Happy Holidays!

Christmas is not a holiday here in China yet we thought it wouldn't be a problem to find Christmas decorations since all of them are made here.  Add another layer to our understanding of this big country!  Just because it is made here doesn't mean it is available here. 

With Thanksgiving over, we wanted to put up Christmas decorations, and had brought one tote full (out of the 7 or 8 that went to storage).  We still needed lights and a tree.  I went to the mall.  I was so surprised to walk in the door and see this display!

And there were Christmas carols playing over the sound system.  

They don't have a problem with playing the religious carols, either (with is rather surprising).  I found an aisle of Christmas decorations:  small trees, gaudy door hangings, etc.  But the trees were very expensive, and there were no strings of lights.  Using my google translate on my phone (which isn't very accurate), I asked a clerk for "Christmas lights".  She went to get someone else, who got someone else, and soon there were 6 clerks hovering (one of which spoke a little English), on their phones, trying to find out if the store had lights.  After 10 minutes of waiting, the answer finally came.  "No, we have no lights."

Okay.  Another suggestion was an area called Da Hu Tong, in Tianjin.  If that didn't work, there are stores in Beijing that do have everything we need, 

but I hate the two-hour drive there, and then fighting all the traffic.  It is an all-day trip.

So, on Monday, Elizabeth had a ball game after school.   

I took our driver and went into Tianjin early, to check out Da Hu Tong.  Eureka!  Success!  I found trees, lights, wreaths, garlands, etc.  Most were very different from what I would find in America,

 but some were workable.

It's a small tree.  Fortunately, we had small ornaments for it.

And of course, candy canes (which we brought in the shipment).

With Jamie's nativity set on the table

the Christmas season has arrived!

The bigger ornaments look great on our what-ever-it-is tree;

some pine garland on the chandelier (being careful to not let the boughs touch the light bulbs

because there was some serious melting going on when they did) looks festive,

and with some holly and poinsettias, and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

A friend gave this woodcarving to me, done by a shop in Beijing,

and it helps me to remember 

who to focus on this season.

No matter where we are in this world, 

He is still there.

I'm Thankful for...

....Friends.

In preparation for Thanksgiving, several of us got together and made 

centerpieces, as it's always more fun in a group.

 ...Members of our congregation.  (Though some were

standing under a light and got washed out.  We will have to tell
Brother Boren that he is being translated--all that is left of him is the
outline of his head...)

 I'm thankful the oven still worked, even though the door came apart just as I put the turkey in.

The handle came off, the outer door dropped to the floor,

but the inner door seemed to do just fine and the oven thermometer said

the heat stayed constant.  And the turkey was delicious.

 I'm thankful Alice and Elizabeth got out of school at noon on Thanksgiving day, and were able to help set tables, peel potatoes, and fold napkins.  We put on "Miracle on 34th Street" to watch as we did the prep work.  I'm also grateful for an assortment of tables, for we were able to seat 14 people.

I'm thankful for a roomful of people to share a Thanksgiving dinner with, even if we didn't get to eat until 6:30 pm because some were late getting off work.  Everyone was starving by then! 

*** 

I'm really grateful for a lot of things!

For two daughters who have been flexible and mostly uncomplaining about 

this adventure we're in.

For a sweet husband who is a great provider, a dear friend, and who loves me in spite of my failings.

For our older children and their spouses who've been so helpful and supportive

--taking care of our mail issues, keeping our dog (whom we miss daily),

and talking to us through skype, gmail chat, etc.

For our grandchildren who, just by being there, fill our hearts with love.

For a comfortable living situation (though there are some drawbacks).

For a great family who is leasing our home in Cedar Falls 

so that we don't have to worry about anything there.

For the understandings I have of why I am here; who I am; and where I want to go.

Shopping in China

  When I decided to ship our food storage, it was for two reasons.  

1. It represented a significant amount of money and my energy and

 I hated to just leave it all behind.  2. It would be so nice to have a cushion of familiar foods

 as we embarked upon learning the new system of shopping—where to get the foods

 we liked and getting used to unfamiliar things. 

                Since it took four months for our “cushion” to arrive, that purpose was defeated.

 We had to just jump right in and get familiar with local foods.  Still, I'm happy it is here, as

 it provides security—there IS something in the house to eat even if

 I haven’t made it out today to pick up something fresh.

 The vegetable market is a 15-minute walk from our apartment.  You can get all kinds of fresh vegetables, and $4 gets as much as you want to carry home.  I take comfortable shoulder bags to carry purchases home, or occasionally, take the family. There are no prices posted, so you have to rely on what the vendor says the price is, and as westerners, we're definitely targets for overcharging.  That's why we go to the same vendor--if we find out she has overcharged, we won't go back to her, so she seems to have given us good deals, and she always throws in something extra--some parsley or cilantro.   In the same market area are fruit vendors, 

meat vendors, 

and some prepared foods (noodles, flat bread, grilled duck, and so on.)

I've been told that food that has been cooked in oil or is otherwise well

cooked is probably safe to eat from vendors.  

Sorry these pictures look so washed out--the lighting is pretty dark 

and my phone over-compensated.

The raw meat is just laying there on the counter.  Or in the buckets on the floor.

No refrigeration. (This picture was back in August and still hot).

A few weeks ago, when Kevin and Alice went with me to the veggie market

I wanted a chicken for soup.  So we walked to the chicken counter, and I

wish that I had a picture (but I didn't want to offend the vendor).  Several

plucked chickens lay there, with heads and feet still on.  They were

rather scrawny and I wanted a bigger chicken.  So the man

walked over to a burlap bag laying on the concrete floor and took

out a different dead chicken.  "Good enough?" 

About that time, Alice said, "I'm never coming here again!"

We had him take off the head and feet (he can sell those to someone else)

took it home, and boiled it for an hour or two.

Those chickens were probably running around in a yard just a few hours before.

It certainly made tasty chicken noodle soup!

Primary Children's Program

In our church, once a year the children in Primary (ages 3-11)

present the program for our worship service.

I have been called as the leader (Primary president) for these

children in our congregation, and today was our program.

Did I mention that the children are Korean?

Sara, the oldest girl is 8 years old and she speaks quite a bit of English, 

along with Chinese (as she attends school here) and her native language of Korean.

Her younger sister is 6 years old, Suzy is the English name she has chosen.

But, no English.  

Seoung Jae, the 7-year-old boy, also speaks no English.

So they gave their talks in Korean.

We recited scriptures in both English and Korean.

They sang their songs well (in English--though they might not understand

what they were singing). 

Everything went really well, except...

With only 3 children participating (the youngest one in the picture

is in nursery--he's two), we thought it would be good

to sing along to prerecorded songs--you know, to bolster confidence

and to be loud enough.  I had everything

ready, until during the opening song, the electrical circuit

went out because of the heater that was also plugged in.

The building has been freezing cold the past couple of weeks

and the room has been heated with space heaters.

So!  No prerecorded music!

Okay. On to plan B.  Guess I'll play the piano, instead of sing with the children.

It still went well.  It wouldn't be the children's program without

something unusual happening.  The microphone was also on that circuit, so, no mike!
That had its good point--at least the kids couldn't blow into it
like they always seem to want to do.  Or stand too close and be really loud.
Our congregation is small enough (about 45 people) that everyone
was still able to hear.
 I'm just glad the children had a successful

experience and we all learned a little.

Foggy Days

The weather has gradually become cooler.  The first frost lay on the grass last week. 

A chance of snow is in the forecast next week, but there are still roses blooming.

Hopefully, the mosquitoes are all laid to rest until next year.

(Nothing worse than to hear the buzz of a mosquito near your ear in the middle of the night!)

Fog (and smog) have become the norm, replacing the bright blue skies

we enjoyed for a couple of weeks.

We've had a couple of smog alerts--the girls' PE classes that are normally held outside

were revamped to avoid strenuous exercise and you just feel like you

are breathing in awful stuff.  Many Chinese wear pollution masks

 (looks like a surgical mask) as they ride their bikes.

Of course, some of them have a hole cut in them for the ever-present cigarette.

Still, autumn is one of my favorite times of year.

We don't have a lot of colorful trees--no maples here, just ash trees and cottonwoods.

And, apparently here at Warner, the fountains run for one week in the spring

and one week in the fall,

and this past week was our lucky week.

There is nothing so soothing as the sound of trickling water.

"By the fountain" is the favored meeting spot for outings with other women 

and where the girls meet their bus,

and for one week, it was very pleasant.  

The rest of the time, at least you can sit on the fountain edge.

The best thing about autumn is being able to fix a cup of something warm to drink,

and we still have THREE bottles of Postum. 

We don't want to ship back any food at the end of our three years, so that

means we can use one bottle per year.

And there's no guilt for using it NOW.  

I was recently at the Tesco supermarket, browsing the beverage aisle, hoping to find

a cereal-based hot beverage.  In France, there was "Caro".  In the U.S., now that

Postum has become part of history, there is "Pero".  Non-caffeinated, made from

roasted grains, very nice to drink when hot chocolate is too sweet.  (And of course

I don't drink coffee or real tea.  Herbal teas aren't usually my favorite).  I came across a drink called "Milo".  With the label all in Chinese, I wasn't sure what it was.  Then I remembered my phone.

I did a google search for Milo, found out it is a vitamin-fortified malted chocolate drink,

originating in Australia and found all around the world.

I bought some and wasn't too impressed, but then I never cared for Ovaltine either.

And I'd rather have a shake than a malt, any day.

At least with my phone, I was able to find out what it was. 

Modern technology is SO amazing!

Recent Activities...

Guess who made it on the cover of a local expat magazine...

And yes, Deborah.  That is your tennis sweatshirt.  

The funny thing about the photo is the other girl is also American.  She was adopted from China, but does not speak any Chinese, and is finding it difficult to go shopping, etc., because the clerks expect her to understand.

Lower left hand corner.  "The Bailey Sisters" fiddle away in their American

casual costumes.

#7. Blue jersey (TIS Eagles):  Ellie Bailey.  

Who would have thought that she'd love basketball,

and would be a starter on the girls Varsity team?

I've now sat in gyms to watch my kids play basketball on three different continents!

Again, who would have ever thought it!

And Ryan, there were times when her action was identical

to yours.  I had serious deja vu!   She is quick.

First game against REGO International School (a British one), goes in the win

column.  Half-time score, 33-6.  Then the 2nd string played most of the 2nd half,

with the final score something like 40-28.  

The driver took me to the game and he got to watch as well.

But he cheered for every basket made--either team.

Maybe not really his sport.

Christmas has come early!

Our shipment finally came—just a few days short of 4 months of waiting.  Four months of Spartan living; of learning to make do, do without, borrow, substitute, or just go buy it—if it was available.

 The container truck was too large to be allowed into our area, so there was a "ferry" truck.

 They loaded boxes onto little trolley cars for the ride up the elevator.

 We were surprised that everything made it--well, we are still missing the drum pad from the Wii (but the base is here), and Kevin's brand new quad scripture.

 But even the wheat made it!  There were only 10 or 15 boxes opened for inspection (they used a different color tape so we could tell).

 If we’d known it would be this long, we would have brought a few different things in our suitcases, or purchased them before now.   People would ask, “So what do you miss the most?” And my answer would depend upon whatever the most recent experience was.  When I needed to print something for Primary, I missed my printer.  Kevin missed his pillow each night--it was a special one he'd ordered and the pillows we borrowed just weren't the same.   If I was cooking, I missed my pots & pans.  I missed my own shampoo—the hair care products here are geared to the coarse, straight Asian hair.  My hair is about as opposite to that as it can get!  I missed my L'Oreal hair color as more and more gray was showing up.  I missed our pictures hanging in the walls.  I missed clocks.  I missed the piano, and we all missed the music books.  The girls had several opportunities to play their violas and had no music with them.  However, the two times they’ve played in church, they played a hymn (we got the music off lds.org and Kevin printed it at work), and last week, they played “The Lord is my Shepherd” and got so many comments from the members—asking if they had made a CD, and one young man offered to help them do some recording.  And it was lovely.  They used the women’s arrangement in the hymnbook, with Ellie playing two parts.

We opened the first box and America just jumped out at us!

I love the "handle with care" sign on what used to be a rectangular box.

So much paper, paper, paper.

 When the word came that the shipment would be delivered the next morning, there was elation, followed by dread.  Stuff can be SUCH a burden! There were 227 items (mostly boxes).  And if we had known then what we know now, there would have been about half that.  In fact, one of the international schools is having a charity garage sale in two weeks and we’ve started a couple of collection boxes for the stuff that we really don’t want.  We gave away and threw away SO much before leaving Iowa, and now we wonder why we didn’t get rid of more.  

 The boxes used by the moving company were vastly inferior to previous moves.  It was unusual to find a box that was NOT crushed, torn, or mutilated in some way.  Mostly crushed.  It wasn’t until I was collapsing some of the boxes for disposal that I realized how thin and light they were.  (Not any of the dishes were broken though—those boxes were sturdier ones).  

I was surprised that all the dishes and kitchen linens fit in the beautiful hutch that was provided for us.  Our kitchen has very limited cabinets.  But with the help of the bookcases we first purchased in France we are going to do just fine. 

 Some things we were happy to see? Our bed. H*E*B Chocolate granola!  Good old Aldi baking mix.  The boxes won’t stand up because they were a bit crushed, but the contents taste great!  Such a treat!

Some things that didn’t ship well?  Any of the chocolate items.  Chocolate chips are in solid masses.  Peanut butter cups are unrecognizable, as are the coconut Hershey's kisses.  I had previously shipped chocolate both to France and then to the U.S., and it did fine.  Not so this time!  Four months in a hot container is plain chocolate murder. Guess it will always have to be transported in suitcases. China does not do chocolate.  You can find it at import stores, or there will be small Dove chocolates, or M &M’s or a few other bars at regular stores, but they are very expensive.  $2 for a small bag of peanut M &M’s—I’m talking “snack” size small. 

When Kevin hung the cuckoo clock, with the first striking of the hour, Ellie called from her bedroom,  "Now that is one of the happiest noises I've heard in a long time!"

So I have learned a valuable lesson.  The world will not collapse around me if I don’t have every little thing.  And truly, it’s not my own comfort I worry about, it is having what is needed for the family.  And maybe it is a bit of insecurity—will they be upset with me if there is something I SHOULD have thought of, or SHOULD have packed and didn’t?  So I obsess over lists, trying to anticipate every need and every situation.  And in the end, there is too much stuff.  At least we can be generous—

we have plenty to lend or give away!

The Tianjin Branch Halloween Party

The president of our branch and his wife live in a development called Carmel.

Until we drove in, I didn't know there were areas like this in China.

Obviously geared to expats,

and still brand-new, so it looks great.

I think I'm in love.  I have no idea how much it costs, but I'm

pretty sure it is above our budget, even though our budget is pretty good.

The biggest problem living here is the hour-plus commute

for Kevin.  It is actually within 10 min. of where the school

will be moving in January.

 Anyway, enough drooling and on to the party!

 We had apple-bobbing (and Chinese apples are really good-tasting!  I don't know

what the variety is, but we've been happy this fall with the apples.)

There were little games for the kids, and a Wii to try to imitate the

Monster Mash on Just Dance.

Other than the food (pizza, all kinds of pot luck appetizers and desserts),

the biggest hit of the evening was the pumpkin carving.

 Once they were all done, they were lit with votive candles and lined up for judging.

 Alice's came in second--but only because the girls have no

reservations (unlike the Koreans) to yelling loudly.

They were supposed to say "Oooh" for the one they liked.

Still, Alice did a good rendition of R2D2.

 And then we had fireworks.  (The first box has already gone off.)  

You light it and the whole box takes care of itself. Just a whoosh of light and a bang at the end,

over and over and over again, until it's finished.

I had been really excited to see them,

but was a tad disappointed.  I prefer color and variety to LOUD.

Alice's Princess Leia hair.  She really tried, with a variety of methods to

do the side buns, but wasn't satisfied with them.

It's been 34 years since Star Wars came out, and it is STILL

an influence!  (And it's easy for me to keep track of

that, since it came out the same year we were married.)

Late October

We invited some friends over to see what the cake was going to be like.  So,

I ended up having two birthday parties!

The Stillmunkes family and the Resch family--who used to live in Cedar Falls.

It's fun having people here that we already knew. 

The inside of the cake.  The cream layer tasted fine, but had gelatinous fruit pieces--

we weren't expecting that!  (I didn't eat any of the pink stuff either). And just a day later,

the left-over cake started smelling fermented.

Makes you wonder, what is REALLY in that cake?

 Two weeks ago, there began to be a big flurry of activity on the building

that faces our entrance.  Each day we walked past ugly corrugated steel fencing

out to meet the car or the school bus. 

Sunday afternoon they were laying bricks, and still had quite a section to fill.
They were still putting on the marble facings around the pillars on Saturday.

Then Monday morning, suddenly! the fencing is gone. The brick is still wet.
But there's obviously an open house going on.  Beautiful girls in gold dresses.
New plants.  Red carpet.  Nice signage.  

My big question is, how good is the quality of work that is done that fast?  

Sure it looks good right now,

but in a year, the paint will be peeling and the bricks heaving out of their spots.  

At least, that's the case with all the rest of Warner Gardens development.

Ah, China!  If only you understood quality workmanship!

The make-it-right guys on HG-TV would have fits over what gets done here.

Concrete blocks are not sealed before mudding over them

and then painting.  So we get water stains at the base of interior walls

(which shouldn't have any moisture in them, but somehow do), and the paint

bulges and then pulls away from the wall.

The British couple in the apartment downstairs said that whenever it rains,

water comes off our patio, and runs through their ceiling.  A couple of light

fixtures started shorting and sparking from water dripping OUT of them.  

(How nice to think that there are electrical sparks happening under our floor.)

I've started saying that China might take over the world,

but it will all fall apart shortly thereafter.

Our new car already has some rattles in it.  But at least the DVD player is fixed.

Of course, why it was broken, when the car came to us 

directly from the factory, is a mystery to me.

Some things aren't meant to be understood, I guess!