Ping Guo and Karaoke

So it is Friday, I have a whole list of things I would like to get done, before the school bus returns home... Off I go to Carrefour the big (french) grocery store. On my list are a few basic items such as fruit to stock up for the weekend. My kids have been on an apple kick lately... You know, I am not a big fan of shopping in China as there are different procedures here, like waiting in line to weigh you produce. So it was no surprise that my blood pressure shot up as I approached the produce section.... There was a sea of black heads, all pushing toward the fruit. In fact it was apples that they were clambering for. As far as I know there is no special event or holiday requiring a large amount of apples. The site was amazing. The workers were pouring new apples, wrapped in squishy paper, into to the bin, and the people were just grabbing them. I even saw a worker bark at an older woman who was grabbing too aggressively.... I looked at my list...Apples and bananas...there was little thought in my head... "abort mission now, get out...." There is no sale on produce that I can imagine that would make me climb over other people, push and shove to get the deal. I guess it was a little like shopping at 4 AM on black Friday in the US. Just substitute apples (or Ping Guo in Chinese) for home electronics.

On a more adventurous note. I did get a night on the town that night. The hubby happens to be in the US, luckily a fellow American expat included me with a group of women for a night of margarita's and karaoke. I have heard that it is a must to check out a local karaoke establishment. It is where the Chinese go to relax and let go. So this is how it works. First we went to a western bar for dinner, drinks, and a little live music. Then off to the karaoke place. You arrive and it smells like a movie theater with popcorn brewing at a counter. You buy your drinks and snacks before entering. They had everything..... canned Chardonnay and Rose.... bacardi breezers, beer. I was able to find a feeble bottle of wine and some perrier to share because I was fearful of the other stuff. So off we go, ushered into room 515. No, we don't have to sing in front of people we don't know, we get to make fools of our selves in private. It is a wonderful thing.

Despite the fact that I had laryngitis, we had a blast. Actually the laryngitis was probably a good thing. I didn't have to pretend that I could sing or not. I just barked like seal all evening.

Girlfriends, you know who you are!!!!!! This is a must do, especially in China. Some of the videos were western, i.e. Lady Gaga (I am not sure I appreciate her quest for shock value, one of her videos was on the verge of soft porn) others were western songs with a cheesy asian influence. We had some Chinese women with us who sang the Chinese pop songs beautifully. It is interesting to compare the different cultures. I would say Chinese pop reminds me of MTV in the 80's. We seriously sang for 3 hours (you rent the room by the hour). I was out later than I had been in years. Being honest, I am getting too old for late nights and drinking.... But it felt great to be out with a group of women from all over the globe for a ladies night out.

Giving Thanks

With the coming of Thanksgiving comes the familiar increase in the pace of life for most American homes, mine is no exception. What is unique about this year, is that I am now living in a place that does not celebrate Thanksgiving. In fact, I am surrounded by a whole diverse population who do not celebrate Thanksgiving. For example, I ran into a Scottish woman I know, at the grocery store as I was looking to complete my list of ingredients for a pumpkin and pecan pie. You see there is no one stop shopping in China, it may take you four different stores to gather all of the items needed. I mentioned to her that I was trying to find all the things I need for Thanksgiving. "Oh righty, it's your Thanksgiving already, good luck with that." Actually, I am impressed with how many of the non-American expats were even familiar with the holiday. I was not impressed with the expense of some of the coveted items on the menu. The turkey... over 700 RMB , which is $100 US dollars, for the darn bird. Needless to say, I did not prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. First of all, my kids did not have Thursday off from school. They did get Friday off. Second the cost of the bird seems excessive. Third, getting everything you need for proper meal, seems next to impossible here. Fourth, my oven is to small for any of the oversized items we feel compelled to prepare for our traditional feast. So, I made a pumpkin pie instead.

Thanksgiving is about being thankful for all that we have and being with family and friends. Since, I am on the other side of the the planet, I can't be with family and long time friends. The unique thing about living overseas, is that there are a lot of people in the same situation and we are all craving a little familiarity and friendship. So, a wonderful family in our neighborhood has organized a traditional all day feast. We are all chipping in for the catering of the the guest of honor ...the bird, and we are all bringing something to share. The celebration will be on Saturday, instead of Thursday, but the idea of a large group of Americans coming together to break bread, share stories and let the children run, is absolutely appealing.

So, with that, I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for, more than I knew before moving to China. I am thankful for my freedom, my rights to speak and worship as I choose. I am blessed for my 3 healthy children and wonderful husband. I am fortunate to have a phenomenal education and access to knowledge. I am thankful for being in a host country that is relatively safe from crime. I am thankful for the friends I have met and experiences had thus far.

Catching up

Hello friends and family. I am sorry I have not been as prolific as previously, so as not to bore you with minor anecdotes, I try to save up my good stuff!!!!! Not really, it has just been hard to find time to blog with all the events of life. So in a nut shell, we have had a cub scout camp out at the school. All Laughlin boys were in attendance. Instead of camping, Mom had the pleasure of a night out with Sarah B. who was in town on business. The hairy crab and "yellow" Chinese wine were superb. You know you are assimilating when your western guests are getting food all over themselves, while you remain perfectly clean. You see, napkins are not a standard practice in China. You gotta lean forward over your plate baby...use that rice bowl and spit out the bones with the rest of them.

The kids have been healthy, at least no major health issues. We celebrated our first full week of school in Oct. Yes, seriously, with all the goofy holidays and various ailments, I had not had a full 5 day week without at least one kid home from school. The kids are loving school. JP is thriving in the smaller class size. A little personal attention has been the fertilizer for some tremendous personal growth. Not to mention their personal spiritual growth as well. It has been amazing to see my little Christians blossoming. Jackson has been reading his bible on his own voraciously, he asks amazing questions and has been using prayer in day to day activities.... He is setting a good example for his parents. Other new achievements from the boys; AC can now burp on command and JP can make fart noises with his armpit.....lovely. Gotta love the male species.

Halloween was quite an experience. You would think after I was ridiculed for my $20 pumpkin that the holiday would be a bit uneventful. On the contrary, it was as if the masses of humanity converged on our compound for the event. Luckily we were prepared with a mix of Chinese and western candy. As typical for the Laughlin household we had plenty of decorations. The famous "guy who takes off his head" arrived in time for the big event. Much to the local kids chagrin, as they were a little frightened by our display. None the less, a good time was had by all. I even had a witch outfit made at the fabric market. Sorry, as the family photographer, the outfit was not documented, but is was fun.

With the coming of fall, the weather has been cooler allowing for more exploration. We recently went to one of the local ancient water towns, that dates back to the Ming and Ching dynasty (see pictures posted on the right). I still can't quite get over the scale of things here, but as time passes it becomes a little less overwhelming. I do miss home. I miss our fire pit and the conversation around it with close friends. Thank you to everyone that has been reading my blog. It is great to hear from you and to know you are following us on our adventure.

Settling in

Wow, it has been two weeks since my last post. Well, a lot has happened in the past two weeks. For all of you out there who have been craving a sense of what life is like as an expat in China, well here it goes.

First of all a routine is key. Now, that all the major fall holidays (in China) have passed, and we have healthy kids, the daily routine of getting out the door at 7:30 to walk to the bus stop is a smooth as it could be... Get kids up, feed kids, dress kids, load back packs, make snack, fill water bottles, baby in a stroller, then go. After dropping off the boys, ER and I go for a walk or a run. Then I get my self together for some activity. Since I started feeling settled, I have been able to work on my list of self improvements. Monday- digital photography, Tuesday and Thursday mornings are a mommy and me class with ER. Tues/Thurs afternoon I have my mandarin tutor. Wednesday morning is my parenting with love and logic class. Also, I am a room parent in JP's class and a class photographer for AC's class... I am at the bus stop everyday picking up my boys with the little sister feeling like a normal human being because I have not spent the day cleaning but have done something to enrich my mind and/or body. We have an hour of homework each night and I cook. I have cooked more in the past 3 months than I think I have in the past 3 years.

Over achieving you say, not really. The key to being able to do all this is having help at home, which is one of the major benefits of being an expat in China. Let me give you an example. Before coming to China, I bought JPs uniform pants from Lands end. I purchased five pairs figuring one pair a day for five days, with laundry once a week. Well, I have yet to open 3 pairs of pants because laundry is completed every day. Steve jokes that he has only worn two pairs of underwear in China!!!! We are now enjoying two authentic home cooked Chinese meals a week complements of our Ayi. So, for those of you out there, who have been toying with the idea of becoming an expat, it is quite an experience with some nice benefits. Right now, we are used to the hassles of the the grocery store, the inefficient processes and the masses of humanity. It is just China.

It 's a great pumpkin!

So, anyone who knows us, knows that Halloween is a big deal in the Laughlin household. I am not sure how that came to be. Something about having two busy boys, costumes, mummies scary things and candy. It has the perfect appeal. I am serious, I think it rivals Christmas and wins. The excitement here is palpable. So, the day the calender gets moved on Oct. 1st, let the excitement begin. I am sure all of those still in Somerset Meadows breathed a sigh of relief this year, as the pressure to get decorations out early is off. Thankfully, unlike the US, the stores are not loaded up with Halloween items in September, tempting my feverish children.

Yes, I did pack and ship Halloween decorations. Not all of them, as JP reminds me. We are waiting for the arrival of "the man who takes off his head," not sure if he will make it past customs, but we will see. So we decorated the house with Halloween lanterns and plenty of bugs. What is missing... besides "the guy who takes off his head.?" A pumpkin!!!! Right!

I have heard that pumpkins are a bit scarce and may go quickly, so I was pleased with myself yesterday when I saw pumpkins at Carrefour, our local grocery super store. They are little more like gourds, not quite as orange, but good enough. So I found a nice specimen, with a good topper, and placed him in my cart to continue my shopping. It was expensive, about $20, but I have grown my own pumpkins for the past 4 years and it is part of what makes Halloween fun for the kids. If I knew what a spectacle I would become, I may have rethought my purchase.

So, I am cruising through the store getting other items, and some of the employees start to follow me. That is odd, I thought but then I realized they wanted to look at my pumpkin. They point, chuckle and talk amongst them. Then other patrons started staring into my cart. A few reached in and felt the pumpkin. I figured, they were thinking I was crazy. This continued all throughout the store. Then another westerner commented. "You sure are a spectacle with your pumpkin, they can't believe the price" Well the price tag did say 119 RMB (about $18). I am thinking they were more like, why in the world would I pay so much for such large squash which won't even be that good to eat. If they only knew I plan to keep in on my front walk area for a couple of weeks, then cut it up with a crazy face and then throw it away. I have to admit I was a little embarrassed bringing it home as my driver and ayi, as I spent about a half days wage on a vegetable.

Now that I have a pumpkin, I must get some mums to go with the fall theme and highlight my expensive squash. So off I went to the flower market, where it is $2 for an 8 inch pot. Overall the net cost of my fall decorating was the same or cheaper than in the US. More importantly, it feels like home. When I picked the kids up from school, they were delighted to see the pumpkin. Of course they wanted more..... maybe next year if I can bring in some pumpkin seeds to grow my own.

National Day and yet another market!

Like I mentioned before, the coming of fall results in a series of local holidays. The most recent of which is National Day. This is one of China's "golden weeks." A time when work stops and people get to go home and visit with family for a week or work and get overtime. National Day represents the formation of the Peoples Republic of China. The official day is Oct. 1st and this year marks the 51st year of PRC's one party system. So, it is kind of like the fourth of July to us. I have to admit, the holiday came and went. I don't recall any dramatic display of patriotism. Although, there certainly were a lot of people out and about in the city.

On Saturday we headed out for a day in Shanghai with kids. It started with a subway ride into Puxi to Jin'ang. Here there was a temple and a park. The park was nice but in China grass is to look at, not to run on. Twice we got busted for playing on the lawn, along with many Chinese. Then AC and JP decided to jump on one of those kid spin merry go rounds. You know the ones we used to play on as a kid. Well, it didn't go well. AC got dizzy and let go, then came flying off.

After spinning out of control we headed down Nanjing Rd. which is one of the premier shopping streets. However, after being here two months there are many premier shopping areas. This is the only place I have been to that has multiple high end shopping districts. And I am not talking Nordstrom. We are talking Dolce Y Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermes.... We don't have a Banana Republic, but if I want Prada, I am all set. As for the injured spinner, nothing an Icee couldn't fix.

After a pretty lengthy walk we landed at "People's Square," which prior to the establishment of the PRC, was a horse race track. Once gambling was banned by the government it became a park and the location for Shanghai's municipal government. While walking through the park I was struck by a huge crowd of people standing by papers attached to trees and bushes. I found it odd, so I investigated further. There were one page description with and occasional picture attached, and although I can't read Chinese, I was able to sort out basic details like 160 cm. I kind of had a pit in my stomach, because I think we may have happened upon a missing persons gathering. However, I did not feel a somber atmosphere. The event really did strike me, so when we got home I did a little internet searching, only to discover that what we happened upon was the weekly "Marriage Market" This is a place where worried parents or grandparents come to advertise there unattached progeny with or without their consent... So that is why there were only a few with pictures attached!!! No actually, there is a projected shortage of brides over the next 20 years. 24 million to be exact (well guesstimated). Should I say don't mess with mother nature.....you reap what you so... end of comment. (click on the blog title to learn more about the marriage market)

Anyway, marriage is a significant status symbol in China, but in Shanghai, the independent, self sufficient woman is emerging. Not without societal pressures however. In the US the term Cougar refers to single woman over forty. In China there is the Shengu, or "left over woman" which is an unmarried woman over the age of 28...... Twenty eight, come on... if they are only going to have one child, give these women a break, and allow them to define themselves!!!!

Back to our excursion, we continued to head down Nanjing road and from Peoples Square on the crowds started building and building. So, we took refuge at the Sofitel for a glass of wine, some sodas and a bathroom stop. We were pretty sure there would be clean bathrooms in a fancy western hotel. After our little break we realized that all of Shanghai was on Nanjing Road (see picture above of the sea of heads) so we thought we better make our escape. We continued to the river. We we got to the bund we took the people mover under ground and we were back on the Pudong side of the Nanpu river....and we were hungry. So we went to the "Super Brand Mall" and dined at South Beauty, and excellent Chinese chain restaurant, with a view of the river. After everyone was satisfied, we luckily got a cab and home we went. As a bonus we got to enjoy the fireworks from the cab on the way. Then sweet dreams were had by all.

Fall is here!

The best part about having a birthday on Sept. 23 is that it marks the coming of fall. So even if I hate to see another calender year come upon me, it is welcomed with cooler temperatures and changing colors. Surprisingly Shanghai has not been a disappointment in the change of seasons. It was like a switch was turned on. The first day of autumn erased the heat and humidity that had been relatively oppressive and now each day is pleasant. I have been warned that nice weather is short lived and it will get cold. Cold!? I highly doubt that it will rival Chicago cold, but I will wait and see.

The coming of fall marks our two month anniversary of being in China. Honestly it feels more like six months. We are definitely settling in. We are finally all healthy....knock on wood. So how are we doing really? On the culture shock cycle we should be restless, impatient and disenchanted. I am not sure if is entirely true. I think AC may be feeling a bit restless, he loves school, but full days can be tough. He has been a little more whiny. JP seems realistic and insightful, but has not embraced the Chinese culture. Dad seems to be adjusting and enjoying the job, albeit the work schedule is more demanding. I am now ready to dive into language learning and am enjoying some photography. I am not ready to jump back in to medicine, but it is always in the back of my mind and I am waiting for the right opportunity to speak to me.

Don't get me wrong this no utopia, we are constantly bombarded with cultural differences that at times can be maddening. Yesterday, I stopped at the "Super Brand Mall" to make a couple of returns which went better than expected. Chinese businesses don't do returns quite as easily as the US. Then we went to a clothing store and found coats for the kids. All was well until I went to check out. First off they don't have an organized system to make waiting to check out fair for all. You line up behind a checker. So I lined up, then a local decided he was in front of me. OK, I am used that and like I said the lines are blurry. Then some guy out of know where decided he could jump in with some issue monopolizing two checkers. Meanwhile my kids start running around the store, in and out of the clothing racks. Although this mortifies me, kids are allowed to run amuck in China. As time passes, I started to get "resentful" of the 1st cutter, because now I am still waiting. Finally, it is my turn to check out and guess what? Yes, a Chinese woman shoves her stuff right in front of me, saying something loudly in Chinese. OK... so I lost it. No way was I going to be pushed aside again. So I speak loudly back, at the check out girl, who absolutely knew that I had been waiting patiently in line. More loud abrupt Chinese was exchanged, the 1st cutter who hadn't left yet, looked me... I am guessing he understood some English and realized I was upset with his actions as well, but I am sure it didn't phase him. In China, it is a free for all. If you are not aggressive you won't get anywhere. Common courtesy is not part of the culture. The lady backed off and I ended up with some coupons for money off my next purchase. I think they gave me extra, but I left with a bad taste in my mouth.

You get hit with these cultural differences and sometimes they throw you over the edge. I think I have done quite well over all. Let's see:
Kids squatting on the middle of the sidewalk to pee.
Stepping over phlegm on the ground indoors.
Having to put your toilet paper in trash can next to the toilet to protect the plumbing. ( I often forget this practice, who knows how many toilets I have ruined)
Using a squatter toilet.
Carrying toilet paper with you at all times.
Vying for position to get into an elevator with the entire family, because they will shove past
and you could lose a kid.
All eyes on the road when you cross the street, because they will run you down.

These are just some of the things you encounter daily, and for the most part, it is what it is. I just have an issue with the pushing and shoving and cutting in line. I also hate the fruit and vegetable weighing. At the Carrefour they have one lady weighing all the produce and everyone at the store is buying fresh produce. So, they just shove on through to get there stuff weighed. I have to admit many a time a courteous Chinese person will take pity on me and make it so I can get my stuff weighed, otherwise I could be there all day. I mainly try to buy the organic products which come pre-weighed because they are more expensive. Whether they are truly organic I have no idea.

So, aside from brief moments of disgust or frustration, I think we are taking everything in stride. We are off from school again for a few days. This time it is National day and the kids get Friday through Tuesday off, so hopefully we can get some exploring done. I hope you all have a nice weekend.

MagLev Train

Maglev train, just the sound of it is cool. It is only the fastest commercial train on the planet!!!! It uses magnetic levitation with a maximum commercial speed of 268 mph. For all you boys (girls too) out there that still love trains, this is quite an experience. The train was designed to move travelers from the city to the outlying international airport, which in car can take about 35 minutes without traffic. The train makes no stops, it leaves from Pudong on outskirts of the city center, actually very close to where I live, and drops you off at the airport in 7 minutes. Because the kids were off in the middle of the week for moon festival, we decided to take a ride on the maglev train. First of all it is very slick. It was clean and efficient. We bought VIP tickets so we had big windows and comfy seats. Getting moving is not like on airplane, so you don't get as much of a G-force rush but you do get moving quickly. What is different about the train is the perception of speed. You can appreciate your speed so much more when the houses are flying by you. Even more impressive is when you pass by an oncoming maglev train. Isn't it the theory of relativity that helps define motion. Well, if you never understood it in physics, you can ride the maglev train and experience it, because when we passed the oncoming maglev at greater tha 250 mph, it almost felt like it was traveling at light speed. Seriously it was a blink of an eye and the train was gone, so cool.

I must say however, if you are one to get dizzy or have a seizure disorder, the maglev is not for you. The rapid flashing of outside world from houses to trees etc can get your head spinning as your eyes continually try to find a place to focus. Anyway, we were out to the airport and back in less than an hour.

Kiddo update, I sent the kids to school on Thursday everything seemed fine. Jackson complained of headache and upset tummy Thursday night. On Friday, no fever JP still complained but I figured he was just at the tail end and was fine. I sent him to school... Less than on hour later the phone call....JP threw up in class. Home again! Emmy's boo boo is looking much better.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Not that I want to continue to blog about the kids, but most of you readers are friends and family and this is the best way to keep everyone updated. Emmy is doing well, her cut is healing I am not sure how much will scar, will keep you posted. The Chinese Virus factory AKA our home continues to be quite productive. To make it short this time we had a body ache, headache and fever virus. It started with Emmy, then me followed by Anderson and Jackson. The boys have missed the last two days of school and tomorrow is a holiday. Yes, Wednesday, the middle of the week is national holiday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival also known as the moon festival.

"Celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival is strongly associated with the legend of Houyi and Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. Tradition places these two figures from Chinese mythology around 2170 BCE, during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao, shortly after that of Huangdi. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the moon, Chang'e simply lives on the moon but is not the moon per se." (taken from wikepedia, click on the blog title for a link to the article)

So essentially it is a harvest festival, celebrating the harvest moon. Which we have been learning about in second grade as JP is keeping a moon log. The moon festival is rich with tradition and folklore. All over Pudong, there are lanterns and moons and rabbits. The stores are selling the traditional mooncake. The mooncake seems to be a very important part of the celebration. Tonight and tomorrow families will be together to have dinner and eat mooncake. I find the mooncake an interesting thing. Today at the store I saw people loading their carts with the mooncake. There is even some moon cake scalping going on. So Haagen Daz sells a fancy collection of mooncake. How it works is you buy a coupon that can be redeemed for the moon cake. Now outside of haagen dazs are guys selling the coupons, but I think you can also sell your coupon for cash less than the face value. This way, the worker who may have received the moon cake from there employer can get cash and the buyer gets his moon cake cheaper. Some of the dudes were even hanging out in the Haagen Dazs. It is a totally expected practice. I wonder if creating the market sells more mooncake. Got to love China!

The official working holiday is to have Wed-Friday off, then the Chinese are expected to go back to work on Sat and Sunday to make up for the extra 2 days off. Now that seems uncool, but overall, people in China want to work. My Ayi is coming on the official holiday because she wants the overtime. Our driver left early today to have dinner with his family and is coming in all of the days for the same benefit.

So I did sample the mooncake. It wasn't that bad. Mine was sweet with a coconut flavor with a doughy crust. I kind of reminds me of a fig newton that isn't as crumbly. Well happy Autumn to all. By the next post I will be one year older, but a lot wiser.

What to blog about this week?

So, I want to come to you with a little more meat, but I think the world alternates with boring blog, funny blog. The saga in the Laughlin household continues. I thought we were doing pretty good after all the illnesses and the lice. Then yesterday, under my watch E.R. had a bonk, that resulted in a serious gash on her forehead. I was devastated. As much as this girl climbs and defies gravity, she was no match for tripping on a blanket and falling on a popcorn box from target, which left her with a nasty one inch slice on her forehead. Chaos ensued, I got her in quickly and she is all glued up. but I am sure it will leave a scar. :( At least I was able to get to the local expat clinic. The doc who saw her trained at Cook County no less. Today, she developed a fever. Not likely related to the head wound, but just enough to keep mom worried. Please keep her (and Mom) in your prayers.

On better note, I have been exploring the local markets. I went to one of the fabric markets and commissioned a black cashmere coat for all of 400 RMB (about 60 bucks) I will keep you posted on how it turns out. I am also having a silk dress made. I figure you have to start somewhere to figure out how to maximize this experience.

I also practiced my bargaining skills at one of the underground fake markets. It is definitely an art. They give you a high price, then you lowball them to insult them. Then they try to get you to a middle ground. I am starting to get the hang of it. I am sure I have over payed for some items, but it is all a process. It is funny, at the end of the day,I got tired and I halted the bargaining process too early and the lady got personally offended. She was like, "I am working with your here!!!" And I bought a hair clip for all of 7 US dollars. I also came out with a pair of leather ballet flats that seem comfortable. Ignore the fact that they have "Tods" plastered on them. I am sure that they are not even a replica of a Tod's shoe. The logo is just placed there to entice you.

These are the quirks about living here. Forget about buying legal games or DVDs. You can't find them. You can get video games for less than a buck and movies for about 2 dollars. I am almost embarrassed that I own a real / trendy Juicy Couture purse, because if I wear it out, it would automatically be assumed to be fake. I would rather have what I want custom made without a label than the fake goods that are so prevalent. I am also worried that the real videos that I brought with me will get confiscated going home as they will be assumed to be copies as well.

Well, that about does it. The kids were off on Friday for a teacher inservice. Next week they will be off on Wed. for the Moon Festival. More on that next blog. I don't think my kids have been in a full 5 day week of school since we started. I am still craving a normal routine. I started my digital photography class this week and the instructor informed us that we will have 3 hours of homework weekly. Woo hooo!!!! Back to school for me. So, hopefully I will have more to discuss next time. Also, Mayor Daley is in Shanghai this week, so it feels a little like home in Chicago. If you didn't know he is not running for re-election. Big news in Chicago. Well, I will sign off and promise to get back to basic topics soon.

Driving is crazy!

Before I get started, I have to have a moment to reflect on some bigger issues in the world at the moment. First off is the date. Can you believe it has been 9 years since that horrible day. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was in residency and Steve happened to be in D.C. at the time, it was monumentally frightening. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who lost in in this tragedy, which is essentially the entire American people. Let me also, put out a request for prayers to those who are currently affected by the four mile fire in Boulder. I can only helplessly watch from my computer as homes and wildlife go up in flames so close to where we still call home.

So, I wanted to touch on a basic task that we take for granted every day. It has now been 7 weeks since I have been behind wheel of a motor vehicle. Don't all hoot and holler at once. Seriously, getting from A to B is a critical necessity that we all take for granted. As you may or may not know, we have a car and driver that gets us around. I know you are thinking, "Wow" but it is not as glamorous as you think. It is not as if I am sitting inside a limo with strawberries and champagne being let out at the red carpet. We have a standard issue Buick minivan. Yes, didn't you know that the Buick is the most popular car in China? Our driver only speaks Mandarin, so everyday is a bit like charades. He starts to get to know the places we like to go, so I can just say Fangdian Lu (Lu means road) and he takes me to a popular expat shopping/dining area on that street. He seems to be quite entertained by my children, which is good, because they are not calm and quiet, and so far, I haven't seen a hint of frustration or eye rolling. Which I hope means that we are not annoying or irritating. It is no easy task carting us around. Especially when I am retrieving puking kids from school.

There is a good reason they won't let us drive. Driving is pretty different here. I think of it as a musical concert where there is a constant flow of movement. In and out up and down, all streaming together. One car squeezes a little too close, and you move enough just to let him by. Meanwhile, the motorized bicycles and scooters squeeze in-between like toothpaste. Drivers are always looking for an opportunity to get ahead. In traffic, why waste those empty on coming lanes. No sense in wasting good space just drive on the wrong side of the road for a while. The amazing thing is there is no road rage, you may get an occasional honk for communication, but the people are not laying on there horns aggressively attacking other drivers. It is as if it is a given that all are trying to get somewhere quickly and if you are in that much of a hurry, ok move ahead. We have been in numerous close encounters and my driver never flinches. It is like, O.K. this lady wants to back out into me, I will let her know I am here, then get out of her way.

There are some cool differences. Their left hand turn lanes extend into the intersection, saying it is ok to wait out here until you can turn. Also, the lights give you a warning before they turn green, so you will be ready to go. The yellow light starts to blink along with your red light before the green light comes on tell you to get ready to move. Similarly the yellow light starts to flicker when the green is on to tell you that the yellow light is coming soon. I think it is brilliant actually. It definitely seem to keep things moving.

The worst thing about not being able to drive, is having to depend on someone else to be there at a moments notice. I can't just run to the corner store, without having to call my driver to come get me. And let me tell you, these drivers work hard. They are available 12-14 hours a day. Waiting to take me on my next shopping excursion , or for Steve a dinner meeting. I don't know, everyone says "they want to work." I am not sure I can ever get over that reference, "they." As if they are different from you or belong to some other group.

I felt terrible this week. It was back to school night and I had arranged for the kids to hang out with a neighbor and their Ayi , and I was going to drive. Of course, something got lost in translation, so when I called my driver, he was already at home. He had to leave his home (probably in the middle of dinner) and come pick up Emmy and I and a friend and take us to school for 2 hours. I am certain my driver could not have been happy about this, but he never lets it show.

The other controversy is, where do I sit? With two adults and 3 kids, someone has to sit in the front seat. Is this acceptable? Well, I don't care if it is or not. I sit in the front, all the time. This way, I get to learn where I am going. I do get stares at times, but I don't care, it is more practical, besides, I am the "trailing spouse." When Steve rides to work he is always in the second row, the appropriate place for the client to sit. Now for the first time in our lives together, I always know where we are and where we are going. Plus, if we are traveling as a family, he is closer to the kiddos. Whoooo hooo for me.

From a practical standpoint, I use tour books and taxi cards to communicate where I would like to go. In Shanghai, there is a phone number, called Guanxi. You call it and it will text the directions to you in Chinese. I haven't tried it yet, but heard it works great. So, we are getting around alright. The sites on the road are something to see: Whole families on a scooter, with no helmets, people riding side saddle on a bench behind the seat while the front person pedals. The motorized bikes are different. They are a functional bicycle that also has an electric motor to jet you around. Boy, I would have loved one of those when I was a kid. I hope to post pictures so you can see what I mean.

The joys of motherhood!!!

So this one is not for the faint of heart. As you may recall we were off school on Wed. for Typhoon Kampasu. So Thursday, kids had a bath, are going to bed. What should I discover? Head Lice!!!!!! I know that I am doctor and this is something that happens with kids, it is not that they are unclean blah! blah! blah! I am sorry, but for me after a month in China, taking my hits, this one about threw me over the edge. I can handle blood, guts, vomit, poop, but there is something about infestation that really grosses me out. It is one of those sensitivity buttons for which rational thought is at least 8 hours from surfacing. I can't handle infestation of any kind. I read once about a snake infestation in the south, that made my skin crawl for weeks after. The idea of creepy crawlies in my kids hair....... Of course I may be having flash backs of when I was a kid and came back from camp, having to use the shampoo with my parents checking my scalp. I remember being mortified then. Or is it the fear of being infected as well? My kids get scared or lonely at night, especially in China and come cuddle in bed. The questions start rising in my mind... How are we going to contain this, my washer and drying are the size of a postage stamp? Where do I get the shampoo and tools to kill the nasty buggers? What about disinfecting every inch of my 4 level China villa? This was definitely a China moment, where you feel a little lost and overwhelmed. I feel I am being indoctrinated into stay-at-home motherhood as if I am being hazed for a fraternity.

After I climbed down from the ledge ha ha.... I called the school nurse, who was wonderful, and told me where to get the supplies I need. She was thankful that I reported the problem so as to prevent further spreading. Of course this happened on the morning of the new parent meeting/coffee at school, which I previously was looking forward to. Now I have all my kids home again with a huge task ahead of me. So I went, but was clearly distracted. I met up with another IBM wife, who I barely know, but somehow I felt I could confide in her. She was amazing. Immediately she eased my anxiety, she had just gone through this back at home, she had supplies to share, and sanity that my whole house is not going to be overrun with the creepy crawlies. When I got to the pharmacy and asked for the appropriate product, they smiled, we have been waiting, this is the time of year that we sell lots of our lice kits, you are our first one. Uggggg!!!

Obviously the kids stayed home for a second day this week for head cleansing and and combing. When I got home with all the goods, my Ayi was making progress in the bedding washing department. JP had found some scissors and made a feeble attempt at cutting his hair. Poor guy, he just wanted the buggies out. It wasn't that bad, you can kind of comb over some of it. Anderson is also sporting a new and shorter do, thanks to Dad. I spent the day washing, sanitizing, bagging up toys, in order to contain this mess.

Then the email came out. "Two cases of lice in the Elementary school." If anyone knew that my kids are the subjects in all the health related emails coming out of this school....Really!!! We haven't been in school two weeks. What I didn't blog about is that I got a call from the nurse earlier in the week, Jackson had diarrhea. They gave him some Smecta, I still need to look it up and figure out what it is, and sent him back to class... Please, let it be someone else's turn next.

The good news is that we found a babysitter and we had planned a date night that night. After my day I was looking forward to a nice dinner and a cocktail. We went to a very hip Japanese Restaurant in the French Concession area. I ordered a martini, which is a rarity for me, but the occasion called for it. I got a shot of vodka in a low ball glass. disappointment..... Oh well, this is China.

Gotta go baby is crying and Steve is getting ready to leave, for a meeting. Yes it Sunday morning.......what.... Emmy puked in her bed overnight!!!!!!

Addendum 9/7/10: Mom sick with the stomach flu Sunday night, Jackson in the nurses office on Monday with a tummy ache, Anderson sent home from school on Tues. vomiting. That about does it :^)

Typhoon Kampasu is a coming

Just when you think you get back on track, another curve ball comes at you.

Email sent at 9:00 pm on Tuesday night:

To all Concordia parents,

School is close tomorrow, Wednesday 9/1/2010 by the order of City of Shanghai due to typhoon.

Best Regards,

Head of School

Typhoon!!!!! Yes its name is Kompasu and the city was partially shut down today. Which means the labor workers did not have to come to work today and China public schools were supposed to start today, but didn't. Of course today was the day I rescheduled my look around town with the Orientations consultants. You know the one that was disrupted last week when AC had a fever. He is doing much better by the way, but there have may have been more cases of the flu at school since. I am still on the fence. He looked to good to be that sick, plus thankfully no one else at home got that sick. ER has been a little punky, but no fever.

Sorry, I digressed. Back to the weather. Not only did the school email me, my phone company text me, JP's teacher called me personally. Talk about being connected, it was impressive. Given school was closed, I thought for sure we were going to have to batten down the hatches an hunker in. But no, we had beautiful clear blue skies, a rarity in Shanghai as it is usually pretty hazy, until noon. Then we had some thunder storms, which were impressive but we didn't have the winds that were expected. I don't think it was necessary to keep the kids home from school, but better safe than sorry.

The hardest part about all of this is that it is not like I can watch the local weather to know what is coming and how concerned I should be. Yes I can go online, but me reading the Doppler radar is not the same as a local weatherman that you trust and are used to watching. Again, here in Shanghai you just learn to roll with everything. So we spent the afternoon at the gym in the kiddie playland. I am still waiting to get into a routine, but there seems to always be something going on.

Flu awareness

So we have officially been in China for a month now. It has been a long month with a pretty steep learning curve. Just when I thought all was well... I have the kids in school, I have started exercising, I am less overwhelmed when I go to the grocery store... The call from school. Of course it happened on the one day I was away in Puxi for an IBM sponsored orientation session to Shanghai. Anderson has a high fever 39.2 C (or about 102.6). Normally, I wouldn't panic, but this is the first illness in Shanghai, and this open's up a whole can of worms in my mind. Where do we go for urgent/emergent care? How does the system work? Can I trust any of it? Will they take insurance?

First I have to call the driver to come all the way back to get me so I can collect AC, who by the way was fine when I dropped him off at the bus stop. In fact they were learning about germs and hand-washing in preschool, so he was discussing proper technique and then some on the way to meet the bus. Once he gets on a topic the chatter never ends. So, needless to say I was a little alarmed and wanted see for my self how he looked ASAP. Interestingly the school nurse asks if she can give him something, I respond yes Tylenol, a little surprised that they could administer any medication. I felt like a doctor again giving a verbal order....Flashback, residency, call for fever, response tylenol.... Then she corrects me. Oh 39.2 very high fever, Motrin better. You know, she is right, motrin works much quicker and more effectively for kiddos temps...back to being Mom, oh yeh, I don't have to worry about complications of motrin on a general medicine patient, it is my kid.

I arrive at the school, I have no idea where the infirmary is... ok it's in the middle school. I barely get in the door, and I hear poor AC's cry Mom!!!! He is my sensitive one and gets a lot better with mommy hugs. Sizing him up, he doesn't look too bad. In the states, I would have collected him and off we go, but we are not in the states. So I talk to the nurse, about any other symptoms, has any one else been sick. "Oh other boy in same class also, has very high fever, but had vomiting as well."

Since this is our first medical issue, I made an appointment with a pediatrician at the local expat clinic. He looked good, but I felt like this was as good a time as any to check out what medical facilities are available. Plus, I didn't want his condition to change, and I would be without a medical contact. So off we go to the clinic. It is clean, the front desk people are nice and helpful. They were even able to track down my insurance as we have not received our new cards, so I didn't have to pay cash to be seen. For China standards, I was pleased. Diagnosis, viral illness.

AC is doing well, I decide to keep him home the rest of the week. They have a great policy, that the kids have to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Then, I get the email. Two children in Miss M's class were sent home with fever one confirmed case of influenza. Gulp!
O.K. I have one sick kid, two other kids at home one only 18 months old. The flu? It is only August! Again, I am not an alarmist, but influenza can be a scary illness, and I may be harboring patient zero!!!! Although, in my heart of hearts, AC looks way to good to have the flu.

A little research later. I have learned that in Southern China, there are two peaks of influenza one right about now. The northern part of China, is more typical to the US with a winter peak season. Shanghai is right in the middle, so I guess we could go either way. (I haven't done that research) I was pleased to find that China as a weekly report on cases of the flu. This week is week 31 with 53 confirmed cases of H1N1, no severe cases or outbreaks. So at least the government is on it. I bet by next week, because of Miss M's preschool fever frenzy, the manditory temperature check may be re-instituted at the school. Apparently a previously mandated practice in response to last years H1N1 pandemic.

Hand washing, Hand washing, Hand washing in China.

http://www.cnic.org.cn/eng/

Headlines

I know that there is a lot of interest in Expat life. I am planning on more in depth discussions on this, but after today's newspaper I felt the need to share my news media experience. We have only been receiving the newspaper for a week and even in that time frame, I have a lot to write about. First of all I have to say, I enjoy the international perspective. The Shanghai Daily is the local English produced newspaper and it tries to include something for everyone. For example, I have been following the Pan Pacific swim competition. Did you know that Michael Phelps is out-of-shape, but still pulling through in the end? Some things however are shocking, to read or see in print. For example, in this weeks Sunday paper an image of an Indian woman nursing her pet calf ???? I know the Chinese government is watching and nothing is going to be published that is defamatory to the P.R.C., but the image in print was so bizarre. Other oddities, a trial against a midwife who threw in an "extra stitch" because she didn't get a good tip. The dichotomy is that on the same page are real news stories about what is happening in China, there have been terrible mudslides throughout China. This month over 1400 people have perished in these natural disasters, and that is only the official reported number. The shear magnitude of devastation is so foreign to me. The loss of human life in a natural disaster here is so much greater than what we see in the US. Take hurricane Katrina for example. We lost over 1800 people, we are still working to rebuild New Orleans, and it is a historic natural disaster for the United States. In 2008, over 68,000 people died as a result of the Sichuan earthquake (the damage from which has contributed to the rash of mudslides recently). It just blows my mind.

Somethings I may think are odd or inhumane are actually quite logical if you stop to think about it. China is all about the big picture as a whole. For example, rescue efforts in a recent mudslide have been ordered to cease and people are not allowed to search for loved ones as no live survivors have been recovered recently. Cruel you say, but the reasoning is that the bodies are decomposing and they are worried about disease and infestation of remaining area populations. Finding your loved one for a closure and a proper burial is not a consideration. The population here is so massive the individual is not of great concern.

I do want to make it clear, that this blog will not address politics. I am a guest in this country and although I may not understand how or why things are done the way they are, I am going to keep an open mind. So no comments about political views please. I just want to share what I see, not necessarily inject how I see it.

Check out my local paper to see whats happening here!

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/list.asp?id=2

First day of school

Well, it finally arrived, the first day of school. Although the last few weeks seem like an eternity, I still can't believe we are entering another school year. Overall, it is a welcomed day. It is funny, when I was a little girl, I remember getting a little weepy on the last day of school every year. Weird, I know, most people can't wait for summer to begin. I think I was just a little nostalgic that another year was coming to an end. So, guess I shouldn't be surprised that now I seem to tear up on the first day of school every year and this week was no exception. I guess I did let my kids go off to school in a country where they don't know the language or culture.

Let's talk about the things I am thankful for; fancy buses with seat belts and bus monitors (who I witnessed holding AC's hand, walking him directly to his classroom). I am thankful for small class sizes, only 18 kids in JP's class. I am thankful for uniforms which eliminate the decision on what to wear everyday, and a lunchroom that offers seconds for hungry kids. I am thankful for my beautiful high energy children who fill my days with joy and frustration as we grow together and experience China together.

Mobile madness

I have been pretty proud of myself lately when it comes to utilizing advanced technology. I have broken through the Chinese firewall, which allows me unlimited access to the Internet. I have unlocked my IPhone, I have gotten Steve's IPad up and running and a new Mac computer online. All was well, until...

Today we explored the "Super Brand Mall." Seriously, that it what it is called, because brand names are "super," at least in China. The mall is enormous, 9 massive floors of retail space and thousands of shoppers. It took Steve 15 minutes in line at McDonald's for happy meals. This was after the kids shunned the sushi that travels past via conveyor belt that Steve and I ate. Needless to say it was pretty chaotic and people were snapping photos of us as we ate, see previous blog for explanation. We did manage to navigate the Toys-r-Us and each kid was satisfied, all but Mom.

In order to get my shopping fix and check out the playing field, I headed out for Shanghai's premier shopping area on Nanjing road. This was, I wouldn't say the Michigan Ave of shopping, but it is a large outdoor walking mall with aspirations of being up to Michigan or 5th Ave, shopping standards. Like everything in China, it again is massive in size and capacity. While I was trying to get the lay of the land my phone was doing the weirdest thing. It kept on texting me in Chinese. It was like rapid fire a text every 15 seconds and I couldn't get it to stop. After 20 minutes of this watching my battery dwindling... I realized I was alone in the middle of the city with no language skills and no phone. I started to worry, not panic. I just recognized I was in quite a predicament.

After shunning several, what I call purse peddlers... You know "Lady, you like nice purse, how bout watch!" The next dude that came my way, I said, "no purse, read this" and showed him my phone. The response "You have no money!" He meant on my phone... Great, so I am alone in a city with 22 million Chinese people with "No money" on my phone, which means no service to call for backup. So, dramatic pause, do I panic? No. I start looking for a China Unicom, to see if I can fix my problem. But it did kill my shopping excursion. After getting nowhere, with China Mobile (the competitor product which appears to be the Kmart of mobile services), I looked to the only souls interested in helping me. The purse peddlers!!! The next guy that approached me, you know I have "sucker"written across my forehead, which means these guys approach me almost as frequently as I was getting Chinese texts. I pulled the same trick. "Read this" as I showed him my phone. "Ahhhh you have no money" At least it was the same response as the other guy. So I say "I need China Unicom" Ahhh as he nods his head and directs me to come with him. Off down a side road we go. By the way did I mention it is hot, at this point I feel sweat dripping from every appendage. We stop at a guy whose shop is the size of a closet and in his small glass case are various cards. He looks at my phone, "slow, bad sim card." "I don't need sim card, I just need money on my phone" he nods as he continues punching numbers into my phone. "OK 100 Yuan" which is like $15 US dollars. "You call and check" How could I explain to him that by now I had so little battery left, I was worried I wouldn't be able to call for my pick up. Sure enough, I was back in business.

Here is the question, throughout this the purse dude stood by my side, do you go check out his goods or do you say thanks, see ya later? Since I try to be a good ambassador for America, I agreed to check out what the purse dude had to sell on the underground market.

Off I go down an even more obscure alley into another closet sized room. In this room are 3 more purse peddlers. "You need T-shirt" no, I don't need a T-shirt, although I am so sweaty by now, I actually probably did. Back to another room where I exam an array of bad fakes. It just so happens on my arm is a real coach purse and wallet that I can feel for reference. Then I spy another door, hidden, but yet visible. Inside are the creme de la creme of knock offs. Still knock offs, but much better to the touch. "Ahhh you know good quality," they reply. There is Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Louis Vuitton. I find a practical piece, a Louis Vuitton purse, that can also fit around the waist. Dare I say "fanny pack," no a practical piece that can allow mom to be hands free, and it is officially called a waist bag. They quote 750 RMB which is over a hundred dollars. I counter with 350 RMB. Then I realize, I am low on cash. Their response is how much do you have. 320 RMB. Sold! I am sure I have a lot to learn in the bargaining process, but I did get less than 50% of the asking price and paid around $40 US dollars. Still probably too much, but, you live and learn. Overall they were nice people, and the purse guy did go out of his way to be helpful, so I guess it was a service charge.

Now, I have no cash, but a phone that works very little battery and a purse I did not need. Thankfully the purse place was air conditioned, so at least I have cooled off. Now the purse guy has determined it is his mission to find me a bank. I step back on to the street, I look up, and there is my car and driver. Saved. Off I go back to the safety of my expat compound. I am sure I will venture back for a more relaxed shopping experience in the future.

It is hot hot hot!!

So we have been here two weeks, and all I can say about the weather is that it is hot hot hot. Not the kind of hot I am most accustomed to ie Southern California and Colorado...I have blocked out Chicago humidity from my memory. It is stick to your skin hot. Last night I went out to put something in the trash and I felt like I was walking through marshmallow mist. The air is so thick, as you wave your arms through it, I swear you can see it sway. We are absolutely living in a cloud...I wonder what shape it is... oops sorry, stream of consciousness. Seriously, I know the talk about pollution in China, especially the Olympics in Beijing, but you have to remember there are two parts to the equation, smoke and fog = smog. Here in Shanghai, there is a large portion of fog. It is just hot fog. On an ozone action day in So. Cal, I have definitely seen worse. It is not like I have time to exercise here, but I remember days in high school after a long run or a race when I could barely breath because the pollution burned my lungs so bad.

It is so humid here, that I think even my bone straight fine hair can feel a little frizz. So what do we do to beat the heat. It is hit the pool baby. Probably the best thing about not working are long days at the pool. Our compound, in the states known as sub division, has a respectable pool, gym and indoor playground (remember its hot) and spa. So our daily routine includes some activity in the morning, then then lunch (freshly prepared by yours truly, another change in this household), then we get Emmy to bed for her nap, and it is off to the pool. BTW I don't abandon Miss E at home, our Ayi (another blog entry to come) is home while she sleeps. Luckily we are with in walking distance of the clubhouse, and off we go with our floaties and sub-par sunscreen. You see we have not received our household goods shipment that has a lifetime supply of SPF 50 available) that may be water proof... Thank God for the swim shirts. Mr. J unfortunately inherited my pasty skin tone, so we can't have him burning in the sun. So far we have had no sun casualties.

I started this blog intending to incorporate health care/ eastern medicine, and I still plan to do so more thoroughly, but work with me I just moved a family of five to a foreign country. So the secret to the beautiful Asian complexion...Sun avoidance. I think JP put it the best. "Mommy, they use umbrellas and it isn't even raining!" Yes, I am sure they have been way ahead of us for some time. Why spend the money on creams, you buy one umbrella and it works for years. So the secret to looking young for a long time, total sun protection. Now of course in China this goes back to the caste system. The laborers were hardened and darkened by the sun which was unacceptable for the upper class... How green and healthy would we be if we started using umbrellas to shield us from the sun. I haven't purchased a parasol yet, but I am thinking about it.

So, for now we hit the pool everyday. I am hoping the exposure prolongs my needs for getting highlights a little longer. Getting my hair done is a task I dread to no end at this point. There is a snack bar, which has been a great lesson for JP. It costs 10 RMB (remimbi otherwise known as Yuan) for popcorn or french fries, and 20 for chicken nuggets. 10 RMB is about $1.50, so I make JP go up with the money for snacks to help him get accustomed to the currency. BTW it is only 20 RMB for a Corona, as well, but I prefer spending it on the Perrier, it is just too darn hot even for a cold beer. I know, blasphemy but water is the new wine. I just made that up, don't listen to me. Nothing can replace a good California Cab....sniff.

Well the lazy days of summer will be coming to an end as the kids start school next week, sigh... It is good news and bad news. The good news is that I will get to go out and explore this amazing city. The bad news, my babies keep growing up on me. Well, more to come...

Papa-Paparazi

We went to the aquarium today, as 7 year old JP is a budding oceanographer, but I think we were a more popular attraction than the fish. We happen to be extraordinary to the Chinese on so many levels. First of all we are a family of 3 which is like an unimaginable indulgence. Second, 2 out of my three kids are fair haired. This is unbelievably popular, especially Miss E. At first Mr J. thought it was fun, but it got old pretty quick. Luckily he had a hood, to cover his golden tresses and his big blue eyes, which he used to go incognito. As we were enjoying the shark exhibit, and Mr. J was gently touching the fish, I personally witnessed patrons taking pictures of my kids rather than taking pictures of the sea creatures. On several occasions, Steve or I would get big thumbs up for our amazing production of two boys then a girl.

I have to admit, at least in Shanghai, I haven't witnessed any gender predilection. There seems to be just as many little girls as little boys clinging to their mums; all well dressed, but not necessarily well behaved. Kids in China are so cherished, that they get to rule the roost. It will be interesting, as the socioeconomics continue to grow a wealthier class in China, with all these privileged only children and more western influences if they will see a slow down in their production of an educated/motivated work force.

The warmth expressed by the Chinese toward children is genuine. Even though they were exuberantly and blatantly taking photos of my children, they were respectful, and I did not feel that they were in danger. Now, if I see one of their faces on a billboard in the future it will be a different story. Truthfully, they love kids and are only likely to be blessed with one child per family, so they appreciate the little ones more. I was a little crestfallen, when I was waiting for the boys outside a bathroom and a woman with her son the same age as Miss E. struck up a conversation. He was bigger than Emmy, cute with his little buns hanging out of his split bottom pants. She was amazed to hear I had 3 children and she said "we are only allowed to have one in China, it makes it pretty lonely." That is when you realize the true meaning of freedom, and why we work so hard to protect it. Which is another reason why I am not offended by all of the attention. They truly are a humble society to see the other side of the coin and not rebel or carry animosity... Or is is just learned helplessness.

For now, I will take my rock star family into the last week until school starts. We seem to be generally adjusting well. The boys have issues from time to time, which is to be expected. I haven't had time to miss work quite yet. Thanks for all of your posts and suggestions. I will keep blogging...

Appliances......a piece of equipment for adapting a machine to a special purpose

How much time do you spend thinking about the tools we use everyday to make our lives easier? Prior to moving to China, I would say zero, except when they quit working. I am not saying that China isn't modern, it is very high tech here. I am just saying that we have differences in the tasks that we want done for us.

Work = Force * Distance ( ooh, I pulled that out of nowhere from college physics). In China, work is done by human force and distance, which is why they are so slim.... but that will be a different post. So most of the things we rely on machines to do, you can pay someone to do for you like washing dishes and doing laundry. Therefore, in most non-western homes there is no dishwasher or washers and dryers. Thankfully we have these because our house was outfitted for the sole purpose of renting to foreigners. However, they are microscopic in size. The dish washer is approximately 1.5 X 2.5 feet. Ironically, we have always dreamed about adding a second dishwasher to our home in Colorado this would be uncivilized in China. The oven is also tiny, as baking is not a Chinese pastime. But, I do have this strange contraption called a dish dryer, which takes up more space than my oven, clearly staging its importance in the kitchen.... Overall I have been underwhelmed by its utility, by the time I wash a dish and move it across the kitchen, I could have dried it myself. Remember that formula, W=F*D, it is more work to use this dish drying thingy. I just assume use the dishwasher and put things away.

The appliance I am seriously missing is the garbage disposal. Life without a garbage disposal is so annoying. Not to mention the fact that they brainwash kids in Colorado to only think green, therefore if it is compostable we should be composting. Poor JP is heart broken every time he sees organic material hit the trash can (which is also microscopic in size). It is the food Emmy throws on the floor that I just want to pick up and throw in the sink, that is pushing me over the edge.

There are also some pretty cool things that are not mainstay in the US. We have a water heater upper, and I love it. You put water in it, push a button and less than a minute later you have boiling water. Since coffee isn't super big in Asia, we have gone back to the french press method of making coffee, which is fantastic BTW. I just grind the beans and use the hot water and voila, yummy dark roast coffee. Truly, it is no more work than using a traditional coffee maker. Other cool things, the toilets have pressure and they don't have a tank with that floating thing that occasional gets loose causing the hissing sound. You know, jiggle the handle... You just push a big button on the wall and it is like you are in an airplane...wooosh! Oh, and all the doors have a magnet on the floor, so when you open them all the way, they stay open. The light switches are big buttons, perfect for arthritic hands. I will have to remember this when I head back to work some day. All in all the Chinese way is about keeping eyes and doors open, and toilets flushin'. That's a way to keep things a movin' round here.

Shopping in Shanghai

Grocery shopping, one of the most simple mundane tasks, no? It turns out this has become quite a daily challenge. Imagine your kitchen is completely void of basics and then you discover the basics you know and love are not available. The culture shock in grocery shopping is difficult to describe. First of all say goodbye to the basic spices you use daily. It is not to say they may not have them (although I haven't found them yet), I just wouldn't be able to read the labels anyway. So we have salt, pepper and garlic. There are a lot of mystery things at the store, which may add terrific flavors, but they are less than appealing to the eye. Also, say goodbye to the kid friendly foods, that make life easier for moms. No chicken nuggets, meatballs etc... They do have frozen pizza, but no traditional flavors like pepperoni or sausage. Instead they have pizza with tuna fish on top (which actually wasn't all that bad). The Chinese do love fresh food. There is a ton of new and interesting fruits and vegetables. There are also, live fish, eel, turtles and shrimp ready to kill and come home from the grocery store.

We have been shopping at what they call a hypermarket. It is kind of a grocery store plus plus. They have appliances, televisions, clothing, housewares. Kind of like target, but on a much bigger scale and not quite as clean and organized. They even have people stationed in the aisles to try to directly influence your purchase. So when I bought a mop, they had a guy demonstrating the wonders of his bucket system while his buddy shows me a different option.

Of course there have been pitfalls. Apparently, when you pick out fresh produce you are supposed to take it to a special station to have it weighed. Of course I was clueless in this practice and when I got to the counter the lady was talking and showing me my apples. Luckily my driver is awesome and he grabbed my apples and ran to a weigh station as I continued to unload my goods. Unfortunately he was already gone when I came across my bananas.... he didn't complain when had to run back with those. ugh!

Upon checking out, they check your receipt as you exit the building, much like costco. My driver usually does it for me. I was pretty excited when they handed me a 6 pack of soda after reviewing my receipt. It was called Chill and looked to be imported and reminded me of Sierra Mist. So when Jackson was thirsty later that day, I thought we would give it a try. When I popped it open, it seemed a little foamy Jackson and I both lept to prevent significant spillage. Much to my surprise, it was Beer!!! And they were handing it out at the grocery store. Thankfully , JP did not have a taste for it.

Also, you have to beware of which aisle you check out in. I had about ten items yesterday at the local hypermarket called lotus. There was a guy staffing the line area. (they have staff for every single task) The first line I went to he gestured no carts. OK, so I went to the next aisle and he said no cards. So I went to a third, mind you I see no signs indicating which line is which, and he grunted OK. So as I am beginning to unload, I look to the next line where is says we gladly take Visa. I then look at my line and it has a picture of the local credit card....You bet one card one line baby. At least I was prepared to say cash is fine and move on.

Now those of you who are costco addicts like me, sorry to say, the Chinese do not buy in bulk. Steve went to buy a case of peligrino and they made us take one out so they could charge us for each individually. For a family of 5 this is most challenging. This means it is back and forth to the grocery store, pretty much on a daily basis. It is hard to believe that 3 weeks ago I was a successful physician, now I can barely function in a grocery store. I never said I didn't like a challenge. Back to the store again today.