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.