but not like the cold in the north of china where they are already experiencing power outages due to the cold, and there have been reported deaths from the snowfall a week ago. here it does get chilly but is semi tropical. when the temp dipped last week i turned on my heaters and broke out my sweaters. even today i am still bundled, with the predicted high of 67. i know it is pitiful. this of course is the reason i will be someday retiring to a place of tropical warmth. year round summer is my friend.

i always loved those first crisp autumn days. the sun would still be warm on your face but there was that wind blowing in your hair and making you pull your jacket a bit tighter, preparing you for the months to come. i have fond memories of cold and snow. my friends and i would have snowball races. we would push our snowballs around for days to see who could make the largest. they would grow so large, eventually we would need help to maneuver them. we would make what we called slidees. you scoot with your wellies until you have a long smooth slide in the snow and then of course you run and slide. i have lots of snow and cold weather memories. i fear now that i shall never again enjoy the cold. what a shame, because of course what comes with cold is HOT CHOCOLATE!

in the news

2009-11-19T10:03:00.005+08:00

baby dies while doctor plays game online

this 5 month old baby was admitted to the hospital with and eye infection. the infection led to swelling within the babies skull. the family had been told all was all right. after a few hours the baby boy died.

a few days before this 10 patients who were having laser eye procedures got infections because the opthalmic center used the same laser machine they had used to do experiments on animals.

there is a lot of negligence and malpractice in chinese hospitals. china has had over 10,000 lawsuits over medical disputes since 2002. healthcare reforms are being called for.

the u.s. healthcare system looks pretty good from where i sit.

i leave you with a cbs obama visits china video.

many of these souveniers have now been banned. i am not sure if it is out of respect for obama or mao.

2009-11-17T09:55:00.002+08:00

i am so tired! i stayed up last night ordering all my u.s. christmas presents and things my hubby will try to stuff into his suitcase from his brief trip to the u.s. in about 10 days. i sat down to write a post and i was actually sitting here asleep. so i am off to nap. something more exciting later.

favorite quotes

2009-11-16T11:50:00.003+08:00

“ Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own."

Carol Burnett

i like this quote. i think i have written before about how much i love words. it is indeed sad to me that i am not the master of words. i am a terrible writer but i truly appreciate the way others can put them together. i wonder though what carol burnett was speaking of. was it something that she said, or another. i smell a scandal.

work day

2009-11-14T11:49:00.003+08:00

my children slept in today, those who do. it is saturday and i think everyone should be entitled to an extra hour of sleep on a saturday. i can remember my dad marching through the house on a saturday morning, flinging open bedroom doors with the loud refrain "get up, it's a work day."

of course this was met with moans and groans. i have to say though that these work days are some of my best memories. i remember, having recently moved to the country, cleaning out the barn and clearing the lot. a lot of hard work but also a lot of family fun. i used to climb onto the tractor and shred the pasture, for me this was a prime chore as my imagination would have the time to dream as the tall grass fell behind us. i recall saturdays painting the house, and washing the windows with vinegar and newspaper.

my children i fear live a charmed life of endless computer games and very few chores. today is a work day. a thing they are not used to and something that to them is akin to child abuse. this announcement is met with me being told that no one else's mother makes them work. their ayi makes their bed for them. i am undeterred. some day maybe they will have fond memories of working as a family toward a common goal. striving to contribute to the group, valuing a job well done, and maybe they will have their own work days with their families.

paraskevidekatriaphobia

2009-11-13T10:53:00.002+08:00

today is friday the 13th. i suppose that means that i am just going to have a stinky day and i should just accept this. i have read that friday the 13th is actually one of the safest days. fewer accidents are reported on this day because i suppose the world is full of superstitious people who either in fear do not venture out or are just extra careful.

in honor of the day here are a few friday the 13th myths:

a child born on this day will be unlucky for life but their lucky day will be friday the 13th

if you cut your hair on this day someone in your family will die.

if a funeral passes you on friday the 13th you will be the next to die.

bad luck will befall you if a black cat crosses your path.

so for today friends, beware. try not to crash your car, or fall down the stairs. please don't light yourself on fire or walk under any ladders.

what superstitions do you have if any?

favorite quotes and art

2009-11-12T09:33:00.003+08:00

"And forget not that the earth delights

to feel your bare feet and the

winds long to play with your hair."

Kahlil Gibran

cutting the cord

2009-11-11T09:02:00.004+08:00

number 2 son started school in september. we made the decision to put him in chinese school, since he misses the start date for american kindergarten. we were very excited about him being able to learn the language and to speak it fluently. i cannot tell you what a stress this has added to our lives. every night he asks if tomorrow is a school day. there are tears and pleadings. one evening he came in while i was cooking dinner and said he must speak to me alone. he told me how he hated school and didn't want to go back. he rides the bus in the morning, with four of his friends from the neighborhood. the bus attendant usually has to carry him away crying and then he watches me out the window for as long as he can. i have visited the school and dropped in unannounced and the teachers are loving and patient. i wonder how long it will be before he is comfortable. in between the lines i pull out snips of happiness. new songs learned, playing ball with new friends, reading circle. i think most of this comes from him being my last child. he is the only one that has had my sole attention, as the others were all in school. so days of having his mom all to himself have not served him well, and lets face it, he is my baby. after his first days of school the teacher sent home a progress report for the week. this is what it said:

Parrish, you are not stable in the mornings. you cry because you miss your mom.

you are a good boy and we all like you very much

i thought this very sweet. i hope soon he will adjust. my friend whose daughters go to the same school are in their second year. the first year they weren't always so thrilled to be there but now are quite happy. lets hope it doesn't take us a year.

christmas in november

2009-11-09T18:31:00.004+08:00

today i spent with my girls. we drug all the christmas decorations out and started to cut out snowflakes. for the last three years we have been cutting out snowflakes and adorning our air-conditioned windows with snowflakes. we absolutely love them. our collection grows and grows. g is still holding out for real snow. i have promised her that one day i will take her to real snow. who knows when that will be. next christmas i was hoping for a trip, maybe australia. definitely not a snow location. my neighbor is throwing up her arms in disgust as her daughter is now pressing for their christmas decorations. i know, i know, thanksgiving is first. for some reason though christmas is just calling to me. so i thought i would share a bit of the bug with you.

2009-11-08T21:17:00.000+08:00

today i just wanted to share this amazing photo i found. this is china. isn't it amazing?

appearances

2009-11-07T10:41:00.002+08:00

There is an interesting dialogue in my mandarin lesson book. it is entitled:

di shi liu ke ren kao ye shuang

you are what you wear.

It is a conversation between a western woman and a Chinese woman. the Chinese woman is saying that she has discovered that western women don't usually wear make up unless going out, because they don't work here and stay at home and look after kids so there is no need.

Western women dress casually, so when they go out they look like a different person. at these comments the western woman responds in surprise, could these statements be true? Surely she should mend her ways.

In contrast the dialogue goes on to talk about how Chinese women wear light makeup during the day so they look more vigorous. They always dress nicely and wear lots of lipstick because lipstick looks beautiful. When they do dress to go out they look fantastic and amazing.

Wow, i am feeling quite inadequate and frumpy after this. It is amazing how different cultures look at issues. in Brazil and Venezuela (especially Venezuela, where every women you pass is dressed to kill and utterly gorgeous) there was a lot of emphasis on looks and the women worked out, were constantly getting manicures, having hair appointments, surgical enhancements. Now here in Asia you can see some of the same issues. I found it funny when we went to Japan Disney that there were all these men and women walking around in suits and dresses with high heels. Not that i am opposed, because lets face it even an old barn looks better with a coat of paint. I just hate the judgement sounding part of it, because I have met amazing women from all over the world. the truth is we as women have so much more to offer than appearance. Everyone should strive to look good. Let's just not go to the the extreme with it and remember who we are should not be defined by how we look. Perfection will always be just out of reach.

information of the painting above: Zhou Fang's "Hue Shan Shi Nv Tu" ( court ladies wielding fans) represents the beauty of the women of the Tang Dynasty.

Just so you know I do not discount the cultural histories that have brought women of different cultures to where they are today.

2009-11-06T08:59:00.005+08:00

chinese saying -

under an overturned nest, can there be unbroken eggs?

i am off to mandarin lessons. wish me luck, i need it.

aging

2009-11-05T09:00:00.004+08:00

i suppose time creeps up on all of us. i saw myself in a picture not long ago and i thought wow, that's not me. i have blond hair and wear a size 4. Even looking into the mirror it doesn't really connect. i hate it though. not the fact that i have changed but the fact that others cannot see me in the way i do. i still feel 16. i still think of myself as blond. i know that i have grown and changed, that i understand things in ways i did not as a youth, but i still have dreams and desires, some of them may have matured a bit but they are basically the same. i wonder if others feel the same as me. if in every old lady you see there is a tiny ballerina wanting to get up and spin about. if only they could.

these bodies of ours can be burdensome. although they are marvelous and amazing i am finding that mine is beginning to hold me back. i want to go out to dinner and savor the last cheesecake crumb. i want to jump and run and spin, but i find myself not as limber as i used to be. i want to read without putting glasses on. i think the hardest part of all this is i want someone to notice that girl that is still inside of me. her time is done now, and new and exciting things await the person i am now. someday though we will be reunited she and i, and i hope she is happy with what she became.

2009-11-04T10:09:00.002+08:00

i just wanted to share this with you because i think it is just amazing. what a great thing it is to be able to do what you love and get paid for it. more people should be able to share their talents and loves in this way. anyway i found this and i wanted to share. enjoy.

2009-11-03T08:20:00.004+08:00

knitting

Everyone at my house has been ill. Throats so swollen you can hardly swallow, aching muscles and runny noses. Today i say "ENOUGH." I refuse to be held back by a nasty virus whose main purpose is to make me miserable and deter me from my path. Of course it is not only illness that has kept me from life but the dreaded knitting needles. They call my name in the middle of the night, while dusting, while putting up the groceries. They keep me from walking out the door to meet someone or pick up my children on time. I am powerless. I am under their spell. Not only do I have to contend with the knitting needles but now Gwendolyn is learning to crochet and I decided that anyone who knits should be able to crochet, so I set about learning and made G a hat with a lovely little flower attached. There is no stopping me now. Remy has half a pair of socks. There is also a lovely half-finished pullover, and three new babies coming who need a sweater desperately - so say their mothers. I am never content with just one project. Another always beckons. I pour over websites picking out beautiful yarns, self-striping for socks, glittery and bejeweled for scarves, cottons, wools, hand-dyed. I am a knitting junkie.

I always wished that I had enough time to do and to learn everything I wanted. Enough time to read all the books on my ever growing list, be an expert knitter, learn an instrument, climb a mountain, be super-mom, perfect wife, watercolor, sketch, cook a gourmet meal, travel, the list is endless.

What do you spend your time on?

2009-11-02T08:38:00.004+08:00

chinese wisdom #2

“Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy”

- lao tzu -

after an eventful summer, a trip to disney japan, a trip to the huizhou sheraton beach resort and me fighting with a testy vpn situation - the reason i have been unable to view your blogs or post. all is well. since i don't plan on ever having to go through blog withdrawl pains again, i will be doing nablopomo for the month of november. so stay tuned. missed you all. china misses you, although not a lover of the blog.

jet-lag

2009-06-23T14:10:00.002+08:00

hello to all, many apologies. my vpn blocker seems to have blocked me out! when i try to confirm my password it tells me it is incorrect and it will not let me reset or anything. so i am sorry that i have not been available.

right now i am sitting in the lobby of the sheraton hotel in houston. listening to two gentlemen at 2 in the morning wondering where there is an open restaurant where they can sit down for a meal, but the catch is it must be a place where they can have a glass of wine because they are coming from brussels and cannot eat a meal without a glass of wine, even if it is from jack-in-the-box. wait they are approaching me, "do i by chance happen to have a bottle of wine hiding in my suitcase?" sorry gents, i cannot help you.

so i will try to do some posting while here in the u.s. to catch up on all your doings. i am off to try to sleep. good - night all.

chinese wisdom #1

2009-05-28T11:33:00.002+08:00

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water; but to walk on the earth.

someone likes me!

2009-05-27T06:29:00.003+08:00

i received this award from charity. thanks so much! so here are the ten recipients of this award. keep in mind you are all great, but todays top 10 are:

1. this is a blog that i don't even have on my favorites list yet (only because i am lazy). it goes to terresa at the chocolate chip waffle, who shares my love for maxfield parrish and quotes and i would venture to say may also love klimt, and although i heard she wants to ban the scarlet letter - a favorite of mine - i love to visit her.

2. here is my wonderful brasilian blogger friend who is just a joy to share with and who's honesty and bubbly personality shine through. carla at how does this work again?

3. christine at strange pilgram is a fellow expat in italy who knows how to soak up life . christine i will soon be sending my market pictures to mr. linky.

4. cairo typO who is currently wandering the world and resides in egypt; who makes me laugh with her stories and is also a fellow knitter.

5. jessica at zakkalife always inspires and keeps my creative juices flowing. she is amazing.

6. in brasil we have ballerina girl on her roller coaster ride. she is a true friend reading and commenting on what-ever drivel i throw out. thanks bg

7. gabriela who is living la vida loca in brasil, who shares her tales of family and fun.

8. my beautiful gwendolyn at piggy love who loves me no matter what

9. my friend che at lifes bone. a recent follower who stuck with me even though twice now i have mysteriously disappeared. he always has things to make you think - some of us need a boost at times.

10. kiss the paper by kate and molly. i have been lax in keeping up with them lately but they are two truly creative and inspiring sisters who with the help of their friend jennifer have been able to share this with us.

there are so many others but for now i hope you can enjoy these. those of you honored follow my example and pass it on.

2009-05-25T10:40:00.003+08:00

all blogs , you tube , videos and such have been blocked - thus my absence. my hubby bought some sort of a blocker. it disguises your isp. this means i am back and will be catching up on all your news.

thank you charity for bestowing the wonderful ladybug upon me. it is great to be g's mom - to which i truly owe this honor.

after the rain

2009-05-02T18:49:00.007+08:00

after a morning of hard rain my camera and i took a walk. we thought we would share some of our findings with you.

after the rain

raindrops

quiet tree lined streets

the roots of drippy trees. these roots just crawl down from the branches and trunk. they are amazing and i just love them.

scootering through puddles

reflections

girls and umbrellas

shiny mailboxes

tomato, corn, and avocado salad

2009-04-24T08:33:00.005+08:00

i am ready for summer and for all the delicious garden things that come with it. i have a favorite pasta salad recipe from my niece brittany's young women's cookbook. it is delicious but when i make it no one else will eat it so i end up eating the whole thing. not usually a good thing. today i saw this recipe and cannot wait to make. it looks like summer. it was listed as a side dish but i think i will make it for a light dinner.

1 ear corn (husk and silk removed; tip cut off)
2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
Stand ear in a large wide bowl; with a sharp knife, carefully slice downward to release the kernels. Discard cob. Add tomatoes, avocado, scallions, lime juice, and oil to bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

what are some of your favorite summer recipes?

art or vandalism?

2009-04-09T10:31:00.009+08:00

i came upon this photo and was amazed - as always - at the creativity of others.

i also was filled with sadness for is there anything lovlier than a book?

some of them are simply aesthetic while others more practical. i have books stacked all over my house awaiting the arrival of new bookshelves. maybe i should think of an alternate solution - a bookshelf made from books perhaps, but what would i put on it?

let me know what you think, art or vandalism?

quotes

2009-04-03T11:12:00.004+08:00

It is better, I think, to grab at the stars than to sit flustered because you know you cannot reach them... At least he who reaches will get a good stretch, a good view, and perhaps even a low-hanging apple for his efforts.
R. A. Salvatore, Sojourn

sick

2009-03-31T19:07:00.005+08:00

blue silky blanket, rocking chair

cuddles and kisses and stroking of hair

i don't feel good but I'M NOT SICK

i have four children. like most mothers, i imagine that you dread for your children to get sick. today my youngest is ill. he woke up last night with a fever. we rocked until he went back to sleep and then he woke up at 7 had tylenol and went back to sleep until past 11. he woke up, eyes rimmed with red, body so hot. we rocked.

we had cheeseburgers for dinner, his favourite. he insisted he was eating. he just sat there looking at his food, wanting to eat but not able. finally i carried him away. so this is all i am posting because i must go and rock, and rock, and rock

a few days in hong kong

2009-03-30T12:20:00.012+08:00

we have been trying to get our visas completed since we arrived here. thursday we took the kids out of school and went to hong kong to finally get our z visas. we planned on spending the night since we would pick the visas up on friday.

the morning ferry from shekou to hong kong

a little nap before arrival

we checked into our hotel and then headed over to the visa office. we then found out we needed more documentation. we headed back to the hotel to make a plan. it was decided that i would travel back to shekou pick up the documentation, make some copies of larry's work contract, get some extra cash and then go back to the visa office while everyone else headed to disneyland.

i took a taxi to the border crossing and walked across. i just love stepping over the big yellow line that leaves hong kong and places you in mainland china - just a step. i got in the car with the driver only to find no house keys or cell phone in my purse. i had taken my phone out in hong kong due to the fact it doesn't work there. i had checked that i had my keys but they were not in my bag. at the house the driver and i run around trying all the windows to no avail. we finally climb into the back yard - something the kids do daily. the yard is below street level and i really felt old and decrepit making my way down the wall. my driver found a window we could get into and he ever so kindly climbed in and opened the door. i jogged up the stairs and something rattled in my pocket - my keys!! i didn't have the nerve to tell the driver i had them the whole time. he already thinks i am a ditzy westerner, and so what if i am, does everyone need to know?

so i did all i needed headed back to hong kong, ferry was cancelled so went back over the border. it is probably faster anyway. paid my 400 hk dollar fare and turned in my visa info. which i successfully picked up the next day. all the while my family was heartbroken and missing me at disneyland. here is the proof:

i think there is a tear in number 1 daughter's eye.

we must take our picture with marie -for mom. we'll smile even though our hearts are breaking.

i will just pull this out as a little gift for my mom.

i think your mom went that way!

you remind us of our mom, may we have a photo.

too bad they had such a hard time being away from me.

sharing my childhood

2009-03-30T11:42:00.004+08:00

one of the things i have enjoyed sharing with my children is literature. is there ever enough time to read all that is good, uplifting, thought-provoking, etc? as a child i had access to many children's classics and one of my fondest memories is sitting by the banks of a small creek that was set a bit behind our home while living in scotland and reading The Wind in the Willows by kenneth grahme. While in hong kong the other day i happened upon an abridged version with artwork by inga moore. i thought i would share the cover of this book with you so you can see some of this beautiful art that so wonderfully captures the magic of this book. i cannot wait to share this with my children!

2009-03-16T09:36:00.002+08:00

i am trying to post some pics and such today, but as i cannot locate the cord to my camera this may be tricky. wish me luck.

kid happenings :

remy has a birthday this week. hitting the big twelve. what a milestone! it definitely feels like we are turning the corner and moving into a new phase. sunday was his last sunday in primary sharing time. it is off to young men's. i cannot believe it.

bronwyn and gwendolyn spent their weekend with their new neighborhood friends. a bevy of girls ranging from 4 to 10. they scooter up and down the road, have water fights with the boys across the street, much to the street guards dismay. picnic in the park. they spent all saturday afternoon out and about and at 6 they were still raring to go. i love it!

parrish has some friends on the street aswell. there is tyler and then emma and leslie, twins.
we hosted emma and leslie this weekend. spent time in the park and playing with the doll houses at home. parrish calls this house his new house. i wonder when it will just become home.

check back later for pictures

2009-03-10T11:29:00.001+08:00

just thought i would share something fun to kill 2 minutes of down time.

http://www.maninthedark.com/

poetry

2009-03-06T21:01:00.006+08:00

i visited my dear blog friend charity today, she shared her poetry, she is a wonderful writer. she also shared a sweet, and innocent poem about those first youthful experiences of love found here.

so in the spirit of love and charity i thought i would post a poem that has always made me catch my breath.

A White Rose

John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890)

The red rose whispers of passion,

And the white rose breathes of love;

O the red rose is a falcon,

And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud

With a flush on its petal tips;

For the love that is purest and sweetest

Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

comfort food

2009-03-06T10:33:00.009+08:00

conversation with number 2 son this morning.

what would you like for breakfast?

tacos

we can have tacos for dinner. how about pancakes?

no, i want tacos because the sun is out.

truth be told we have had some unorthodox things for breakfast before. ice cream sundaes, strawberry pie, cold pizza. i don't think i want to make tacos this morning though.

what do you like to eat, and at what time?

i like to drink hot chocolate; it makes me feel calm and cozy. even when you cannot survive without your air conditioner, i like to have a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. i am not so crazy about the marshmallow part except for the fact that it is aesthetically pleasing. maybe it reminds me of fall evenings, football games, childhood, making snowmen?

so tacos for dinner tonight and maybe he can have tacos for breakfast tomorrow!

here is a little jack johnson with a bit of his own comfort food. i personally would forgo the bananas and throw in a handful of nuts. number 2 daughter would like blueberries.

quotes

2009-03-05T23:19:00.003+08:00

If we all did the things we are capable of,we would astound ourselves.

Thomas Edison

stressed

2009-03-05T08:30:00.010+08:00

just got all the school going ones at my house out the door. very crazy this morning since i was up
late with parrish who was sick and so slept in. this is pretty much how i felt.

i can only hope that once out the door they will arrive at school and breathe a sigh of relief and forget that this is what their mother was like this morning. hopefully i can find a few minutes to feel like this today

but probably not. i dream of going to get my hair washed and all that comes with it. it is such an amazing experience. you lie down and they wash your hair and massage your scalp, followed by a neck, shoulder, arm, and back massage. after they dry and style your hair. so relaxing. the truth is i have 45 minutes to get ready to go look at furniture - mainly shelving, bookshelves, and the like. but for all you stressed and working moms out there here is my kids dream mom. well, maybe it is my dream.

make your own. http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/

the return of the neglectful one

2009-03-03T17:09:00.008+08:00

i love you all and thank you so much for coming back after my absence. i am now successfully ensconced in expat-ville. it is really nice for my children as there are many children to play with, many of which they were already friends with. the house is large and everyone is loving there space. larry is back to traveling after a month of being home. this of course is usually the biggest change of all for us. we have gotten so accostumed to him being a visitor. it is nice to have him home though and i like having some support.

i will be posting some pictures this week. one is of the movers bringing my refrigerator into the house. there was great debate on how was the best way to do this. it was so funny. there always seems to be great lengthy discussions before decisions. the chinese must think we are strange with our way of quickly summing up the situation and acting.

celebrating my return and the fact that I AM ALIVE. - for those of you who were in fear.

moving day

2009-02-02T09:06:00.001+08:00

i am off now. to supervise the arrival of boxes, etc.

happy, happy, joy, joy, joy!!

updates to follow

Catching Up

2009-01-29T12:52:00.009+08:00

Well, I took a bit of an unexpected break. Now I have so much catching up to do. I will try to catch up on all of your events as quickly as I can. Hopefully you have not completely given up on me. We have had a week off of school and work. Instead of braving the crowds we opted to stay home and relax a bit. Even so Larry has still had emails and phone calls. The kids have enjoyed their time though. Larry's office had a spring festival (what the new year celebration is called) party. When you arrived at the party you are given raffle tickets - they call this lucky draw here. Every time your number was called you would get a red envelope ( they had wal-mart gift cards in them), and be required to drink a shot of rice wine. People would wander between the tables toasting the new year. Happily no one seemed to mind my glass of water instead of wine. In between the lucky draws there was karaoke. Larry, and three others were basically bullied into performing. It was hilarious. Not a singer in the lot. Completely ruined "Uptown Girl" . It was a fun evening though. You can't beat forced inebriation and karaoke.

New Year's Day was quiet. We watched the lion dance, and played monopoly. Later in the day I took a walk and thought I would share with you a photo of two families who have obviously just bought property in the area.

too funny! the Obama and the Palin families are going to be my neighbors. in South America you would always see stars being used to advertise things. my favorite was Sarah Michelle Gellar's big toothy grin on top of a dentists office. I did laugh very hard when I saw this realty sign though.

Monday I am finally moving into my house! I promised myself that this move I would not have a long hotel wait until I was able to be settled. As you can see I lied. I am so excited though. I can't wait to get started, and feel really settled. Now I have to interview maids and do all that stuff. Yahoo!

chinese new year

2009-01-12T09:58:00.010+08:00

We are well into the first month of the year. Preparations are under way for the Chinese new year. the year of the ox. Remy is very excited as he was born in the year of the ox. Red lanterns are being hung and red envelopes selling out in the store. We will have a week off of school. The 26th is the official first day of new year. There are three days off but many are given a whole week. Some spring festival pictures and new year explanations follow.

This is a time when families get together to celebrate. It is also a special time to remember members of their family who have died. On new year's eve they eat dumplings and the person with the coin in their dumpling is said to have good fortune for the year. This reminds me of the baby in the king cake ( from my mardi gras days ). food is also prepared for those who have passed on.

The days leading up to the festival are used to decorate, and get their hair cut, and clean their homes top to bottom - to sweep away any bad luck from the old year. It is bad luck though to do this on new years day. On new years eve all the lights in the home are kept on until midnight; then there are fireworks to scare away evil spirits. On new years day children receive red envelopes with money or candy. It is a good time to forget old arguments. People greet each other by saying 'Kung Hei Fat Choy!', which means Happy New Year!

Parrish and I found these apples at the store. They all had different sayings on them.

christmas to remember

2009-01-02T11:24:00.010+08:00

sorry to all five of my readers for the absence. we have had a christmas and new year to remember.

remy cut his arm and had to have four stitches on the 23rd. the kids were being rowdy and knocked over a lamp with a glass dome. it was almost six and the clinic closes at six, after this time you must pay a hefty fee. we got there in time and i held remy's hand without throwing up this time. this is his second set of stitches. eleven the first time.

christmas eve we spent with friends a few appetizers at some one's home and then on to the restaurant. the kids were given silly string by the hostess and proceeded to spray it all over themselves and the restaurant steps. there were nine kids, so it was quite a little scene. we had a lot of rubbernecking. a guard from the restaurant area came over and was really in the kids faces yelling at them and complaining. the hostess came out and fought with him. it is times like these i wish i knew the language. dinner was nice and i was surprised at how many people were out celebrating. i also realize that many of them did not know what they were celebrating.

santa brought all the children except remy a scooter, remy got a skateboard - i foresee more clinic trips. bronwyn and gwendolyn sped about all day and the next, racing down ramps and feeling the wind in their hair and then it happened.

bronwyn fell and split her lip open. blood gushing everywhere. for those of you who don't know my daughter she has a tendency to be a bit dramatic. i finally got her calmed down and my hubby comes by and says - OH MY! i had to be very firm with her to get her calm again. we walked to the clinic - 6 again - not wanting to wait for the driver. i stepped into the clinic they whisked bronwyn off and i began to cry. the staff rushed to me with cups of water and tissue. how pitiful am i? hearing a cry of Portuguese coming from the exam room i pull myself together and go to hold her hand. it is as i feared; she needs a plastic surgeon, and one is not available here. the nurse cleans the wound and we wait to see if someone in hong kong will see us this evening. my driver rushes into the exam room and pats bronwyn with a worried look on his face. so sweet.

when all was arranged i ran home to pack an overnight bag and get our passports. we made it to the ferry terminal only to find that it had been cancelled. we called the driver back and then made our way to the border crossing. we walk through and make our way to a taxi. thankfully they take RMB since i do not have enough HK$'s to pay. she sleeps in the taxi and i watch out the window as the hong kong scenery rushes by. the hospital is very nice and within 30 minutes of arriving the doctor is there and at midnight we are having stitches. it takes four injections to deaden the area. in between each she babbles away in portuguese. some of it i didn't even understand, but it was mostly pleadings to stop and how she couldn't do this. when that was done and knowing that was the worst of it my body just relaxed a bit and i got nauseous and threw up. i hate my body sometimes. the doctor called a nurse for me and she sat with me while bronwyn finished. bronwyn did a really good job and was very brave. we stayed the night and left early the next day, taking the 1:15 ferry home.

i have to say that i am quite thankful though. everyone is well and except for 10 stitches we have nothing to complain about. we even spent a day at windows of the world - a theme park with world landmarks in miniature - bronwyn's lip was still swollen but by the end of the day she seemed to forget about it. we spent new year's eve in macau - an island that was, until 1999, a portuguese colony. now it is a las vegas style gambling town. we counted down the new year by attending a cirque de soleil show - zaia. at the end the cast and crew came out and we counted down together and sang auld lang syne.
love you all, thanks for sticking with me.

what christmas means to me

2008-12-23T19:54:00.006+08:00

tuesday - tell - all

What Christmas means to me.

The memories of childhood Christmases fill my mind, as I watch my own children and hope their memories are as sweet as mine. My first memory is of my mom locked in her room. What was she doing in there? Finishing up those last minute wrappings and sewing the final seams of a doll. The next memorable Christmas is also my favorite. I received a pink ruffled parasol I had been coveting and a large stack of books.

Christmas is filled with these memories. Memories of family. Finding the perfect gift for the family member whose name I had drawn. I got my mom three years in a row. Sleeping with my sisters and waking up at three. Opening our stockings while waiting for our parents to wake. My dad's ho ho ho as he came down the stairs. Memories of Christmas lamps - a story for another time - and snowmen.

We never forgot what the real meaning of Christmas was though. Every Christmas eve we would sing carols and read the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Then we were trundled off to bed after leaving cookies and milk for Santa.

Now I am building new Christmas memories and traditions with my children. Our memories will be full of warm tropical picnics on the beach. Santa in his speedo. Hotel Christmases. Chinese ornaments. But we will carry on our own Christmas eve telling of the Christ's birth. We will sing our carols and remember Christmas is not the gifts or the lights, but the celebration of the Saviour's love for us.

2008-12-15T21:47:00.005+08:00

I AM ALIVE.

I went out tonight on my own. Now I have done this before, but tonight it was particularly dark, and I had to cross a busy road. There were about three other people crossing at the same time. We all took our chances and crossed halfway then almost got mowed down by a turning car. We all crunched together quickly as the car turned. the woman beside me was saying nasty things, thank goodness I couldn't understand. We made our way to the other side only to hear the ringing of bicycle bells. I just stood still while they went around me. How embarrassing would it be to be taken out by a bike? They really should have lights.

So i must say sorry for my absence. Things got a little crazy but I'm back again.

Christmas is in full swing here. I have been surprised at the commercialism here, since this is not a very big holiday here. Evidently many of the young Chinese like to decorate for Christmas, and in the last few years it has really caught on. There has been a noticeable increase in traffic and my trip to the grocery last week was extra crowded. There are lights and decorations everywhere. Friday was the last day of school and we have finally taken the time to decorate the tree after the last days of winter concerts and school parties.

here are a few headlines from my area:

these two women, caged and catlike, sat outside a shopping mall to call for people to shop eating cat meat. I have a friend who visited the local wet market and there was a bucket of cats, yum. some of the restaurants are reportedly serving cat now since the weather has cooled. Supposedly cat meat makes you warm.

Santa rides an ostrich - local zoo. What else can I say! In Finland he rides a goat, so why not and ostrich?

46 injured in popular Hong Kong shopping area. Two 750ml bottles of acid were dropped from above. No suspects were found. I will never understand what drives people to commit these types of acts.

I promise to return.

2008-12-09T09:01:00.008+08:00

tuesday-tell-all.

what is your favorite christmas carol? why?

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,

With peaceful wings unfurled;

And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world:

Above its sad and lowly plains

They bend on hovering wing,

And ever o'er its Babel sounds

The blessed angels sing.

O ye beneath life's crushing load,

Whose forms are bending low,

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow;

Look now, for glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing;

Oh rest beside the weary road

And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

this is my favorite. it seems to encompass all. then and now. the beauty of that first christmas and the hope of what is yet to come.

what is your favorite?

#5 nablopomo

2008-12-05T21:39:00.002+08:00

if i was remy i would be writing a poem about how

THIS STINKS!

why am i putting myself through the pressure of posting everyday.

the truth is that today i am too tired.

larry is putting the only two home tonight to bed .

he even did toothbrush duty.

so i am going for a soak in a hot tub.

then straight to bed.

LATER.

nablolpomo # 4

2008-12-04T21:53:00.008+08:00

i did go today to the four dragon store and the stationery mall. i did take my camera, but i took no pictures. never fear though as i must return tomorrow. i bought a christmas tree but - silly me - did not check it before bringing it home and it doesn't fit together. so pictures tomorrow. i bought some decorative plates and a jim shore santa for less than 10 dollars. in front of the stationery mall they had a lot of food vendors. i must try some octopus on a stick!

here is my cloisonne i commissioned from a local artist. i always stop and admire his work. when ordering this piece i failed to notice the child is wearing those pants that are open in the back. i suppose then it is more authentic.

here are the plates i bought today. they are square and quite intricate. the photos don't really do them justice. i quite like them.

heartbreak / #3

2008-12-03T19:18:00.005+08:00

it is so hard to be a kid. i think we often forget the heartaches and the insecurities of youth. most of the time i am happy with the choices my husband and i have made for our family. the opportunity, to live outside of the u.s., for our children has been wonderful. tonight though as i sat with my daughter, tears streaming down her face, i felt powerless to help. there was nothing i could say to help her. this is her fourth school. she is in fourth grade! i remember being the new kid. i wasn't outgoing so it took me a long time to make friends. as she struggles with finding her place in school and a very different culture, and finding friends that understand and seek her company as-well, i stand and helplessly watch. i love her. she is smart and fun. she is also so like me. quick to make judgements, feeling every little word that is said deeply. analyzing and berating every move she makes. i hope she knows i am always here for her. i hope i can be her safe zone.

And thou shalt in thy daughter see, This picture, once, resembled thee.[Ambrose Philips (1675-1749),

christmas cards - nablopomo #2

2008-12-02T21:45:00.006+08:00

Two things happening. First being inspired by my blogging friend Cairo TypO and her NaBloPoMo success, I have decided to go for it, a whole month of daily blogging. Hopefully it will be meaningful, insightful, and not too much of me for you. Secondly I have found a great journaling blog called Tuesday-Tell-All. I thought it would be great fun. It is also a way to get some topics that otherwise I might not think of, for posterity you know. So this is my second December post and my first Tuesday Tell All.

So the topic for this Tuesday is Christmas cards.

Last year I received two Christmas cards in the mail. One from my sister-in-law. The other was from my gynecologist. You know the one, with the stamped signature and the picture of the office staff wearing Santa hats. Of course this may be due to the fact that in eight years I haven't sent cards. I always meant well, in the days before I completely gave up. I would carefully pick my cards. I would make sure they said me. I would get out my address book and write messages. Then I would never mail them. To this day I have several boxes of cards, addressed and not, just hanging out taking up space.

Now I send email cards. Easier in many ways, but the irony of the situation is that I love mail. I love to open the mailbox and find a letter or a card. I imagine having a box on my mantel, full of the many Christmas cards sent to me by friends and family. I dream of having meaningful correspondence through the post. Who knows, maybe this year I will change my stripes, or not.

world aids day

2008-12-02T09:04:00.005+08:00

She watched him in the rear view mirror. His eyes catching hers in the mirror smiled. She resented the fact she was on this trip. Resented the fact that she must take her son to say goodbye to someone he had never had the opportunity to know. Her mind wandered back to the day they had met. Cocky and self-assured, he marched right up to her and kissed her. They had a whirlwind romance marrying just four months later. She loved his fun-loving ways and his zest for life. Fresh from college, life was theirs for the taking.

Looking back now there were so many things she should have seen. She became pregnant. She guessed it was a lot of responsibility for a young couple just starting out, but she was happy. He worried about how they would make ends meet. He often came home late after having gone out with the guys. Just letting off some steam. He had always been one to enjoy a party and the company of a lively crowd. It became more and more frequent and the tensions at home seemed to mount. She moved out.

Now four years later she would take their son to visit him. His once strong and vibrant body emaciated. His thick curly hair falling out. Lesions on his skin. His body under attack. A life full of careless choices. His drinking had made way to other things. Money exchanged in dark passages for a few hours of escape. A series of women who were always willing to share in the fun. She wondered where they were now. She also felt the guilt of thinking she should have been there, maybe if she had stayed it would have been different. Looking at her son she was glad she hadn't.

hiv/aids is the topic for bloggers unite this month. i am sure i have not done it justice but i am glad to be able to join my voice with the many who today will address this topic. we have come a long way since the beginning of this terrible world epidemic. the number of people affected is astounding. many are children and youth. education is vital to help, our youth especially, make choices that will keep them safe.

thanksgiving

2008-11-27T14:49:00.011+08:00

today - thanksgiving - i walk to school like i do most days to pick up the poppets. i leave my hotel and head down the tree-lined streets on my 5 minute walk, 10 - 15 with parrish. the streets are clean and well maintained with a lane for bikes and a lane for pedestrians. parrish jumps from one section of the pavement to another, picking up sticks to wave in front of him, until he discovers how dirty this makes his hands.

we cross the road at the traffic light being ever alert that everyone is actually going to stop at the light and checking for bikes. we pass men having a break from work. they all stare in wonder at his blonde hair and try to touch him, not caring that he glares at them and quickly runs away. they laugh. we pass the men playing a gambling game. they squat down on the ground coins in hand, little pieces of torn cardboard for playing pieces.

across from the school there is a park with benches and landscaping. areas to sit and relax. in contrast, in the front of the school we wind our way through the people waving metal tins at us. shouts of hello, hello. deformed limbs and slow minds. sometimes we give a bit of something to eat, a package of bread, an apple, but today, of all days i have nothing.

i am so thankful for the many blessings i have. so thankful to have the opportunity to see and know what the world is, the wonderful and the sad. thankful that my children might not take for granted all they have. i hope you all have a blessed day. a day to remember the blessings of an abundant land, a day to share with not only those we love, but to also give to those who have not.

family blogs

2008-11-26T21:43:00.002+08:00

family members check out these blogs by some of my favorite people

http://buttercupblogs.blogspot.com/

http://riogirltravels.blogspot.com/

http://gambitstuff.blogspot.com/

they would love your comments

physical exam

2008-11-26T12:31:00.010+08:00

today i went to get my physical, which is part of getting my residence visa. It was quite amazing and i wish that i had a photo journalist with me. I did have my camera but was busy running from room to room so i did not have time to take many pictures.

this all takes place at a designated hospital. you take a number and when called you turn in your paperwork and they take your picture and a fingerprint. you then proceed to the cashier and then the fun begins.

it is set up so you go from room to room for all the different requirements. I was impressed that people were actually queueing. i started with what was the shortest line.

rooms:

two vials of blood

visual acuity

ear, nose, throat check

height, weight, reflexes

chest x-ray

dental

sonogram

urine

if you have ever seen the movie "the court jester" it reminds me of that. in the movie Danny Kaye's character is to be quickly knighted so they just grab him and frantically shuttle him around from one event to the next so that he can speedily be knighted. it is very funny and i couldn't help thinking of this as i ran from room to room fulfilling all the requirements for residency. watch it you will die of laughter.

the last thing i did was the urine deposit. i had to laugh because you just deposited the open cup of urine on a cart outside the bathroom door. secure right. in about a week i will know if i am going to receive an all right. then it will be on to the police to register with them.

Parrish making friends at the hospital. this gentleman along with three women, all from the Philippines, is here for four months. they are working at the Sheraton as entertainers. singers i think.

driving

2008-11-22T08:35:00.005+08:00

I miss driving. I have always loved to drive. For me it was always time to relax, time to unwind after work. Time for me. You didn't have to feel guilty for not doing anything. You know like when you sit around watching TV. In the car you are moving towards your destination. You pop in some music and turn it up real loud. You are a free.

Of course these days my time in the car is usually shared with four children. The calls of she touched me, he's looking at me sound in my ears. Still it is a privilege to be able to hop in the car and have the freedom to go where you want.

No matter how glamorous it sounds to have a driver, for me it is a freedom removed. While living in the smaller towns of Brazil and Venezuela I occasionally drove. I did not have my own car but would use Larry's when he wasn't using it or was out of town. Most people in Caracas had drivers since the traffic was so horrendous and there were security concerns as well. I usually had to call for a car service frequented by the company.

Upon moving to Rio I had more opportunity to drive. At first I was quite intimidated by the traffic. Mostly though I was worried about learning my way around. I am notoriously bad at directions and could see myself ending up in the middle of a slum. Larry forced me to drive and soon it became a wonderful pleasure. winding through the Rio traffic, people honking at you, motorcycles whipping around you, looking for that opening to squeeze through that will get you farther down the road. I felt so alive, so much a part of the city.

Now in China there is no option. My driver is quite nice, although we can barely understand each other. it was also reported to me that he thinks the same of me. Evidently a great coup. He is reported as saying i never make him just sit and wait for me all day just in case i decide to go out. I obviously am not a proper expat woman yet. Larry and I share the use but as right now Larry is only here on the weekends we have had no conflicts.

This has been one of the difficult adjustments for me. Not being able to jump in the car whenever I want and just go. Having to plan out my driving needs and schedule them. Maybe it will make me a more organized person. Maybe i will become a better passenger.

wow!

2008-11-19T08:50:00.010+08:00

Thank all of you that made my BATW day such a success.
I had over 60 comments.
I hope many of you will return.
I very much enjoyed reading your blogs and
will be dropping in on you.
If i did not leave you a message know that I am
still answering some of the comments

I am getting so excited about moving into our new home. Last Thursday the realtors called and said could I please come and inspect the house, because it is ready and they would like us to sign the paperwork. I did go and they have done much of the work, but they are not finished. There were workmen everywhere. Most of the things that need to be done are minor except for a large water stain in the master bedroom. It is a new stain as there is fresh paint on the walls. I hope the problem is located and properly corrected since I do not wish to deal with a large water leak after I move in.

The hotel is beginning to feel cramped. I am sure if I was a more organized person everything would be fine, but let's face it, this is me! This is the girl who wouldn't clean her bedroom - even though she couldn't see her bed - just because it was expected of her. I hate clutter, I hate disorganization, but that nasty habit of procrastination is ever present. It tells me to read a couple of chapters in my book, do some knitting, watch a little TV, read some blogs. Then there is the homework, the story reading, the Lego play, and the refereeing.

My two oldest children will be getting there own rooms, while the two youngest will be sharing. Everyone has big plans for their space and Bronwyn has asked for a bedroom makeover for Christmas. I think this is a fine idea. Remy wants a loft bed with desk underneath and a sitting area. The little ones are excited about sharing bunk beds. Gwendolyn's turn on top with the promise of a curtain on the bottom for Parrish.

Such expectations; I hope everyone is not disappointed. This will be the first time in quite a while that we will be able to step out our door and do things like ride bikes. We will have a backyard and I foresee being able to throw a ball and have a picnic. Remy is already planning a camp out. So even if Santa is having an economic dilemma this year we will have a wonderful Christmas.

Can't wait to move in and give everyone the tour. Next week planning a trip to the Dragon Store with a friend. Will have pictures for you so see you then.

ni hao!

2008-11-16T22:50:00.019+08:00

ni hao!

welcome to china

a special welcome to all the BATW visitors today. For those of you unfamiliar this is a site where bloggers from all over the world can be connected. Every week a different blogger is chosen to give a tour of their area. I am very pleased to be invited and hope you all enjoy.

I am from the U.S.A. (me - Texas, hubby - Illinois) and with my husband and four children have been living in South America for over 7 years. We arrived in China in August and are just settling into this amazing country and enjoying learning about the people here.

We are living in the Guangdong Province, in a city called Shenzhen ( we are actually in the Shekou area). It is located just across the border from Hong Kong. You can easily take a ferry or train to Hong Kong for a nice day trip. Although I have not had the opportunity to visit much of mainland China yet I have the impression that this city is not like others in China. There are many foreign investors in the city, everything from electronics to clothing, pharmaceutical to machinery. It has become a proving ground of sorts to show the world how China is opening up.

One of the difficulties we have found here is the attention we draw as westerners, especially our children, having four plus the fair skin. Often on just a trip to the grocery store we will be assailed with people touching their hair and taking photos - with themselves in the picture of course. Last week we went to dinner and were stopped just outside the door for the photo fest. I think I could make a pretty penny if I set up a booth.

In Shenzhen there are restaurants for every taste. We have Japanese restaurants, thai, italian, tex-mex, and of course various fast food places. I have really enjoyed the chinese food although it is different from what I what see in the U.S. My particular favorites are the celery which is cooked in what I think is a sort of chicken broth and lotus root which is not only beautiful to see but tasty too. Martin Yan also has a cooking school here and gives classes.

Let's talk a little about language. Upon learning I was moving here I started to look into some mandarin. Finding that the words were in the same order as english i took heart, as this has been difficult for me in spanish. There are no singular and plural nouns, no gender specific nouns. You do not need to worry about past or present, active or passive, or pronouns. Wow, this sounded great. The pronunciation is so difficult and one word can have many meanings just by changing the inflection of your voice. so you must memorize where all the correct inflections go. How do you have a language with no alphabet! I see long nights of studying with headphones clamped to my head. àn bù jiù ban - one step at a time.

As I have the opportunity to travel more here I will share those experiences with you, so I hope you will all visit often. I leave you with some photos

visiting a temple

view from temple hike

hong kong haze

chinese cemetery from bus window

a favorite italian restaurant

a local shop

connections

2008-11-13T10:36:00.002+08:00

i love this have a great day!

being expat

2008-11-13T09:53:00.002+08:00

Before leaving Brasil, someone told me how much she liked me, that I was not like an American. This comment surprised me so much. Upon asking why this was, I was told that I was sincere. When I said something it wasn't just to be polite, I really meant it. This woman had lived in the U.S. for about three years and her experience was that American women say things insincerely. We smile at everyone indiscriminately, we ask how you are but really don't want to know the truth of the answer. We say things that are untrue so as not to hurt any ones feelings or make them angry with us, and then turn around and say the reverse to someone else. This left me with much to think about. How culturally different we all are.

When travelling to different countries I am ever more aware of the things I do. Do people think I am rude or affected, even insincere. I recently was in my seven year old's class-room and it was snack time. the teacher reminded the children that they must practice eating their snack with mouths closed and no slurping, as this is an American school. So the question is should we impose our cultural norms upon the world because they are what is comfortable for us?

About six years ago I was invited to a ladies dinner potluck, hosted by a dear Scottish lady. In my head I pictured us sitting in chairs around the lawn, a plate on our lap. I whipped up some not beautiful, but very yummy coconut oatmeal cake bars, and deviled eggs. I arrived to a beautifully set table with candles. I don't think one of my cake bars was eaten. Someone had bought a beautiful chocolate cake covered with chocolate shavings. It was all quite posh, and surprisingly formal. Isn't it funny how different our take on what the event was going to be. It was just supposed to be a bunch of us getting together for a girl's night but it was something quite culturally different.

While living in Brasil one of the customs was that when someone came to your home they must leave through the same door they entered, as being allowed in the front door and then ushered out the back meant you were not welcome. In China you always take your shoes off at the door. So many things to learn everywhere you go. Hopefully in my journeys I will be able to present myself well and also be able to embrace all that is good about others.

2008-11-12T10:08:00.001+08:00

I don't think I like this template look, but will try for a bit. It is a bit fussy on the sides.

funk

2008-11-12T09:35:00.003+08:00

I have been in a bit of a blog funk. I turn on the computer and sit in front of my post page and nothing happens. Today I will get back on track though. Debbie from BATW has asked me to host on monday. I don't really know what that entails but I am game. On the 10th I was supposed to write a refugee blog and I had read all these great stories and done research, and in my defense I did sit down to do it but never liked anything I wrote. If there is anything you would like to hear let me know, especially what questions you have on china as I will answer those for the monday post.

election

2008-11-05T17:11:00.005+08:00

Wow, what an election! History was made. I must say that whatever your political party, we as Americans can all be proud of this election. John McCain gave a very gracious concession speech. I was pleased that president-elect Obama's speech was very respectful of McCain and very considerate of all the Americans who may not have voted for him. he could have given a rally-like, gloatful (is that a word?) speech, but the tone, I thought, was right. Everyday I am proud to be a part of this nation. I wish Obama well and hope that in the next four years we can put party politics aside and get down to doing what is best for our country.

2008-11-05T09:48:00.002+08:00

thanks to nina for sending me this cute video.

vote

2008-11-04T23:29:00.000+08:00

vote, vote, vote, vote, vote.

post changes 2

2008-11-04T09:11:00.003+08:00

i decided i needed a change. i think the template is beautiful but i hate that my navigation bar is covered. hopefully not too fussy. i downloaded about 5 different templates so i may be trying them out at different times. let me know if you like this or any future changes.

spirit week

2008-11-03T16:31:00.008+08:00

some photos from spirit week :

here everyone is showing their school spirit by wearing the school colours.

crazy hair day

you probably can't tell, but gwendolyn was a beehive complete with little bumblebees. i don't know how crazy remys hair was as it looks like that often. bronwyn had what we called mini brains all over her head.

the girls show their spirit on pajama day.

do you like the backwards princess?

the last day was character day and we were running late and forgot to take the picture. sorry.

halloween fun

2008-11-03T08:37:00.025+08:00

super parrish

g.i. remy, spa girl, flower fairy

I feel as if I haven't posted in a month, even though it has only been about a week. It was a successful halloween. Here at the hotel there was a pumpkin carving activity and trick or treating. The kids had a lot of fun and of course got too much candy. On saturday the school had a fall fair and the kids dressed up and participated in a costume parade, had yummy food and played all kinds of carnival games. here are some highlights:

pumpkin carving with fraser place hotel.

ready to trick or treat!

ready for the fall fair the next day and the costume parade. someone at the fair asked me where the face painting was - i was so proud

pizza hut salad

2008-10-27T08:27:00.006+08:00

Saturday we went to pizza hut for lunch. They have a salad bar and you can have one trip with your bowl. It costs about 30rmb, so around 5 dollars. I wish I had my video camera or even my digital, but alas I wasn't on top of my game last week. Anyway they buy one bowl to share and then take 30 minutes creating this huge artful tower. It is enough to feed eight. One person places the items in the bowl while another directs. It is amazing. I must hang out there more often. Two preteen girls were constructing their salad bowl and when they finished they headed back to their table but their mother got up and made them go back because they didn't have a tall enough tower. I cannot tell you how enthralled I was with the whole process. making the base and then creating a sort of wall on the sides of the bowl to hold it all in. I did find a you tube movie about it. I must tell you though that the salad in the video is nothing compared to what we saw. I know one of the bowls was at least 6 inches tall with cantaloupe walls. When I come home I am going to try this at chuck e. cheese and see what happens. you think they will revoke my privileges?

someone hearts me

2008-10-20T14:14:00.019+08:00

well, what a surprise i got today when i was reading all my favorite blogs. someone hearts me and gave me an award. thank you ballerina girl. There are some rules that go with this so pay attention in case you are the next honoree.

link to the person who gave the award.

pass it to 7 others and link to them

leave a message so they are aware they have been gifted

so first on my list is http://themisplacedamericans.blogspot.com/ i just recently came across this blog and it fulfills my need to hear of all things expat.

then we have http://ms-adventures.blogspot.com/ i love the writing and different opinions mostly by women.

a blog i found in looking for people living in china. nice to have a companion wherever you are.
http://blogaroundtheworld2.blogspot.com/

this is my mom who just started her blog http://judaleigh.blogspot.com/

stephen - i love you http://hollyhockacres.blogspot.com/

britty and kenny the cutest newlyweds i know http://kennybritt.blogspot.com/

this final site speaks to my creative side inspiring me to do something creative each day. http://mayamade.blogspot.com/

i hope you all enjoy these blogs as much as i do and do not forget to visit ballerina girl, my friend living in my one of my favorite brasilian places.

gloves, anyone?

2008-10-17T09:51:00.012+08:00

last night I bought pizza for dinner and upon opening the bag found these plastic gloves. We had a good laugh. Often here you will be given gloves when eating food that may require you to use fingers.

To those of you who read this blog in the hopes of seeing grandchildren, nieces, nephews, here are a few pictures .

presbyopic at such an early age.

cupcake birthday cake made by the birthday girl herself - gwendolyn

one of the birthday gifts - hong kong disneyland teaset

bronwyn painted my hair pink and blue - do you like it? Three weeks later and some pink can still be seen. The scabs and head-bump are from a fall at the theme park. it was quite a goose egg.

the ferris wheel at ocean park. This theme park is built on a mountain. This made some of the rides even more thrilling and amazing. Remy didn't ride a lot of rides for fear they would break down and roll into the sea.

beautiful girls

can I wear your hat, Mickey?

we all had a really good time. Hopefully we will get to go again.

hopes and fears

2008-10-14T15:39:00.008+08:00

Parrish is sleeping peacefully. A thing that is not happening everyday now. The moments that I steal for myself are few. In twenty minutes these rooms will be full of noise. The sounds of children returning from school, of laughing and living. Often these noises drive me crazy, but right now in the quiet I miss the sweet voices of my children about their business. Soon my youngest will be off to school and the truth is that I will miss him. For almost 8 years I have always had a child at home. My life as an expat has always been about my children. I wonder and fear if I will lose the connectedness that I feel with my children as they start to gain their independence. I suppose it is the way of things and as they grow and move on to the next phase so must I.

After the birth of Parrish, I had a diffcult time coming to grips with the fact that there would be no more pregnancies, no more babies. For a year or more maybe I struggled with this, trying to move on to my next phase. I think that I have, but I have done it with sadness instead of embracing what the next phase brings to me. As my children grow and mature though, I wonder and fear that I am not giving them all that I can, not being the example I should, not making and cherishing the most of their short time with me. So much to fear, but I will not let it drown out all my hopes and dreams. I am a mother who sees and knows what these sweet souls can become. I am honored to guide them to their next phase and I will smile with the knowledge that they know who they are and where they want to go. Soon I will be sending them into the world brave and bright and shining.

post changes

2008-10-10T09:16:00.007+08:00

changes can be good. I am a person who likes tweaking things. I like color and I like not too fussy. Yesterday, feeling like I couldn't really relate to my blog, I found myself searching through the cutest blog on the block and pyzam to find a new background that said, me. Bronwyn and Gwendolyn have the cutest backgrounds from pyzam, but I couldn't find anything that fit and the cutest blog site was a little too fussy for me. I decided to just use a pop of color and seeing that I was feeling in need of a happy color I chose yellow. I loved it. It was a beautiful, bright, I dare you to not feel cheery, sunshiny yellow. I must say that it was not my intention to hurt ballerina girl's eyes or make her run for the sunglasses. Since we love to hear from her and would hate to lose her as a blogina I have toned it down. Hope you like the yellow. Doesn't it make you smile?

this is artwork by jill morton. I love the colors.

celebrate you

2008-10-09T16:07:00.023+08:00

During the course of some actual me time reading, I came across an article about aspiring to be more. This particular writer was trying to inspire people to be extraordinary. It struck me because we should always be striving to be more, to do better, but is there a time when we should say "hey, it wasn't perfect, but it was good."? Of course we should. You may think that I am championing mediocrity, such is not the case. I think we should always strive for the best, but I see many women who have a difficult time not achieving to the highest degree, when often they have been successful and maybe they didn't attain the level they were aiming at but they did go higher than the time before. We should give ourselves a break and learn to be happy with our accomplishments. When we accept ourselves and are happy with all we do we end up being more productive and more able to move forward and do better and better. So today I challenge you to cut yourself some slack. be happy with who and where you are.

some things to do to celebrate you:

1. laugh

2.have a spa day or at least a pedicure

3. look at your amazing children - you were a contributing factor.

4. blow bubbles

5. make a gratitude wordle!

and many more - write to me and tell me what you do. can't wait to hear from you

help, help, help

2008-10-06T17:05:00.003+08:00

ok, major blogger issues going on. no, i am not very computer literate, but give me a break. instead of my wordle picture or my you tube video i just get the address line (see i don't even know the official term). bear with me i will figure it out. i cannot view videos - a china thing i am told. so sorry about the wordle picture but it does work by clicking on the link.

signed, helpless blogger

words

2008-10-06T14:30:00.008+08:00

I love to read. I love they way others can put words together and create the perfect visual. Something of which I am envious. To be able to communicate with others, to be able to convey with words a feeling, to truly have the reader identify and connect to those feelings is a gift. In my primary class we were talking about having no words to express things. This really struck me. We talked about trying to explain what salt was, how it tastes without using the word salty. Explaining it to someone who had never had salt before. Words can be powerful and knowing how to use them is indeed a skill. My older sister once introduced me to a writing tool she called looping. Something I still like to do. For me looping is just writing without worrying about form or content; just what comes into your head. It can be freeing and sometimes it is amazing what comes out when you just let the pen flow. I found through a blogging friend this site http://wordle.net/ I love this site and the random way the words are arranged can feel like poetry. It is addictive and you don't have any control as to how the words are arranged. try it.
title="Wordle: addresses"> src="http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/232036/addresses"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">

this is my "word cloud" with all the places I have lived.

improv

2008-09-28T02:37:00.004+08:00

Today, well yesterday for me, there was an event going on in three cities that was put together by a group called improv everywhere. I believe they got their start in New York and i suppose have a bit of a cult following now. Today they will have a group of people all listening to mp3 players at the same time and place. They will all be following instructions and it will create a happening. I don't know how else to explain it. Anyway I have always been a fan of the musical. At times I have felt the need to break into song. This group did this bit of improv which made me laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYZ6rbPU2M

I hope you enjoy. go to their website. The thing that i like about the whole process is that it engages people. People stop and react and it is great.

rainy saturday

2008-09-28T01:32:00.007+08:00

what a lazy day we have had today. Parrish is recovering from an ear infection and we have had some rain today. so we got out our face paints and here are our results.

just call me ice princess.

super butterfly girl.super me!

propaganda 2

2008-09-25T23:09:00.001+08:00

when driving around every once in a while there will just be this propaganda sign. this one is by Remy's school.

Time is money, efficiency is life.

bronwyn

2008-09-25T21:45:00.007+08:00

this blog is dedicated to the life and times of Bronwyn. She is an amazing girl and I am so happy with how she is adjusting to China. She says she doesn't like it and that she misses Brasil - which she probably does - but the truth is she is doing really well in school. She is trying hard. She is making lots of new friends. She had to make an animal cell model for science. Here are the results.

it turned out really well and I think she was happy with it.

faceless

2008-09-22T09:37:00.005+08:00

I have now been christened into china life. Yes, I have been robbed. Maybe pick pocketed is the word, except that I did leave my bag sitting in the shopping cart. The truth is that I am very lucky. Remy and I had run out to wal-mart for a few items. We were feeling quite proud of ourselves since we had only caused a few rubber-necking incidences. Remy was pushing the cart though and some woman - he thinks she was following us - kept pushing him out of her way. At the end of the trip we were actually running away from her. We made it to the checkout counters and I took two steps over to grab a new grocery bag and Remy stepped to the beckoning toy aisle and it happened. I have a big black tote bag and inside was my wallet, my makeup bag, my camera and various other non-essential, just hanging out items. I noticed upon stepping back that the inside zipper pocket was hanging out of the bag. I looked inside and there was my black, blend-in, wallet, and my camera - also black. I didn't think anything else about it. Sunday morning i wanted to put on my favorite lip-plumping lipstick, my pretty pink blush, and that is right no make-up bag. Do you know what I look like without my face? I hope they like clinique. Man, I loved that lip gloss. Really I am quite lucky my wallet was still there. I will be more vigilant next time.

tainted milk

2008-09-22T08:40:00.004+08:00

I am spending my morning pouring out all my fresh milk and making sure that I have no more dairy related products on my shelves. So sad. So many sick babies. two men were arrested who sold fresh milk . they would water it down and then add melamine. they sold about three tons of this watered down, contaminated milk a day. eighteen people have been arrested. Products affected range from yogurt to ice cream. I know someone whose husband is in hospital with kidney stones and they are now concerned it is related. They have lived here for 2 years. We are being very cautious. They had pulled some ice cream bars from the market but they are also saying that the amount of contamination found in them was not harmful. So nice of them to monitor my intake.

yeah, it is friday!

2008-09-19T08:19:00.014+08:00

It has been quite a week. Not that anything major happened. I just felt a little harried and was yet again a work-widow. All the little things that normally you just blow off bothered me. This week I think I would have rather been in the states. People are always amazed for some reason that I am doing all right and not feeling overwhelmed about being in a foreign place. I usually feel kind of guilty for not losing it or like I should be being needy. This week I would have liked to indulge that behaviour. Monday morning Parrish wrote all over the wall. Luckily it was in pencil and I scrubbed it off with an eraser. I know someone who is living here that had to buy new wallpaper because their daughter drew a lovely mural. Then Parrish got gum stuck in his hair. We decided it was time to go to the playground. We saw a lovely butterfly, black with beautiful aqua spots. This tided us over for a while. One of the good moments of the week.

On tuesday Gwendolyn had ballet and I forgot to pack her costume. I don't know about other little ballerinas but for my girls it is all about the pretty costume. Then walking home my favorite lands end flip flop broke and I had to try to slap my way home. Finally I decided it was better to just walk barefoot. Crossing the crosswalk, Bronwyn was not paying attention - a must - and then had to endure a lecture from her mum. Something to the effect of how she must pay attention because the drivers don't care if they run her down or not. They would just kill you and drive on. She said I sounded just like the mom from the incredibles when she told her kids that the bad guys would kill them. They weren't like tv characters. hmmm, if only i had some of her other gifts and not only the nagging gift - can we call it that?

Then I saw these flowers that remind me always of my mom. She had a lovely sweater chain, that I coveted, with these flowers on each side. I would put on my cardigan and clip a flower on each side and admire. I pass them everyday and I love them. Funny how a simple thing that you see everyday can make you smile and turn everything around. Hoping for a great weekend! love to all

2008-09-19T08:19:00.012+08:00

here are some pictures from the week:

Posing for a picture in front of our future housing complex.

Walking home from school. Remind you of anyone you know? At least he is not driving yet.

The daily tai-chi class.

doing tai-chi or being a gangster. you choose.

happy, happy, joy, joy, joy!

2008-09-15T13:23:00.002+08:00

I thought this was an amazing video and thought i would share it with you. It just makes you smile. You can be happy no matter where you are. Be happy today! It is life-altering. I love you all.

http://vimeo.com/1211060

I want to hear your comments and if you haven't signed up as a follower - I am waiting.

mid-autumn festival

2008-09-12T23:54:00.005+08:00

who is that stranger in blue?

Bronwyn tries her hand at filling up a cup with a water-gun.

Gwendolyn and Dad have a go!

look at my cool lantern!

Here is a site with the story of the mid autumn festival. http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Festivals/78311.htm The hotel threw this party so we thought we would share some of it with you.

2008-09-12T07:41:00.004+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZWElC-Qsb4

there are not words to express the pain and disbelief that this act caused. it still seems so surreal. My heart goes out to all affected.

9/11 commemorative quilt

second guessing

2008-09-11T11:48:00.005+08:00

I have to tell you that I have been so excited for the last week to have found a house in the location that I wish and that has enough space for my family and all our junk. This morning I met with the realtor and, with the help of Larry's assistant Maggie, went to walk through the house to note any repairs, etc.

Then it happened. I stepped onto the front step and didn't see the potential I initially had seen.

Instead I saw the bent mailbox and the peeling paint. Walking inside I was greeted by walls covered with dirty fingerprints and smelly dog carpet. It didn't help that my driver was walking around shaking his head and giving his opinions. Maggie saying that now she had seen this (very old, smelly house) she could get a better deal.

OK, so let's regroup. They are pulling up the ugly, smelly, super blue carpet. They are repainting and fixing all that I ask. Remy and Bronwyn will have their own room and there is a playroom and a large master. It is super close to church and there are lots of kids in the neighborhood. Once I have my own things inside. My things, all the things I love, it will be great. yeah!

Thanks for the boost!

a little hello

2008-09-08T08:31:00.008+08:00

here is a little propaganda for you. it says Empty talk endangers the nation, practical work brings prosperity.

hello to all my fellow bloggers - all three of you. I haven't written in a few days so thought I would loop a bit. all is well here. We had a nice visit from Uncle Jeff this weekend. We carted him around to do things like stand in the heat during soccer practice and walk in the rain for some food. We really enjoyed having him and hope for a return visit.

I think we have a house but I am afraid to be too committed until all papers are signed. It is in a great location and in the community that I wanted. Pictures of house later.

Here are a few pictures. I really just wanted to say hello!

we love uncle jeff !!!

our little soccer girl

yum, yum, eww.

2008-09-03T16:48:00.008+08:00

Today after the three oldest were in school. Parrish and I, with the kind help of Larry's assistant and our driver, went out to get me a cell phone and to do a bit of shopping. After procurring the much needed cell phone we went off to lunch. Lunch was yummy with lots of slurping, evidentally a good sign. Parrish and I did have to make a quick trip to the loo. It was a fairly clean one so not so bad. Here are our pics:parrish cleaning his chopsticks

i chose the noodles with mushrooms. quite tasty!

dumplings, bean curd and in the front is what i understand to be lotus root. i really liked it, the sauce was a bit spicy. yum.

don't fall in!
Oh, to be a boy!!

Shenzhen Daily News

2008-09-02T18:37:00.004+08:00

Here are a few of the stories in the Shenzhen Daily - the English daily paper.

Man gets death for killing 6 police in Shanghai -

He had been arrested previously for riding an unlicensed bicycle. He tried to sue the officers for psychological damage but the courts rejected the claim. He marched into the police station and started stabbing officers and set a fire. Can you believe that he was deemed psychologically fit to stand trial?

Rat meat in demand as inflation bites

good thing I do not live in Cambodia as I have to have my Rat meat.

Mortar shell found in vegetable patch

A woman ploughing her veggie patch found a mortar thought to be left by the Japanese in the 1940's

French workers biggest whiners, Irish the happiest.

what will we spend money studying next? I always knew that about the French anyway.

settling in

2008-08-28T09:53:00.005+08:00

Well, we almost have a full week of school under our belts. School started last Thursday but was cancelled Friday for the typhoon - which i must say was not impressive. I have been in much worse in Texas and Louisiana. So on Monday we truly got to dig in and meet new friends and begin to feel like, yes, we really are here to stay. Remy is so thrilled to be in a different school from the girls, feeling very grown up in middle school. He is off to a good start and has even signed up for touch rugby. I think he will love it. Bronwyn had a bet with her dad that there would be no Brasilians in her class. He thought he would win since there is a large number of Brasilian families here. She won. the next day she met about four girls her age from another class and they were sambaing - excuse the spelling - all day. She is my little Carioca at heart. she signed up for drama class and is very happy. Gwendolyn is making friends and already has a party this weekend. She is loving her class and true to form has chosen Two boys to be friends with. We have been asked to do some modeling - Bronwyn is excited. All the blondish kids get solicited. They just hang out at the school waiting for the moms and evidently many people have done it. Personally I don't feel like putting my children on exhibit even more than they already are

In anticipation of school we went grocery shopping. Did I know there are over 1.3 billion people in China? Yes, I did. Did I realize what this meant. No. It means claustrophobia. No personal space. We went to Sam's and it took us three plus hours to do the shopping. By the time we left I thought Bronwyn might have a meltdown. Too many people touching, looking, GAWKING. She survived. Here are a few grocery shelf offerings.

I couldn't convince my kids that the fish and turtles were not for pets. There was also alligator but for obvious reasons not live. Of course these are some of the more tame things to eat though. Jackie Chan is everywhere endorsing everything from soap to frozen dumplings.

hermit crabs, etc.

2008-08-22T14:46:00.003+08:00

back in the saddle

2008-08-21T22:15:00.004+08:00

After a long summer we have finally arrived in China. As usual I was thinking I am bigger and tougher than I actually am. I had it all worked out that in about two days I would have conquered my jet-lag and be good to go. Such is not the case. It took all of us a good week to conquer the time change. We flew out of New Jersey on a direct flight. The flight was delayed for about three and a half hours, so instead of arriving in Hong Kong early evening we arrived around 11 p.m. It was almost 2 when we made it to the hotel.

I was so longing for a soft warm bed to snuggle into. I walked over to the bed and plopped down not to be met with inviting, pillowy softness but a big hard thud. I actually think that in the two weeks that I have been here I have gotten used to it. It is so hard - like sleeping on a board. Remy always complained about how his mattress is too hard now he will welcome it with open arms.

It had been exciting to be here for the Olympics. I know there is a lot of negative talk about having them here, but everyone is so excited. Although I am not close to Beijing and will not be attending in person. Just the pride of the people to host this event is great. People don't want to go to work and everyone has given up nightlife so that they can all watch the events. The kids and I have really enjoyed watching the near full coverage.

Last weekend- our first full weekend here - Hubby had a team building weekend event. We all got up Saturday morning and got on a bus to head to the beach. I love the beach, but must say that I am not ready to bare my overweight body in front of a bunch of skinny Asian women. Did they not get any fat genes? The bus trip was straight out of a stereotyped movie. The tour guide stood at the front of the bus and called people up to sing solos and played number guessing games. It is all true. We stopped along the way at a temple. It was over 500 years old. I tried to impress the awesomeness of this to my darling daughter as she unexcitedly trudged up the small hill to get to the temple.

Upon reaching the temple there was a great deal of activity. There were many tour buses and it was a pretty small site. The first thing that happened is that people started coming up to us and trying to get their pictures made with our children. The kids were hot and did not enjoy being man-handled. We did manage to push our way through though. At the base of the temple was a statue of a lovely Buddhist goddess - guan-yin. She has a long story ( which I looked up on the Internet ) but suffice it to say she is the goddess of caring and compassion. there were people selling incense and making offerings. They had a long line of people waiting to wash their feet and hands in the mountain spring water. a lady came up to me and explained that if you were to get washed with this water your family would have good luck for the year. I wanted to get my feet washed but the line was long and the bus was loading.

Next stop was lunch. This was our first real Chinese food. I was ready to be adventurous but not everyone in my party felt the same. It was an open air kind of situation and not really all that clean. They served family style. first they brought out tea - not to drink but to clean your dishes and chopsticks with. At this point Bronwyn was already balking. Then the food started to arrive and she started speaking to me in her language of protestation - Portuguese. There was plenty of rice and there was some squid that really didn't have too much taste, but it was very tough and rubbery. Lots of vegetables and some delicious celery. Some really disgusting soup and various other seafood items. Most of the Chinese people said they didn't like the restaurant but i was feeling adventurous and had a good time. Gwendolyn did a really good job of trying things. i also bought a bag of some kind of fruit from a lady who came to the table. In china they call it a red feather fruit. It is red with little flag like projections - you peel that off and inside there is a fruit something like a lychee but not as sweet.

There is so much more to write, but this is getting longer than necessary and it is late. Needless to say I think we had a good time. The kids had a blast at the beach collecting hundreds - not an exaggeration - of hermit crabs and building them a holding pen, and except for our first foray to the hole in the ground toilet we had fun.

2008-06-03T04:14:00.002+08:00

well, you may be thinking negatively right now about my blog but in my defense i am moving and very busy sitting around thinking about all the things i should be doing.

the weather here has been rainy bringing with it a cool low 70's to high 60's. perfect. if you are brasilian you have donned your ski jacket and bundled your little one up in 6 layers of warm things. it makes me feel like it is fall. i always loved fall. you know the beginning of school, football games, frito pies, and hot chocolate. unusual for me to be here during cooler weather, sometimes when we return from summer in the states it can be chilly, but usually it doesn't happen before we leave for break.

moving along though. larry is still in china. he will be returning on the 7th to assist with packing and come to the states for a bit. i am already missing brasil. last week i went to the school and parked and began my ascent up the long flight of stairs which leads to the campus. it was quiet and i was the only person about. looking up into the trees there were four medium sized monkeys. not the tiny ones you usually see. they were jumping about and eating. they were very unconcerned with me. i was then late for my meeting since i stood and watched for quite a while. close to gwendolyn's classroom there are some macaws living in the trees and we have even seen a toucan. the campus is quite lovely it is like a big tree-house.

so just a little short post. more later.