Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Gay Paree
OK, Paris is the most exciting, most beautiful, spectacular place I have ever been in, hands down.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Europe!
The kids have off for Chinese New Year this week so we decided to check out a few places in Europe. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Amsterdam, visiting a long-lost, dear friend of Tim's. We had a lovely time. Amsterdam is such a beautiful city, architecturally - I had no idea how esthetically deprived we are living in the modern Chinese city we do! So nice to just look around and see all the beautiful buildings.
Did you know that the Dutch are TALL?? Wow, I seriously felt short walking around in Amsterdam - in Asia I feel relatively normal but not in Holland.
We went to Ann Frank's house - walked through the same bookshelf she and her family hid behind before being carted off by the Nazis. It was one of the more emotional, humbling, sad and inspiration places I've ever been. Go there and remember, because she was just one of millions.
We went to the Van Gogh museum, which was beautiful, of course. We took a canal tour on a boat, which was warm. And a bus tour of the city - we caught a small glimpse of the red light district without the kids noticing what we were looking at - I was able to avoid a few uncomfortable explanations there! We saw a lot of "coffee" shops.
Monday we took a train to Paris, and have been staying at the Disneyland Paris Hotel. Very nice, and incredibly close to the park - like a few steps from the entrance. Any other Disney park, it seems we have to walk quite a ways to get there. Here, we just head out the hotel and into the park. Cool!
It's cold and rainy and completely crowded on a Tuesday in February. Go figure!
More to come...
Did you know that the Dutch are TALL?? Wow, I seriously felt short walking around in Amsterdam - in Asia I feel relatively normal but not in Holland.
We went to Ann Frank's house - walked through the same bookshelf she and her family hid behind before being carted off by the Nazis. It was one of the more emotional, humbling, sad and inspiration places I've ever been. Go there and remember, because she was just one of millions.
We went to the Van Gogh museum, which was beautiful, of course. We took a canal tour on a boat, which was warm. And a bus tour of the city - we caught a small glimpse of the red light district without the kids noticing what we were looking at - I was able to avoid a few uncomfortable explanations there! We saw a lot of "coffee" shops.
Monday we took a train to Paris, and have been staying at the Disneyland Paris Hotel. Very nice, and incredibly close to the park - like a few steps from the entrance. Any other Disney park, it seems we have to walk quite a ways to get there. Here, we just head out the hotel and into the park. Cool!
It's cold and rainy and completely crowded on a Tuesday in February. Go figure!
More to come...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I'd like to thank my fellow expats...
Yesterday morning, the workers came...
For the past year (almost...February 18) I have been battling my oven. I turn it on, it gets hot, then hotter, then hotter. It doesn't stop getting hotter! I've burned cookies, had cakes half-burned and half-mushy, and had cheesecakes turn into sad little blobs of muck. It's been frustrating, to say the least.
My wonderful Chinese friends heard about my dilemma and wrote a letter, in Chinese, to the management of our neighborhood. These guys are electrical engineers and they wrote about how the sensor is broken and what to do about it - two pages of details! The worker guy came in - this was maybe last July or so - and looked at the paper and laughed. He turned the oven on. My oven got hot (duh). He turned it off - it got cool. You turn it on, it gets hot, you turn it off, it gets cold...mei wenti (NO PROBLEM) he says! You must understand that the Chinese don't use ovens - they use a rice steamer and a cooktop or single burner. That's it - probably due to lack of space, prohibitive costs, and electrical costs, too. That's fine. But I need my oven to be at 350 when I ask it to be! He didn't understand my needs, and, quite frankly, I don't think he understood what a sensor on an oven is!
A few weeks ago my neighbor was on a vacation with some other women from the neighborhood. One of them was talking about this ridiculous oven she used to have in her house. Yeah, you guessed it: you turn it on, it keeps getting hotter and hotter and hotter! Her oven ended up in my house! I asked her how she got a new one and she told me about a friend with a fine oven who had just moved out - the management just switched them around, no problem. She called me again last week, having remembered that a friend of ours had moved back to the States and her home was still vacant, and - ta -dah! - her oven was FINE.
So, I called my management company and said I wanted that particular oven. My liaison said she would check on it but I was coached by people who have lived here a while to be persisitent and a bit insistent. So I was.
Yesterday, the workers came. They gave me Christine's old oven and took mine away, to be put into the home of some other unsuspecting expat. I turned my new oven on - I had two cakes to bake! - to 350. I checked it with my oven thermometer a half hour later, and it said - YES! - 350. Then I turned it down to 325 to make another cake. A half hour later and it was STILL 325. The whole time! Constant! My beautiful, new oven! Look out, China, here come some even better cakes!
THANKS, NICOLE!
For the past year (almost...February 18) I have been battling my oven. I turn it on, it gets hot, then hotter, then hotter. It doesn't stop getting hotter! I've burned cookies, had cakes half-burned and half-mushy, and had cheesecakes turn into sad little blobs of muck. It's been frustrating, to say the least.
My wonderful Chinese friends heard about my dilemma and wrote a letter, in Chinese, to the management of our neighborhood. These guys are electrical engineers and they wrote about how the sensor is broken and what to do about it - two pages of details! The worker guy came in - this was maybe last July or so - and looked at the paper and laughed. He turned the oven on. My oven got hot (duh). He turned it off - it got cool. You turn it on, it gets hot, you turn it off, it gets cold...mei wenti (NO PROBLEM) he says! You must understand that the Chinese don't use ovens - they use a rice steamer and a cooktop or single burner. That's it - probably due to lack of space, prohibitive costs, and electrical costs, too. That's fine. But I need my oven to be at 350 when I ask it to be! He didn't understand my needs, and, quite frankly, I don't think he understood what a sensor on an oven is!
A few weeks ago my neighbor was on a vacation with some other women from the neighborhood. One of them was talking about this ridiculous oven she used to have in her house. Yeah, you guessed it: you turn it on, it keeps getting hotter and hotter and hotter! Her oven ended up in my house! I asked her how she got a new one and she told me about a friend with a fine oven who had just moved out - the management just switched them around, no problem. She called me again last week, having remembered that a friend of ours had moved back to the States and her home was still vacant, and - ta -dah! - her oven was FINE.
So, I called my management company and said I wanted that particular oven. My liaison said she would check on it but I was coached by people who have lived here a while to be persisitent and a bit insistent. So I was.
Yesterday, the workers came. They gave me Christine's old oven and took mine away, to be put into the home of some other unsuspecting expat. I turned my new oven on - I had two cakes to bake! - to 350. I checked it with my oven thermometer a half hour later, and it said - YES! - 350. Then I turned it down to 325 to make another cake. A half hour later and it was STILL 325. The whole time! Constant! My beautiful, new oven! Look out, China, here come some even better cakes!
THANKS, NICOLE!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A Blue Mohawk, Twists and Crazy Red Hair
Yesterday was Crazy Hair Day at the kids' school...what do you think? 
I think it should have been called "Way-Cool Hair Day" but luckily, I'm not in charge!
The heart says "BAD TO THE BONE" on it. Cheesey? Or art? You decide...either way, it was delicious - I had a little extra batter left over & made a mini-cake with it in my Chinese toaster oven. And the cake ended up being for two guys so I had to make it very manly!
I think it should have been called "Way-Cool Hair Day" but luckily, I'm not in charge!I got a call from a woman who wanted a tattoo cake for today...at first she said she wanted a cake with a man's arm on it with a tattoo on the arm. And the tatttoo the birthday guy has is a PHOENIX. OK, I'm sorry but I think that's a tad above my expertise level. She said really to just do any tattoo on it. So here is what I came up with:
The heart says "BAD TO THE BONE" on it. Cheesey? Or art? You decide...either way, it was delicious - I had a little extra batter left over & made a mini-cake with it in my Chinese toaster oven. And the cake ended up being for two guys so I had to make it very manly!Thursday, January 17, 2008
Rock On, Little Man
Tonight my son's school had a Night at the Wax Museum, where they researched a great historical figure or current hero, dressed up as said person, and did a little skit being that person. They each made a poster with more information about the person to put behind them. You walk up to the child, push a "button" on their shoulder, and the wax figure "comes to life."
My son chose Bono as his hero, with perhaps a limited amount of input from Mom.
We were hearing comments from people before we even got to the room he was in - "your son is doing an awesome job." "your son really rocks." "I can't get enough of Bono." It was cool but I wanted to hear it for myself. He had his hair slicked back, a rock star t-shirt (thank you, Meredith!!) and wraparound shades. He did look cool. Then he started out by singing "Vertigo," which is a pretty rockin' hit. He talked about being Bono and all the great things Bono does in addition to awesome music.
A news team happened to be doing a little story on our international school, and they were there for the Wax Museum, as well. They chose our son to interview! So, a friend was there and told me what she heard:
News: Why did you choose Bono?
DS: Well, because I love ROCK AND ROLL.
News: Where are you from?
DS: I'm from the USA, man!
DS: I'm from the USA, man!
News: How did you come up with a costume?
DS: I did it myself! Well, my dad helped a little. And my mom.
That kid is something else. He cracks us up. I can't wait to see it on TV - yes, CHINESE TV. Should be interesting!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Fishy Story
Last night Tim went out for Japanese food with some colleagues. They went to a very fancy Japanese fusion place and had quite a variety of seafood, sushi and sashimi. Sushi has rice in it; sashimi is the raw fish that most people think is sushi.
He said he was served the freshest fish he's ever had, and this is how he proved it: the fish was served on a bed of ice, the (raw) filets presented in front of the actual fish it was taken from. The fish it was taken from had the full head and tail and its sides had been cut out for the sashimi filets. And, the fish was still moving. Now, that's fresh.
Tim passed on the fish sashimi and went for the food that wasn't still alive.
He said he was served the freshest fish he's ever had, and this is how he proved it: the fish was served on a bed of ice, the (raw) filets presented in front of the actual fish it was taken from. The fish it was taken from had the full head and tail and its sides had been cut out for the sashimi filets. And, the fish was still moving. Now, that's fresh.
Tim passed on the fish sashimi and went for the food that wasn't still alive.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Put your backbone back!
Today I did something I've been putting off for a few years now. With all my cake orders and people wanting real cakes, not just kids' birthday cakes, I have been needing some roses & other flowers to put on top of some cakes. I hate making those! They're very detailed and I guess I'm just a little to clumsy to do a really nice job. But since there is no cake supply store here I have to make my own. So I took a few hours and a whole bag of the really sticky, thick icing that makes those stiff flowers and I made apple blossoms, roses and pansies. By the time I finished my arm was just about frozen in the bag-squeezing position! They don't look amazingly lifelike but I am pretty happy with how they turned out. Whew!
MY LATEST EPIPHANY:
I was reading something, somewhere - I think it was in an issue of The Lutheran magazine - about somebody telling a friend that she had put her wishbone where her backbone should be. It's made me sit up and take notice. I've always been more of a "wishbone" type person and here I am, almost 40 (at least that's what the math tells me) and I haven't done a whole lot other than dreaming and procrastinating. That little tidbit has made a huge difference in the little things in my life since I read it. Instead of thinking "I really oughtta..." I've been trying to "So DO it already." Hasn't made me change the world yet but it sure is making a nice difference in my life. It's definetly a keeper!
So, remember, put your backbone back!
MY LATEST EPIPHANY:
I was reading something, somewhere - I think it was in an issue of The Lutheran magazine - about somebody telling a friend that she had put her wishbone where her backbone should be. It's made me sit up and take notice. I've always been more of a "wishbone" type person and here I am, almost 40 (at least that's what the math tells me) and I haven't done a whole lot other than dreaming and procrastinating. That little tidbit has made a huge difference in the little things in my life since I read it. Instead of thinking "I really oughtta..." I've been trying to "So DO it already." Hasn't made me change the world yet but it sure is making a nice difference in my life. It's definetly a keeper!
So, remember, put your backbone back!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Strange but True Facts!
We are back in China. It's January, and I'm looking out at sunshine and the honeysuckles in bloom all around my house, my banana tree, and all the green. In January! Yippee!
Yesterday on the plane, both during and after, we were complimented by several people on how well-behaved our kids are, and what good, patient travelers they are. Yippee!
Here's some wierd psychology: When we were in the U.S. we started flirting with the idea of buying a home, one with a 12-month lead time so we wouldn't be paying the mortgage for as long. During this little exploration, we were checking out beautiful new homes with beautiful new appliances and picturing our life back in the U.S. It was making me NOT want to come home and I was getting pretty super-bummed out. We eventually decided it would not be a good idea to do this until we know our timeline better and what our needs will be when we do return. As soon as we decided that and stopped thinking about coming BACK, I got pretty excited about going home to China and back to our life here. I am now very much at peace with being here and finishing up Tim's assignment here. Yippee!
It's good to be home.
Yesterday on the plane, both during and after, we were complimented by several people on how well-behaved our kids are, and what good, patient travelers they are. Yippee!
Here's some wierd psychology: When we were in the U.S. we started flirting with the idea of buying a home, one with a 12-month lead time so we wouldn't be paying the mortgage for as long. During this little exploration, we were checking out beautiful new homes with beautiful new appliances and picturing our life back in the U.S. It was making me NOT want to come home and I was getting pretty super-bummed out. We eventually decided it would not be a good idea to do this until we know our timeline better and what our needs will be when we do return. As soon as we decided that and stopped thinking about coming BACK, I got pretty excited about going home to China and back to our life here. I am now very much at peace with being here and finishing up Tim's assignment here. Yippee!
It's good to be home.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Poof!
I am a pufferfish. I've been eating everything I've missed this last 10 months, with no regard to consequences. And now I'm blowing up like a big ol' poofed-up pufferfish. Time to go back to China, where the food's not so good or so huge, and where I walk all the time.
OK, so I'm getting used to the idea and I'm missing our family routine, back to school, back to our house across the pond. I am certainly NOT looking forward to the big-ass plane ride with the kids, although they were fantastic on the way here. But I'm okay with getting back to being near Hong Kong, back to our friends, back to our life there. I will dearly miss my church, my mom and her husband, my favorite restaurants, my friends here. Of course I'll also miss my other family, though I'm used to not seeing them on a regular basis anyhow. What a lovely holiday we all had together!
OK, so I'm getting used to the idea and I'm missing our family routine, back to school, back to our house across the pond. I am certainly NOT looking forward to the big-ass plane ride with the kids, although they were fantastic on the way here. But I'm okay with getting back to being near Hong Kong, back to our friends, back to our life there. I will dearly miss my church, my mom and her husband, my favorite restaurants, my friends here. Of course I'll also miss my other family, though I'm used to not seeing them on a regular basis anyhow. What a lovely holiday we all had together!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
For unto us...
a savior is born!
A most blessed Christmas to you and your family! May you have a day of peace and love. Those of you who are especially lonely due to loss of a loved/cherished/irreplaceable one, may it be some small comfort to know you are in my prayers and thoughts, and I send you love and wish you God's peace.
A most blessed Christmas to you and your family! May you have a day of peace and love. Those of you who are especially lonely due to loss of a loved/cherished/irreplaceable one, may it be some small comfort to know you are in my prayers and thoughts, and I send you love and wish you God's peace.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Time Keeps On Slippin, Slippin, Slippin...
It seems like our time here in the U.S. is just flying by! Already over a week we've been here - although a few of those days were spent in a jetlag haze. Only two weeks from today we'll be heading back to China. Want to know a secret? Spending time in the U.S. is making me want to stay in the U.S.! I'm not really looking foward to going back to China. Just something as simple as using my mom's fancy-pants appliances (really, they're nice but very normal appliances...) that are so much nicer than the very old, very basic ones I have in my house over there. Yeah, I know, I'm lucky to have the appliances I have compared to most Chinese.
I do understand that regular, daily life here wouldn't be an endless stream of playdates, dinners out and parties. At least not all the time. It's the holiday season and we have many people to catch up with in a short amount of time. I think that makes life in the U.S. seem so much more fun right now. Thanks to Meredith & family, Heidy & family, Nicholas & family, Cooper & family, Jonathan & family, Dick & Jo, my brother & family, my dad & family, Dr. Angie & family, and of course, my mom and Wayne...such fun we're having here! Sure wish Barb & family were still here, too!
I hope that by January 4 I am more eager to get back home to my life in China! If only there was a Mellow Mushroom there...*sigh*...do I complain too much???
I do understand that regular, daily life here wouldn't be an endless stream of playdates, dinners out and parties. At least not all the time. It's the holiday season and we have many people to catch up with in a short amount of time. I think that makes life in the U.S. seem so much more fun right now. Thanks to Meredith & family, Heidy & family, Nicholas & family, Cooper & family, Jonathan & family, Dick & Jo, my brother & family, my dad & family, Dr. Angie & family, and of course, my mom and Wayne...such fun we're having here! Sure wish Barb & family were still here, too!
I hope that by January 4 I am more eager to get back home to my life in China! If only there was a Mellow Mushroom there...*sigh*...do I complain too much???
Sunday, December 16, 2007
You like me! You really like me!
Well, I've been hearing from so many people that you are still reading my blog and keeping up with us - thank you from the bottom of my heart. That means so much to me!!
Today I went to my church and I felt as though I'd come home. The music is now fantastic, with a band that includes drums (rock on). The smiles and hugs that were shared were priceless. I also realized why it is I miss my church so very much in China, and why Sundays are so especially lonely. It's because in my church here in the U.S., I feel loved. People know me and care about me, and I about them. We've shared sad times and good times and monitor each other's pregnancies and watch each other's kids grow up. It's a family and it's why I get so homesick. It's so lovely to be back; I don't think I could have been happier this morning. Except, of course, for missing the Sextons and a few other families that weren't there.
I am getting used to driving again, which is fun. I was nervous the first time out! In China, nobody follows the rules; people just go where they want, when they want. It's chaos, which is really kind of a bad idea when you're moving around in a big metal box at 45 mph. Here, the roads are SO BIG and people let you take your turn. Pedestrians in parking lots wave and smile when you stop for them.
I ate at my favorite pizza restaurant in the whole world yesterday for lunch. Yes, they have pizza in China - Papa John's is very popular and delivers. Pizza Hut is also popular but the one by our house doesn't deliver! Almost everybody in China delivers, right down to Starbucks! But, I digress. We went to this fabulous little pizza kitchen. They have a Clash poster that shows a guitarist smashing his guitar at a concert, in black and white. It's one of my favorite posters of all time, and it's right back by the bathroom. I just love it. I had a pizza with artichokes, roasted red pepper, sausage, and kalamata olives - many things that you won't find on a pizza in China. Pizza in China usually has squid or shrimp on it and pineapple. They also have the "normal" pies - pepperoni is popular, but honestly, nothing ever tastes quite the same there. I don't know what kind of cheese they use, but it's just different. The meat tastes different, too, and I really don't want to know why. I do know one thing: it's good to be home.
Today I went to my church and I felt as though I'd come home. The music is now fantastic, with a band that includes drums (rock on). The smiles and hugs that were shared were priceless. I also realized why it is I miss my church so very much in China, and why Sundays are so especially lonely. It's because in my church here in the U.S., I feel loved. People know me and care about me, and I about them. We've shared sad times and good times and monitor each other's pregnancies and watch each other's kids grow up. It's a family and it's why I get so homesick. It's so lovely to be back; I don't think I could have been happier this morning. Except, of course, for missing the Sextons and a few other families that weren't there.
I am getting used to driving again, which is fun. I was nervous the first time out! In China, nobody follows the rules; people just go where they want, when they want. It's chaos, which is really kind of a bad idea when you're moving around in a big metal box at 45 mph. Here, the roads are SO BIG and people let you take your turn. Pedestrians in parking lots wave and smile when you stop for them.
I ate at my favorite pizza restaurant in the whole world yesterday for lunch. Yes, they have pizza in China - Papa John's is very popular and delivers. Pizza Hut is also popular but the one by our house doesn't deliver! Almost everybody in China delivers, right down to Starbucks! But, I digress. We went to this fabulous little pizza kitchen. They have a Clash poster that shows a guitarist smashing his guitar at a concert, in black and white. It's one of my favorite posters of all time, and it's right back by the bathroom. I just love it. I had a pizza with artichokes, roasted red pepper, sausage, and kalamata olives - many things that you won't find on a pizza in China. Pizza in China usually has squid or shrimp on it and pineapple. They also have the "normal" pies - pepperoni is popular, but honestly, nothing ever tastes quite the same there. I don't know what kind of cheese they use, but it's just different. The meat tastes different, too, and I really don't want to know why. I do know one thing: it's good to be home.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sweet Home Tennessee
Well, I am back in the US of A and it feels pretty good! The first thing that struck me when I walked in to the Newark airport is how DIVERSE this country is! In China, everybody basically has the same color hair and similar skin. There are many differences within that, of course, but here everybody looks so different. It's beautiful to see! And, everybody seems so nice here, right down to the cashier at Kroger's! It's wonderful to be wished a "Merry Christmas" and have people really mean it. In China, while Christmas is capitalized on as a way to make money and have fun, the true meaning gets missed or never even thought of in the first place. I don't say this about Hong Kong, where Christianity is just fine and they "do it up real nice." A few days ago, in China, it sure didn't feel like Christmas was coming. Here, I can feel it, smell it in the air and see it in smiles.
Walking through Target, I also was struck by how rich we are as a nation. All the space, all the beautiful packaging, all the parking spaces. Next time you get annoyed by having to go to Target, trying not being able to go for 10 months.
We are all jet-lagged and I am especially looking forward to sleeping tonight. I will post more as the weeks fly by.
Walking through Target, I also was struck by how rich we are as a nation. All the space, all the beautiful packaging, all the parking spaces. Next time you get annoyed by having to go to Target, trying not being able to go for 10 months.
We are all jet-lagged and I am especially looking forward to sleeping tonight. I will post more as the weeks fly by.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today is Thanksgiving but in China it's just another Thursday. School, work, all of that. And it's also really hot so it certainly doesn't FEEL like Thanksgiving! We are going to celebrate with our very dear Hong Kong friends and our neighbors from the U.S. on Saturday. I think it will be our Hong Kong friends' first Thanksgiving - and in a way it carries on the tradition nicely - I don't know how we would have survived this move across the ocean to the New Old World without them!
We have a turkey on order, and we're going to have cranberries, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie, right down to the little sweet pickles and olives my Grandma used to serve on big feast days (well, not the SAME pickles and olives...new ones)! I am really looking forward to this!
I've been test messaging "Happy Thanksgiving!" all my friends here from the U.S. and it's been such a treat to see a U.S. person and be able to say "Happy Thanksgiving!" to someone it means something to. The things we learn to be thankful for...someone who can identify with our culture is a treat here!
I know that I am certainly thankful for things I never thought much about, and I remain thankful for some things I could not do without - the love and support of my family and my friends, near and far. Thank YOU for your love, support and encouragement. I hope you enjoy your turkey with your loved ones today.
"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."
(Samuel F. Pugh)
We have a turkey on order, and we're going to have cranberries, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie, right down to the little sweet pickles and olives my Grandma used to serve on big feast days (well, not the SAME pickles and olives...new ones)! I am really looking forward to this!
I've been test messaging "Happy Thanksgiving!" all my friends here from the U.S. and it's been such a treat to see a U.S. person and be able to say "Happy Thanksgiving!" to someone it means something to. The things we learn to be thankful for...someone who can identify with our culture is a treat here!
I know that I am certainly thankful for things I never thought much about, and I remain thankful for some things I could not do without - the love and support of my family and my friends, near and far. Thank YOU for your love, support and encouragement. I hope you enjoy your turkey with your loved ones today.
"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."
(Samuel F. Pugh)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Meme
OK, Beth, I am going to respond to this tag. I've never been tagged by anyone else before and last time I dropped the ball. HERE, at the request of Beth's fantastic website(s) is my meme (Me! Me! Me! Me!)
8 Things I am Passionate About
My family (duh)
My faith
Education and growth of mind and personality
Reading - mainly Jane Austen, JK Rowling, Janet Evanovich and Stuff that Makes me Think
MUSIC - boy, that one makes me happy! Especially if it's got a good beat and is easy to dance to...and makes me think.
Baking and cooking - because I love EATING
Decorating cakes - I am the Cake Lady of China
Open-mindedness - Way important for learning about other cultures and getting one's ego out of the way.
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
See my kids grow up into happy, successful, resourceful adults
See France, Italy, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, and the rest of the U.S. Maybe part of Canada, too.
Open a cake shop in China : )
Make a scrapbook for each of our trips (starting with China)
Really, truly make a difference in somebody's life - ambiguous, I know...and I don't mean my own family, I guess I mean the Greater Good
Be a better person
Write a book or two
Learn to be a really great cook
8 Things I Say Often
Nihao!
Oh, my goodness!
Alexander! (or any other one of my kids' names)
Are we late again? How did it get to be so late?
I'm hungry!
Let's go to Hong Kong this weekend!
I love you more! (to my kids)
Ni hue shuo ying wen ma? (Do you speak English?)
8 Books I've Read Lately
Pride & Prejudice (3rd time)
The final Harry Potter (WOW)
Sense & Sensibility
Emma
The Glass Castle (current)
The Bible (well, not the whole thing...)
New Concept Mandarin's Chinese Survival Manual
Riding the Iron Rooster
8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
Way difficult to narrow this down!!!
The duet sung by two Italian women, written by Mozart, in Shawshank Redemption (And I don't even know what it is!!!! Somebody Help Me!
Here I am to Worship
This is the Radio Clash
Man! I Feel Like a Woman
Smooth (Rob Thomas & Santana)
Spirit of the Radio (Rush)
The Harlem Boys' Choir singing O Holy Night
Mack the Knife sung by Ella Fitzgerald
8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friend (Tim)
He can fix anything
He is funny and keeps me laughing
He's handsome!
He loves our kids as much as I do
He is a hard worker and driven to do well for everybody, not just himself
He is an excellent mediator/negotiator/diplomat/b.s.er
He makes a point to really get to know people at every level of any organization, not just the guys on top or the decision-makers
He is a great teacher, even though he's not officially a teacher
He likes to dance even though he's a white guy
8 Things I've Learned This Year
How to say "please don't touch my children" in Mandarin
That there are excellent people everywhere
That you need to make friends quickly and love them bravely in an expat neighborhood, because we all really need each other but we're all only here for a little while
That my true friends remain as such no matter where we all live
That I really do need to pray every day
That I maybe don't need nearly as much STUFF as I used to think I might
How really, really lucky I am to have been born where I was, when I was and who I was
That the U.S. has incredible health care and nothing should be taken for granted
8 people to tag
...uh, the only other bloggers I know are Michelle and Beth, and you've both been tagged! But anybody who wants to post their answers in a comment, way cool!
Barb, Heidy, Angie (still there?), Jane F., Cheryl...anybody else there?
8 Things I am Passionate About
My family (duh)
My faith
Education and growth of mind and personality
Reading - mainly Jane Austen, JK Rowling, Janet Evanovich and Stuff that Makes me Think
MUSIC - boy, that one makes me happy! Especially if it's got a good beat and is easy to dance to...and makes me think.
Baking and cooking - because I love EATING
Decorating cakes - I am the Cake Lady of China
Open-mindedness - Way important for learning about other cultures and getting one's ego out of the way.
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
See my kids grow up into happy, successful, resourceful adults
See France, Italy, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, and the rest of the U.S. Maybe part of Canada, too.
Open a cake shop in China : )
Make a scrapbook for each of our trips (starting with China)
Really, truly make a difference in somebody's life - ambiguous, I know...and I don't mean my own family, I guess I mean the Greater Good
Be a better person
Write a book or two
Learn to be a really great cook
8 Things I Say Often
Nihao!
Oh, my goodness!
Alexander! (or any other one of my kids' names)
Are we late again? How did it get to be so late?
I'm hungry!
Let's go to Hong Kong this weekend!
I love you more! (to my kids)
Ni hue shuo ying wen ma? (Do you speak English?)
8 Books I've Read Lately
Pride & Prejudice (3rd time)
The final Harry Potter (WOW)
Sense & Sensibility
Emma
The Glass Castle (current)
The Bible (well, not the whole thing...)
New Concept Mandarin's Chinese Survival Manual
Riding the Iron Rooster
8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
Way difficult to narrow this down!!!
The duet sung by two Italian women, written by Mozart, in Shawshank Redemption (And I don't even know what it is!!!! Somebody Help Me!
Here I am to Worship
This is the Radio Clash
Man! I Feel Like a Woman
Smooth (Rob Thomas & Santana)
Spirit of the Radio (Rush)
The Harlem Boys' Choir singing O Holy Night
Mack the Knife sung by Ella Fitzgerald
8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friend (Tim)
He can fix anything
He is funny and keeps me laughing
He's handsome!
He loves our kids as much as I do
He is a hard worker and driven to do well for everybody, not just himself
He is an excellent mediator/negotiator/diplomat/b.s.er
He makes a point to really get to know people at every level of any organization, not just the guys on top or the decision-makers
He is a great teacher, even though he's not officially a teacher
He likes to dance even though he's a white guy
8 Things I've Learned This Year
How to say "please don't touch my children" in Mandarin
That there are excellent people everywhere
That you need to make friends quickly and love them bravely in an expat neighborhood, because we all really need each other but we're all only here for a little while
That my true friends remain as such no matter where we all live
That I really do need to pray every day
That I maybe don't need nearly as much STUFF as I used to think I might
How really, really lucky I am to have been born where I was, when I was and who I was
That the U.S. has incredible health care and nothing should be taken for granted
8 people to tag
...uh, the only other bloggers I know are Michelle and Beth, and you've both been tagged! But anybody who wants to post their answers in a comment, way cool!
Barb, Heidy, Angie (still there?), Jane F., Cheryl...anybody else there?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Warning: THIS IS REALLY LONG
We just flew back from Beijing tonight, and boy are my arms tired...actually, my legs hurt because the Great Wall of China is really big! We climbed and climbed and climbed - they made the stairs very steep because the Mongols were so much taller than the Chinese. It was so awesome and humbling to stand up there on that structure that was started some 700 years B.C. Truly a wonderful experience, and beautiful to see it snake across the landscape of China like a dragon.
Beijing is a great city and we had a fabulous time. Before the Great Wall, we visited the Ming Tomb from the Ming Dynasty, built a mere 600 years ago. The Chinese are leaving those tombs alone and guarding them for future generations since they are so young compared to other Chinese historical artifacts. Very cool. After we saw the tomb, we headed to a jade market where we learned a lot about how jade develops (over millions of years), is processed (carved with diamonds) and how to tell if it's genuine. It was all very interesting, and the market we went to is not open to tour buses, so it was very quiet and calm compared to many other markets in China. After that we headed to the Great Wall and then a Chinese lunch, which was delicious. More shopping at the Friendship Store, where all sorts of Chinese arts and crafts are sold. We watched the labor- and time-intensive process of creating cloisonne art - it is painted and fired about 7 times then glazed a bunch more. It was interesting - the kids loved watching people curl the metal around the pottery to create the designs.
The following day we walked to Tianammen Square, which again was humbling but for a different reason, and to the Forbidden City. That place is huge! And very beautiful, but unfortunately is currently under major renovations due to the upcoming 08 Olympics. Tianammen Square is a big concrete square filled with hawkers, tourists, people staring at us and snapping our picture, and many, many police officers and vehicles. It has a big statue in the middle that I'm sure has some great significance, though I couldn't read it in Chinese. There are also some beautiful statues at the rear, comprising many different Chinese people working together and rising to a great nation. They are very well-done and inspiring.
Across from Tianammen Square is the Forbidden City, built by the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Again, it's "only" 600 years old. The grounds are beautiful and well-preserved, and we used the gps-sensitive taped guides to tell us what was what and what it was for. That was quite interesting because no matter where we were, we were hearing an appropriate explation and description. The boys thought that was all pretty cool.
The following day we went to Beijing's famous pearl market which is quite similar to Lowhu on the lower floors (only even more aggressive - ick!) and has a big pearl market on the upper floors. I tried on a winter jacket on the first floor that had a 1200 rmb asking price to start. I bargained her down to 700 rmb, then decided I wanted to look around more before buying it. By the time we left that shop, they were offering the jacket for 300 rmb (about US$40!) and begging us to buy it! Crazy...I didn't buy it but what a deal! We had fun on the pearl floor - there were some beautiful necklaces and other jewelry up there!
Adjacent to the pearl market is the Beijing Toy Market. The kids had fun there! We walked around the whole thing with people yelling at us to buy their stuff, then the kids each picked out a toy. Tim did some sweet bargaining there, and I picked up some cool "learn Chinese" posters for the kids' rooms. They had fun there, and we then took a cab to the Hard Rock Cafe. We all do love the Hard Rock Cafe, because no matter where we go, it's got great food, awesome music and a little down-home comfort for us. During the cab ride - during all our cab rides, actually - I was able to converse with the driver in Mandarin. Yippee!!
That night we went to an acrobat show, where most of the performers were kids or very young adults. It was amazing! And the kids really loved it - especially when the bike-riding girls put about 15 people onto one bike! One boy, about 12, rode a unicycle upside-down on a tightrope, which amazed us all.
Yesterday evening we went to a world-famous Peking Duck (or as it's now called, Beijing Duck) restaurant. It's 5 stories of one restaurant and they recommend drinking blueberry juice with the duck to complement it. It was really good!! They bring out the whole duck (and I do mean the WHOLE duck) cooked and crispy. They slice it up and serve it with little pancakes (sort of like tender tortillas), plum sauce, and green onions. You roll it all up together and eat it like a little burrito. It is really good! Especially with the blueberry juice. We had a great meal there, then had some gelato at a nearby mall.
The weather was fairly cold and today it was drizzly. No snow yet but we plan to return next year for our "snow fix." On the flight home we had terrible food, cranky flight attendants and a slightly clumsy pilot (on takeoff and landing) so we were really glad to get home and chow down on the pizza Tim ordered on the way home!
It's really nice to be home but I also look forward to our next visit to China's capital in the North!
Beijing is a great city and we had a fabulous time. Before the Great Wall, we visited the Ming Tomb from the Ming Dynasty, built a mere 600 years ago. The Chinese are leaving those tombs alone and guarding them for future generations since they are so young compared to other Chinese historical artifacts. Very cool. After we saw the tomb, we headed to a jade market where we learned a lot about how jade develops (over millions of years), is processed (carved with diamonds) and how to tell if it's genuine. It was all very interesting, and the market we went to is not open to tour buses, so it was very quiet and calm compared to many other markets in China. After that we headed to the Great Wall and then a Chinese lunch, which was delicious. More shopping at the Friendship Store, where all sorts of Chinese arts and crafts are sold. We watched the labor- and time-intensive process of creating cloisonne art - it is painted and fired about 7 times then glazed a bunch more. It was interesting - the kids loved watching people curl the metal around the pottery to create the designs.
The following day we walked to Tianammen Square, which again was humbling but for a different reason, and to the Forbidden City. That place is huge! And very beautiful, but unfortunately is currently under major renovations due to the upcoming 08 Olympics. Tianammen Square is a big concrete square filled with hawkers, tourists, people staring at us and snapping our picture, and many, many police officers and vehicles. It has a big statue in the middle that I'm sure has some great significance, though I couldn't read it in Chinese. There are also some beautiful statues at the rear, comprising many different Chinese people working together and rising to a great nation. They are very well-done and inspiring.
Across from Tianammen Square is the Forbidden City, built by the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Again, it's "only" 600 years old. The grounds are beautiful and well-preserved, and we used the gps-sensitive taped guides to tell us what was what and what it was for. That was quite interesting because no matter where we were, we were hearing an appropriate explation and description. The boys thought that was all pretty cool.
The following day we went to Beijing's famous pearl market which is quite similar to Lowhu on the lower floors (only even more aggressive - ick!) and has a big pearl market on the upper floors. I tried on a winter jacket on the first floor that had a 1200 rmb asking price to start. I bargained her down to 700 rmb, then decided I wanted to look around more before buying it. By the time we left that shop, they were offering the jacket for 300 rmb (about US$40!) and begging us to buy it! Crazy...I didn't buy it but what a deal! We had fun on the pearl floor - there were some beautiful necklaces and other jewelry up there!
Adjacent to the pearl market is the Beijing Toy Market. The kids had fun there! We walked around the whole thing with people yelling at us to buy their stuff, then the kids each picked out a toy. Tim did some sweet bargaining there, and I picked up some cool "learn Chinese" posters for the kids' rooms. They had fun there, and we then took a cab to the Hard Rock Cafe. We all do love the Hard Rock Cafe, because no matter where we go, it's got great food, awesome music and a little down-home comfort for us. During the cab ride - during all our cab rides, actually - I was able to converse with the driver in Mandarin. Yippee!!
That night we went to an acrobat show, where most of the performers were kids or very young adults. It was amazing! And the kids really loved it - especially when the bike-riding girls put about 15 people onto one bike! One boy, about 12, rode a unicycle upside-down on a tightrope, which amazed us all.
Yesterday evening we went to a world-famous Peking Duck (or as it's now called, Beijing Duck) restaurant. It's 5 stories of one restaurant and they recommend drinking blueberry juice with the duck to complement it. It was really good!! They bring out the whole duck (and I do mean the WHOLE duck) cooked and crispy. They slice it up and serve it with little pancakes (sort of like tender tortillas), plum sauce, and green onions. You roll it all up together and eat it like a little burrito. It is really good! Especially with the blueberry juice. We had a great meal there, then had some gelato at a nearby mall.
The weather was fairly cold and today it was drizzly. No snow yet but we plan to return next year for our "snow fix." On the flight home we had terrible food, cranky flight attendants and a slightly clumsy pilot (on takeoff and landing) so we were really glad to get home and chow down on the pizza Tim ordered on the way home!
It's really nice to be home but I also look forward to our next visit to China's capital in the North!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Shout-outs, snot-outs and outings
Heidy, MichelleW and Beth, thank you for always commenting on my blogs and all your encouragement and inspiration. You will never know how much it always means to me (well, you probably do, Beth) to hear from you and receive acknowledgement that you haven't forgotten me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Today was my last day of 3 modules (almost 8 months) of Chinese class. I've met some wonderful people and learned some helpful language skills. I've also been going nuts trying to keep up with everything, plus two mornings a week of classes. I'm glad it's over. My Chinese friend Luo is going to speak to me only in Mandarin from now on, she said, and that will be my new lessons! Yikes...
My daughter has a bad, snotty cold. My oldest son and I are trying to fight it. I get Kosmo Fighter juice every day I can get there...is there a Kosmo near you? It's a U.S. chain that sells awesome juices, teas and sammiches (yippeeee!! really tough to find a gooooood sammich in China.) She is supposed to be sleeping right now but is singing "Where is Thumbkin" to herself. The other night she sang "Happy Birthday" about a million times to everyone in the family while she was going to sleep!
We are going to Beijing this Saturday for five days; it's very cold there so we will be taking warm clothes! I am really looking forward to seeing the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. And today I learned how to say "Please don't touch my children" in Mandarin...people have told us we won't be able to get anywhere because of people crowding us and touching their hair and skin...not too many foreigners in Northern China!
My oldest son received a Bible from our church last week. Tonight he started reading it. We had a big laugh over how long people lived way back in the day...he thought it was pretty crazy. We had a nice, cozy time reading it and my other son had me reading stories from his Toddler's Bible. It was a really great reading time tonight!
Today was my last day of 3 modules (almost 8 months) of Chinese class. I've met some wonderful people and learned some helpful language skills. I've also been going nuts trying to keep up with everything, plus two mornings a week of classes. I'm glad it's over. My Chinese friend Luo is going to speak to me only in Mandarin from now on, she said, and that will be my new lessons! Yikes...
My daughter has a bad, snotty cold. My oldest son and I are trying to fight it. I get Kosmo Fighter juice every day I can get there...is there a Kosmo near you? It's a U.S. chain that sells awesome juices, teas and sammiches (yippeeee!! really tough to find a gooooood sammich in China.) She is supposed to be sleeping right now but is singing "Where is Thumbkin" to herself. The other night she sang "Happy Birthday" about a million times to everyone in the family while she was going to sleep!
We are going to Beijing this Saturday for five days; it's very cold there so we will be taking warm clothes! I am really looking forward to seeing the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. And today I learned how to say "Please don't touch my children" in Mandarin...people have told us we won't be able to get anywhere because of people crowding us and touching their hair and skin...not too many foreigners in Northern China!
My oldest son received a Bible from our church last week. Tonight he started reading it. We had a big laugh over how long people lived way back in the day...he thought it was pretty crazy. We had a nice, cozy time reading it and my other son had me reading stories from his Toddler's Bible. It was a really great reading time tonight!
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