Odds and Ends

     When we moved here, we were faced with a dilemma.  Should we live near the school we had selected--in Tianjin, or near Kevin's work--in TEDA?  After our first trip to church, we found out it is about a mile from where the school is. I thought that was very interesting that in a metropolitan area of 10 million people that stretches for 20 kilometers in every direction, the school AND church are right by each other.  So maybe we should have chosen to live there--we could have had early morning seminary!  

     Instead, working with the information we had at the time,  we decided to live in TEDA.  Someone was going to have an hour commute--should it be Kevin, who would have to travel during rush hour, so it would take longer than an hour?  Or should it be the girls who would be traveling earlier?  We knew a bus picked up the students here, right outside our apartment building, and the website said after school there were 3 departure times: right after school, and an hour or so later for those students wanting to participate in after-school activities.  Great!  

 The only thing we didn't know is that since we live so far away, there is only ONE after-school bus.  If someone on the bus needs to stay after, then everyone has to stay.  Oh, and they forgot to mention the $1700 bus fee for the year.  (Good thing WE don't have to pay that!!!)  And, instead of a big, comfortable bus, we have a small bus, that bounces a lot, especially if you sit in the back.  Still, the girls are able to read, or sleep,or even do homework, as long as it doesn't involve writing, and things are going well.  

     Being  a lover of all things green and growing, I have been interested in how things are grown here.  One thing we love about TEDA is the amount of green--tree-lined streets, sculptured gardens along the routes, and some open grassy areas.  I was especially interested in how new trees are staked.  In America, there would be 3 poles, with cords around the tree.  The Chinese system uses a ton of wood, as there are braces at the bottom as well.  And it was a good thing I got the picture when I did, for a couple of days later, all the brackets were removed.  Since the trees don't seem to be new ones, I'm left wondering why they were even there.  Left over from a few years ago when the trees WERE new?

     I have a large patio that I am itching to fill up with flowers and some vegetable plants--or at least get all the stuff so I can do that next spring since it is getting late in the growing season.  I found some large pots yesterday at a street market (plastic ones as the ceramic ones are very expensive--now I wish I had shipped some of my outdoor pots from home!  Who knew!)  One thing I haven't found is any potting soil.  I think back to the bags of rich, black soil at every hardware or big box store in America and wonder why I can't find any such thing here.

     This is the kind of soil I see in pots here (these are in the outside window at a neighborhood grocery store)--it looks like cement!  But the square can held a vine that grew up over the face of the store, 20-30 feet long, so maybe it is okay.  

     We keep reminding ourselves that TEDA has less smog than in Tianjin.  That it is cooler out here close to the ocean (there is always a breeze here),

and the shopping is much more expat-friendly. Still, Elizabeth mourns the difficulty in hanging out with her school friends.  If we were back in Iowa, it would be like driving from Cedar Falls to Cedar Rapids everyday.  And if she wants to stay in the evening, we have to get our driver and go pick her up--a 2-hour round trip.  I guess it's just something we'll get used to.