Limbo

Once again, I have fallen behind. I can't seem to regulate myself to write on any kind of consistent basis. It is not like I don't have an abundance of material, quite the contrary. Springtime has proven to be full of activities, visitors, trips and everyday occurrences that still make me go "Huh?!?" However, my excuse is not that I have been so busy, but rather I feel like I am in limbo.

Three years ago this month, Larry and I visited China. He interviewed for a job, was offered the position and we made the decision to take the plunge. I can't believe how fast these three years have gone. It doesn't seem possible that we've been living here, the twins have spent a third of their lives as expats, Katie's been to more foreign countries as a tween than Larry and I did combined.

We are now on the cusp of another adventure. Moving companies have been visiting the house to give us quotes. The only problem is we still aren't sure of our next destination. Offers have been made, and we are carefully considering our options. I've even dusted off my resume in preparation of reentering the work force as chances are my days of being a Tai Tai are numbered.

Stay tuned...

Culinary Adventures

Lots of free time, recipes, food-blogging friends, as well as the availability of exotic foods all but beckoned me to the kitchen this long and brutal winter. After my successful Thanksgiving dinner, I was feeling pretty good about my chances in the kitchen. Two plus years here and my culinary repertoire had not expanded much beyond fried rice and dumplings. I still can't manage to make noodles that don't look like a pile of brains unless they're instant (the noodles, not the brains). However, I decided to step out of my and our family's comfort zone and try some completely different foods.

One of my favorite movies of recent is Julie and Julia, the one about Julia Childs and a woman who cooks her way through her cookbook then blogs about it. I loved that idea and applauded the woman who really did that, knowing I never would have the will power to get through it and be diligent enough to write every day. One of my high school buddies had started a blog last year following the same gist. She was going to choose a different recipe, cook it for her family, and then post their reactions good and bad for all to see. Lynne over at 365 Days of Baking just finished her year of recipes. I've got to hand it to her. Not only did she successfully complete her task, she also inspired me.

Indian food is my new favorite. I love the flavors and am especially fond of naan bread. I researched a bunch of recipes, found the ingredients and set about cooking. Dinner was a long time coming as I didn't figure in the time the dough needed to rise, but when Katie kept sneaking bites from the skillet, I knew I had a winner. The butter chicken and garlic naan disappeared.

Another keeper, if only in my book, was the cranberry scones recipe. Downton Abbey and all of the Brits around here make tea time look like so much fun. I wanted to get in on it. Surprisingly, scones are not too difficult, or rather the recipe I found was not difficult. Sydney even helped me. She was not all that jazzed with the results and told me we needed to cook something she liked next time.

Teriyaki was my tried and true marinade, but it was time to give it a much deserved break. All of the imported marinades and barbecue sauces are fairly pricey. I scanned the internet in hopes of finding some tasty alternatives. Feeling daring, I combined several recipes, adding more of one ingredient, substituting others, and hoping for a decent outcome. I poured my concoction on a pork tenderloin, setting aside the remaining sauce. When everyone, including Sarah (who never uses sauces) asked for more sauce, I secretly did a happy dance.

I'd promised myself and the family to try at least one new recipe a week, whether it be a sweet treat, marinade or full-blown meal. I've kept the promise and steadily increased our favorites-in-rotation. Yes, we still enjoy taco night, but with little variations. Yes, we still have spaghetti night, but we've now tried five or six different kinds of pastas and sauces.

No, I have not mastered the art of boiling Chinese noodles...but I am more confident that I will.

Weddings

A couple of weeks ago, on an ordinary Thursday afternoon, I glanced out the living room window and was perplexed by the sight of hundreds of pink balloons floating down the street. I watched their procession towards the house across from ours. A half dozen groundskeepers were cleaning and pruning. Some more were busy lining the walk way leading to the house with beautiful flowers. The windows were covered with red Chinese characters. The pink balloons were quickly strung into a billowy arch at the beginning of the walk way by two older women. "How lovely, new neighbors!" I thought.

An hour later, The sound of fireworks brought me outside. Our neighborhood doesn't allow the lighting of fireworks in the compound. At the center of the street, four guards and four photographers were gathered around the ignited strand of firecrackers. Rules were being broken. The loud cracking went on for a good fifteen minutes. While the huge box of enormous 'bottle rockets' shot into the air, a line of cars appeared. Seven Mercedes and one BMW SUV filled the street. The cars were decorated with flowers and ribbons and filled with wedding party members. More people came walking in, their cars were probably at the entrance to the compound. The photographers were frantically snapping thousands of shots, while the mother of the bride, I assume, was barking orders to everyone. A gigantic boxed cake was gingerly carted from the back of one of the Merecedes into the house by three sharp dressed men. Three taffeta ensconced females helped the blushing bride from the BMW. The newlyweds were then directed to the pink archway, where they stood for five minutes. I'm not sure what took place, but words were said and more photos were taken. The happy couple and their entourage then went into their house, a wedding present. Less than an hour later, the party ended and everyone left, including the couple. All traces of the party were quickly cleaned, the flowers were removed, the archway was dismantled, and the firework remnants swept away. The only thing that remained was the BMW, another wedding present.

Just another ordinary day here in China.

Posting Issues

So, I am fairly close to being caught up with my posts. I am close, that is, if you don't want any pictures. Once again, I am having computer issues and am unable to load any pictures. I've got a backlog of more than a dozen posts, but they don't have photos. And, honestly, it's the pictures that make most of my posts worth viewing. If I can't correct the problem in the next couple of days, I guess I'll post what I have and go back at a later date to add pictures. If it's not one thing...it's the other.

Long, Cold Winter

The first two months of 2012 have been relatively uneventful...as uneventful as things can get for an expat family. The Christmas break lasted a little over three weeks, the girls went back to school for two weeks and then were off again for the Chinese New Year for ten days. Since we didn't go anywhere during either break, this winter seems to be much longer and colder than the previous two. It is almost expected that expats take exotic vacations. When we told people we were sticking around, they looked at us questioningly, waiting for us to explain. Quite frankly, we didn't feel like battling the crowds and the grossly inflated prices. Most folks I've talked to who did go away commented on both of those.

As the rain continues to fall almost every day, the mood falls as well. I wondered if I was the only glum one. At the bus stop this week, I discovered I was not alone in my depression. All of us lamented the harshness of the elements and what it's done to our psyche. We also vowed to help each other out of the funk.

Now don't get me wrong. I know 'tai tais' have it easy over here. However, it's not all massages and shopping trips. In fact, I haven't had a proper massage in almost a year (she says with a heavy sigh and rolling eyes). The every day tasks are not as simple as they are back home. I fear for my life every time I go out in this beastly traffic with thousands of folks who should not be behind the wheel of a car. Add rain and cold to the equation and I don't even want to leave the house. Grocery shopping with gloves and a scarf on is the norm since the stores are not heated.

I can count on one hand how many times I've seen blue sky this year. I can count with one finger how many times the temperature has gone above 55 degrees. Thankfully, the girls seem unaffected, except they can't play outside every day. Larry even hits the links in this hideous weather. Not me. Give me the mosquito-infested, swimmingly humid, sweltering heat any day.

Sleepovers Should Not Be Called Sleepovers

On December 1, the twins turned nine...NINE! The shock of that was coupled by the fact they wanted to have a sleepover. Ugh, not another one. I'd barely recovered from Katie's spa tween sleepover and the Brownies' sleepover. However, Sydney was not going to give me a break. She keeps a running tally of the injustices of being a younger sibling and informed me Katie'd already had two sleepover parties and she and Sarah hadn't had a one. The next point of negotiations was the invite list. Sarah's list was small, Syd's was not. They still wanted to have a joint party, which made me very happy. I don't imagine my luck will hold much longer. We managed to settle on each inviting three friends. Sydney worked out in meticulous detail the events that would take place, and a layout of where everyone would sleep in the family room. Sarah made the invitations. They told me my only task was cooking. "Sure", I thought.

As with Katie's party, we picked up the party goers at school. These girls had packed as if it was a week-long vacation. Mr. Liu just laughed and piled it all and them into the van. Sydney checked her itenarary and instructed the girls the order of events, which was met with lots of "But let's do this first!" and "Can we wait and do that later?" With a huge harrumph, she relented, but only on a few items.

We stopped at Dairy Queen for a pre-dinner Blizzard. As soon as we entered the neighborhood and the girls saw the boys outside playing, all Blizzards were left on the counter and out the door they went. I saw Sydney check 'playing with boys' off her list. Dinner was devoured in record time and they were ready to dance. I soon became DJ Mel with the duty of spinning constant tunes, which then turned into Freeze Dance. The amount of energy two Belgians, a German, a Mexican, an Aussie, an Italian, and two Americans expended was a sight to behold. I'd jacked them all up with plenty of sugar so I had nobody to blame but myself.

It was after 11pm before sleeping bags were unrolled. I figured it was safe for me to go upstairs, but at 1:30am, I still heard giggling. At 3am, everyone was asleep, with the television blaring. I hoped they would sleep late. Nope. 5:30am brought the first sounds. By 7, they were clamoring for breakfast. They were all outside again at 8, which left me with the task of rolling up sleeping bags, and sorting discarded clothing.

They tried to talk me into extended the party since Katie extended hers, but to no avail. I knew every one of those girls would go home and pass out. When I saw one of the mums that next week at school, I asked if her daughter was tired after the party. She said she wanted to send her to our house every weekend, because for the first time she didn't argue when told to go to bed.

Thanksgiving

In fifteen years of marriage, I can count on one hand how many turkeys I've cooked. The first one was a successful fifteen pound beauty for my parents and Larry in our little mill house in Seneca. Much too much bird for four people, but it sure was pretty. The second was a Cajun marinated deep fat fried one when my brother and family visited. It too, was tasty, up until Katie barfed at the table after her Uncle Mark threatened to eat the food from her plate and she shoved the contents into her mouth.

The third and perhaps best tasting turkey was the one cooked this past Thanksgiving. Of course, China does not recognize the holiday, though many restaurants offer traditional meals. We've gone out the past two years here, but we were all hankering for some home cooking. I had plenty of time on my hands again since I was no longer working, so I scoured the stores in both Suzhou and Shanghai. I found all the ingredients and started cooking the day before Thanksgiving. Since both Larry and the girls had work and school respectively, I planned the meal for exactly at 6pm. No time for appetizers or drinks. Straight to the meal.

This was the first time I had cooked the entire meal by myself and I was pretty pleased. I have never and will never claim to be a great cook, but I do know that I can cook. I just don't want to admit it. I might end up in the kitchen every holiday meal. Every once and awhile, I like to plate up one of my 'grue' dishes, which inevitably gets me a pass from the kitchen for a night. Luckily, no 'grue' on Thanksgiving. Even the gravy was delicious . It could have been that we were just so starved for a taste of Americana, but we devoured the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, squash, broccoli, gravy, biscuits and pumpkin pie as if we weren't sure of the next time we'd get such delicacies. Frankly, I didn't even mind doing the dishes that night and looked forward to leftovers for the next few.

Hard Pill to Swallow

This has been a difficult post to write and the reason for my winter funk. Everything was going along as usual...or as usual as things can be over here. A chaotic routine had developed. The girls would head to school, Larry to work and after Mr. Liu had dropped off Larry he'd return to take me to the kindergarten.

The kids in my morning classes were more subdued than than the ones in my afternoon classes, but still had plenty of energy to run me ragged. We were never in our seats. We danced, sang and played games. Some days between classes, I'd simply go home and lay on the floor, trying to catch my breath. My girls thought I'd lost my mind since I was always singing every childrens' song I could think of. Falling asleep at night was no longer a problem, I was so drained. But, it was a wonderful feeling. I absolutely loved going to the school. The children looked at me like I was a saint, which we all know is a stretch. Their parents and grandparents would pat me on the back and shake my hand with huge smiles on their faces. The ego boost I guess I'd been needing was certainly filled by these angels.

So, imagine my surprise when the principal told me that she and several of the teachers wanted to talk to me about my teaching methods. At first I thought they wanted some tips. How foolish of me. I told Larry about the upcoming meeting and his response was "They probably don't want you having fun with the kids. That's not the Chinese way". No, that couldn't be it or could it? Yes, it could.

Three teachers and the principal calmly told me that I wasn't to teach emotions, that the children and I should stay in our seats for the lesson, and the use of games and song should only be used sparingly. They offered me several different methods, complete with CDs. I'm sure I looked like a large mouth bass. I remember snapping my jaw closed and hanging my head in an effort from shedding tears. My thought was how glad I was Larry had prepared me for this even though at the time I didn't believe him.

I suppose in hindsight I could have nodded and accepted their revised methods, but I was so angry I told them I could not teach like that. Children need to be able to express themselves, they learn better and faster when they are entertained and can partake in the entertainment. Of course, I didn't say any of that, I simply told them I wasn't the kind of teacher they wanted. They were shocked and asked me to reconsider. Perhaps, if I'd stayed I eventually could have snuck in some fun times here and there. The communist grip has never shown itself as much as it did that day. I only hope for the sake of the children that grip loosens.

WGC 2011 - Final Round

November 6, 2011

Since we totally missed the best shot of the tournament the previous day, we were out the door and on the road early, committed to staying until the end. The girls even made some colorful signs to flash towards our faves; "We love you, Adam" and "Go Tigers!". Who knew the media frenzy we'd cause.

The 2nd green was deserted when we arrived. We parked ourselves right at the ropes where the players have to walk by. We watched the top half of the pack shoot for the pin and with each passing group the crowd around us grew. Since we were sitting on the ground with the green in front of us, claustrophobia wasn't a problem, but, man, people were packed behind us like sardines. When Jonathan Byrd came through, we flashed the "Go, Tigers!" I wondered, after the fact, if folks got the connection or if they thought we were cheering for a non-present Woods.

By the time Adam's group arrived, we couldn't have moved unless we followed the players inside the ropes. The girls were itching to hold up the 'Adam' sign, but Larry made them wait until all three players had hit their shots into the green. Each one of us girls, sitting next to each other, held a sign with a word. We sat perfectly still and waited until we were noticed. And, boy, were we noticed. The media swarmed us, cameras were clicking, videos were rolling and the announcers stood off to the side relaying it all to whomever was listening on the other end. Granted, most of the media was Asian, and we will never know exactly who saw us. But we ended up on one of ESPN's affiliate stations, AND Adam got a big kick out of it. This happened to be the day after his caddie, Steve Williams, was under fire for making off-color comments about Tiger. He even managed a chuckle.

We moved quickly to the 16th green and stayed there until the final groups came through. Things didn't go so well for Adam and he was basically out of contention, but we cheered anyways. Martin Kaymer caught fire on the back nine and overtook third round leader Frederik Jacobsen.

When it looked like more rain was coming and the temperature dropped, we said good-bye to SheShan. The past three years at the tournament have provided some wonderful memories and chances are we won't get to mingle with players like we did there at any US tournaments. But, who knows...stranger things have happened.

WGC 2011- Round Three

November 5, 2011

Armed with umbrellas, rain jackets, snacks and South Carolina attire (both Clemson and USC), we arrived early Saturday morning. And just like in years past, the place was hopping. The first tee was so crowded, we could only stand on the little knoll behind it. We got to our spot on the 7th green, and again were entertained by the groups. We watched every one come through. The differences between their play around the green were amazing and at times inspiring. The old PGA slogan still holds true. These guys are good!

It started raining a couple of times, but we'd brought umbrellas and jackets. We set up a little shelter, sitting on the jackets, shielded from the rain with propped up umbrellas. After Adam and his group went through, we decided to head in. When we got to the 8th tee, we noticed a backlog of groups. Three groups were waiting, which meant someone was terribly off-course. No, not Adam! Yep, Adam. He'd hit his ball into the abyss that is to the left of the creek on 8. Dozens of folks were frantically searching for his ball, but he eventually had to take a penalty. He ended up only bogeying the hole.

We watched the guys come in and very few stopped to give autographs. We'd pretty much hit up all our favorites, so any more and I would have felt greedy. Katie hoped to get Rory's signature since the twins...well, Syd bragged abut getting it the day before. Quite frankly, I couldn't tell you if Katie got it or not. It looks like it may be there on her hat, but some of the signatures are nothing more than chicken scratch.

We left with the leaders still on the course due to hunger pains, but we just couldn't stomach the high-priced sub par pizza and hot dogs for dinner. Seriously, one would think a high dollar event could at least have decent vending options. By the time we got home, we realized we missed the best shot of the tournament. Adam holed out from the fairway on the 18th and was going to be in the final group. Well, we were going to be ready to cheer him during the final round.

Couldn't Happen Any Other Way

I remember when my parents told me when I graduated from high school and was bawling like a baby because my friends and I were all going to different schools, that college would be the greatest time of my life. I was sure to meet lots of new people and make new friends. While I did meet lots of people and had a good time, I never really connected with a group like I did in high school. Our group was a hodgepodge, a mixture of athletes, artists, brainiacs, and musicians. There was one constant, though. Kristen and I met during field hockey try outs our freshman year. We were inseparable for years and we swore we'd always be friends.

Then life happened.

Our friendship crumbled, but we remained in each other's minds. We knew when the other was in need, we knew when the other got married and other happenings. There was still a connection. The internet and email were crucial in the resurrection of our friendship. Our lives took completely different paths, but that was a surprise to neither of us. We'd always been polar opposites. That was what made us such great friends.

She and her husband are both chiropractors. They have worked and travelled all over the world. They were in Saudi Arabia when I emailed to tell her we were moving to China. She said she'd been to China once and would love to go back someday. I didn't hear from her for a couple of years, not until last fall. She emailed to tell me she and her husband were moving to Shanghai to take a position at one of the international hospitals. We started emailing each other regularly. She would ask questions about China. I'd ask questions about Saudi. We were actually giddy with the thought of seeing each other. We'd figured out our last meeting was back in 1992. She'd come to see me perform at URI, when I was in 'Cabaret'. It was all I could to keep from meeting them at the airport.

We finally met a week after they arrived at the Hong Qiao Pearl Market. They hadn't been to a fake market yet and my girls wanted to give them a lesson in bargaining. They were still tan from their time in the desert and she hadn't changed. We stood in the parking lot for few minutes, hugging each other. My girls immediately swarmed and wanted to show them the market.

We walked and talked, knowing twenty years of stories would take more than an afternoon to cover. So much had happened in our lives that we wanted to share with the other one, but for compounded reasons, we never did. It seemed fitting that we were meeting up again on the other side of the world. Arriving from different directions, with completely different traveled life paths, we were ready to share our stories. We've had a couple of lunches together in Shanghai, and last Tuesday our hubbies met each other. Getting reacquainted will take some time, but it seems we're on the right track. And in the words of my mom "Friends back together, all is right."

WGC - Round Two

November 4, 2011

No sooner did we arrive for the second round than we spotted Adam in all his plaid glory on the practice green. Crowds were still relatively small, so our view was unobstructed and the twins in their pink caught the eye of many players. Several volunteers recognized us from previous years, saying things like, "Aren't you the Phil fans?" or "Who are you cheering for this year?"

We walked out to the 7th green, our favorite spot, and settled in for a few hours. The threesomes came through, treating us to some great and some not-so-great shots. Sydney and Sarah politely applauded at appropriate times and offered words of encouragement to those who faltered. They were rewarded with several balls and smiles.

The afternoon was spent around the clubhouse. The crowds had increased, but the girls and I staked a prime spot right in front. Larry stood on the bridge in between 2 and 18, watching the action from both sides, while we waited for the players after they signed their scorecards. Hunter Mahan gave a wave to the twins as they yelled his name. A few minutes later his caddie came over to them with two autographed balls. Aaron Baddaley was friendly and chatty as he signed their hats. Even though he didn't have a good round, Jim Furyk took a moment to pose with them. You can kind of tell by his half smile-half grimace. Things got out of hand rather quickly when Rory McIlroy appeared. We were still in front, but suddenly we were pinned between a few hundred brazenly rude local fans and the metal barricade. It was all I could do to keep the crowds from crushing us. Rory came to us immediately, which meant the crowd converged. The security team was ready to grab Sarah and cart her over the fence, but I managed to bulldoze our way out. He didn't sign any more after that. Crazy!

With plenty of autographs and golf balls galore, Sydney decided we could leave. She was certain her big sister wouldn't be able to get more during the weekend rounds.

WGC - Round 1

November 3, 2011
Last year's tournament, Larry was away during the week and I didn't want to go by myself. I let Katie miss three days of school. Sydney did not let me forget that. We made a deal with the girls with Katie attending Thursday, the twins would attend Friday and all of us would come on the weekend. This was more to break up the Katie-Sydney bickering than anything else.

The first round brought more clouds and the constant threat of rain. Though her loyalty is to Phil, Katie set her sights on Nick Watney. She spotted him right away on the practice green. Crowds were still at a minimum so she called out to him as he prepared to head to the first tee. He'd just began chatting with his coach and didn't hear her. To our surprise, another golfer walked over to us at the same time. Nicolas Colsaerts asked Katie with a beaming smile if she wanted his autograph. She stammered out a yes. After he left, she turned to me and said, "I don't know who he is." I told her his name adding that she couldn't say "Sorry, you're the wrong Nick." Since he went out of his way and was super friendly, he made it to our 'favorite' list.
We walked a few holes, stopping here and there. While we were watching Bill Haas on the second green, a pretty young woman came up to us, eyeing Larry's Gamecock colors and said, "My husband told me there was a family from South Carolina. You must be that family." She introduced herself as Bill's wife and a USC grad. I try not to be a star-struck gawker, I mean, these are just guys playing a sport they love. I must say though, I did have a moment as I watched Bill smile from where he was on the green as he watched Larry, Katie and Julie chatting away. The Whitfields were a subject of conversation for the Haas'. Kind of cool. Paul Lawrie did not think it was cool and told us to be quiet. He did not make it to our 'favorite' list.

The on again-off again rain kept us close to the clubhouse. We parked ourselves on the ninth green and enjoyed the view. Some views were better than others. Seriously, Adam Scott seemed to sense his picture was going to be taken and struck a pose. I couldn't tell you if he birdied, parred or bogied the hole, but he looked good doing it.

Not too many players stopped to give autographs, opting instead to immediately return to the practice areas. Though, 2012 Humana Challenge winner, Mark Wilson, told Katie he loved her smile after a photo op. 'Favorite' list? Yes.

Katie was bound and determined to get Nick Watney's autograph, so we joined the players at the practice tee. She followed him to the equipment tent and asked him to sign her hat. She didn't have a pen, so he went into the tent and got one. All was right with the world.

Keegan Bradley led after the first round and was swarmed at first by the press. Poor guy looked like a deer in the headlights, but he still managed a bit of smirk. Clemson grad, Jonathan Byrd eyed my hat and posed with Katie and me. On that note, we called it a day...a good one at that.

WGC Sans Phil - Pro-Am

November 2, 2011

A collective heavy-hearted sigh could be heard through our house when we found out Phil Mickelson wasn't going to be at this year's HSBC World Golf Championship in Shanghai. What would we do? Who would we follow and cheer? Certainly, no other golfers would take notice of the Whitfield entourage like Phil did.

Sometimes, I enjoy being wrong.

Practice Round/Pro-Am Day-This has always proven in the past to be the best day for getting autographs. Since Sarah is not a huge fan, she opted for school, while the rest of us braved the rain. Chinese folks are not yet foul-weather nor mid-week golf fans, which made for a crowdless day. We went straight to the practice tees, where we were immediately treated to the sight of a dozen or so of the world's best. Some were hoping the Pro-Am would be cancelled and didn't hesitate to tell us. The ropes dividing us commoners from the pros had not yet been put up, so we took that as an opportunity to get up close and personal. Our first victim was at the Titleist vendor's table, grabbing some hats for the tournament. I told Katie and Syd to ask him if they could have a picture taken with him. He was so soft-spoken and almost painfully shy, but when Adam Scott put his arm around Katie and flashed that smile directly at me...well the camera, I knew we'd found one of our new targets, I mean favorites. Sydney, not to be outdone, marched up to another player, who at the time, I had no idea who he was, and asked to take his picture. He happily obliged and now I regularly follow Alex Noren's blooming career. Even the vendors were feeling generous. Larry got a couple dozen balls and we each got a hat from the Titleist guy.

Torrential rains made us the only fans on a couple of the holes. Miguel Angel Jimenez questioned our collective sanity as he walked off the second hole, while others, like Ian Poulter, shook their heads as if questioning their own. Adam gave us another smile on his way to the next tee. We headed over to the clubhouse and watched the players slosh their way in. Greenville native, Bill Haas spotted Larry's South Carolina jacket and stopped to chat with him. He was amazed to see some fellow southerners and graciously posed with the girls. What a nice guy.

It really was a horrendously awful day to play and watch golf, but seeing the girls as they fearlessly chatted with the players, and watching the players smile in reaction, was better than a single ray of sunshine.

Ghouls, Goblins and Britney...Scary

October 31, 2011
Back home, deciding on Halloween costumes was as about as exciting as going to Wal-Mart since that's where the largest costume selection could be found. While China hasn't fully grasped the concept of door-to-door candy pandering, there are ample places to search for costumes. All one has to do is bring in a photo of a costume, dress or whatever to a tailor and couple of days later an almost exact replica is produced. A trip to "Wedding Street", where I've had a couple of formal dresses made, is also an option. We went there to find outfits for book character day at Dulwich. Instead, frugality reared its ugly head and I told the girls we'd make our costumes this Halloween. They only protested for a few hours then went straight to work. I wasn't suprised when Sarah wanted to be a blood-sucking vampire. I figured with our obsession with the undead (Twilight, True Blood, UnderWorld, Salem's Lot), at least one of them would have fangs. Katie stayed in the same genre, but went with a green-faced zombie. Both of them looked pretty ghoulish, but the scariest of them all was Sydney. She came slinking down the stairs in a get-up beyond her years. I thought the twins' Real Housewives ensemble they created last year was bad enough, but seeing Syd as a sexy schoolgirl, Britney wanna-be, just made me feel dirty. Ok, it wasn't that bad, but when we walked down the street on our way to the neighborhood day-before-Halloween-potluck party, I'm pretty sure I heard a couple of mothers gasp.
The party was fun despite the questionable looks I got from several disapproving parents. The girls decorated little pumpkins, which brings up another point. Trying to find pumpkins big enough to carve was next to impossible. Some families found some peach-shaded gourds, but these just didn't scream Halloween to me, so I made do with the sugar pumpkins. I also tried to get creative with my mini cupcakes, frosting them in the shape of a ghost...sort of.
Halloween evening, many of the houses were decorated with spider webs and jack-o-lanterns. We played creepy music and tried to scare the kids as they came to the door for their treats. The girls came home with lots of candy, and since my parents brought some favorites when they visited, we indulged in the chocolatey goodness. For a few hours we almost forgot we were in China.

He Who Laughs Last...

So, a couple of months ago my daughter came home from school with a black eye. Apparently, her face got in the way of an errant rugby ball during P.E. class. My first response upon seeing her was not "Oh my God! What happened?" or "Let me get
some ice, go lay down!" Oh no. I busted out into hysterical laughter. I was even laughing as I took the picture. As you can see, she was not very pleased with me. She'd say things like "I can't believe you're laughing at your hurt daughter" or "It's not funny!" Seeing Katie, however, who turns green at the sight of blood, limps when she has a little black and blue bruise on her leg, and can't write with her right hand when she has a hangnail on her left, sporting a shiner struck my funny bone in such a way it was almost involuntary laughter...almost. The bruise faded and was gone in less than a week, but I remember chuckling to myself when I downloaded the picture of her last month. It was as if I was purposely tempting the karma gods.

The day after New Year's we all went shopping. We strolled along Walking Street and bought some boots for the twins. When I attempted to put the bags into the van's trunk, I didn't pay attention when I brought the lid down, clocking myself smack dab on the bridge of my nose. I heard the crunch. All went black for a couple of seconds and then the stabbing pain and stars appeared. Not again. By the time we got home, I had quite a bruise and I knew what was in my future. The next day I looked like a raccoon. The picture above is a week and a half after the fact.

To Katie's credit, she's only laughed at me a couple of times, but only after her father reminded her of all the times I laughed at her. Larry, on the other hand, guffaws each time he looks at me and says "You know what they say about karma".

Mani/Pedi/Facial Party

October 21, 2011

For several months Katie had been hinting about what she wanted to do for her birthday. Well, maybe not hinting as a brick through a window would have been more subtle. Foolishly, I'd mentioned a mani-pedi or spa-themed party. She latched onto that idea like a dog to a bone and her list of invitees grew by the day. Uh-oh, this could get pricey.

I scouted a few of the spas and decided on one. After telling the young woman what I wanted, she suggested she could come to the house and do the manicures and pedicures there...for the same price. What?!? In house mani-pedis? What is this, Beverly Hills? However, she didn't offer facials. A few minutes on the internet and that problem was soon solved.

After preparing two homemade facial scrubs; one with bananas and coarse brown sugar, the other with oatmeal and honey, Mr. Liu and I picked up a gaggle of girls from school Friday evening. They were hyped up. With boys from their class in our neighborhood, they were immediately out the door and on the chase. Only the smell of grilled food and the arrival of our 'nail technician' brought them back. They chowed down like only girls with high metabolisms can, taking turns at the mani-pedi table. The young lady doing the nails worked steadily for over three hours straight, completing ten sets of fingernails and toenails (Sarah and Syd got in on the fun) for less than the price of one in the US.

The family room turned into the facial lounge with yours truly applying the scrubs. One of the girls, who chose the banana blend, laid on the couch scooping globs off her face and eating it. A couple of them ate the cucumbers I'd laid on their eyes. As soon as their faces were buffed and scrubbed, they devoured an entire pan of brownies in less than five minutes. I knew right then it was going to be a late night. I was right. I heard giggles only chocolate highs can induce until well after 2am, only to resume around 6am. When they finally left around 3pm, I promised their parents they would be asleep early that night. My soft-skinned, nailpolished beauties were down for the count by 8, followed shortly thereafter by me.

Football With Friends

October 15, 2011

The Tuesday after the October holiday, the twins told me they wanted to play in a soccer tournament that weekend. "Don't you need to be part of an organized team?" I asked. Sydney informed me that she, Sarah and their friends had been playing together at lunchtime. "Besides, the P.E. teacher said we needed more girls' teams," she added. "Oh, and we need cleats and shin guards, too." Of course.

A frazzled trip to Decathalon, then Auchen in search of said items proved once again that nothing is as easy as it should be here. The sporting goods store had only one pair of little shin guards. When I couldn't find them right away in Auchen, I attempted to ask for help. He brought me over to the athletic supporters and cups. No, not quite what I was looking for, but at least in the general ballpark.

Donning their brand-spanking new gear (eventually, I found the shin guards behind a row of mouth guards), Sarah and Sydney were ready to play. They were teamed up with six more of their Year Four buddies. None of whom were actually on an organized team before this day. There were three other teams in their age group; another from DCSZ, one from Dulwich College Shanghai, who I believe were actually on steroids as none appeared to be under five feet tall, and one from Eton House. Guess who they had to play first? The steroid team. In between the cartwheel turning and hair flipping, the other team scored non-stop and they got creamed 5-0. It looked like it was going to be a long day. The coach made some changes and gave them a bit of pep talk. Sarah was put in goal, and Sydney moved to the front line. They played the other DCSZ team to a 0-0 tie. Hmmm, not bad. Eton House was next. Sarah stayed in goal as she'd made several impressive saves. Syd stayed in the striker position. It was a nail biter and I immediately became one of those moms on the sidelines. It was all I could do to contain myself when Sarah made a great save, and I hollared like a banshee when Sydney scored the only goal of the game. Holy crow, these little girls were actually playing together as a team...kind of. They still tended to swarm the ball like bees to a flower, but they won 1-0. This win put them in the semi-finals, where they ended up playing Eton House again. The girls played hard and it looked like it was going to end in a tie until one of the opposing players made a break. She was on her way down the field and kicked the ball towards one of her teammates really hard. Sydney cut in to block it and kicked it with gusto. Unfortunately, she kicked it right at Sarah, who try as she might, couldn't stop it from going into the goal. They lost 1-0. Talk about heartwrenching. It happened so fast, I pretended like I didn't know what happened. Sydney 'fessed up, though, on the way home.
All in all, I was so proud of those girls. They'd never practiced together as a team, but ended up finishing with a better record than the other DCSZ team. Sarah made well over twenty saves, and even though one of them was against her sister, Syd scored the only goals of the day.

Sydney's Day Off

October 13, 2011

Since my parents' departure was quickly nearing, I squeezed in one last touristy excursion. I'd been told by fellow expats, the tour at the Number 1 Silk Factory was a must-see. I figured it would be a tough sell to Sydney since it was now her day with Mimi and Papa. She happily obliged with conditions. We could go to the silk factory if we could go to her favorite restaurant, The Bookworm, first.
We headed out shortly after Sarah and Katie left for school. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the Bookworm, the staff was also just arriving. She said she could wait until after the factory tour for lunch, but we'd have to come back. We also had to pick up a little snack at the Family Mart to hold her over until then.
Thinking a late Thursday morning would be a great time to go and there'd be no crowds, we were stunned to see dozens of tour buses as we pulled into the factory's parking lot. Mr. Liu helped us negogiate our way in, but told us all the tour guides were booked. Luckily, I spotted one of my EAS (Expat Assoc. of Suzhou) buddies with some guests of her own. She said she'd been to the factory a couple of times and would be happy to share what she knew, so we tagged along.
The Number 1 Silk Factory, built in 1926, doesn’t get its name because it's the best in China, rather because it’s the oldest. Of course, now adays everything is processed through machines, but this factory is one of the few remaining where employees still do some of the work by hand. It makes for an enlightening tour. Who would have thought a single necktie requires 300 cocoons?
The machinery was quite incredible and the whole process fascinating. The silk wheels at the top of the machine were spinning so fast while the used cocoons would bob in the water trough. After the spinning machines came the ones that make the print on the fabric. The cards on the machines had some sort of braille-like code that told the machine what to do and stamps of various Chinese depictions on a yellow silk background magically pumped out the other end.
The tour ends in a showroom. We are in China after all. Right before we headed into the showroom we watched the women making the duvets by stretching the silk across the mattress to layer a duvet. Sydney smiled her smile and asked if she could help. She said it felt like a strong, but soft spiderweb. The only things in the showroom that caught my attention were the worm-droppings pillows. Yes, all those little black dots you see in the picture of the worms eating the mulberry leaves are worm poop. Supposedly, these poop pillows promote a healthy sleep. Needless to say, we left without anything including worm poo.
The Bookworm was ready for us when we returned and we had a nice, quiet lunch. Syd picked out a book from their 'library'. The shop upstairs was getting ready for some bookswap event, but Syd finagled her way up there anyway.

Back home, she wrote about her day's events and thoughts in her diary. She's been deligently recording precious moments. I'm just waiting for the day when she asks if she can start a blog.

Sarah's Day Off

October 12, 2011
My girls love to shop, but each for different reasons. Katie's all about the latest fashions and trends, better known as whatever everyone else has. Sydney, as we all know, has a flair for the dramatic. Her tastes can be anything from what I like to what her sisters don't like. More important than anything, though, is her share needs to be equal to or more than theirs. Neither seem to pay particular attention to the items, only the pursuit of acquisition.

Sarah, on the other hand, revels in the stores. She picks up everything from hairbows and jewelry to books and clothes, examining each as if she was a quality control inspector out on a shopping bender. Her weakness is purses, like her mother. She also doesn't immediately forget her newly acquired possessions. I sometimes catch her in her room, neatly organizing and displaying things.

When she found out my parents and I were going to Shanghai to the fake markets, she wanted to take her 'free day'. Her many suitors have given her little baubles and trinkets, so she was on the hunt for a jewelry box. She knew exactly the kind she was looking for, and after finding the right shop, she narrowed her choices methodically. After a bit of annoying negogiations, she proudly walked out with her black silk jewelry box.

Our next stop was a quick photo op on the Bund. The Huangpu river separates Shanghai's west and east sides; Puxi and Pudong. The view from the Puxi side across the river is impressive. Even though the sky was cloudy, the Pearl Tower, the Financial building and dozens of skyscrapers made a stunning backdrop for pictures.

The river was crowded with barges, ferries, and tankers coming in and out of the city. Even with the spectacular scenery, Sarah's attention was drawn to the beautiful bride being photographed by the river's edge. She asked to borrow my camera. After several minutes, she and my father returned with more pictures of the bride than of the picturesque surroundings.

Upon return, Sarah immediately went to her room and began to sort through her vast collection of priceless wonders. She carefully selected which gems would go into the new jewelry box. Her favorite part of the box is the 'secret compartment'. As much as I want to peak inside, I have refrained...for the time being. Though, I would love to know what she considers secret compartment-worthy.

Christmas Celebrations Dulwich Style

Many of my favorite memories since arriving in China have taken place at the girls' school. Dulwich College has afforded them a global educational experience I fear will never be matched if/when we return to the US. Each class is a cultural melting pot. And we all know I approve of their emphasis on the arts. This year the twins started learning a string instrument as well as the recorder and Katie switched from the tenor sax to the clarinet. They practiced all term in preparation for the annual Christmas Concert. Each Year combined their talents and performed a holiday tune. Sarah, Sydney and the rest of their Year Four peers sang 'I Saw Three Ships' and played it on the recorder. Katie sang a couple of songs with the Senior Choir, and the Year Sevens played 'Under the Tree' (Under the Sea renamed for the holiday) and 'Dance of the Reed Flutes' their wind instruments. Larry and I sat in awe as several of the older students wowed us with their musical prowess. These kids are only a couple of years older than my kids and they played with the skill and confidence of a professional.

Michaelmas Term finished with class parties overflowing with sweet treats. I made my signature mini cupcakes, eight dozen mini cupcakes for Sarah's and Sydney's classes. I felt pretty proud of myself until I walked into Sydney's class and viewed an enormous gingerbread house. Several mums, with some help from the chefs at a local hotel, joined forces to create the masterpiece. I did feel better when I found out they had professional help. Another French mom was fixing made-to-order crepes. Moms and teachers were lined up out the door to sample them. I went back for seconds. I also went back for more sushi rolls. When I told the Korean mother who'd made them how much I enjoyed the rolls and asked her if she'd show me how to make them, she actually got tears in her eyes.

The girls said their goodbyes to a couple of their friends who were returning to their home countries. Some tears were shed, but thanks to the internet, their friendships can continue across the miles.

Is It 2012 Already?!?

Please forgive me. My composing will left me for a couple of months due to a bout of self pity, which I will disclose in a later post. Don't worry, nothing major, just Communism at its finest. I'll also catch up a season's worth of activities and musings...slowly but surely.
2012 snuck up on me. I believe I thought the same thing last year. We thought about spending Christmas somewhere tropical, but decided on a homey, quiet one instead after receiving word Larry's brother passed away. He went to Seneca the Sunday before Christmas by himself to make arrangements. He spread Mark's ashes over the graves of his parents, said goodbye and was back home the day before Christmas Eve tired, emotionally drained and carrying several well stocked suitcases.
Santa must not have been watching all the time as everyone ended up on the Nice list. He brought Barbies galore, iPads for the twins and me as well as a MacBook Air for Katie, and two sets of golf clubs; Taylor Made R9s for me and a pink Calloway set for Katie. We went to the Intercontinental for its Champagne Brunch, stayed until they kicked us out, eating and drinking until we were bulging at the seams. The celebration continued at our house with an impromtu party with several friends. Luckily, I had some appetizers and cookies on hand, all of which were huge hits. It's amazing how many of our European friends have never had Ranch dip and think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. They also raved about the Chinese noodle cookies. Ironically, one cannot find those crunchy lo mein noodles here. Larry brought two cans back just so I could make the cookies.

Initially, Larry and I wanted to spend a quiet evening at home New Year's Eve with the girls. We made a bunch of snacks, and while he was pouring a glass of wine for me, I tracked down the girls at their friends' house. They were hosting an open house party and had already ordered pizzas for the girls. They asked if we wanted to join them. Sure, why not. An open house means come whenever and leave whenever. We brought our snacks and drinks over and did not leave until after fireworks at the front gates of the compound, and a New Year's shot of Bailey's, which pretty much put me over my limit. I spent the first day of the new year in bed nursing a mean hangover. When will I learn?
Trying to get the girls' heads up and away from their new electronic dreams, we went to 'Walking Street', with the promise of new boots for school for the twins and ice cream for all.

The streets were crowded and the stores had all kinds of sales. We went to one department store and on the fifth floor found the childrens' shoe section. Close to an hour later, we left with two pairs of shiny, black boots. Since we'd had an early lunch, the girls were anxious for ice cream. Evidently, I was too. In my haste to put the van's trunk lid down, I managed to clonk myself smack in the middle of my nose. Yep, I'm pretty sure it's broken again (third time's a charm, right?) I foresee a nose job in my future.
Dairy Queen was my choice until Larry suggested Haagen Dazs. Ground beef or filet mignon? The choice was obvious. Our eyes bugged out of our heads as we read the menu. Our tongues fell out of our mouths when the waitress brought our frozen wonders to us. Larry and I had ordered smaller treats figuring there would be plenty of leftovers. Wrong! Sarah may be small, but that girl can put away ice cream without any problem.

With a sugar high and three weeks of vacation from which to come down, their sleep patterns needed serious readjustment, along with my nose. However, 2012 appears to be off to a sweet start.