China Adventure--the Hotel

Let me fill you in on our living accommodations for the next month—more or less (until our shipment arrives). The hotel (the Renaissance) is one of those kinds of places where you always feel under-dressed unless you are in heels and evening attire.  Even for breakfast.  And you feel like you have to take a shower and get all fixed up in order to go to the workout room.  Lots of marble… with a huge, open lobby and several greeters and bell boys to ask if you need anything or wish you well on your way.  I've never stayed in a 5-star hotel before, and I’d definitely have to say that it has eased any culture shock we may have felt. 

And then there is the breakfast.  The actual price of the breakfast is 170 RMB, or about $28.  Per person. Fortunately, it is part of our rent, but man!  What a layout!  There are two buffet lines (on marble counters), with anything and everything you could ever want.  Fruit juice?  Would you prefer fresh-squeezed orange, grapefruit, watermelon or others I haven’t identified yet.  Or any of a dozen pastries or breads.  Several different breakfast meats—some familiar like bacon and sausage, and some not.  Eggs prepared in any of 5 or 6 ways.  Pancakes, French toast, burritos, eggs benedict.  All kinds of yogurts and sliced fruits, and cheeses. And for of course breakfast cereals—but the milk isn’t fresh milk, it’s the irradiated kind (until opened it doesn’t need refrigeration).  And that’s only the first third of things.  Then comes the variety of stuff that appeals to the Asian hotel guests.  Most of it is stuff I can only guess at—I did recognize dumplings, egg rolls, sushi, rice, all kinds of vegetables, fish.  Did I mention that breakfast is good? Really good?  I am fortunate in that we have a bathroom scale in our room to help me keep my appetite in check.  I just try to remember, we have many days here to try everything we want. 

Then to work off the breakfast, there is the health club—complete with welcoming desk clerk, sauna, swimming pool, massage rooms, and then the room with weights, treadmills, stair-steppers, bikes, etc.  We’ve been taking advantage of it, and the great thing is, our future apartment is just across the street, and the rent includes memberships in the health club, so we can continue to use it even after we move.  Our first afternoon, we were in the dressing room after swimming, and in walked another Caucasian mother and daughter.  We’re all pretty easy to spot!  We said hello, where you from, and they were from Iowa!  Also here with Deere, but from Dubuque.  (The next day, we met a family from Canada).  Just hang out and exercise, and meet all the expats in the area! 

By the way, I’ll probably use the term “expat” a lot, so I might as well define it.  It’s short for expatriate, and at first, I didn’t like it in referring to myself.  I confused it with “ex-patriot”, and thought, Hey, I still love my country!  Instead, it means someone living outside of their home country.  So, indeed, I am an expat.

On the first day, Kevin went to work at his regular time, and the girls and I spent the day just being lazy and catching up on rest. We watched 29 different Chinese channels on TV.  Good thing there is some sort of world games taking place because it doesn’t take a translator to watch swimming, diving, or gymnastic competitions. We take turns on the computer and are so grateful for the internet.  Another Deere wife invited me to go with her to the grocery store, just to get a feel for it.  I was able to purchase some fruit and snacks, and didn’t embarrass myself too much with not speaking any Chinese.  Thank heavens for cash registers which display the amount owed, so I don’t have to understand the cashier!  And the great thing is, with blond hair and obviously a foreigner, they don’t expect me to understand them anyway. (First purchase, seaweed crackers, fruit juice, apples, yogurt, and Skittles!  Is this a great place or what?!)

Another pastime at the hotel is watching the traffic.  Being on the 7^th floor, with an 8-lane street that passes by, we have an excellent view of Chinese traffic.  It is great being able to observe and learn, from a safe vantage point.  We’ve come to the conclusion that you can do just about anything you want, as long as you keep moving.  The cars seem like schools of fish—no one runs into anyone, and if a fish starts swimming against the group, the group just parts around them.  I can’t count how many cars I’ve seen go the wrong way on the one-way street on one side of the hotel.  And the other cars aren’t bothered.  They just part and flow on around.  Pedestrians don’t have the right-of-way, but it is possible to cross all 8 lanes.  And I forgot to mention that bicycles and mopeds are amongst the mix.  It really is amazing to watch!