November Update!

Life here is going good… Nearly a year and a half into our move I can’t say it feels completely at home… but it certainly feels close to it.   The cooler weather is here and this year we are more prepared as we now actually own jackets.  We went from AC to heat in a matter of a week.  We are celebrating Thanksgiving this year with our family away from family - our expat friends.   50 of us misfits are getting together for some potluck fun.  Turkeys here are VERY expensive - I may have to do a chicken breast and call it turkey if I can’t find anything under 150 bucks.  My oven is much smaller here too so that could present some problems with cooking the bird.   The kids actually go to school on Thanksgiving!!  

Jordan is doing well… she still plays baseball in the boys league and is one of the top players.  She loves it and seems to be at her best when playing sports.  Her friends are more male dominated.  Each year I think it will change but the boys seem to be who she relates to the most (scary to even write that).  I  know we are embarking on that time when there is some separation and the guys think… oh, she’s a girl… but for now she has her guy pals and loves it.  This week, she was happy to report that she was the ONLY girl invited to her friend Christopher’s party.  It was kind of funny as the mom called me to make sure Jordan was okay with this!   OK… she was over the moon!!!  

I will say that recently she has done some totally “out of her box” things.  She signed up for a school DANCE show.  They practiced at lunch and after school and the big performances were held at night.  It was a bit surreal to see my daughter stand in line to get make up on and actually have her hair teased and done for the show.  She surprises us everyday with her confidence and out of character things she is tries.  She has also started to play Volleyball…  I think this stems from our Borocay, Philippines trip last year as we played beach volleyball everyday -- all day.  We are going back there again this February so I know she is practicing for some serious matches.  I know who I am picking to be on MY team!   She also plays soccer, basketball and flag football.  

She is doing well in school.  This school is absolutely amazing!!!  We couldn’t have asked for a stronger fit for her.  Our entire family is learning about the Chinese dynasties which has proven to be more interesting then I thought.  She continues to work very hard and has one of the strongest spirits I know.  

Garrett is having a fantastic year.  While he seems to be in complete motion constantly, he is REALLY excelling in school and thriving socially -- finally.  Last year was a rough transition year for him.  He has really gotten some traction and turned himself around.  He is taking swimming lessons once a week and is no surprise to be a “fish” in the pool.  He is VERY into music and can sing every top 40 song word for word.  He is obsessed with the computer - particularly iTunes, Keynote, Numbers, Garage Band & iMovie.  He puts together these visual shows that are outstanding!!  You can tell the wheels in his head are constantly moving which is right on par with his body that seems to be in perpetual motion as well.  (Could have a touch of HyperA)  We have this great study room for he and Jordan to do their homework.  I have found however that they are completely incompatible doing homework together because Jordan needs complete silence and NO distraction and Garrett can’t do work without singing.  Literally!!  I have tried to get him to keep quiet but unless he is belting out some Pink song or Queen  (his latest favorite) he can’t stay focused.  Who am I to stifle this homework strategy … so he has since been relocated to the kitchen.   

This is him holding a moon cake in celebration for the Moon Festival.

HOUSE RULES:

Last week after feeling like captain rule maker with no first mates to follow, I told the kids we were going to develop a set of house rules.  Garrett got up early the next morning and came up with his list.  

Ayden -- where do I begin.   At the moment Ayden is in heaps of trouble with me for getting into (and ruining) some of my makeup.  She also uses (and has ruined) this facial brush that I own.  Long story but the short version of it is… Ayden DO NOT USE & Ayden uses anyway.   We have now figured out how to lock my bathroom door because apparently this concept has not yet landed in her long term memory.  She runs to her own set of rules and that has landed her in a weeks worth of home detention.  On the other hand, she is loving school and has a social network that is hard to keep up with.  This year she has asked to take gymnastics.  We have been trying to get her into this class for a year now but she kept breaking her leg.  Now that she is healed, she is finally taking this sport she claims is her “best” thing.  If I could attach the video I would but to give you the verbal version… she sucks.  She will hop on the spring board and land face down on the mat -- no flip, no twist, no horizontal body movement and she can’t seem to land it.   Once to her feet however she does a tremendously talented arms stretched up and out for the judges with complete perfection!!!  We are so proud.  

The first two pictures of her and the kids is UN (United Nations) day.  They celebrate the countries they are from so as you can see we have the Russian flag on the left and the American flag on the right.   I am in the process of looking for things to put on my resume -- considering becoming a clown as the only thing on my current resume is face painting!

Both Garrett and Jordan started CCD.  Garrett has been very inquisitive about heaven and God.  He is learning a lot and has really embraced some of the traditions of the church.  Jordan only goes because there are snacks.    

Chris is doing good… I think he finally feels more settled now that I uploaded sports illustrated on his iPad and he has purchased NFL.com to watch both on the big screen and his iPad.    We haven’t seen him since. He is traveling a lot within China and has really grasped the mandarin.  We call his dialect “Bosmandarin.”  Like most Bostonians, he looks at people and says -- “what, I am saying it right!!”

As for me… I am living the dream.  There are Shanghai highs and Shanghai lows.  I have done a few things out of my box here and really enjoy the cultural learning experience MOST of the time.  As long as we are all together and healthy, I feel like a winner.  I am starting to research summer retreats as it isn’t the easiest finding a short term furnished rental… but we will land again in Charleston this year for the summer.   Chris and I also signed up for the Great Wall marathon in May.  We are mentally training for it now.  

I was able to check one thing off of my partial “bucket list” items off my list, but can’t believe I had to travel all the way to China to do it.   My bucket list is to be invited to an Indian and Chinese wedding….  but the Diwali celebration was right up there in awesomeness and I can’t help but give it a partial check.  

This past weekend we were able to celebrate Diwali with our Indian friends.  While the sari was a bit challenging to put on (thanks to a you-tube video) we were had an amazing night with friends and terrific food.  A first for both of us!  

Family Visit!

When we first moved here, we didn’t think we would get many takers for visitors.  We had a quick visit from Chris’s Aunt and Uncle (Gail & Kevin) in May.  There was not nearly enough time to see and do what we wanted.  So when my in-laws decided to take the leap and make the trip, we were happy that they gave us enough time to really get a feel of our life here and even then, we didn’t get to do everything we wanted.  

While they were here, the kids had a really fun carnival at their school that I helping out with by chairing the Entertainment committee.  The kids loved showing Ann & Mike around their school and they were so proud to introduce them to many of their friends. 

There are a lot of “must sees” in Shanghai, but one of my favorite places to walk around is a place called Taikang Lu.  A small area in Puxi with a  charming cluster of art & fashion boutique shops and trendy cafes nestled in an old traditional Shanghainese  neighborhood.  While we weren’t adventrous enough to try some of the street food, we were able to find a few cold beers to pass the time while we people watched.  

It was the perfect place to see the delicate infrastructure of the Chinese electrical system.   Yes those are LIVE wires and you will often see them coupled as a clothing line with clothes hung out to dry.  

A very  good friend of mine, Charmaine is a FANTASTIC cook and has us over for a dumpling lesson.    Ann and I took our jobs very seriously, although we still aren’t sure what exactly goes inside the wrappers.   The wine was too much of a distraction… although I must admit, Ann had the technique down in no time.   

Yuyuan Gardens

One of our most favorite stomping grounds we found was Yu Gardens.  It is a pretty large tourist area surrounded by shops and gardens. 

It was here that we noticed a huge line for a particular street vendor.  Feeling daring, we decided it must be good for it to have such a long line.   This place only sold Nanxiang dumplings.   This entire tray was piled high and cost us 20 rmb (3 bucks).

Mike loved the history in of the Gardens and was also very happy to spot a Dairy Queen among all of the local chinese shops.  

This is what we know about this beautiful garden built in the center of Shanghai:  

Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. It was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

In the 400 years of existence, Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan's family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought it and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, it was severely damaged. The garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. It was open to the public in September, 1961

Ann and I did a tea tasting… There was a tea for everything for every possible ailment.  It is a shame though as the one I thought would benefit me most “liver detox” tasted much like an ash tray.   

t didn’t take long for the after math of the tea to kick in …  the Chinese toilets are a bit of a challenge.  I have found muscles I didn’t even know I had!  

Halloween!

Garrett’s favorite holiday… and so fitting that he requested to be a devil yet again this year.  We celebrated the holiday as we would in the states trick or treating.   The only difference is … no snickers or skittles here, the kids scored some wasabi flavored biscuits and that not only looked like cat food but tasted like it too!   These were slightly better then the dried kidney bites they received.  They day I start savory those treats is the day I need to be given the hook. 

We met Chris for lunch one day near his office.  There is a pedestrian street there that has several restaurants and little shops.  It is also near the Pearl Market… a must do spot for shopping.

We were sad to see them leave, but hope they got to take a piece of our adventure with them...  I am pretty sure eating Chinese food will take on new meaning....    

First Trip South of the Equator... Bali Bound!!

I must admit that when I threw out the idea that we travel to Bali, I had just finished watching the movie Eat, Pray, Love.  I pictured sleeping in an open aired room, quiet time, and getting some writing in… perhaps update my blog and do some serious reading.  While there was potentially a lot of time for this… The family adventures as usual took precedence…  In the end I found love much differently then Julia Roberts did in the movie.

Bali is a land that seems to have a magnet at its very heart. Maybe its Bali’s beauty, maybe the friendly people, or maybe even the influence from spirits that seem to be present throughout this country...   

Bali is a small island in Indonesia located 8 degrees south of the Equator.  It is 140 km long and 80 km wide.  There are three primary languages spoken, Indonesian, Balinese & English.   More then 80 percent of the island is Hindu.

Some people call Bali the “Island of the Gods.” 

Bali Banten 

One of the most striking things about Bali is the daily preparation of small, colorful gifts for the Hindu pantheon called banten.  Banten’s are usually made from woven young coconut leaves as container and the contents are fruits, flowers, leaves, betel vine, cakes, coins and some incense sticks.The flowers symbolize love and sincerity.  Water signifies purity for the body and soul.   The Banten are gifts to the gods (and the demons). They provide good karma to those involved in their preparation. The Balinese Hindu’s consider Banten as the means to get connected with their Gods. Offerings are a means of giving something back (The offerings to the demons are a request to stay or go away).   It was really neat to get up in the morning for my run and smell the flowers and incense at the house.  You couldn’t help but be at peace with whatever lies ahead.  Worshipping is very ritualistic but informal.  It is amazing how they dropped what they were doing and reflected on life.  There were various statues along the side of the road…  I can see where they find their peace.  

When we first arrived in China… our kids would immediately grab our hands when we left our house and hold tight.  While there are many challenges when living in a foreign country, we are very grateful for the cultural diversity our children are learning.  They have quickly stopped grabbing our hands and now look to explore when we are traveling.   It is not uncommon that the kids will bring over their new friend they have met… quickly realizing that they do not speak english.  But it doesn’t matter… they just seem to figure it out.  

When preparing for this trip, we knew that Bali was known for a lot of things, but we didn’t realize it was known for it’s surfing.  Our first trip to the beach was a bit eye opening.  We quickly realized that we wouldn’t be sitting in our chairs sipping margaritas.  We had to keep track and keep count… constantly.   The waves were huge and the pull was strong.   It is no wonder the surfers flock there.   

While the surf was rough, we were able to find some “quieter” spots and get up on some waves...  Jordan took surfing lessons with some locals and had a great time really getting the hang of it.  Chris on the other hand decided to go it on his own and admittedly “took a beating” from the surf.  The kids seem so at home in the water and in Bali it was no different.  For all of the traveling we have been able to do in Asia… the beaches no matter where they are, bring out the same in everyone.   Pure happiness!   It helps us to feel more at home with our “sand roots.” 

Our villa was truly amazing and hard to leave…    With its full time staff and amazing dinners, we were lucky to get out as often as we did.  

Much like China, the roads were littered with too many cars and scooters.  It was a bit awkward getting use to the steering wheels being on the right and the driving on the opposite side of the road…  it certainly made my morning runs eventful and had the kids a bit confused when crossing the streets.  

Vodka was a bit of a different color south of the equator…  not worth drinking… this is actually the way they sell their gasoline!! What a way to recycle! 

Our first trip south of the Equator was truly a memorable one and a nice break from the Big City life of Shanghai.  We spent the week in a Villa we shared with some great Shanghai friends.  A total of 4 families and 16 people in one place made for a great time.  Each day brought beautiful weather, great food and the chance to explore a new land.  The kids did great even though the travel schedule was tough, 6 hours to Jakarta and another 2 on to Bali.  I forgot to mention the most classic of all.  Wine is very expensive in Bali due to the taxes so we brought some with us.  When we realized that we had more than allowed going through customs we filled Jordan’s backpack with wine and sent her on through.  The poor kid could barely keep upright as she went through security.  Does this make us bad parents?