Brooklyn's Flat Stanley Project

My granddaughter, Brooklyn, has a project at school.  She is to send Flat Stanley somewhere, could be up the street or around the world.  She needs to have pictures of Flat Stanley while he tours the area he is currently visiting with his host family.  This weekend we entertained Flat Stanley in Shanghai.  He arrived here on Thursday evening.  I spent Friday preparing him for his big weekend. 

So Flat Stanley spent all day Saturday out and about Pudong running errands with us.  We must have looked like crazy Americans with a paper doll and a camera…snapping pictures all over the place.  We did get quite a few stares.  You can learn more about the Flat Stanley project by googling 'Flat Stanley'.  He has an official web site.

Here is the result of our outing ....… the letter to Brooklyn from Flat Stanley. 

Dear Brooklyn,

I am having so much fun here in Shanghai.  Your Grandparents have given me a tour of their everyday life.  We went walking which took us to some of the sites of Pudong, but I also ran some errands with them.  I have labeled the pictures in the order that they were taken.  Hopefully this will give you an idea of how life is for your grandparents.  All the pictures were taken on our outing on Saturday. 

This is the entrance of your grandparent’s apartment compound.  In English, it is called Central Apartments.  I guess it has that name because it is in a very central location in Pudong. 

                      

                       The bridge you see is only used by people.  No cars are allowed to travel over this bridge.  It takes you over the river and to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. 

Here I am taking in the city skyline from the bridge going to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.  The museum is a really big building with all kinds of interesting exhibits.  We did not have time to stop and go in, but you can see the main entrance.  Through the windows is a very large balloon.

This is the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

There is a very large underground shopping mall that everyone told us about.  It has a little bit of everything.  All are at bargain prices if you are willing to negotiate with the vendors.  When you come with your parents this summer I am sure your Mom, Aunt Jennifer, and MawMaw will go there. 

While we were walking to the shopping area with the Carrefour, we passed by the Pudong Expo Center.  They were having a big dog show there.  There are several dogs going into the building.  We noticed the sign and decided to stop for a picture.  We are on the steps to the Expo Center in front of the sign for the Pet Show. 

            

While still on the steps of the expo center, we decided to take another photo.  See the city skyline in the background.  This is the financial district of Pudong.  The building where your grandparents had to go to get their residence visa is right around the corner.  Shanghai has more skyscraper buildings than any other city in the world.

We browsed through a new supermarket that just opened, called Bit Supermarket.  They had lots of imported food from the United States and Europe, but it was very expensive.  You will see me with PawPaw checking out the bags of salad.  There is also a picture with MawMaw browsing the sauces to see what might be available.  Everything in the store is so shiny and new.  It is on the lower level of the mall.  This is very different from the grocery stores in Texas.

We went across the street to a restaurant that you grandparents had never been before.  It was called Ajisen Ramen.  It is known for its soups.   It was very crowded and we were seated next to a very interesting couple.  He was from Austria and she was from Japan.  They had lived in Shanghai for 3 years.  Unfortunately, we were enjoying ourselves and we forgot to get a picture with our new friends. 

After lunch, it was time to head to the Carrefour for a few groceries.  MawMaw had been getting Chinese recipes from the internet and needed ingredients to make one of them.  She tells me she wants to learn how to cook Chinese food while she is here in Shanghai.  That way she can prepare some Chinese food for you and your family when you come.  There are so many different kinds of vegetables and fruits.  The Carrefour is much bigger and busier than the other grocery store and not so shiny and new.  This grocery store is largely for the local Chinese as well as the foreigners.  Most of the products are in Chinese, but some of them have both English and Chinese writing.  The produce section is huge with many varieties of fruits and vegetables.  It was very crowded with so many people trying to get their groceries. 

The meat and fish section is just as big.  There are many tanks of water with live fish swimming in them.  Little do these ‘fishies’ know that they are going to be the guest of honor on someone’s dinner table in the next day or so.  And there are so many types of fish and sea creatures on ice in the cases as well.

After the exhausting grocery trip, we stopped for ice cream at the Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Shoppe.  The Belgium Chocolate was delicious.  PawPaw is holding it for me… he even sneaked a lick.  We bought 2 small ice cream cones and it cost 62 yuans. That is about $10 which is a lot of money for two small dips of ice cream.

In the evening we went out walking again.  We ran into my cousin Flat Harold.  He decided to join us as we strolled along the river walk.  He loves being in Shanghai too.  He is in a few of the pictures.  We look very much alike…only his hair is brown. 

  We walked across the bridge and along the river until we got to a very busy street, then crossed back over the river and walked the other side.  It was really cold out, but I did not wear a coat… but MawMaw had a scarf and 2 coats on.  It was exciting to see what Shanghai is like at night in the Pudong district.  Here are a few pictures from our stroll along the river walk across the bridge.  Aren’t the blinking lights wonderful and festive? 

I decided to stop under a tree and rest a minute to take in all the night lights.  There are trees like this all along the walk way.  We saw 2 cats while we were there.  That is me under the tree.

When we were coming back on our side of the river, we saw several restaurants that we had not seen before.  We stopped to take in the Korean Bar-B-Que Restaurant.  Maybe we will get back and have a meal.  I am very curious how Korean bar-b-que compares with what we have in Texas.  It will be really hard to taste better than Texas bar-b-que.

When we got back to the entrance of the apartment compound, there was a Chinese man selling fresh fruit.  At first we were hesitant to buy from him, but another couple from the apartment building came out to catch a taxi.  There are always taxis down by the entrance waiting for people who need to go somewhere.  They told us how wonderful the fruit tasted and we should buy some.  So we bought some strawberries and bananas.  They were so yummy.  How great is it that you can walk to the entrance of the apartments and buy fresh fruit every day?

I learned that Shanghai is divided into different districts; each has something unique about them.  The Pudong district is also referred to as Pudong New Area.  This is the district that was developed last.  The World’s Expo was held in Pudong in 2010.  There a lots of museums, sculptures and gardens.  It is really beautiful here. 

It is almost time to leave for Texas.  Thank you so much for sending me to Shanghai, China.  It was an experience of a life time for me and I know it will be for you too when you come this summer.  Your MawMaw and PawPaw were great to take me around PuDong and share their life here with me.  They said to tell you how much they miss you and love you.

Your Friend,

Flat Stanley

                          

Week Two in Shanghai

Our first morning… June Cleaver I am not… but I was going to get up to make some breakfast for Michael.  On my first trip to the grocery, I had bought oatmeal, cereal and bread.  I thought I would make some oatmeal and toast… after all I have an oven!  But much to my dismay, the oven is not functioning.  I am not sure what the issue is… maybe the breaker is off or not hooked up… but definitely no heat!  I should have known something was a rye when upon opening the door… it looked too brand new!  I am wondering if it was ever working.  Soooo we had bread and jam with oatmeal.  I am improvising everything since we do not have our stuff… it would be easier to eat out all the time… but breakfast works better at home.

So we are getting settled in and starting to discover the idiosyncrasies of the apartment and china living.  The internet and the satellite are connected … if one goes the other goes too.  And the internet was out for a day… I am lost without the internet!  It is my only communication vehicle to the states!  And of course… it goes out on the day my son-in-law is having major surgery and I have no way to find out how he is doing.  Fortunately.. we were able to get it back by Tuesday…so I spoke to Marcy the very next morning to get an update… Kenneth is doing fine now and recovering quickly, however when you ask him… he is not so positive about that!

We still have no satellite.. so no TV, but we did bring an HDMI cable and lots of movies… so the computer is hooked up to the TV and we watch movies…over and over… or listen to music.  Note to visitors… bring new movies. Hopefully today will bring the satellite repair man.

We got the dryer installed on Saturday and Monday I started to wash the mountain of dirty clothes.  The interesting twist here is that you cannot use the washer and dryer at the same time… they share the one plug that is available on the porch.  And the dryer only gets warm….cool/warm… so it takes forrrrever to dry clothes.  And we are not talking about full size loads!!!  The washer holds 3 pairs of pants… or 3-4 towels… or 3-4 pairs of sweat pants… you get the idea… tiny!!!!  It is now Wednesday and I have at least 6 more loads to go.  Yee Haw!!  And we are generating more every day.  I wash everyday just to have towels... I packed a couple in the luggage and now realize I should have packed a few more... but space was an issue. 

Finally we are getting into a normal sleep pattern, but getting used to the noises here at the apartment.  After living in the sticks where the only light and noise is what you or the coyotes make... well it is a bit different here. 

Every day we are here I get a little braver…. Tuesday was no exception.  I actually went to the grocery today all by myself.... I hailed a cab and used my cheat notes to tell the driver where I wanted to go.  I took my time and browsed.  The language barrier is proving to be a challenge.  I managed to get almost everything on my list ... I either stumbled over it or managed to play charades with the sales lady until we figured it out.  However ... just an outing like that is exhausting for this rather out of shape older lady.  Note to self… never buy too much when out by yourself.  Carrying over loaded bags and trying to hail a cab is waaaaaay to much!!!!

The landlady came Wednesday also… she had an internet person with her.  It seems our router has an intermittent issue… so we have a new router… the oven works now too… it is amazing what a little electricity can do for an appliance.  We have TV again too.  All is right with the universe again!

We went for our residence visa interview at immigration today also.  I could not fathom what kinds of questions we might be asked.  Well…’ interview’ is not a word I would use to describe what this little event actually was all about.  We signed our applications, sat down in front of a representative of the police … she looked over our papers and us… one by one… we got yet another picture taken… then she waved us off.  Done… lasted about 5 minutes…..never said one word to us.  Next Wednesday we will have our residence visa in hand and our passports back in our possession.  The best part of this process…. next Wednesday afternoon… we can have our household shipment delivered to the apartment…providing customs clears it and do not have heartburn about anything in the shipment. 

Michael and I set out on foot to the Century Mart.  This is yet another supermarket, only this one is really close to our place.  We are trying to check out as many as we can to determine which is the best and has to most products we would like.  I have concluded that most of these places are all a bit like a Wal-Mart… this one has three floors.  Two of which are kitchen, clothes, bedding, electronic, the hard wares.  The main floor is all food.   There is a small section of imported fares… you can tell it is expensive as it is sectioned off by hardwood floors.  There are some things about this one that is better than the CarreFour or Lotus and other aspects that are not so great.  I can certainly see this store as the place I can walk to for short lists.  It is only a few blocks from the apartment.

Bread is bought in the bakeries here.  We have several really good bakeries within walking distance of our apartment.  These fresh baked goods here are really yummy… however there are a number of baked goods that are quite different…stuffed with sweetened shredded meats and such.  But I have found some loaves of multigrain breads that are delish!! 

We also found a drug store.  Without going into detail of what we were looking for… here is a tip you might want to do before heading out… assuming you speak very little to no Chinese.  First remember that what we commonly call things in the US are not words that are translated in Chinese easily or at all.  Tip of the day… go to the computer and look up what you need…. Translate to Chinese… take it with you.  We had 3 very nice Chinese ladies trying to help, one of which I think was a pharmacist.  There are just some things that charades just cannot help you with.  They even called a man to try to help translate.   We persevered… and walked out with an herb that would help with the issue.  And yes we looked up the herb when we got home to make sure we did not buy something that would harm us.

The Move …we are taking up residence! ….

Today was an absolutely wonderful day!!! We got up and had a quick breakfast in the hotel. After packing up everything in the room except what we needed for Monday morning… we were off in two taxis to our apartment. … and… I knew exactly how to get there! Up to this point, I was always unsure of the route… but after walking back to the hotel yesterday… my confidence was running high.

We got our bags into our apartment and set about to unpack and put away. It was so satisfying to actually unpack everything and find a home for it. The one thing that really stands out is the lack of storage. No dressers in the bedrooms or real cabinets in the bath. These are the little things I have taken for granted in our home in Texas. We made sure we had more than enough storage when we were designing it. But we will make do with what we have here.

For now everything is put away… but when the household shipment arrives it will be chaos again. I am even looking forward to that… as it is yet another sign we are settling in. We even got to sit back and relax a bit before heading back to the hotel. We are walking everywhere we can….

Yesterday we had done some exploring of our apartment compound. We met the neighbor that lives right above us. His name is Andrew and he is from Germany. Across from his apartment are some folks from England. We can see the fitness center and indoor pool from our back patio. The grounds are really nicely landscape. There are streams and fountains… and by spring, the plantings will be lush with foliage.

Time to start back, so we decided our walk back to the St Regis would be by way of the Pappa John’s. We had gone that way yesterday but when we got to Originality Street, we headed to the left and today we will head to the right… Originality Street…isn’t that a cool name! It is a great area…on the river. And there is a Starbuck’s right on the river with outdoor seating overlooking the water. I will have to figure out what the name of the river is and let you know later. There are so many restaurants and bakeries and shops… it is such a bustling street.

Across a foot bridge is the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM). Another museum is just across Century Avenue on the other side of the SSTM which I think is the Museum of Art. As it turns out, we live, quite by accident, in a very interesting area. We have lots of things to do and see right in our neighborhood.

We stopped for a late lunch at the Pappa John’s. Oh my goodness… it tasted like we were in the states. They must import everything they use to make it. I am here to tell you it was wonderful!!! I absolutely was ecstatic… and my first thought was how great it was to have a piece of home right down the street within 5 mins of our new home!! We found 3 places on this street that we are anxious to try… all looked really good.

After we finished our delicious pizza, we headed over the foot bridge towards Century Ave and the hotel. The bridge crosses over the river which has beautiful landscaping and stone gathering spaces. Yesterday we actually saw 2 men in speedos going for a swim in the frigid waters… they had to be nuts! It was so cold… I cannot imagine even thinking about getting into that water. Maybe it was one of those polar bear swims… I think that is what they are called. I call it crazy… but to each their own!

The sidewalks were full of people strolling along enjoying the beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. This is a walking city. The sidewalks are ample and you are only one of the many strolling… or jogging... out for a walk alone or in groups. You will see families out for an afternoon of fun or food or both.

There is a triangular park area where 3 streets intersect, one of which is Century Avenue. An older Chinese man on a 3 wheel bicycle with a cart was selling fun for the afternoon. It was full of a wide variety of giant colorful kites. High above us were lots of kites flying proudly in the crisp breezes. Some were just much bigger versions of the types of kites we see back home, but many were very elaborate. There were two fashioned like birds… and in the air they looked almost real. The grandkids would have loved this. Maybe when they come for their visit we will have nice winds to be able to fly kites one of the days they are here.

We live right off of Century Avenue. I have included a discussion on what you will find on Century Avenue to give you a sense of what is close to where we were lucky enough to find an apartment... all just a happy accident.

The Century Avenue winds from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower to the Pudong Century Park with the length of five kilometers and the width of 100 meters. It is a symbolic landscape avenue as a part of Shanghai 's West-East Development Axis connecting the Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport.

The landscape design of the Century Avenue was worked out by the French Charpentier- La Defense Company. Its unique layout of asymmetric lanes and the integration of lanes with 8 botanical gardens embody the planning trend of cities in the 21st century which aims at sustained development. On the north side of the Century Avenue, there are eight China Botanical Gardens shinning like eight emeralds. Each with the length of 180 meters and the width of 17.6 meters, they are named after eight well-known trees in China, which are Willow, Metasequoia, Cherry, Crape Myrtle, Magnolia, Camellia, Chinese Redbud and Goldenrain Tree. The total number of bushes and talls planted in the botanical gardens amounts to over eighty thousand. Along the Century Avenue, sculptures on the subject of Time are on display to emphasize on the meaning of trans-century. The huge sculpture named "Oriental Light" at the crossing of the Yanggao Rd. and the sculptures of the ancient timing instruments such as "Time of the Day" and "Wu Xing" make the Century Avenue the only urban sculptures exhibition on the subject of Time all over the world.

Century Park

Century Park is the largest park of the city of Shanghai. It is situated in Pudong New Area. The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is located nearby. The park includes a concert stage, and visitors can hire tandem bicycles or cycling-cars to travel through it. The park's landscaping combines British, Japanese, and Chinese gardening styles.

My first shopping trip in Shanghai….

Well… I survived IKEA… it was a total madhouse!!  Monica was not able to come, but BeiJing was her replacement.  She was wonderful too.  Since I had never met her… I had no idea who I was looking for… so for about 10 minutes I was planning what I would do if I could not find her… or rather she find me…. My Plan B… but thankfully she made her way towards me, calling my name. 

I have never seen more people in one building…except perhaps in a mall at Christmas time!!  But I managed to find everything I needed to get there.  I did however discover a few things.  The pillows come rolled up… like a jelly roll… It really saves space. 

Checking out was an experience… We were trying to keep the purchases from getting pushed off the end of the counter when the family behind me had moved right up behind me so close I could not even get to the cashier to pay my bill… and they were not budging!!  It was not like I was cutting line of anything... they were definitely in my personal space and I was getting a little panicky… I could not even get my money out.  BeiJing was bagging in my new bags as quickly as she could so we could get out of the way!!  People here are always in a hurry!!  Or at least that is how it seems.

And in China… you have to bring your own bags or buy them.  This is the way it is everywhere.  I thought it was odd at the Family Mart convenience store the other day that the clerk asked if we wanted a bag… it was pretty obvious we had more stuff than we could carry in our hands.  He was charging us for it.  Of course we cannot read Chinese… so who knew what was on the receipt!  But BeiJing asked the cashier for 2 large bags and told me we would need to purchase them…. They are really nice bags and I will be trying to remember to take with on the next visit to the store!!  Beijing said the government was trying to cut down on plastic usage…. But she said that most people forget to take them on their grocery visits and end up buying new ones anyway.  The theory behind it makes sense.. but the reality is not panning out so well.  But it really is kinda nuts when you think about it… this is a country where its citizens do not/cannot drink the water and everyone drinks bottled water…paper or plastic anyone?

Now on to CarreFour….the Texan takes on another new experience.   BeiJing again came to the rescue.  We walked in the door and there were phones…. lovely cell phones.  She helped me get a prepaid cell phone… which does not require a passport to get!!! We were not informed about that…Yea for small accomplishments!!!!  I was just a by stander in this transaction.  She and the sales guy which going back and forth… then she would stop ask me a question or convey some info… then back to the sales guy… but we got to the end and 500 yuan later I had a cell phone… that worked …and I called Michael at his office to test it out!!!  It’s the little things in life that make you smile…

Buying groceries in China….all I can say is thank goodness for pictures… and BeiJing.  She translated packages and described how some of the available fare was prepared.  She shared which product is better than the next.  I am now the proud user of ‘White Cat’ dishwashing liquid… it smells like pink grapefruits… among other products in use by the average Chinese family.  I went up and down each aisle and checked out what was offered!!!  But I have to say … my heart leaped when I saw Barilla pasta and sauces.. and a few other products imported from the states.  All which are available at a premium price. 

Americans are very fortunate…even the Chinese products are more expensive than what we pay in the states… we are really lucky that we can purchase food for fairly reasonable prices.  A carton of yogurt in China costs 7.20 yuans.  At an exchange rate of 5.7 to 1, that small carton of yogurt costs $1.10 USD… we can buy a name brand of yogurt in Walmart for 50 - 55 cents every day and store brands for a fraction of that price.  And that is just one small example.  This is a country where the average annual salary is equivalent to $4000.  We take our good fortune for granted all too often….

But I must say… by the time I got to the produce I was overwhelmed… and there were so many varieties of fruits and vegetables that I was not familiar with… I decided it was too much for my brain to process and it was time to go.  So off we head to the check out with a basket full of cleaning supplies and a few staples to stock my cabinets… only spent 682 yuans… or $103 USD.  By the way, Chinese currency is referred to as RMB or CNY or Yuan  (China Yuan Renminbi). 

Today’s shopping trip was enlightening, a test of patience, and opened my eyes that not having a car was going to make grocery shopping a bit more challenging.  I think I understand now why city dwellers only buy one meal at a time… getting them home on foot or by cab is way too hard if you have more than a couple of bags. 

With the Well and Well van full of IKEA goodies and groceries...all ready to start a new home, we were off to the apartment.  A quick stop to drop off our bags and put away the groceries.. then back to the hotel.  A successful day of shopping… quite a successful day indeed!!!

Getting the Essentials… in more ways than one

Trying to get a cell phone has proven to be a challenge.  Trying to get anything seems to be a challenge… everyone needs your passport to do anything.  But to get our work and residence permits requires your passport for a couple of weeks….‘ they’ actually take it and keep it until the process is completed.   So what waits….everything else?   Having never been a foreigner in a country before, this put a whole new perspective on the situation. 

Cell Phones… here is the deal.  If you happen to be lucky enough to have a cell phone that is compatible with the Chinese SIM card… you are indeed a lucky one.  All you have to do is visit the local China Mobile and buy a SIM card and buy the service you want.  However… if you be one of the unlucky…. Such as I… you must now find a store that sells cell phones… just the phone.  Now select your model…. There are only 3 jewelry size cases full of every make and model known to mankind….. make your purchase… walk away happily carrying your new worthless cell phone…. It has no SIM card, no service plan, not activated, and no phone number.  Now moving along to step 2…. Go back to the local China Mobile and get the rest of the stuff you thought you would have after going there the first time.  Oh by the way…. this entire journey of discovery is happening between one very frustrated Texan and a number of Chinese women trying to understand what we want.   Ok….. I totally get that getting a cell phone in the US can be a somewhat overwhelming endeavor as well.  There are a variety of carriers and coverage areas and phones and plans and texting or data or voice or some combination of all that …. But add a language barrier and all bets are off… Ok… Ok….I will go back….. on another day…… and try again!!!!

But I do have some good news…. We have the keys to our new apartment now.  We cannot move in yet, but we have keys.  That was quite a lengthy process.  There were workers buzzing the apartment.  Things were not quite like they are in the US when you rent out apartments.  A typical US apartment is totally ready to move in at the time you sign the lease.  You show up with your money, walk through and note any preexisting issues, sign all the papers, take the keys and off you go…. Turn on the utilities and to move your stuff in.  Here… there are a few more wrinkles in the process.  The deposit and the rent comes from Michael’s company… they have not paid yet… no matter!  No utilities to set up either…. We just read the meter and start getting a bill…. No deposit…. No credit check…. No installation and turn on fees… just read the meter and…. viola!  The real wrinkle here is going through the ‘how to’s’…. since all but one of the appliances and other mechanical devices where in Chinese script.  I was so happy to see an instruction manual in English and the dials in English…. Tear of joy flowed!!!   For everything else, I had my handy dandy cheat notebook.  I learned from the first trip… write it down!!!  So now I have drawn pictures of each device and the controls…. with my notations of what each of the button or switches do.  Note to self… do not lose the cheat book…. And when the grandkids come… hide all the remotes!!!  If they ever get messed up….we will be toast!!!!

So… 3 ½ hours later, we are done with a sack of keys to everything and key cards to get in and out of the building.  Through all of this process, Monica, was there to walk through the process and make sure we had what we needed.  She was wonderful and I could not thank her enough!!!  On the way back to the hotel, she told me I reminded her of her older Auntie… AWE!!    She will be picking me up on Friday…. We are going to IKEA…. That’s right….IKEA!!!!  I was asking about where to get some household items… and she immediately said that she would go to IKEA.  Yea.. I recognize the name and am familiar with what they carry!   Now I have never been to an IKEA in the states, and we have a huge one in Frisco, but it is very Scandinavian.. I do look at the catalogues.  The style is a polar opposite of my very traditional style.   But in China, our apartment is modern and contemporary… fits right into the IKEA look!!!  I think I can get everything I need under one roof… it made my day!  So on Friday, we are off to IKEA and then to the CarreFour.  Now you are probably wondering what is a CarreFour??  It is a grocery store.  I would think of it in terms of a super WalMart only not quite as cheap or as much.  So anything I cannot find in the IKEA… I will find in the CarreFour… and get some food to boot… cause we are moving in on Saturday.  And hopefully the rest of our stuff will pass through customs in a couple of weeks and we will start to find our balance again…. Get our stride here!!! 

Things are looking up… this last week has been tough in a multitude of ways.  But we will hit our stride and be just fine.  That is not to say we will never have any more dark moments… we certainly will.  The language barrier is proving to be the most challenging…. This means I need to focus on getting some important words and phrases down…. But as we overcome some of these initial obstacles of getting a home and life setup here… I am sure they will become less and less and get fewer and more far between.

I was writing this blog at 4am as I am still struggling with the time diff… but I feel productive writing to everyone.  I completed what I thought would be the entire post… but after breakfast I began to see family and friends popping up on Skype and the calls came in… just what I needed this morning… a hardy fix of family and friends!!  I was feeling pretty melancholy and really needed this.  So I have Mercy Me and Chris August playing on the computer and trying to finish this post.

I only found myself teary eyed a few times.  Once was with Wade and the sadness he is coping with because we are gone… he is my emotional little man.  He is our little guy that calls to just hang out with us.  Even if we are not doing anything… he just wants to come down to our house.  He loves to help in my garden and dig in the dirt with me.  He has taken this really hard.

Then Jennifer picked up my Maggie girl and I started to talk to her and she cuddled up on Jennifer’s shoulder and whined… I could not help myself… I miss my family and I miss my dog… no not just my dog… my baby!!!  The people in my life at least know what is going on… she is confused and most likely wondering why Momma has left her…. Ok.. gotta hush about this… I was puddled up and now the gates are open and running down my cheeks….

So I might as well bust the dam now… I was talking to Marcy.   Brooklyn came in and hopped up in her lap to talk to MawMaw.  While we were talking she was writing notes and sticking them in front of the webcam for me to see…. The hearts and flowers ‘I love you’ types…..then she put one up that said…’I love and miss you so much’ followed by a big heart with a line through it.  I replied with an ‘I love and miss you more’ then asked what was in the heart… …. And she said, with such honest raw emotion … ‘that is my heart breaking cause you are not here’ …then broke into tears…. Well that was it for me… I had been blinking back the waterworks… up to that point… but I gave way….and I saw Marcy brushing away a few tears too.

Clearly it was time for me to have my melt down… the stress of the move… the emotions of leaving family and friends… the frustrations of being in a strange country…. every part of our lives are completely upside down right now..… and I would like to think I am a really strong woman… and nothing is too much to handle… but this is one of those life experiences that puts all of that to the test!!

I just keep praying to the Lord to help me through this because we all know he will never give us more than we can handle.  And there is a purpose for all this… I know somehow I will come out on the other side better…stronger… and will have made a contribution to someone or some thing… touched a life.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair –every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.  Proverbs 2:9-11

Just because life doesn’t make sense does not mean it doesn’t MAKE sense….

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Starting Life in Shangai...

We are really struggling with the time change more this time.  Maybe that is because we have not had a schedule that required us to get going in the mornings here so far.  Monday Michael walked to his new office to get a feel for it and participate in a conference call.  While he was gone I was on Skype the whole time with the drapes pulled.  He walked in and asked how I liked the snow…. What snow???  He pulled back the drapes and the most lovely snow was falling in these huge delicate flakes.  Of course nothing was sticking, but it was gorgeous!  And I almost missed all of it!!!

Michael  goes to the office today for his first ‘official’ day in the TI Shanghai office…...although he has participated in conference calls since we got here and is actually on one for the US now... it is Wednesday, 12:25 am here ... it started at 11pm.   His greatest fear is that he will not be able to wean himself from the projects in the US and will be working days for China and nights for the US.  Not a very productive scenario for either organization if he is dead on his feet.

Today I go to the apartment and do the walk through and get the keys.  I think it will be better for us once we get into the apartment and can find our new normal.  Right now the hotel room looks like a used baggage display. We are so wall to wall and cannot find anything.  I am generally a very organized person…however, we had to rearrange to get the weight down and my sweet, bull in a china closet husband, cannot get anything from the suitcase without messing everything up.  I am looking forward to getting our home put together.  Like I said… we need to find our new ‘normal’ …so we can move forward. 

Right now is really stressful… we are in a sort of limbo… and we are struggling.  We have to remind ourselves not to take out things on each other…  But we have been a bit snippy with each other.  I know that once he is settled into his new work environment and we begin to make friends and get more familiar with our surroundings we will both settle down… this is really teaching a couple of old dogs a few new tricks!!!  We just need to get acclimated… that’s all!!!

Our sleep patterns are so off... we lay down for a nap in the afternoon... wake up about midnight or so .. get up … eat a snack (thank goodness we brought some)...get on the computer… talk to the family… go back to bed and get up in time for breakfast at 6:30am  when they open the restaurant downstairs... which is the only meal we have consistently eaten since we got here.  It IS the best meal of the day.  Breakfast food is interesting here.  There is some of the normal fare we are used to… but also fish and vegetables and salad greens….. eggs floating in something…. and other mysterious food that I do not recognize.  The pastries are really good… however they are not very sweet and neither are the sweet breads such as the carrot walnut loaf yesterday.  Even the pillow chocolate is not really the same sweetness for milk chocolate.

We went exploring yesterday and walked what felt like 20 miles or so... but it was for 2 1/2 hrs straight.  We went to 3 huge malls… all VERY high end clothes and accessories.  We stumbled upon an electronics and appliances store, but no furniture or household goods type of places… I know they have to be here somewhere!!!  I am thinking we must go to Wal-Mart again and head straight upstairs… they will surely have pillows and other household necessities that can hold us over until all the paperwork and visas are in order and we can take possession of our shipment.  The grocery stores have some of this type of stuff, however the towel are very thin and flimsy.  I saw no pillows though.  I just need to be patient.  I know these people need this kind of stuff too… but I will be darned if we can find it…. Maybe it is in the burbs!!!  Wonder if they have a Target????

We did get a lot of stares while on our outing.  We walked through some areas that were more just for the locals.  And of course, Michael beard is an oddity all by itself.  Chinese men do not wear beards or mustaches here… I am thinking it is more about can’t grow them as opposed to not wanting them.  Even I got stares… and I am not even blonde anymore!!!  But… I did have on sunglasses… and I noticed that no one else seemed to be wearing them…. And it was really bright out.  So maybe that is what made me a bit odd too.  But more than any of that… we were Americans…. ’Foreigners’….  on a street occupied by primarily local Chinese people which made us really stick out like a couple of sore thumbs!

We saw a place called Johnny Moo's... it is a burger and shake place... the food we saw through the window looked so yummy... I told Michael we would need to remember this place... and too bad we were not hungry right then... although it was 12:30 ish.  My stomach thought it was the middle of the night.  I will be SOOOOO  glad when we get our bodies straight on this time change stuff!! 

While walking my sense of smell was overwhelmed… some were really good smells and some were REEEEAAAALLLLLYYYYYY funky smells too.  And one should not walk too close to the base of trees… that is the only place for the puppies to go….  I laughed… told Michael to beware of the puppy  poopoo!!  But again … the city is really clean to have that many people living in it.  That was the first time I had seen even the puppy droppings before.   There is a pride in having a clean city.  The other interesting thing I noticed…. Lots of people smoke here.  As we walked along the streets yesterday… lots of folks on scooters puffing and walking and puffing.  Very different from the US where smoking has become less excepted and more outlawed.  Here the hotel lobby is a place to smoke and other public spaces allow smoking.  The rooms are non-smoking so we are faring well there.  But when you walk into a building that the smell of tobacco is present it surprises you.   

We Have Arrived!!!

After very little sleep, the alarm sounded at 2 am alerting us that we needed to get up and at’em!!  Leaving for the airport no later than 3:30am and needed to reshuffle the bags a little.. Desperately working to keep the weight under 50 lbs each.  We  had already exceeded the maximum free checked bags and would have to pay for one bag… was it really worth that $150 charge! Yes… I was way too stressed out trying to reorganize!

We made it to the airport and got everything checked in… made it through security and settled back to wait for the Starbuck’s to open for that first shot of caffeine to jolt my brain into action.  Up to that point I had been working on auto pilot hoping that I did not miss anything important.  Ah.. the wonderful smell of that first morning cup of java!!!

Despite the late departure due to mechanical issues followed by a deicing… we were off.  Arrived in Chicago with an hour to spare before the 14 ½ flight to Shanghai.  The radar took me straight to the first Starbuck’s in O’Hare for my second cup of brew.  As I sipped my coffee, I called the kids… talked and texted everyone…more than one time… getting that last message before the phone would go off for the next year…..  Changed the voice mail greeting to remind my callers that I would not be answering for the next 12 months and to use email to communicate with me.  I squeezed the last seconds of phone time before the flight attendant announced it was time to shut off electronic devices for take off.

WE ARE HERE!!!!  What on earth were we thinking!!! First stop is to make our way through the ‘Foreigners’ line to check our passport and entry visa’s. Then pick up the 7 checked bags and head to the customs line… hoping they do not decide we look like a random check candidate… which we were not. Then through the corridor of signs .... searching for the one that has our name on it.. Michael looking left and I am searching to the right.  After about 100 signs we finally saw it…..Mr and Mrs Michael Darilek…yea!!!! Our name and our ride!

After the ride to the hotel and in the room, we both were exhausted… physically and emotionally!  Although it was only around 7pm… we crashed.  By 1:30am we were wide eyed… getting used to the time difference is the first big challenge.  So we were up and on our computers!  Letting our family know we made it to Shanghai safely and would Skype later in the morning. 

We cannot get the keys to our apartment until Wednesday so we will most likely be in the hotel at least a week.  Although our household shipment will not leave the US until we get Michael’s work visa, and then spend some time in customs, we plan to move into the apartment.  In the bags we brought with us, I have bed linens and towels.  We will need to purchase a couple of pillows, but we will be able to sleep and shower… what more could you ask for?  I need to start feeling like we have a home here and not living out of suitcases!  We will have to eat out, but at least we can relax and not be so cramped in a hotel room.  We need to find what our new normal will be.  It will make this transition so much better.  The next week or so will be setting up our new home.

I think we have looked at each other at least a dozen times and asked if we are really living this or is it a dream……  I will let you know if I wake up in Oz!