Solo Shopping

Taking a quick trip to the store is but a memory. When I want to go shopping for anything I either have to arrange my day around Larry's, get a taxi or hitch a ride with another expat. Oh, I could ride my bike, but after experiencing a few of the sudden thunderstorms that seem to pop up at random times, biking is my last resort. Going with friends is fun as the conversations are lively, but I never feel like I can linger or stroll. Women on a shopping excursion is serious business. Family shopping trips are similar, with more "I want this!" and "Are we done yet?" Last Friday, I had the rare treat of going to Shanghai by myself. I didn't have to worry about being back in time to meet the girls at the bus stop as Larry said he would be home. An entire day in Shanghai...where to start?
Our trip back home seriously depleted my purse supply. I'd also been eyeing some furniture for Katie's room and our bathroom. Everyone knows how I love my nicnacs, but I haven't been able to display them here...no shelves or bookcases. Mr. Liu made it downtown in record time. I only feared for my life a half dozen times. The World Expo has brought traffic levels to a new level of horror. First stop was the Nanjing Road market. This was my first time going solo, but my confidence at bargaining has increased. We have our favorite vendors and they know us, but seeing me by myself made them a bit bolder. Our electronics vendor told me the police had been there and she didn't have any movies or games, but could get some in a day. My girls' Nintendo DS charger got fried when they plugged it in here, so I managed to get a couple of those. My purse lady had also been raided and was very skiddish about showing me anything with a designer label. I managed to find the Coach bag I'd seen back in the States and a snazzy black Louis Vitton just because. On my way out, a horde of uniformed men came barreling by me into one of the stalls. They flashed their badges and began ransacking the shop. They bagged up all of the hidden DVDs and games. It was quietly terrifying. It reminded me of one of those nature shows where piranhas devour everything off their prey. The shop was stripped to the walls with the vendor left standing there with a piece of paper in his hand. I'm guessing either a hefty fine to pay or the location of where his inventory was being taken.
The next stop was Ikea. The girls and I went there one day, but I couldn't stop and look too long at any one thing as their attention span was ultra short. The place was mobbed with couples, families with rambunctious children and a few expat women going solo. I spent a couple of hours scanning the place and found a couple of pieces. Things got interesting at check out when an older chinese man cut in front of me and I looked at him and called him rude. He just said "Duibuqi", which is "I'm sorry". An older chinese women who was behind me asked if he was with me and I shook my head. She let this guy have it with all the fury she could muster. He stood there dumbfounded as she basically ripped him a new one, but in the end he left ahead of us and probably didn't give us another thought.
Last stop was the Hong Qiao market. This market isn't my favorite, but I was on a mission to find some DVDs and some new earrings. I get lost everytime I go in there, but managed to stumble upon my stores completely by accident. I found two of the three movies and two pairs of earrings. Many of the expat women have these lovely silk bags. I've been gawking at them for a year now, bargaining and then backing out. This little old man finally wore me down. He brought out his entire stock, letting me look at all of them. When he put one on his shoulder and walked around the store, I told him that did it.
We rode right into a whopper of a storm on the way home. Cars were stopped on the highway...stopped on the highway because it was raining so hard. I tried to capture some of the lightening shots, but wasn't quick enough. I also wasn't quick enough to capture the truckload of huge pigs, goats and a doubledecker sleeping bus.
I did manage to get home three minutes before the girls' bus and surprised them as they thought I would still be shopping. I told them it just wasn't as much fun without them clamouring for everything, which was partly true.

Rain...Lots of Rain

Suzhou is in the midst of its rainy season. This fact escaped me last year, either because we didn't get a lot of rain or I was too overwhelmed with everything else going on to notice. Showers will sprout up in a matter of minutes, last about that long and then the sun dries things in even less time. Now, I've seen plenty of gully washers, but yesterday I thought we were going to get washed into the canals.

After the girls returned from Mandarin camp, we all went to Auchen so they could get their hair cut. I must add that for less than it costs for one of them to get their hair cut in the US, all three got some styling 'dos'. Wash, head massage, cut, dry and style for fifteen RMB (roughly, $2.10).

When we were finished we treated ourselves to Dairy Queen. As we sat and people-watched we noticed folks coming in absolutely drenched. I'm not talking wet hair, I'm talking dripping wet from head to toe. Soon we saw everyone standing at the various entrances. The rain was coming down so hard it looked foggy. When my eyes finally were able to focus, I could see the torrents. Gutters were inundated, water overflowing like Victoria Falls...ok, maybe not that much.

For the next forty five minutes, while we went grocery shopping, it continued to rain. We came out of the parking garage into a newly formed lake. The streets were flooded and cars were stalled everywhere. What a mess. By the time we got home, however, the roads were already drying and the workers were out sweeping up the debris.

One of the things I haven't yet learned is to take in my drying laundry before I leave the house for the day. Chances are it's going to rain and something is going to get blown off the racks. I forget just about everytime and everytime I end up washing a few things over again. This particular storm put down so much rain that the clothes that did fall weren't lying on the ground, they were floating in about six inches of standing water. I waded out to gather the filthy mess and then had a slight panic attack as the water was only about an inch from coming over the door jam into the house and thunder was rumbling in the distance. You're probably thinking there must be a drain or something. Well, there is, but in an effort to fix the leaking second floor bathroom ceiling I think the repairmen just sealed off the third floor balcony drain. Absolutely no water was going down that thing.

So with thunder and lightening closing in, I called on my girls. With plastic cups as our scoops we threw water over the railing in our attempt at makeshift drainage. A couple of cups got tossed in the haste and we were all disgustingly sweaty and wet at the same time. Hopefully, this storm won't put down as much rain as yesterday's storm. Though, I did remember to bring in the laundry.

Time Change

It's hard to believe we've already been to the US for our summer visit and are back in China to start our second year. We all battled a stomach virus soon after our arrival last year and it appears as if the same is holding true for this year. It's hit Katie and I the hardest. Coupled with the stifling heat, about which I'm not complaining, merely mentioning, we've had a rough few days.

The flight back to China, which I was dreading due to the fact Larry wasn't with us, was long but tolerable. The girls are travelling troopers and can basically have fun anywhere with anything. Those screens on the back of the seats are life-savers or at least sanity-savers. We watched movies, television shows, listened to music and played games. I pitied the poor souls whose systems didn't work. They were offered "credits" or SkyMiles, but honestly, anything less than a free flight or upgrade to first class would not cover the loss.

Larry was waiting with an arrival sign "The Sunny Girls" in hand. We were so happy to be together again, but beyond tired. Unfortunately, we all got our second wind when we got to the house and it felt like we were never going to fall asleep. I unpacked two of the eight suitcases before the high wore off. I don't even consciously remember lying down, but I woke up around 3 a.m. That whole day was a blur. We went to get Rosie, who'd turned into a cat in a month, but she was healthy and still friendly so I was pleased with the care (considering the cost, she should have received VIP spa treatments). By 3 p.m. the Whitfield women, including the cat, were down for the count. And so the routine continued for the week.

Larry left for Dalien, but he really didn't miss much with us. I welcomed the morning sun each day and pittered out by dusk. We ventured out one late afternoon in an attempt to stay awake. It wasn't pretty. Sarah fell asleep on the way there and almost passed out into her dinner plate. Bribery by ice cream helped, but we only prolonged our day by a couple of hours.

The heat, about which I'm still not complaining, makes everyday tasks a bit more sticky. I mean that literally. The humidity is ruthless. Cleaning house takes place first thing in the morning. Laundry is actually not bad, things dry outside in about fifteen minutes. Thankfully, we got some good news that our neighborhood pool opened. It's an indoor pool that right now is quite refreshing. We've been a half dozen times as an afternoon 'pick-me-up'. The girls are quite adept at swimming and many of the other residents stand there watching them, which they of course relish.

It took about ten days to get my internal clock situated, just in time to get hit with a stomach bug. Katie came down with it first and missed a day of Mandarin camp at Dulwich. I thought she was faking, but when it hit me I profusely apologized before running to the bathroom. We took turns for the next forty-eight hours. She's feeling better so I guess there's light at the end of the tunnel for me. Larry's lucky he's in Korea this week, but we did manage to squeeze in a birthday celebration for him before he left.

The girls start school in a week and tomorrow I have to go buy their new uniforms. The twins are going to have to learn how to tie a tie, which means I guess I'll finally have to learn how to tie a tie. Linda and I have resumed our Chinese/English lessons. Rehearsals for Snow White start in a couple of weeks. It's still difficult to comprehend sometimes that we're actually here getting into a routine of sorts, but we are.

And so begins our second year...

Bedhopping

If you're reading this in hopes of a cheap thrill you will be sorely disappointed. Perhaps it is wrong of me to title this in such a way as to mislead, but it is accurate. For the past nine years, I have been a bedhopper. Sometimes, I sleep in as many as four beds a night. Yes, it is exhausting and many a morning I wake up wondering in who's bed I've been. Thankfully, I have a very understanding and forgiving husband. He knows no matter how many different beds I sleep in I'd rather be with him.

Now, I've gotten my parents involved. After forty seven years of marriage, they are now bedhoppers. Sick, you're thinking. Even more so since there are children involved. Ok, enough is enough.

As much as it may come as a surprise to some, my children are spoiled in every conceivable way. Since birth, they've been coddled to the point where they will not sleep by themselves unless bribed, coerced or drained of all energy. Nightly bedtime battles to change this routine have ended in tears and frustration. I remind myself and Larry that they will not be little forever and eventually they'll grow out of this stage. Nine years and counting. Deep in my soul I know they can sleep by themselves, but the effort outweighs the reward. With Larry away so much, my need for a bed partner has squelched my plan for cutting the apron strings. Often times, all four of us sleep in Katie's bed and even though I complain in the morning about being squished in between a kicker and a slapper, I wouldn't change a thing. Rosie, the kitten, even manages to find some room under the covers.

Since our arrival in the States, my parents have joined in the nightly rotation. Two weeks in and we've kind of settled in to a schedule. An adult in each room lessens the likelihood of cries in night and the need to switch beds. Next week, we're headed to the upstate and will be staying with friends. They are newlyweds with kids planned for the distant future so I'm not so sure they're ready to join the musical beds game, but who knows. They may wake up one morning with Sarah snuggled against them.

Family

Can I just say that I love my family? I know I'm stating the obvious, but seriously, my family is fabulous. Living abroad really puts things in perspective. With Larry travelling so much, our chats on Skype have become something to which I look forward. Our girls are becoming so technologically savvy, IM and email are second nature to them. We've chatted with my brother and his family a few times over the course of the year. One of the major goals of our visit to the US was to see them. It had been five years since we'd seen each other. When we found out Larry was only going to be here for a week, we really fretted as to how to make it happen. My brother made sure it did.

Mark, Lory and Jonathan (Chris flew down a couple of days later) drove over a thousand miles to spend the week with us. Unfortunately, Julie couldn't come because she is an Orientation Ambassador at Roger Williams College and there were still a couple of sessions left. I'm so proud of her, being an Ambassador is a great way to make money, meet new friends and impress all those incoming students and parents; a task in which I'm sure she excelled.

The girls immediately attached themselves to Jon. And when I say attached I mean that literally. He and Sarah were inseparable, whether he liked it or not. It was like a starfish to a rock. He got a few minutes reprieve when Chris arrived. My two nephews were amazing with the girls. Mark said he bribed Jon with a test drive of a 2011 Mustang, which they did their last evening here. But to watch them, bribe or no bribe...I felt my heart crack.

We had a great time together. Memories of cocktail hours in the evenings, seafood lunches overlooking the marshes, and a trip to Tybee Island beach, which left us all windblown and microabrased from the sand will stay with us until the next visit. Hopefully, it won't be another five years.

Coming "Home"

Once again, words of wisdom from my parents have come full circle. As a child. I moved across the country and back, from east to west back east and then down south. Each move brought new friends and new experiences, but also a new heartache as old friends were left behind. My parents told me, though, I can never go back. Not that we can't visit, but things will never be the same and people are never the same as how they were when we left.

Larry and the girls are Seneca natives. The move to China was difficult enough on me, but I had some inkling as to some of the pains of relocation. We've definitely had some transitional issues, but all in all, I think we've fared well. All of us were eagerly anticipating our trip back to the U.S. Unfortunately, Larry was granted only a week's vacation due to the plant's scheduled (hahahhahaha....breath...hahahaha) opening in August. What we didn't anticipate was that how life goes on despite our absence.

My parents' wise words resonated with Larry, as he returned to Seneca last week. He visited his daughter and new granddaughter, who is now three and half months old. He also stopped by to see his golf buddies and played a round with them. Driving through town, he spotted some old friends having a party in their backyard, but he didn't stop. I think it hit him that folks were having a good time, a good time without us. Even though he'd spent his entire life in Seneca, the town has managed to survive without him. I'm not trying to be harsh, but it's a tough pill to swallow when you realize the world doesn't revolve around you. He said to me, "Everyone seems different, I don't see us moving back there."

It's hard to say where the change has occured, but given the past year's experiences, I'll say our views have definitely expanded.

Duanwu

The Dragon Boat Festival, which is called Duanwu, is an interesting event. The girls had been talking about what they'd learned at school and I've been reading up. The gist of it, paraphrased from different sources and my girls, is to commemorate Qu Yuan, loyal minister and brilliant scholar under King of Chu, whose idealogies fell out of sync with the king. In the 278 BCE, he clasped a large stone to his chest and jumped into the river. The townspeople were so distraught, they searched the river in vain. So began the Dragon Boat races. The people also sacraficially throw bamboo-wrapped rice into the river to either feed the drowned Qu Yuan or feed the fish so they won't eat Qu Yuan.

We neither threw rice nor rode in a boat that day. Instead we went to Mudu, which is out towards Lake Tai. The girls were out of school for the day and Larry was home. The weather has turned hot, which is fine with me, and the mosquitos are out in full force. We loaded ourselves down with water and bug spray and battled the crowds walking the streets. I just loved the narrow streets that follow the canals. The girls just loved looking at the silk dresses, jewelry and purses. Larry loved the scewered crabs, fried live in a spicy batter. For snacks we ate peeled, crisp cukes, which seem to taste so much better over here than in the States. Of course, the girls had their picture taken a dozen times. And, Katie even dared to use the public 'water closet'. All in all, a nice way to commemorate an ancient drowning.