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

appearances

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.

chinese saying -

under an overturned nest, can there be unbroken eggs?

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

aging

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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

someone likes me!

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

http://www.maninthedark.com/