Not really. This is China.
Last week Dan and I had the week off. It started off in the best way possible. We had gorgeous blue skies from Friday until Wednesday. Dan and I took advantage of the weather and biked as much as possible. It was wonderful to have time together, as a family and as a couple. I think I can safely say that both of us feel better about life right now.
Positive attitudes aside for a moment, every now and then I am bombarded with reasons to leave this country. I don't because in spite of the inconveniences, which I love to elaborate on, we live a very comfortable life here, and it somehow manages to redeem itself right as I reach the brink of tolerance.
On Tuesday, Dan and my (and every other Bank of China customer's) bank cards stopped working. No cash, no debit, no banks open because of the national holiday. It wasn't fixed the next day or the day after that. We had to wait until Friday before our cards worked again. I would feel safe betting that they knew in advance that the cards wouldn't work and didn't feel the need to notify people. All I could think was imagine we had an emergency and they didn't take foreign cards! We would have been very, very sorry.
On Wednesday, the pollution kicked in again and we risked suffocating Olivia every time we wanted to go outside. It was absolutely disgusting. We could barely see a block in front of us. That lasted until the end of the holiday. And, on Monday morning I woke up to sparkling blue skies, and work.
The real kicker, though, is that on Friday, when our bank cards started working again, the hot water stopped! Of course there was no warning, because this is China. It's been five days now, and nobody has any idea when we will have hot water again. What really kills me is that someone had to have thought, "Hey, it's getting cold out. You know what would be a good idea? Let's fix the hot water pipes, now."
Yeah, let's.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Ahhh, Vacation!
So, I'm on day two of ten days of vacation. Does it feel good? Yes. Have I done much? Absolutely not! School ended early on Thursday, and so did I. I think I was asleep by 6:30 or so, just after Olivia. On Friday, barring our usual morning walk, we stayed home most of the day. We only went out for a few hours to buy Dan a new bike. He was a bit reluctant to get one, thought maybe it would be a waste of money, but it turns out he's pretty happy to have a bike.
Today Olivia and I took Da Mi for a walk early, and then came home to drop of the dog and pick up Dan (who needs his beauty sleep). We went out for Chinese breakfast for the first time in a while. It wasn't as good as I hoped it might be, and the donkey meat sandwiches (we passed on the plate of donkey eyes) we had at the specialty hole in the wall were better than anything we had at the bigger place. The highlight, though, was actually the weather. It was another clear, only lightly polluted day in Beijing!! It rained last night so our lungs got a reprieve from the cancer-causing fine particles, but by 8 a.m. the sun was drying things up!
This little, or actually, relatively big guy was pretty cool, too. I found him in the middle of the sidewalk and decided that I would save him in spite of the giant horn on his butt. It's o.k. though, I used Olivia's snack tupperware. A little caterpillar juice never hurt anyone, right?
After breakfast we went home, and I was thinking Olivia might take a nap. Unfortunately, it only lasted about 40 minutes, so just as Dan and I were getting into an interesting conversation, she started crying. It's really annoying because she never used to cry when she woke up, but she always does now. She's not my infinitely happy morning sunshine anymore!! I'm not sure what happened. Judging from the amount of drool that's been leaking out of her mouth lately, she might be getting a tooth or two. Or maybe she's got some sort of saliva regulation problem and she's crying because it really is disgusting to wake up with drool all over your face.
Anyway, she played for a while and when she got tired again, around lunch time, she refused to go down for another nap. So, Dan and I did what any good parents would do. We strapped her in her stroller and took her out for coffee. Nothing quite like caffeine to get a kid to pass out. I suppose it was technically the ride in the stroller that helped her pass out, but I would like to give Starbucks credit because I really enjoyed my latte. She was asleep for so long that Dan and I actually got to read books, at the same time! It was nice to just sit and sip coffee together. That never happens anymore.
After coffee, the weather was still beautiful so we decided to take a bike ride to a park. I sort of had an ulterior motive, but we'll get to that later. We packed up and strapped in, and off we went. We sort of took the long way there, going through some hutongs and ending up on the second ring road, but we made it just as the skies were clouding over. Oh, but here's where my ulterior motive comes in. We weren't actually at the park... we went to a restaurant near the park that has really good chocolate milkshakes :-) We had a late lunch and then went to the park. Unfortunately, by the time we got in the park, went up and down some stairs about twenty times with Olivia, and walked a few meters, the clouds started to get a bit darker and the wind was blowing a bit harder. We decided it was probably time to leave, so we headed home.
Now, Olivia is in bed and we have some time to ourselves. It's wonderful knowing that Dan doesn't have to leave tomorrow or the next day. I'm really enjoying this whole "same vacation" thing.
Today Olivia and I took Da Mi for a walk early, and then came home to drop of the dog and pick up Dan (who needs his beauty sleep). We went out for Chinese breakfast for the first time in a while. It wasn't as good as I hoped it might be, and the donkey meat sandwiches (we passed on the plate of donkey eyes) we had at the specialty hole in the wall were better than anything we had at the bigger place. The highlight, though, was actually the weather. It was another clear, only lightly polluted day in Beijing!! It rained last night so our lungs got a reprieve from the cancer-causing fine particles, but by 8 a.m. the sun was drying things up!
This little, or actually, relatively big guy was pretty cool, too. I found him in the middle of the sidewalk and decided that I would save him in spite of the giant horn on his butt. It's o.k. though, I used Olivia's snack tupperware. A little caterpillar juice never hurt anyone, right?
After breakfast we went home, and I was thinking Olivia might take a nap. Unfortunately, it only lasted about 40 minutes, so just as Dan and I were getting into an interesting conversation, she started crying. It's really annoying because she never used to cry when she woke up, but she always does now. She's not my infinitely happy morning sunshine anymore!! I'm not sure what happened. Judging from the amount of drool that's been leaking out of her mouth lately, she might be getting a tooth or two. Or maybe she's got some sort of saliva regulation problem and she's crying because it really is disgusting to wake up with drool all over your face.
Anyway, she played for a while and when she got tired again, around lunch time, she refused to go down for another nap. So, Dan and I did what any good parents would do. We strapped her in her stroller and took her out for coffee. Nothing quite like caffeine to get a kid to pass out. I suppose it was technically the ride in the stroller that helped her pass out, but I would like to give Starbucks credit because I really enjoyed my latte. She was asleep for so long that Dan and I actually got to read books, at the same time! It was nice to just sit and sip coffee together. That never happens anymore.
After coffee, the weather was still beautiful so we decided to take a bike ride to a park. I sort of had an ulterior motive, but we'll get to that later. We packed up and strapped in, and off we went. We sort of took the long way there, going through some hutongs and ending up on the second ring road, but we made it just as the skies were clouding over. Oh, but here's where my ulterior motive comes in. We weren't actually at the park... we went to a restaurant near the park that has really good chocolate milkshakes :-) We had a late lunch and then went to the park. Unfortunately, by the time we got in the park, went up and down some stairs about twenty times with Olivia, and walked a few meters, the clouds started to get a bit darker and the wind was blowing a bit harder. We decided it was probably time to leave, so we headed home.
Now, Olivia is in bed and we have some time to ourselves. It's wonderful knowing that Dan doesn't have to leave tomorrow or the next day. I'm really enjoying this whole "same vacation" thing.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Bad, bad girl!
I should probably be punished, but I'm grateful that I won't be. What's the infraction, you ask? Twice, in as many days, I forgot my camera. I can see my dad wagging his finger at me from here! It seems impossibly hard to remember essential things these days. I think a scan of my brain would reveal severely reduced function in all areas and perhaps a few lost toys would show up as well. I'd get a scan but getting pre-approval from my health insurance is just not worth the hassle (I know, their evil plan works!). Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah, the camera that I forgot on my walks. I walk the dog every day (the baby gets a walk too, but I'm not sure she cares). There are plenty of days that I don't see anything particularly spectacular or even moderately photo-worthy. Yesterday and today I was caught off guard and, of course, sans camera.
Yesterday, I walked down a road that didn't exist a few hours earlier (no, that is not an exaggeration, the blacktop still smelled fresh as we walked over it--less than a year ago it was a walled-in overgrown migrant worker toilet zone and I have pictures to prove it). I saw some workers wearing bright orange vests but no hardhats, no goggles, no masks. This isn't uncommon in China. In fact, I was actually surprised to see that they appeared to have flame retardant gloves. Now, you might wonder, how on Earth would she know if they were flame retardant? See, the workers were laying down pipes, pretty big ones, and one of them was apparently too long. So, what do you do with a pipe that's too long? You cut it! The thing is, when it's an insulated pipe, that gets a bit tricky. As soon as the saw began to screech and spark against the metal, the insulation burst into flames. So, while worker number 1 managed the saw, sparks flying scarily close to his unprotected face, worker number 2 (or maybe just a really good friend) continued to beat out the flames with his gloves. When worker number 1 successfully cut through the pipe, he joined number 2 in beating the flames. Finally, after what I can only assume was the substantial inhalation of toxic fumes, the fire was out and the men retreated. It's visions like these where all I can say is "This is China."
This morning was a different story. Nothing crazy, no lives or body parts were in danger. I simply woke up at 4 a.m. (and yes, I know it's an ungodly hour), did some yoga, and went for an early walk when Olivia woke up. There was almost nobody out yet, and the weather was perfect. It was actually a bit strange because it smelled more like spring than fall. Maybe it will get warm again before it gets cold. The courtyard is lush and green right now, which is beautiful in and of itself, but the moon was absolutely stunning! It was oddly high in the sky and super bright. It was so clear and bright that I could see the texture caused by the craters. It's hard to explain actually. A very blue sky, orange at the eastern horizon and this bright moon looming overhead. I will bring my camera tomorrow, but I can pretty much guarantee that I will never see anything like that again. In spite of my attempts to show her, I'm not sure Olivia truly appreciated the moment. I'm pretty sure, actually, that all she wanted was for me to continue moving.
Tomorrow, I WILL bring my camera. (And, of course, I won't need it.)
Yesterday, I walked down a road that didn't exist a few hours earlier (no, that is not an exaggeration, the blacktop still smelled fresh as we walked over it--less than a year ago it was a walled-in overgrown migrant worker toilet zone and I have pictures to prove it). I saw some workers wearing bright orange vests but no hardhats, no goggles, no masks. This isn't uncommon in China. In fact, I was actually surprised to see that they appeared to have flame retardant gloves. Now, you might wonder, how on Earth would she know if they were flame retardant? See, the workers were laying down pipes, pretty big ones, and one of them was apparently too long. So, what do you do with a pipe that's too long? You cut it! The thing is, when it's an insulated pipe, that gets a bit tricky. As soon as the saw began to screech and spark against the metal, the insulation burst into flames. So, while worker number 1 managed the saw, sparks flying scarily close to his unprotected face, worker number 2 (or maybe just a really good friend) continued to beat out the flames with his gloves. When worker number 1 successfully cut through the pipe, he joined number 2 in beating the flames. Finally, after what I can only assume was the substantial inhalation of toxic fumes, the fire was out and the men retreated. It's visions like these where all I can say is "This is China."
This morning was a different story. Nothing crazy, no lives or body parts were in danger. I simply woke up at 4 a.m. (and yes, I know it's an ungodly hour), did some yoga, and went for an early walk when Olivia woke up. There was almost nobody out yet, and the weather was perfect. It was actually a bit strange because it smelled more like spring than fall. Maybe it will get warm again before it gets cold. The courtyard is lush and green right now, which is beautiful in and of itself, but the moon was absolutely stunning! It was oddly high in the sky and super bright. It was so clear and bright that I could see the texture caused by the craters. It's hard to explain actually. A very blue sky, orange at the eastern horizon and this bright moon looming overhead. I will bring my camera tomorrow, but I can pretty much guarantee that I will never see anything like that again. In spite of my attempts to show her, I'm not sure Olivia truly appreciated the moment. I'm pretty sure, actually, that all she wanted was for me to continue moving.
Tomorrow, I WILL bring my camera. (And, of course, I won't need it.)
Monday, August 23, 2010
And So This Is China...
Being back in China is bitter sweet. I'm far from family and back to work, but I'm also back to my dog, my house, and my routines. Walking a dog probably gives you a different feel for any place, but here it has exposed me to so much! I see so many strange and funny things. And, with a dog and a cute baby, I'm guaranteed that at least three people will talk to me in the course of an hour walk. I get a lot of Chinese practice that way. Granted, it also means that I've become particularly adept at speaking about dogs and babies, but I learn the occasional new word too. And, I have to say... I really missed the Chinglish.
I'm glad to be getting my weekly organic veggie delivery too! I realized on Saturday, that I hadn't had a single Chinese meal until then (compliments to my friend Jin Bo and her awesome jiao zi making skills), but I sure have been enjoying a good deal more plant-based food than I was in the States. When Dan gets back, we'll probably get out for Chinese food a little more often. I've just been too tired and lazy to go with Olivia. She started walking a week ago and I have been busy ever since! It's so hard for me to believe she'll be a year on Friday!
I feel so tired, but so lucky to have the life I do. Dan gets back tomorrow, and then it will really feel like we're home :-)
I'm glad to be getting my weekly organic veggie delivery too! I realized on Saturday, that I hadn't had a single Chinese meal until then (compliments to my friend Jin Bo and her awesome jiao zi making skills), but I sure have been enjoying a good deal more plant-based food than I was in the States. When Dan gets back, we'll probably get out for Chinese food a little more often. I've just been too tired and lazy to go with Olivia. She started walking a week ago and I have been busy ever since! It's so hard for me to believe she'll be a year on Friday!
I feel so tired, but so lucky to have the life I do. Dan gets back tomorrow, and then it will really feel like we're home :-)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Woo Hoo!
So my Chinese New Year's resolution lasted about as long as most things made in China. Almost six months have flown by! Oh well! Maybe next year ;-)
Today has been an awesome day! I handed in the last paper and gave the last presentation for my master's degree. It's been about three years since I started the program, and I only recently realized how much it was hanging over me. I can't get it into my head that it's actually over, that there are no more classes to take, and that I'll get a nice raise with my next contract! I feel so free!
The day only got sweeter when I came home after our celebration and got to see Olivia take her first step! It's amazing how quickly she's changing. I can barely keep up with her now. She moves so fast and is constantly getting into things. And whether or not she's getting into trouble, she is almost always jabbering away in her own little language. I love her little personality-she's got such presence!
Unfortunately for me, that presence is evident from about 5:30 in the morning, so I really ought to get some sleep. I may be done with school for a while, but there's no rest for the weary. Tomorrow, we've got plans for brunch and maybe Olivia's first trip to the zoo.
Since I can't upload any of my photo's from this summer, yet, here's a recent one I took with my computer when my dad was visiting...
Today has been an awesome day! I handed in the last paper and gave the last presentation for my master's degree. It's been about three years since I started the program, and I only recently realized how much it was hanging over me. I can't get it into my head that it's actually over, that there are no more classes to take, and that I'll get a nice raise with my next contract! I feel so free!
The day only got sweeter when I came home after our celebration and got to see Olivia take her first step! It's amazing how quickly she's changing. I can barely keep up with her now. She moves so fast and is constantly getting into things. And whether or not she's getting into trouble, she is almost always jabbering away in her own little language. I love her little personality-she's got such presence!
Unfortunately for me, that presence is evident from about 5:30 in the morning, so I really ought to get some sleep. I may be done with school for a while, but there's no rest for the weary. Tomorrow, we've got plans for brunch and maybe Olivia's first trip to the zoo.
Since I can't upload any of my photo's from this summer, yet, here's a recent one I took with my computer when my dad was visiting...
Sunday, February 21, 2010
About time...
It has been ONE FULL YEAR since I last posted, so if you're still following this, wow! That little fetus in the previous post went from that to this...
to this...
to this...
to this...
I could keep going, but I will spare you my infinite photo collection... for now. It has been an amazing year! I can't believe how lucky I am to have Dan and now Olivia in my life. So much has changed for me that it seems a silly proposition to try to recount it all, instead I will leave you drooling over the cutest baby in the world with the promise that I will write again... soon.
So, here it is, my Chinese New Year's Resolution: I will blog at least once a week! (You may now start taking bets on how long this will last.)
Xin nian kuai le! Happy Year of the Tiger!
to this...
to this...
to this...
I could keep going, but I will spare you my infinite photo collection... for now. It has been an amazing year! I can't believe how lucky I am to have Dan and now Olivia in my life. So much has changed for me that it seems a silly proposition to try to recount it all, instead I will leave you drooling over the cutest baby in the world with the promise that I will write again... soon.
So, here it is, my Chinese New Year's Resolution: I will blog at least once a week! (You may now start taking bets on how long this will last.)
Xin nian kuai le! Happy Year of the Tiger!
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