Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Real Life with an Ayi
Many of the emails I get from all of you imply that Ayi does everything for us! Tom also partakes in taking these "shots" at me when he gets home from work and on the weekends. Well, I am here to set the record straight and provide some insight into what life is like with full-time help. First of all, we all make our own beds every day, well, maybe not on Sundays. That is something that I did not ever do before! Tom and I were really bad about only making our when the cleaning service was coming and when we changed our sheets. And Natalie has to make her own too. Since I have started making my new king-size bed, I now wonder why I keep so many extra pillows on it! I also make most of our meals. Natalie's breakfast, our lunch, and dinner for all of us. One thing that is really nice is having the time to pancakes for Natalie on a week day! What a splurge. I still make extra and freeze for regular, but it is nice to have the time. Let me see, what else... Oh yeah, sometimes on the weekend we have to take out the trash AND do a few loads of laundry. OK, I am lucky. I have gone from thinking I would not need one, to appreciating the fact I have one. The privacy was what we most worried about, but that was really only weird for the first couple of weeks. She watches me cook and helps me with the interesting new things I bring home. For example, I have never had water chestnuts that were not out of a can. She showed me that I needed to rinse before cutting. Tom is worried about what this luxury will mean when we move back. I told him NO WORRIES. I am bringing her home with me!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Natalie's First Chinese Toilet Experience
Yesterday Natalie, Tom, and I attended a Deplhi team event that his team held. It was at Oriental Green Boat Park which is adjacent to Dingshan Lake. It is about an hour and a half outside of the city. But as you can see from the title, the highlight had more to do with the Chinese toilet. It is possible that many of you have heard us describe what is a typical public toilet in China, but you haven't seen one. I found a picture this is pretty close. The only was that the toilet in this story had a a two inch rim around the outside. Helps with the foot splashing I guess. Most hotels, our home, and restaurants we frequent, all have western-style toilets. But everywhere else, the squat toilet is standard. So, Natalie has not had to experience or attempt to use one yet. Yesterday though, we had to. The first time we entered the restroom (which seems like an oxymoron in this case as there would be no resting there) she got to the stall door and said "no way". The floor in the whole bathroom was wet, but I think that is because they just hose everything off periodically! After we left, I realized there was no way she could not go to the bathroom before we left, so I promised her ice cream and told her we HAD to go. So, we headed back in. We were joking before we got in there how funny it would be to tell Gammaw how she had to squat to pee. We got into the stall and closed the door. I explained to Natalie, albeit briefly, that she would have to pull down her pants and then squat. I pulled down her skirt and underwear, grabbing it between her legs so I could pull it forward when she squatted. I looked up to tell her to squat, and suddenly I felt wet on my arm. She peed on me! That made me try to move my arm which was really almost behind her, which resulted in pulling her feet out from under her! Her crocs, which thank god stayed on feet, shot right out like they were on ice! And BAM she landed on her back in the toilet! Wow. I would not have thought that 15 seconds of time could have gone so badly. The result was the back of her skirt caught the pee that didn't shoot down my arm onto the floor. Not good. But she had no bruises that showed! Ha ha. We cleaned up and left. Outside I explained that while that was a horrible experience, she will have to learn how to go on that type of toilet. As awful as it was, I knew that she would have to do it again sometime. I told her next time we will plan a little before we start to pee. She was still sniffling, but she nodded. We went and got ice cream which finally put her back into a better mood. Within a half an hour, she had almost forgotten it. I guess you could say this was a real immersion into the Chinese culture for her....
Friday, April 20, 2007
BMW Asian Open 2007
Natalie and I attended the 2nd round of the BMW Asian Open today. It is held at a Tomson Golf Villa's near our home. In fact, Tom and I looked at a house there. The weather today was perfect so we packed a picnic lunch and headed out around 9:30 am. I had printed some instructions to the course in Chinese and gave them to our driver, Zhang Biao, and he nodded, which I assumed meant he knew where we wanted to go! I had no tickets as they were supposed to be at some "Will Call" booth, so I left it all to Zhang Biao to figure out how to get us in. He did! Once we got to the gate, we had to 
have a 3 minute conversation with the guard who eventually pointed us through. Then Zhang Biao dropped us at a bus. The bus took us to the main entrance. Once in the line labeled "No tickets", I figured we were safe. Sometimes when you choose to do an event like this, knowing that you don't speak the language nor how the process might work, you have to be prepared for delays or changes. No such case today, everything was good. Once in, Natalie and I found the group with John Daly in it and followed them around until Natalie's legs couldn't keep up and my back couldn't carry her anymore! She did manage to snap a photo of John's bag, he had funny headcovers on his drivers. There were about 20 people following this group, which was one of the bigger ones that I saw. I think there 
were quite a few Japanese folks there today. And actually quite a few Americans. We sat down at the 6th hole (John had started on the back nine) and ate a snack. Pretty soon, Daly and his group came up to the 6th hole green. Unfortunately John did not play well today, though he played better than yesterday. Today he shot a 76. Yesterday, a 79. The combined 155 has him at around 146 with about half the players having finished. Probably not good enough to play to tomorrow. He was not too happy the one chance we had to say hi, but I joined several other Americans yelling "good job John". He was actually pretty gracious as soon as he walked out of the scorers tent. He seemed to be a pretty nice guy. We also got to see Ernie Els (man, is he tall!) record a commercial for what sounded a UK station. I am sure all the golf fans reading this will be disappointed to know that I really didn't get to see many great shots as it was hard to keep up with Natalie in tow. The last experience Natalie and I had going to a golf Tournament was the 2005 Senior Open. I think that Tomson is nice course, but not quite as green or lush as the NCR Country Club. But for any of you thinking about coming over and golfing, there are quite a few courses within an hour or two of Shanghai.
have a 3 minute conversation with the guard who eventually pointed us through. Then Zhang Biao dropped us at a bus. The bus took us to the main entrance. Once in the line labeled "No tickets", I figured we were safe. Sometimes when you choose to do an event like this, knowing that you don't speak the language nor how the process might work, you have to be prepared for delays or changes. No such case today, everything was good. Once in, Natalie and I found the group with John Daly in it and followed them around until Natalie's legs couldn't keep up and my back couldn't carry her anymore! She did manage to snap a photo of John's bag, he had funny headcovers on his drivers. There were about 20 people following this group, which was one of the bigger ones that I saw. I think there 
were quite a few Japanese folks there today. And actually quite a few Americans. We sat down at the 6th hole (John had started on the back nine) and ate a snack. Pretty soon, Daly and his group came up to the 6th hole green. Unfortunately John did not play well today, though he played better than yesterday. Today he shot a 76. Yesterday, a 79. The combined 155 has him at around 146 with about half the players having finished. Probably not good enough to play to tomorrow. He was not too happy the one chance we had to say hi, but I joined several other Americans yelling "good job John". He was actually pretty gracious as soon as he walked out of the scorers tent. He seemed to be a pretty nice guy. We also got to see Ernie Els (man, is he tall!) record a commercial for what sounded a UK station. I am sure all the golf fans reading this will be disappointed to know that I really didn't get to see many great shots as it was hard to keep up with Natalie in tow. The last experience Natalie and I had going to a golf Tournament was the 2005 Senior Open. I think that Tomson is nice course, but not quite as green or lush as the NCR Country Club. But for any of you thinking about coming over and golfing, there are quite a few courses within an hour or two of Shanghai. Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Cooking Update - Marinated Fish & Shrimp and Rice Pudding
I have had lots of opportunities to cook since I have been here. I put the first thing I cooked here, Pork with Sesame Mustard Sauce, into the Closer Than You Think website. This was made with the few items Tom had in the pantry when we got here. And that was not much. Since then I have lots of fun cooking with new ingredients. Oh, and I am taking a few cooking classes at the Community Center. This past Monday I had a Chilean cooking class. We made Cebiche de Corvina (Fish & Shrimp marinated in Lemon juice) , Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding), Chancho en Piedra (Chilean Salsa), and Lentajas con Arroz y Chorizo (Lentils and Rice with Sofrito and Spicy Sausage). She adapted to the ingredients you can find here in China. For example, Chorizo is hard to find, so she substituted a Chinese sausage she bought at Carrefour. I would never had just bought that sausage, but because I had a chance to try it, I will. It was pretty good! There was definitely coriander in it, which is weird since the Chinese do not use a lot of coriander when they cook. They do use a lot of cilantro though, so maybe there is a relation there! For those of you who don't know, coriander is the ground seed and cilantro is the leaf from the same plant. There were only four of us in the class. The teacher, Joy, who was from Chili, didn't speak perfect English so sometimes I got the chance to contribute by finding the words she couldn't, like 'curdling' milk. Anyway, tonight I recreated two of the recipes, the Cebiche and the Rice Pudding. Tom is out of town, so it was a good time to cook with shrimp. I planned on also making Mac and Cheese for Natalie as a backup! And I had trouble finding some of the ingredients, so I adapted them slightly (I know, I never follow a recipe!). I am including the recipes and my notes below. Enjoy!
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Rice Pudding (for two)
3 Tbs Long-Grain Rice - note that this should NOT be instant or 5 minute rice.
3 Tbs Sugar
1/2 Litre of Milk
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Put rice in bowl and cover with milk. Let rice soak about an hour. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir well. Place in heavy bottom bottom pan and place on stove over medium heat. Stir frequently. Don't let rice boil. Add milk when needed. This is similar to cooking Risotto. There should be enough milk in the pan to seem creamy, but not too runny. This will use the whole 1/2 litre, but adding slowly will make the pudding even creamier. It will take about 40 minutes in total to cook.
Notes: The rice will determine how long it will take to cook. In fact, Chinese do not eat a lot of long-grain rice, so I had to buy this rice out of a huge barrel! Also, I cooked for 20 minutes on the stove, added the rest of the mile, and then poured into a casserole dish. I placed into a heated oven (150C) for about 40 minutes. Cooking this way did not result in the creamy pudding that you can make on the stove, but it was good.
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Cebiche de Corvina - serves 4
1 1/2 lbs fresh white, firm-flesh fish such as sea bass, scrod, red snapper, sole
1/2 pound raw small shrimps, peeled
1 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
1 Serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup each red and yellow peppers, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tbs minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbs vegetable or corn oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Pick through shrimp and pick out any shells. Chop bigger shrimp into 1/2 inch cubes. Clean fish and cut unto 1/2 inch cubes as well. Mix lemon juice, garlic, salt, and chile. Pour over fish and shrimp. Mix well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. The time will depend on the thickness of the fish. If you are in a hurry, cut it smaller though too small will make it a bit mushy! The lemon will actually "cook" the fish. It is ready when the fish is opaque. When ready, add in the peppers, celery, onion, cilantro, oil, and vinegar. Place back in fridge for another 30 minutes. Serve in a bowl with slices of baguette or good bread. Can also be served with a tortilla chips.
Notes: I made this with some type of white fish I bought at Carrefour. It was frozen. Fish like that is actually pretty hard to find here. There is a Japanese Sole you can buy, but that seemed pricey. I went with the $3.50 for the unknown frozen fish! Also, I bought a package of small shrimp, also flash-frozen, but forgot that in China they eat small shrimp with the shells on. I had a heck of time cleaning the little suckers off! Next time I will not go so cheap on the shrimp. I did not have the vegetable oil so I used corn. You should NOT use any oil that will overwhelm the fish and shrimp. I also could not find red wine vinegar so I went without. Tasted OK, but the vinegar might soften the lemon a bit. If it tastes too tangy, you probably didn't add enough oil. Don't be stingy with it! I tricked Natalie and told her the white fish was some kind of pork. She ate some, not a lot, but a few bites worth! I ate this as my meal tonight but it would probably be better as an appetizer or alongside a salad. I think despite the little bit of oil, it is pretty healthy too!
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Rice Pudding (for two)
3 Tbs Long-Grain Rice - note that this should NOT be instant or 5 minute rice.
3 Tbs Sugar
1/2 Litre of Milk
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Put rice in bowl and cover with milk. Let rice soak about an hour. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir well. Place in heavy bottom bottom pan and place on stove over medium heat. Stir frequently. Don't let rice boil. Add milk when needed. This is similar to cooking Risotto. There should be enough milk in the pan to seem creamy, but not too runny. This will use the whole 1/2 litre, but adding slowly will make the pudding even creamier. It will take about 40 minutes in total to cook.
Notes: The rice will determine how long it will take to cook. In fact, Chinese do not eat a lot of long-grain rice, so I had to buy this rice out of a huge barrel! Also, I cooked for 20 minutes on the stove, added the rest of the mile, and then poured into a casserole dish. I placed into a heated oven (150C) for about 40 minutes. Cooking this way did not result in the creamy pudding that you can make on the stove, but it was good.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cebiche de Corvina - serves 4
1 1/2 lbs fresh white, firm-flesh fish such as sea bass, scrod, red snapper, sole
1/2 pound raw small shrimps, peeled
1 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
1 Serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup each red and yellow peppers, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tbs minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbs vegetable or corn oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Pick through shrimp and pick out any shells. Chop bigger shrimp into 1/2 inch cubes. Clean fish and cut unto 1/2 inch cubes as well. Mix lemon juice, garlic, salt, and chile. Pour over fish and shrimp. Mix well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. The time will depend on the thickness of the fish. If you are in a hurry, cut it smaller though too small will make it a bit mushy! The lemon will actually "cook" the fish. It is ready when the fish is opaque. When ready, add in the peppers, celery, onion, cilantro, oil, and vinegar. Place back in fridge for another 30 minutes. Serve in a bowl with slices of baguette or good bread. Can also be served with a tortilla chips.
Notes: I made this with some type of white fish I bought at Carrefour. It was frozen. Fish like that is actually pretty hard to find here. There is a Japanese Sole you can buy, but that seemed pricey. I went with the $3.50 for the unknown frozen fish! Also, I bought a package of small shrimp, also flash-frozen, but forgot that in China they eat small shrimp with the shells on. I had a heck of time cleaning the little suckers off! Next time I will not go so cheap on the shrimp. I did not have the vegetable oil so I used corn. You should NOT use any oil that will overwhelm the fish and shrimp. I also could not find red wine vinegar so I went without. Tasted OK, but the vinegar might soften the lemon a bit. If it tastes too tangy, you probably didn't add enough oil. Don't be stingy with it! I tricked Natalie and told her the white fish was some kind of pork. She ate some, not a lot, but a few bites worth! I ate this as my meal tonight but it would probably be better as an appetizer or alongside a salad. I think despite the little bit of oil, it is pretty healthy too!
Living the Simple Life
I know it has been awhile since blogging. Our sea shipment arrived last Thursday and we (well, really I!) have been pretty busy sorting through what arrived. Geesh, why did I pack that many coats? I bet I brought 14 coats for our family. That is ridiculous. And I probably should have brought more western food items. So, that has kept us busy! Natalie and I did get to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. That is a really nice place. A lot of the verbiage on the exhibits is in Mandarin, but Natalie's too young to worry about cold fusion and what DNA is composed of.
One thing that did arrive in abundance was Natalie's toys. Goodness. I don't remember having that many toys at home, where did they all come from? We converted an extra room downstairs into her playroom. I haven't seen her in days. I hope she is still in there! The room had another desk in it as well as a nice bookshelf. We converted the table into an art table and covered with a vinyl tablecloth so she could play at it. She has her puppet stage set up in a corner and her little pop-up house in there as well. She rediscovered her old leap pad and has been playing all the games constantly.
So what else? Oh yeah, I am now sometimes DAYS early for appointments as opposed to my life last year when sometimes I was LATE by days. Last week Natalie and I went to ballet class A DAY EARLY. No kidding. It took me a few minutes of wondering why the room where ballet was the week before now had a sign that said "Street Jazz". Since it was only our 2nd class I thought maybe they just moved them around. Then all of a sudden I realized that we were there on Wednesday as opposed to Thursday. What a goof. And then in the rush to leave and reduce the embarrassment, we left Natalie's crocs so I had to go back later and get them. I am sure the girls who work there, who seem to know everyone, wondered what a child with a ballerina outfit was doing there! Then last night I was online promptly at 8:30 for our Family Call. Angel, Jennifer, Mom, and I scheduled a once a week Skype chat. At 8:31 I started wondering why no one was logged in. I thought that was weird since Mom had confirmed that day that everyone would be on. So I sent an email to all saying "Where are you???". At 8:35 I got impatient and called my mother on her home phone. As I was waiting on the phone to ring, I suddenly realized that the call was for Thursday, not Tuesday. Oh well. I got to talk to my parents anyway!
I want to send a special thanks to my friends Julie, Kim, Diana, and Diane. They are right now packing up an awesome care package for delivery to us via another Delphi employee who is traveling here to Shanghai next week. We found a few things that just could not be easily found so I sent them a list, they shopped, paid, and are taking care of getting it here. Now that is the the kind of service I am getting used to. I will probably make the Ayi put everything away when it arrives (that was a joke).
One thing that did arrive in abundance was Natalie's toys. Goodness. I don't remember having that many toys at home, where did they all come from? We converted an extra room downstairs into her playroom. I haven't seen her in days. I hope she is still in there! The room had another desk in it as well as a nice bookshelf. We converted the table into an art table and covered with a vinyl tablecloth so she could play at it. She has her puppet stage set up in a corner and her little pop-up house in there as well. She rediscovered her old leap pad and has been playing all the games constantly.
So what else? Oh yeah, I am now sometimes DAYS early for appointments as opposed to my life last year when sometimes I was LATE by days. Last week Natalie and I went to ballet class A DAY EARLY. No kidding. It took me a few minutes of wondering why the room where ballet was the week before now had a sign that said "Street Jazz". Since it was only our 2nd class I thought maybe they just moved them around. Then all of a sudden I realized that we were there on Wednesday as opposed to Thursday. What a goof. And then in the rush to leave and reduce the embarrassment, we left Natalie's crocs so I had to go back later and get them. I am sure the girls who work there, who seem to know everyone, wondered what a child with a ballerina outfit was doing there! Then last night I was online promptly at 8:30 for our Family Call. Angel, Jennifer, Mom, and I scheduled a once a week Skype chat. At 8:31 I started wondering why no one was logged in. I thought that was weird since Mom had confirmed that day that everyone would be on. So I sent an email to all saying "Where are you???". At 8:35 I got impatient and called my mother on her home phone. As I was waiting on the phone to ring, I suddenly realized that the call was for Thursday, not Tuesday. Oh well. I got to talk to my parents anyway!
I want to send a special thanks to my friends Julie, Kim, Diana, and Diane. They are right now packing up an awesome care package for delivery to us via another Delphi employee who is traveling here to Shanghai next week. We found a few things that just could not be easily found so I sent them a list, they shopped, paid, and are taking care of getting it here. Now that is the the kind of service I am getting used to. I will probably make the Ayi put everything away when it arrives (that was a joke).
My “Hoosier License” has been renewed
Believe it or not but I just listened to the latest Mellencamp album for the first time this week. Most of you know that I am a huge Mellencamp fan. To wait for three months after one of his albums had been released is unheard of. That just illustrates how my life has changed and new priorities are in place. I listened to the songs this past weekend on Shelly’s Zune (very cool device). I liked it but couldn’t really focus on it – music or lyrics. I asked Shelly to burn a CD with the album on it so I could listen to it riding back and forth to work. I am usually on the phone during the ride so I really don’t have a great opportunity to listen to it but I decided I was going to take time.
The Mellencamp album is called Freedom Road. Mellencamp has been anti-Bush for about 6 years now. Too political for my taste but I respect his opinion. Matter of fact, my brother Tim has had his fill of Mellencamp and doesn’t care to listen to his music anymore. I think that is a little extreme but then again my brother has a hard time keeping long-term relationships (just joking brother).
Well this morning I gave the CD to the driver. He ejected the “best of Michael Bolten” CD and inserted mine. Since I didn’t really listen to it I didn’t realize what was about to happen. You see, my driver probably thought it was odd that I gave him a CD to play after 4 months our driver/passenger relationship.
Mellencamp’s lyrics are definitely about America and the need to get back to grass-root beliefs, values, and politics. About the second or third song titled “We are Americans” or something close to that.
Here is an excerpt from the lyrics
I like my heroes
To be honest and strong
I wear t-shirts
And blue jeans
I try to understand
All the cultures of this world
I'm an American from the Midwest
When I speak I have a southern drawl
I mind my manners most of the time
When you come down here
Stop and stay hello
I'm an American from south of the Mason Dixon line
[Chorus]
I'm an American, I'm an American
I respect you and your point of view
I'm an American, I'm an American
And I wish you good luck with whatever you do
I'm an American, I'm an American
The chorus is repeated several times during the song. Since my driver understands minimal English, I assume that he only understands the word “American” from the lyrics. I know he understands the word “American”. So to him this is what he heard
Noise noise American, noise noise American
Noise noise noise noise noise noise noise
Noise noise American, noise noise American
Noise noise noise noise noise noise noise
Noise noise American, noise noise American
He probably thought I gave him some pro-American propaganda and was trying to convert him to the Western ways of life. I wonder what he really thought of the album. A big clue probably was when we arrived to the office. He ejected the CD and gave it back to me. I guess he didn’t care to listen to it while he sat in the car for 12 hours waiting for me to leave for home
The Mellencamp album is called Freedom Road. Mellencamp has been anti-Bush for about 6 years now. Too political for my taste but I respect his opinion. Matter of fact, my brother Tim has had his fill of Mellencamp and doesn’t care to listen to his music anymore. I think that is a little extreme but then again my brother has a hard time keeping long-term relationships (just joking brother).
Well this morning I gave the CD to the driver. He ejected the “best of Michael Bolten” CD and inserted mine. Since I didn’t really listen to it I didn’t realize what was about to happen. You see, my driver probably thought it was odd that I gave him a CD to play after 4 months our driver/passenger relationship.
Mellencamp’s lyrics are definitely about America and the need to get back to grass-root beliefs, values, and politics. About the second or third song titled “We are Americans” or something close to that.
Here is an excerpt from the lyrics
I like my heroes
To be honest and strong
I wear t-shirts
And blue jeans
I try to understand
All the cultures of this world
I'm an American from the Midwest
When I speak I have a southern drawl
I mind my manners most of the time
When you come down here
Stop and stay hello
I'm an American from south of the Mason Dixon line
[Chorus]
I'm an American, I'm an American
I respect you and your point of view
I'm an American, I'm an American
And I wish you good luck with whatever you do
I'm an American, I'm an American
The chorus is repeated several times during the song. Since my driver understands minimal English, I assume that he only understands the word “American” from the lyrics. I know he understands the word “American”. So to him this is what he heard
Noise noise American, noise noise American
Noise noise noise noise noise noise noise
Noise noise American, noise noise American
Noise noise noise noise noise noise noise
Noise noise American, noise noise American
He probably thought I gave him some pro-American propaganda and was trying to convert him to the Western ways of life. I wonder what he really thought of the album. A big clue probably was when we arrived to the office. He ejected the CD and gave it back to me. I guess he didn’t care to listen to it while he sat in the car for 12 hours waiting for me to leave for home
Friday, April 13, 2007
A little more on the bike crash...
I just now saw Tom's blog, and here is a quick update. I don't have any pictures to post, but I can tell you that she has been asking to ride her back since we left for our field trip to the museum this morning. As soon as we got back from lunch, she put on her elbow pads, knee pads, and helmet and went out riding with the Ayi. And right now she is out in front of the house riding with no pads and in fact had taken her helmet off, but I made her put it back on! So I do not that her accident caused any permanent fear of the bike. Tom was correct about the nasty scrape and bruises though. Pretty bad, but now she thinks that is a badge of courage! We are going to attempt to ride the bike all the way to the clubhouse for a play date at 3:30. A final verdict to follow...
More to come…..
Natalie received her bike in her sea shipment. Last night, I went out to the road and watched her ride around.
A quick history lesson concerning Natalie and bikes. She got her bike on her 3rd birthday. She had only used it a couple of days when she rode off the edge of the driveway and it fell on top of her. Her pride was injured more than her body but when she got up, she walked into the garage while stripping off her helmet and pads, and announced that she was done with biking forever. She has a good memory because she had no interest in the bike during her 4th year.
Now in China, she has noticed that everyone has a bike and kids her age are riding through our complex. I was hoping she would try again. Sure enough she was interested. She did a good job riding her bike and was making sure the boys down the street saw her. After about 20 minutes it was time for dinner. Shelly had left her bike outside and I went to get it so I could put it in the garage. I got to the front entry of the garage. The driveway to our garage is short (about 20 feet) and really steep. I told Natalie that we needed to put our bikes away. She said OK and all of a sudden she zipped by me on her bike and started down the steep driveway. I saw the trouble coming. She couldn’t stop and she was going at a pretty fast rate of speed. The bike crashed and she went flying but not as far as her shoes. Her crocs went two different directions but she went straight down. It didn’t look very bad but I could tell she was not feeling good.
To cut to the chase….she now is an owner of a black and blue elbow with a serious scrape. Two bruises on her back with scrapes to accompany them. On one her shoulder and one on her lower back.
Pictures to come and more on damage control
A quick history lesson concerning Natalie and bikes. She got her bike on her 3rd birthday. She had only used it a couple of days when she rode off the edge of the driveway and it fell on top of her. Her pride was injured more than her body but when she got up, she walked into the garage while stripping off her helmet and pads, and announced that she was done with biking forever. She has a good memory because she had no interest in the bike during her 4th year.
Now in China, she has noticed that everyone has a bike and kids her age are riding through our complex. I was hoping she would try again. Sure enough she was interested. She did a good job riding her bike and was making sure the boys down the street saw her. After about 20 minutes it was time for dinner. Shelly had left her bike outside and I went to get it so I could put it in the garage. I got to the front entry of the garage. The driveway to our garage is short (about 20 feet) and really steep. I told Natalie that we needed to put our bikes away. She said OK and all of a sudden she zipped by me on her bike and started down the steep driveway. I saw the trouble coming. She couldn’t stop and she was going at a pretty fast rate of speed. The bike crashed and she went flying but not as far as her shoes. Her crocs went two different directions but she went straight down. It didn’t look very bad but I could tell she was not feeling good.
To cut to the chase….she now is an owner of a black and blue elbow with a serious scrape. Two bruises on her back with scrapes to accompany them. On one her shoulder and one on her lower back.
Pictures to come and more on damage control
A note from the “Man of the House”
Just thought I would leave a quick note about my family’s transition to
Natalie seemed very happy but she confirmed it with me today. When asked, she always states that she is happy. She does talk a lot about seeing her grandparents. She even told me the other day where she is going to buy a house when we move back (Angel – you better hope the house across the road from you sells in the next 3 years). But overall, she is very happy.
Well today we received our sea shipment (or semen shipment as Natalie has been saying the past couple of days). I was there when they delivered the 47 boxes. I left when there were 47 boxes to be opened and items unpacked. Not exactly – before I left to go to work, Shelly and I unpacked a few items. Due to some mis-calculations we decided that one of the box’s contents could go back into the box and go into our storage room. Natalie was watching us and asked what we were doing putting stuff back into the box. I told her that we changed our mind and that we were moving back to the
That took a lot of guilt off of my chest. So far, so good. Three months complete with only thirty-three to go.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Ballet, Field Trip, and Easter
Wow, where does the time go? You'd think my social calendar was full, but alas, no. Instead, we are just busy getting used to life here I guess! I am covering three big topics, so apologies in advance on the length.
Natalie had her first ballet class last Thursday. The class is a part of Kid's Gallery Creative Arts which is located in a new building near Vizcaya. Natalie was excited until I parked the bike outside the building. Then I heard her say "Why do we have to do ballet? Mom? Why do we have to do ballet?" But I just pretended not to hear her as I took her out of the carrier on the bike. "Natalie," I said, "you have to be a big girl, OK?" and I looked her right in the eye to see if there was still wavering. I detected a bit, but not as much as I expected. So, we headed in to the building. There was one other girl there dressed in her tutu, but the classroom door wasn't opened yet. We sat in the plastic chairs outside the room. Natalie watched the teacher, a beautiful Asian woman with long hair in a ponytail, enter the room and then close the door. Her eyes lit up and a grin spread across her face! It was cute. So the plan was that I was going to go in with her. But, when the teacher opened the door, we heard her say "ballerinas only, say goodbye...". Oops. Natalie's eyes now had a a bit of a panic look to them! But, she did OK. She hung by the door for a minute or two and then teacher taught her to lift her tutu and showed her where to stand near the mirror. Once she left the door and couldn't see me, she was fine. There were only 4 other girls in the class. After the door closed, I realized had an hour to spend while I waited for her to finish. So I ran to the Pines and picked up some veggies for dinner and then headed back to wait for her. When she came out she almost looked like she didn't trust me to be there! But, she said she had a good time and it was fun. Natalie said afterwards that two of the other girls were not good listeners. I also found out on the ride back that she and one of the other girls had gotten in trouble for doing twirls when it was not their turn. I am not sure what exactly the learned, but Natalie seemed to like it. Maybe it will help gain some confidence in her dance lessons with Dad! Ha ha.
Last Friday we took a field trip to the Shanghai Children's Museum. The Shanghai Discovery 
Museum recently moved into the same building. On the first floor there was a model of a submarine and Natalie was enthralled! We spend almost 30 minutes in the first room! Natalie had a blast in the Discovery area. It was similar to the other museums she has been to with the play areas for shopping, veterinary clinic, a stage, etc. I took some pictures and some videos. You will have to check out the ones with her playing with the other Chinese children. A large kindergarten class of children came to the museum at lunch time so it got crowded. Natalie told me later that she was playing with them by being the "boss". Not much of a follower I am afraid!
Museum recently moved into the same building. On the first floor there was a model of a submarine and Natalie was enthralled! We spend almost 30 minutes in the first room! Natalie had a blast in the Discovery area. It was similar to the other museums she has been to with the play areas for shopping, veterinary clinic, a stage, etc. I took some pictures and some videos. You will have to check out the ones with her playing with the other Chinese children. A large kindergarten class of children came to the museum at lunch time so it got crowded. Natalie told me later that she was playing with them by being the "boss". Not much of a follower I am afraid!
Finally, Sunday was Easter. The sea shipment, which hasn't arrived yet, had our Easter paraphernalia in it, so Natalie's "basket" was the living room table. She got a large white chocolate bunny and a small milk chocolate and a couple of DVDs from the Easter Bunny. My mother has been laughing because one of the DVDs was Breakfast At Tiffany's. I had sent Tom out to buy a few DVDs, and I guess that was all he could find! She also had a gift from her Grandma and Grandpa Bramer and two cards. One of the cards had a picture of a farm and then stickers of animals you put on it. She had great fun playing that. Oh, and the pink sweatsuit is adorable! Thanks Sara!!! At noon, the three of us headed up the clubhouse for Easter dinner. A friend of mine, Debbie and her daughter Ainsley, came to our house and walked up with us. Ainsley brought Natalie a gift, a duck sponge and some bubble bath. Natalie acts so goofy around this little girl I am surprised she brought anything! Ainsley is a bit younger (a few months) and Natalie just does not relate well. Natalie insists on talking like a 6 year-old when Ainsley is around. What a goof she can be. Anyway, we headed up to the clubhouse and we sat on the terrace. It was a beautiful day here, not a cloud in the sky and around 68-70. The food was good and there was free champagne and drinks! Tom introduced me to a lot of new people, including quite a few people on our street. Unfortunately, I forget their names, but oh well!
We definitely missed our friends and families this holiday. We hope everyone had a good break and enjoyed Easter. We love you all and miss you!!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Natalie's First REAL Swim Lesson
Today Natalie had a swim assessment to place in her into the appropriate level for swimming lessons. We decided swim lessons were appropriate as I was finding taking her and trying to get her to listen way too frustrating. I may be more patient with her than I used to be, but you have to "know your limits"! So I contacted a local outfit, Sport for Life that conducts lessons here in the Vizcaya pool and found out they have both group and private lessons for kids. The instructor, Regan Petelski, agreed to assess Natalie's skills before her first set of group lessons. I made sure that Natalie knew before hand that she had to listen to the teacher during the assessment and also to do her best floating and stroking for her. So, we got there a few minutes early and she was funny to watch as she was deliberately (well, as deliberate as a four year-old gets) swimming smoothly and slowly. Especially once the teacher got there. The teacher came over and said she didn't even need to get in the pool with her, she could see already that she was ready for the "advanced" Turtles class (the highest level for 4-5 year old). Unfortunately the class she had room in (we are joining mid season) was on Thursday's at the same time as ballet! My first experience at clashing kid's activities! The good news was that she had an opening on Tuesdays for the first level of Turtles. There are only two boys in that class on one of the boys is out of town for the next few weeks, so it seemed like a great opportunity for more one-on-one teaching. Plus, for those of you who know Natalie, you know that she gets very overwhelmed and takes time to feel comfortable with new things. We call it "being reserved". She is not so much shy, though may be just the parent in me trying to find an acceptable label for her. Anyway, the intro class seemed like a fine idea. The instructor, Regan, did feel that she would be able to advance to the swimming fundamentals as soon as she got through this beginning class. Usually you have to be 5 to move up, but she felt you shouldn't hold someone back due to their age (and yes, I know that sounds like a proud parent). She was impressed with her skills for not having had any formal lessons. So a BIG THANKS go out to all of the Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents, who have taken the time to swim with Natalie over the past few years!
It turned out the class was right after the assessment, so Natalie got to have her first one. There was one other little boy in the class, Dominick. He was not a good listener! At first, as I suspected would happen, she listened, but would not always perform the task the teacher asked. She was a little suspicious I guess about why she had to put her elbow on the bottom of the pool. She kept eyeballing me and I considered stepping around the corner, but Regan was good and she got Natalie to the other side of the pool and talked right to her. And slowly I say Natalie loosen up and then she really started enjoying it. By the time the class was over, she was grinning ear to ear. She used a kick board and was doing good breathing all the way down the length of the pool. I was really impressed with the instructor as well, as she really did a nice job. Regan was from Vancouver and moved here to Shanghai about a year ago. She just wanted to experience something different.
So, now Natalie gets to have a swim lesson every week. Sorry no pictures this time, I did not expect for her to actually have a whole lesson! Next week I will take some pics and movies for all to see how she is progressing. Oh, and I forgot to add her funny quip that she said at the end of the lesson. I came over to the side of the pool after the instructor got out and told Natalie how well she had done and how proud I was of her. And she smiled back and said "Thanks. Can I go to the deep end now? I know how to swim you know." And she was serious. She thought after that one lesson she was an expert. If that is not a chip off the old block...
It turned out the class was right after the assessment, so Natalie got to have her first one. There was one other little boy in the class, Dominick. He was not a good listener! At first, as I suspected would happen, she listened, but would not always perform the task the teacher asked. She was a little suspicious I guess about why she had to put her elbow on the bottom of the pool. She kept eyeballing me and I considered stepping around the corner, but Regan was good and she got Natalie to the other side of the pool and talked right to her. And slowly I say Natalie loosen up and then she really started enjoying it. By the time the class was over, she was grinning ear to ear. She used a kick board and was doing good breathing all the way down the length of the pool. I was really impressed with the instructor as well, as she really did a nice job. Regan was from Vancouver and moved here to Shanghai about a year ago. She just wanted to experience something different.
So, now Natalie gets to have a swim lesson every week. Sorry no pictures this time, I did not expect for her to actually have a whole lesson! Next week I will take some pics and movies for all to see how she is progressing. Oh, and I forgot to add her funny quip that she said at the end of the lesson. I came over to the side of the pool after the instructor got out and told Natalie how well she had done and how proud I was of her. And she smiled back and said "Thanks. Can I go to the deep end now? I know how to swim you know." And she was serious. She thought after that one lesson she was an expert. If that is not a chip off the old block...
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Bicycle Status
I think we have referenced in an earlier blog that we bought a bike here in Shanghai. It is a nice 3-speed bike with a basket to haul groceries and a child carrier for Natalie. What I don’t think I have mentioned was that our house already had 4 bikes when we moved in. Two bikes were for adults. One was a dirt bike for a teenager. The fourth one was for a Shriner or a circus clown. It turns out the landlord is a famous inventor in England and had invented the world’s smallest bicycle. I haven’t tried to ride it, or unfold it, but it looks intriguing. The wheels are about 6 inches in diameter. But that is not the point of my blog.
The two adult bikes were not in a usable state. The women’s bike had a wheel lock on it. The landlord provided the keys to unlock but the key did not match the bike lock. The men’s bike also had a lock but its key did work. But unfortunately the men’s bike had a tire that wouldn’t hold air.
About two blocks down the road from us is an older man who sets up a bicycle tire repair shop on the street curb everyday. When we purchased our new bike it gave me the opportunity to take the other bike with the flat tire to the old man. I have to admit that I looked a little strange riding a bike with one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on an empty bike. I quickly learned how to handle an empty bike while riding another. To our neighbor’s kid’s delight, I managed to wipe out and wreck both bikes about 50 feet from my garage door. In case you ever have to haul a bike while riding another bike the key is to handle the empty bike’s handlebars from the center near the fork. Hanging onto an empty bike from one end of the handle bar tends to make the bike go in directions that you can not control very well. Of course you can ignore this if you want to become the neighborhood goofball to the kids on your block. But again I digress, this is not the purpose of my blog.
The purpose of this blog is to inform you on the process of getting your flat fixed while in China. I eventually arrived at the man’s corner. It was obvious that my tire was flat. He had time to study that as I approached because I certainly caught the attention of passerby’s as I rode next to an empty bike. He knew what I needed. He flipped the bike over and removed the wheel. He proceeded to remove the tire from the rim and pulled out the inner tube. He looked at the inner tube and went to his mobile 2-wheel cart. He looked in for about 5 minutes. I knew that he was looking for a new inner tube and that he was not finding a replacement. He came over to speak to me. He knew no English and I knew no Chinese (very common relationship around here). We were at a stand still. I didn’t know if he wanted me to get a new tube or what. Another older gentleman was riding by and the tire repair man said something to him. The man got off his bike. The tire repair man jumped on it and took off. It was obvious to me that he was off to get a new inner tube. Prior to the tire repairman leaving the two had a short talk and both laughed. I knew they were laughing at me. Now the bike-less old man said something to me but I had not learned any additional Chinese in those 5 minutes since the conversation with the tire repairman. The bike-less man invited me to sit with him at the curb on a little stool that was about 6 inches high. At first I refused but he was very insistent so I joined him. Oh how I wish I had a picture of this. It would have been the big young American sitting on a little stool next to the small older Chinese man. I received a lot of looks and stares from passerby’s that morning. We were there for about 20 minutes before the other man returned. In his absence, business was good for the tire man. About every 5 minutes someone would stop by and pump up their tires with a manual air-pump that the man had sitting near his curb shop. When completed, people would throw money in a jar. To pump your tires up would cost you the US equivalent of a penny.
When the man returned he had a new tube (plus several others to replenish his stock). They were all brand new in their boxes. He quickly changed the tube and remounted the tire to the frame. He pumped up all tires and gave it a quick ride. Everything was in order. I had been thinking during the whole process about what to pay him. I read an article about these types of repair shops and typically a dollar would suffice for a repair. But since the tube had to be replaced I had no idea of the cost. I decided to offer him 5 dollars (or 40 RMB). He took the money and gave me 5 RMB (about $0.60) back in change. I tried to refuse but he was very insistent that I take the change. I thanked him (I do know that in Chinese) and headed home with both bikes.
I returned and park the newer bike in the garage and took the older bike with the new tire to the gym for a quick workout. I forgot to mention that the bike was manufactured in Shanghai by a local company. When I jumped on it I quickly realized a problem. My knees would hit the handle bars but I could manage by pedaling bow-legged.
I worked out in the gym for 60 minutes. I returned to my bike only to discover that the same tire was flat. I pushed it home and stuck it in the back of the storage room. Heavens forbid if I invest another $4 in that bike.
The two adult bikes were not in a usable state. The women’s bike had a wheel lock on it. The landlord provided the keys to unlock but the key did not match the bike lock. The men’s bike also had a lock but its key did work. But unfortunately the men’s bike had a tire that wouldn’t hold air.
About two blocks down the road from us is an older man who sets up a bicycle tire repair shop on the street curb everyday. When we purchased our new bike it gave me the opportunity to take the other bike with the flat tire to the old man. I have to admit that I looked a little strange riding a bike with one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on an empty bike. I quickly learned how to handle an empty bike while riding another. To our neighbor’s kid’s delight, I managed to wipe out and wreck both bikes about 50 feet from my garage door. In case you ever have to haul a bike while riding another bike the key is to handle the empty bike’s handlebars from the center near the fork. Hanging onto an empty bike from one end of the handle bar tends to make the bike go in directions that you can not control very well. Of course you can ignore this if you want to become the neighborhood goofball to the kids on your block. But again I digress, this is not the purpose of my blog.
The purpose of this blog is to inform you on the process of getting your flat fixed while in China. I eventually arrived at the man’s corner. It was obvious that my tire was flat. He had time to study that as I approached because I certainly caught the attention of passerby’s as I rode next to an empty bike. He knew what I needed. He flipped the bike over and removed the wheel. He proceeded to remove the tire from the rim and pulled out the inner tube. He looked at the inner tube and went to his mobile 2-wheel cart. He looked in for about 5 minutes. I knew that he was looking for a new inner tube and that he was not finding a replacement. He came over to speak to me. He knew no English and I knew no Chinese (very common relationship around here). We were at a stand still. I didn’t know if he wanted me to get a new tube or what. Another older gentleman was riding by and the tire repair man said something to him. The man got off his bike. The tire repair man jumped on it and took off. It was obvious to me that he was off to get a new inner tube. Prior to the tire repairman leaving the two had a short talk and both laughed. I knew they were laughing at me. Now the bike-less old man said something to me but I had not learned any additional Chinese in those 5 minutes since the conversation with the tire repairman. The bike-less man invited me to sit with him at the curb on a little stool that was about 6 inches high. At first I refused but he was very insistent so I joined him. Oh how I wish I had a picture of this. It would have been the big young American sitting on a little stool next to the small older Chinese man. I received a lot of looks and stares from passerby’s that morning. We were there for about 20 minutes before the other man returned. In his absence, business was good for the tire man. About every 5 minutes someone would stop by and pump up their tires with a manual air-pump that the man had sitting near his curb shop. When completed, people would throw money in a jar. To pump your tires up would cost you the US equivalent of a penny.
When the man returned he had a new tube (plus several others to replenish his stock). They were all brand new in their boxes. He quickly changed the tube and remounted the tire to the frame. He pumped up all tires and gave it a quick ride. Everything was in order. I had been thinking during the whole process about what to pay him. I read an article about these types of repair shops and typically a dollar would suffice for a repair. But since the tube had to be replaced I had no idea of the cost. I decided to offer him 5 dollars (or 40 RMB). He took the money and gave me 5 RMB (about $0.60) back in change. I tried to refuse but he was very insistent that I take the change. I thanked him (I do know that in Chinese) and headed home with both bikes.
I returned and park the newer bike in the garage and took the older bike with the new tire to the gym for a quick workout. I forgot to mention that the bike was manufactured in Shanghai by a local company. When I jumped on it I quickly realized a problem. My knees would hit the handle bars but I could manage by pedaling bow-legged.
I worked out in the gym for 60 minutes. I returned to my bike only to discover that the same tire was flat. I pushed it home and stuck it in the back of the storage room. Heavens forbid if I invest another $4 in that bike.
First Cursing by Natalie
Today Natalie cursed for the first time with context. She was playing "office" and she said "Dammit the phone is ringing". And I said, "Natalie, what did you say?" and she repeated "Dammit, the phone is ringing." I laughed, just a little, and said, "Say it one more time". And again she repeated "Dammit, the phone is ringing" and then she cracked a little bit of grin, not sure why I was drilling her, probably thinking she was going to get in trouble for playing with the phone. "OK, but that is definitely a 'D'-word and you are not allowed to say it." "Why?" she asked and then followed it with "OK. Can I get the phone?".
Too funny...
Too funny...
Monday, April 2, 2007
Is the war over?
The other night I was making a quick shopping stop at the local Carrefour. I was carrying a hand-basket and out of the corner of my eye I saw this quick maneuver by someone. I quickly looked over and saw this man who looked to be about 45 years old approaching me from about 6 feet away. Approaching is putting the term mildly. I managed to watch this man come at me with his cart and ram my right leg. I watched the cart hit my leg and looked up at the man with a bewildering look. Maybe I was looking for an apologetic look. Instead I received this grin…this evil grin. This man felt as if he took down the American empire all himself.
I decided that he could win this battle and I quickly returned to my shopping. I glanced a few times over my shoulder and saw him still standing there with his cart looking at me with great pride of his accomplishment.
Very odd!
I decided that he could win this battle and I quickly returned to my shopping. I glanced a few times over my shoulder and saw him still standing there with his cart looking at me with great pride of his accomplishment.
Very odd!
Natalie and Shelly Visit Xin Tiandi
Last Friday Natalie and I took our first trip on the Metro, or subway. It was beautiful weather here in Shanghai all last week, so we thought we would get out and seem some sights. We laid out the map in the morning and I showed Natalie where we would catch the subway and where the subway would go. Our destination was Xin Tiandi, a new eating and shopping outdoor mall. I knew the subway was relatively close to the mall so we wouldn't have to walk too far once we arrived. Our first challenge came in finding a place to park once we got to the Museum of Science of Technology. There is a metro station there, but I couldn't find anywhere that didn't have a "no bikes" sign. Though everyone was ignoring the signs anyway. I found a decent spot near an entrance where I could lock onto a handrail. And then I crossed my fingers that it would be there when we returned. So down the stairs to the station. It so happens that station also houses a street market inside. For anyone who is familiar with Shanghai, this is where part of the old Xiangang Clothing Market relocated to. Xiangang was a huge outdoor market where all sorts of cheap designer and brand name clothes and items were sold. It was shut down last summer and relocated to two official designations, one near Nanjing road and the other at the Metro station near the museum. Hopefully Natalie and I will make it back to the market there sometime this week.
The first thing we had to do was purchase our tickets. The metro system is shanghai is very easy to use, they have machines that can give you a ticket based upon your selection of the end station. And all of them can be done in English. You just touch the screen of your final destination, and voila, it calculates your fare. So we got our tickets and headed down into the station itself. Natalie was thrilled with the idea that it runs under the ground. I showed her how to know which side to stand on. And I made sure to pay special attention as I myself one time got on the wrong way. But you learn through mistakes like that! All I had to do was get off and go back the other way. No big deal!!! So we got on and headed west towards downtown. It was not very crowded until we got closer to downtown. And Natalie is quite the Chinese conversation piece when we do something like that. People touch her and talk about her, I hope they are saying nice things, all the time. Not a lot of light haired, blue eyed children on the metro! We got off at our destination, Haungpi Nan Lu. We walked a few blocks until we reached the Starbucks. Yes, there are Starbucks everywhere here! We found a good French restaurant for lunch and sat outside eating our lunch and watching people walk by. Xin Tiandi is a great place for people watching as it is an interesting mix of business, expatriates, tourists, and locals. After lunch we walked around a bit, Natalie bought some postcards to mail back home, and we headed off. Back on the subway the way we came. And our bike was there when we returned!
The first thing we had to do was purchase our tickets. The metro system is shanghai is very easy to use, they have machines that can give you a ticket based upon your selection of the end station. And all of them can be done in English. You just touch the screen of your final destination, and voila, it calculates your fare. So we got our tickets and headed down into the station itself. Natalie was thrilled with the idea that it runs under the ground. I showed her how to know which side to stand on. And I made sure to pay special attention as I myself one time got on the wrong way. But you learn through mistakes like that! All I had to do was get off and go back the other way. No big deal!!! So we got on and headed west towards downtown. It was not very crowded until we got closer to downtown. And Natalie is quite the Chinese conversation piece when we do something like that. People touch her and talk about her, I hope they are saying nice things, all the time. Not a lot of light haired, blue eyed children on the metro! We got off at our destination, Haungpi Nan Lu. We walked a few blocks until we reached the Starbucks. Yes, there are Starbucks everywhere here! We found a good French restaurant for lunch and sat outside eating our lunch and watching people walk by. Xin Tiandi is a great place for people watching as it is an interesting mix of business, expatriates, tourists, and locals. After lunch we walked around a bit, Natalie bought some postcards to mail back home, and we headed off. Back on the subway the way we came. And our bike was there when we returned!
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