One Bad China Day

So usually I try not to complain here and just share the fun, weird and interesting things in China. Today I need to vent because it was a bad China day. Then I will share some good things so as not be just be a downer....

1. Mrs. Zhang is leaving us for a month.
2. Timmy has entered terrible twos, every diaper change is a battle royal.
3. Its freaking hot and terribly humid.
4. I still can't get taxis easily, today 30 minutes to get one.
5. On the way home from a play group today Timmy got car sick, buckets of stomach acid and fruit leather pieces all over me, him, cow and the taxi. (I gave the taxi driver about $20 USD because I felt so bad for leaving a mess in his car).
6. The pool in our apartment development is still under construction, no end in sight.
7. The stitches in my gums are starting to come loose, but need to stay there for another week. Feels like junk stuck in my teeth, gross.
8. Two of the three regularly scheduled activities that Timmy and I attend are on break for the month of July.
9. Timmy took no nap today, but needed one desperately.

Okay, that's enough. Now for the good.
1. Praise God that Scott still has a job.
2. I am thankful that we are going to a city on an island called Xiamen this weekend to get away with some of Scott's coworkers and take advantage of a random day off of work that Scott has on Monday.
3. My moms and toddlers prayer and play group is NOT taking a break during July.
4. We have air conditioning.
5. Timmy is happy to be here with all his toys and friends.
6. Timmy is starting to learn Chinese, he can say Daddy, One, Two, Grandpa and Grandma in Mandarin.
7. Mrs. Zhang bought me a new plant this week. I love flowers.
8. I found a good restaurant in the neighborhood for Chinese take-out.
9. Timmy started sleeping through the night again, hallelujah! Those 6 weeks in the US were rough.

Watermelons Galore

Just a quick picture of watermelons, lots and lots of watermelons. I thought it was pretty amazing to see so many in one place, and there was another van full of them that didn't fit in the picture. Crazy.

Today's Adventures

So Mrs. Zhang is leaving Thursday night on vacation for a month. I have been prepping myself for a month of hauling Timmy all over the city to buy groceries and such. Then, last night, our friend/translator/angel, Yun Lou, called to say that Mrs. Zhang's neighbor would be willing to fill in for her while she is on vacation. Hmmmmm. This is a tough call, we already took a leap of faith once with Mrs. Zhang and it worked out great, but should we do it again with basically a stranger? Well, she came to work with Mrs. Z today, and seems okay, but what do I know, I can't really interview her or anything. I asked her what her name was in Mandarin and she answered, but darn if I know what the heck she said! Anyway, we have a few more days to decide on this one.

Today I took a chance with a restaurant in our neighborhood and ate there without help. I guess this might sound kind of stupid, but its a big deal for me to go out for Chinese food without someone that speaks Chinese! And guess what? It was delicious. I decided to try it because it was a newer place, they had a menu outside in Mandarin and English, and I was hungry. I have been hoping to find some place near our home that was like this, it just seemed like everywhere only had Chinese menus. Yea for small victories!

And one more thing...I got a haircut today. Nothing special, I went to the same place I have always gone, but you would think I was the only laowei (foreigner) they had ever seen! It was funny, just as funny as the first time I went there, only weirder because it was like the dozenth (is that a word?) time I've been there. I guess 6 weeks away makes everyone forget about you.

Hot, Hot, Hot

IT IS HOT!!! Hotter than I have ever experienced. By 9:30AM its in the 90s, and the Weather Channel says it feels like 109 degrees F. I start sweating just thinking about it. Thank goodness for air conditioners.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from our first day back

in Shanghai. Timmy and I met up with the ladies and kiddos from our Moms & Toddlers prayer and play group at a cafe that had a great outdoor playground for the kids. Unfortunately it was a billion degrees, even in the morning. On this particular day there was a nice breeze in the shade, so we had a good time anyway. These pictures of Timmy and Maddie, my friend Meg's daughter.

Welcome Back to China...grrrrrrrrrr

So I think that blogger.com is now blocked by the Great Firewall of China. This means I have to use Scott's computer (that does not store our pictures) or a proxy website (which I hate) in order to post here. How annoying! I guess it was bound to happen someday, hopefully it will get unblocked soon, sometimes this happens. This is China, so who knows. So for now, no pictures since I'm on Scott's Mac and I keep all our pictures on my laptop.

Our flight back to Shanghai, via Toronto on Air Canada was okay. Timmy did not sleep as much as on past flights, but he was tolerable nonetheless. The most eventful part of it was when we landed guys in white jumpsuits and masks came on board with laser thermometers and took everyone temperature. It was straight out of the movies. Even the flight attendants were taking pictures. I guess the swine flu is still serious around here.

The time change has been a bit of a beast this time around. Yesterday and today Timmy took a huge nap in the afternoon that he had to be woken up from, and he was not happy about it at all. We all ate popcorn and pop-tarts at midnight and watched cartoons on Wednesday night before going back to sleep. Similar activities last night, but it was granola bars at 2AM instead. I'm hoping to get through tonight a little better.

It was 90 degrees and super humid yesterday. Its going to be a long hot summer in Shanghai.

Shanghai Flashback...

I got an email the other day from my friend Meg in Shanghai. She sent me some pictures she took at our Mom & Toddler prayer group on the last day that our other friend Tanya was attending before moving back to Seattle for good. On the left is Tanya with her two kids, Caleb & Chloe (I think Chloe lookes like Dora the Explorer). In the middle is Meg and her daughter Maddie, then Me and Tim, and finally Belinda and one of her kids, Abigail. Its such a great group of ladies and kids, we are really going to miss Tanya.

Sweet Home Chicago-land

We've been in Chicago-land for just over a week now. Timmy is loving his 4 grandparents and 6 great-grandparents, 3 dogs, and 2 cats to death. He's talking a lot, and seems to be learning at least 1 new word each day. Most still sound like baby talk, but its fun to see him learning so much.

People keep asking me the question, "So, how's China?" I don't know how to answer this question, as it is so broad and complicated. My honest answer is, China stinks! Literally! Its smelly and everything is infinitely more difficult than it is in the United States. Does that mean I don't like it? Well, I'm not sure. The jury is still out on that one. I'm happy to be home in the USA, but we don't have a home here, so its hard. Not to mention that at this point I think we will be here for 6 weeks! That is like a lifetime. We started making a life in Shanghai for the last 4 months, only to leave it all on 4 days notice for an indefinite amount of time.

I am most happy to be able to read. In China I am illiterate and I hate it. I love being able to read and use coupons and read ingredients on everything I'm eating and feeding to Timmy. I think all three of us are loving the lack of attention we get everywhere we go - meaning that we no longer stick out like a sore thumb.