stuff

it's the day before we leave for a three week vacation to the US, and like usual before a big trip, I am not having a good day. It's one of those days where Morgan won't stop crying, and after repeated, failed attempts at getting her to go outside or play with her toys, I finally give up and plop her in front of Barney so I can get some packing done. Today I am not mommy of the year.

Nor am I housekeeper of the year, laundress, or even, probably, wife. (All day long I've been silently cursing Bob for being able to go to work everyday while I deal with a whiny Morgan.) All I really want is to do is blink my eyes and appear at my mom's house on Tuesday afternoon. No list making, packing, airport, 15 hour flight, immigration, rental car woes, etc. I want the impossible - I want magic.

Genie, where are you?

Income

I have to admit, I've never made much of the green. As a teacher in rural Ohio, my top income was about $25,000. This was over halved when I became a full-time graduate student for five years. So, I've been used to not making much money. When Bob and I hastily got married to move to China, and I abruptly had to quit school and my job as a graduate assistant, I then had to get used to not making any money. This may not sound like such a big deal to most married folk - the whole "his money is my money" concept is pretty common, but my independent spirit really asserted itself in the beginning (I know, big suprise). It seemed wrong not to be working and making money. Of course, I eventually got used to this life of leisure and then Morgan came along, the whole stay-at-home mom thing happened. . . What I'm saying is that I eventually stopped worrying about it. Until this week.

I posted a few weeks about about Morgan taking some test pictures for a catalogue shoot. She was grumpy and didn't photograph well so I didn't expect anything to come of it. Well, yesterday I got a call from the photographer that she actually did get a gig - shooting baby carriers - this Wednesday. It's all in good fun - I thought it would be cool to show her some flyer when she gets older with her in it. Then I realized, Morgan actually makes money from this. Ok, it's not much money - somewhere around $40 for an hour's work. But, that $40 is more money than I have contributed to our household income in the last three years! Does that make me feel small and unimportant? Yeah, a little bit. Am I a tiny bit jealous? Yup, I think so. My slightly-less-than two year old daughter makes more money than I do. Again, I am faced with a bit of moral discomfort that somehow this is wrong on several levels.

I comfort myself thinking that in less than a year I will be back home and, hopefully, soon thereafter reenrolled in school to finish my Ph.D (yep, look at me throwing that out there to make me feel big and important again). Of course, that graduate income that I'll hopefully be getting again will only just pay for Morgan's child care while I finish that degree. But, that's a whole other topic of guilt and discomfort. Until then, I'll just suck it up and probably go have a lavish lunch or shopping spree - courtesy of Morgan, of course. ;-)

How I Wish I Could Read Chinese. . .

We came across these (what I can only imagine to be) public service messages on our walk Sunday. They were too funny not to take a picture of. Is it just me or is the one about masturbation????

Walking the French Concession

Since leaving the downtown area, I have really missed being able to walk the former French Concession tree-lined streets. So, this weekend, we decided to head back downtown for a little walk. Before heading out, we stopped off for breakfast at Haya's, a Mediterranean restaurant nearby. They had excellent omelets and Morgan and I both enjoyed our first foray into pancakes with Nutella - who knew chocolate could be so yummy with breakfast?

Afterward, Bobby (our driver) dropped us off near O'Malley's, an Irish pub downtown. Our walk was originally supposed to follow a planned route from a book I bought at a recent x-mas bazaar, but I misread the start point, so we ended up just walking around instead. Luckily, we found Pantry Magic, a store with imported kitchen goods I've been meaning to check out. There were some great items in the store, but we had the best laugh at two of the signs posted in the store. Someone should really tell them that if they are going to cater to expats, they might want to change the descriptions on some of their products!

It was a nice day for December in Shanghai – sunny and in the 50s, so lots of people were out. Many of the Chinese love to stop and say hello to Morgan, and she loves watching them, too. We saw several fresh roasted chestnut carts (I never realized before living here that people actually do eat roasted chestnuts!) beside roasting sweet potato carts – it’s definitely x-mas time when these show up. We also admired many of the older homes still standing amidst office buildings and skyscrapers.

We had a great walk, but we ended up cutting it a little short due to the cold and Morgan’s cough that’s returned in the last few days. It’s a good thing there are lots of restaurants around where we could pop in for a coffee. We ended our walk on Huai Hai – a main shopping artery in downtown. Before leaving, we stopped for a photo op for Bob and Morgan beside the ubiquitous triangle x-mas “trees” in Shanghai. When they do x-mas in Shanghai, they do it big, and most large shopping areas have some version of the triangle tree. Hmmm, that might be a good photo blog in itself. . .

Saturday X-Mas Party

This last Saturday, our compound hosted their annual Christmas party for the residents. Coming from our former residence Shanghai Centre (and associated with the 5 star Ritz-Carlton hotel), we didn't have quite as high hopes as our x-mas spread last year. It's a good thing or we would have been a little disappointed. The SC food was gourmet catered by the Ritz hotel. This year we had mayonaise and mystery meat triangle sandwiches, oreos, and crackers. It was all in good fun, though, and we realize that food at a party isn't really the main thing. At x-mas, it's SANTA! Santa at Ridgewood (our current compound) did come loaded with presents for the kiddos. We really must have lived here long enough because Bob and I weren't the least bit shocked to see a thin Chinese Santa arrive. Morgan still wasn't very impressed and refused to sit on his lap without mom's arm around her. Maybe it was that fake beard or pillow belly that came up a bit too high. Whatever it was, Morgan was in a hurry to get her present and get out of there!

The compound employees did try hard to make a nice party. To start and end the festivities, they sang Christmas songs karaoke style. The residents all joined in, and Morgan even clapped after every song. Morgan liked her gift from Santa - a miniature version of himself playing a saxaphone (a loud, tinny sound only Chinese toys seem able to accomplish), although she was often more intent on chewing it than playing with it since a tooth was coming in. Mom wasn't as impressed with the toy and has not allowed the sound to go back on since! Overall, we had a great time and appreciated our compound's efforts to make our x-mas season festive.

Morgan's Bedroom/Bathroom - 2nd Floor

These pics are of Morgan's bedroom. The furnishings here (except for the curtains) are all ours. The crib is from the US, but otherwise, most of the furniture pieces have been (usually custom) made here in China. The last pic is of her duck-themed bathroom.

Master Suite Pictures - 2nd Floor

ok, so here we are in my master bedroom. Our 2nd floor consists of the master suite and one other bedroom and bathroom (Morgan's). We really haven't done much with our bedroom - many things are the compounds, and I haven't been motivated to decorate it much because no one ever really sees it. The first two pics are the actual bedroom area and the 3rd and 4th are of my bathoom and closet, which are located as you enter the suite to your right and left, respectively. The closet is nice, but Bob has too many clothes and he keeps wanting to encroach on my space! Traditionally, shouldn't the woman have more clothes? I guess I am anything but traditional. . .

These two bottom pics are of the office/study, located in the master suite. You can see the entrance to this room in the top two pics. It's like all my offices are: messy and cluttered. It drives Bob nuts, and he can't wait til we buy a house of our own where he'll have his own office.

Waiting for Winter

Unlike the US where winter is declared on an arbitrary day, China officially declares winter when the average daily temperature falls below 10 degrees Celcius (50 degrees F) for five straight days. Reports were abound last week that a cold front was afoot and winter would likely be ushered in. Friday afternoon the temps started to drop, and Saturday and Sunday did bring about chilly weather - highs in the 30s, from the previous week's averages in the 50s. Winter coats, hats, scarves, and mittens were dug out of closets everywhere. Clear blue skies and starry nights kept the temperature low. Ok, I won't go that far - I didn't actually see stars. Normally, a low cloud of pollution over the city helps keep our temperatures mild during the day and night. Alas, Monday morning brought a return to higher temps, and by Tuesday afternoon, we were back in the 60s. According to Fu Yi, a forecaster for the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, "The warm weather retarded the city's move into winter." (I really can't top a statement like that)

With this week's predicted high temperatures ranging from 66 to 50 degrees F, I guess we'll have to wait a bit longer for winter.

*Picture above courtesy of Tracy, taken last February during Shanghai's biggest snowfall in 20 years.

Things I'll Miss About Living in Asia

In the spirit of making this blog about living in Asia more positive, I've been asked to list some things that I will miss when we move home. Since that date is about six months away, I figured I had better get started thinking about it! And yes, this blog entry will make you believe that I am living a spoiled life. Yup, I do believe I am. But, since I'll be going back to the real world when we move back to the US, I'm making the most of it while I can. This is for you, Jill:

1) Having an ayi (domestic helper) - Upon repatriating, this has to be the number one thing most wives miss about living in China. I, too, am not looking forward to the day when I will have to clean my house, do my laundry, and look after my child all by myself everyday. :-) Even though I have often complained about my ayis to many of you and have gone through four of them in two years, I absolutely love having this perk. For the low, low price of $441.00 every month (for a more expensive Philippina), I have a wonderful person come in 25 hours a week to help clean and watch Morgan. Since I never believed that I wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom, having another person come in to provide me some get-away time every day is beyond priceless. Yes, I could manage to do my laundry and clean my house by myself, but I figure, why do it if someone else can do it, too? As Bob's former boss once said, I believe in specialization. My specialization is teaching. If I can get someone else to do my laundry and cleaning, why not?

2) Cheap massages - I've written before about how cheap you can get a massage in China. Actually, if you really want to do it cheap, you can get one for less than $10. Since I frequent those places that cater to expats, we pay about $25. Hands down, you can always find an hour long massage for less than half the price you pay in the US. It's one of those perks that you take for granted - every time we go, which seems far too infrequently, we ask ourselves why we don't go more often. For me, this also ties into the above item. I won't be able to just take off in the afternoon for a relaxing massage when I don't have an ayi to watch my child. :-)

3) Traveling - One of the things I love the most about living in Asia is the ability to travel to places I would otherwise never see. The flights to this part of the world are so long - about 15 hours flight time to Eastern China, over 20 to Singapore - it's not a place we would normally think about visiting for vacation, especially with children. Traveling to Western Europe, no problem. The Carribean or South American - easy (relatively speaking, of course). Plus, we will lose the all important r&r money many companies currently provide to help make living here (and traveling out of the country) easier. I've seen many amazing places - Bali, Singapore, Bintan, Japan, Thailand, etc. and will sincerely regret not having seen more. Damn, if I just hadn't had that kid, we'd have traveled more! :-)

4) Traveling with Children - now I know what you are thinking - What???? Let me explain. Traveling with children in the US is not enjoyable. I have many memories traveling alone with Morgan and going up to security with stroller, carry-ons, and baby. As I struggle to get the laptop out of the backpack, lay out my medications and soy milk for Morgan, security officials bark at me to get my baby out of the stroller and get it up on the counter. As I step to the metal detector, they yell at me to take off my shoes. After I go through, I get searched (while holding Morgan who is now crying) and told to pick up my things, all with impatient travelers behind me. I know, I know - many of my dear friends have done this with two, three or four children! But, I know you get what I mean. Traveling in the US sucks. Traveling in Asia, however, is lovely. See, in China they provide special lines for people traveling with children. Have you ever seen those long lines at immigration? Not for people with children - you get to go in a special VIP line that is short and where immigration officials are quick (and usually friendly, I might add). At security, another VIP line! Most of the time I don't even have to take Morgan out of her stroller. They just roll it though the metal detector and hand search it while Morgan sits there looking curious. While I get my laptop, medications, etc out, they are busy entertaining Morgan so I don't have to worry about her getting upset. People in Asia love children. While sometimes this can be a bit annoying and over the top, when you are traveling, by far it is a huge bonus. Do you think we can have the Chinese provide some sensitivity training for our security and immigration officers?

Ok, I know there are more things that I'll miss when I return to the US, but right now I am stymied. I guess this means that it'll be another blog entry later. :-)

Living Area and Morgan's Playroom

Here are some pics of our general living space. To the left is our tv area with our tiny tree in the background. Most of the furniture in this living space is ours that we've aquired here in China, although a few pieces are the compound's. Below is our knicknack corner - thank goodness the shelving comes bolted to the wall because Morgan already tries to climb it. It also showcases our small, yet growing, collection of masks we've bought on our international journeys. The other picture is looking toward Morgan's playroom and the front door.

Below are some pictures of Morgan's playroom. Most people here in the compound (in fact, all of them, I think) use this space just off the main living room as another general living space. But, since it's just the three of us, a playroom is more convenient for us so I can keep an eye on Morgan while doing other things downstairs. Plus, if we have guests and it's too atrocious looking, I can just shut the door!

First Floor - kitchen & dining room pics

My kitchen is sort of horseshoe shaped. In a total sense, it's pretty big for Asian kitchens, but its configuration still makes it workable for only one person at a time to be in one given area. The above on the left is of my corner "pantry" area, and the right picture is the back of the kitchen with our water and basically junk. Behind me (not in the pictures) is a small laundry room. Below are the forward pics of my kitchen. The cabinets are high, too high for me - I need a stool to reach anything over the 2nd shelf from bottom. There seems to be lots of storage space, but certainly not what we're used to in the US. Many things, especially 110 volt appliances, are stored on my 3rd floor.

This area is a pic of my dining room. Like most places with kids, even my general living space has kid stuff. Morgan does have a booster seat in the dining room and a portable seat in the kitchen, but lately she prefers sitting at her Ikea table. If we're not eating together as a family, she usually eats there. The dining table came with the house - we hate it! But the buffet table in the back is one of our purchases here in Shanghai.

Outside Pics

My friend Jill asked me to post pictures of our house here in Shanghai. So, over the next few day I'll be posting some pics of our home. These pictures are outside the house. Above, the view is toward my house with the playground behind me. One thing I love about our (gated) compound is the fact that it's small enough that the kids (and parents) feel safe to play on the streets. Below is a pic of the outside of our house - I know, ugly as sin. Something like a Alpine chalet gone wrong. The other is a view of my garden. It's small compared to lawns in the US, but in actually, it's pretty big for a private, fenced garden here in the city.

Import Shopping

Ever wonder what it's like to shop for imported food goods in Shanghai? Here are a few items that I picked up last week:

Wishbone Fat Free Italian Dressing - $7.50
Newmans Light Rasberry Walnut Dressing - $8.79
Sour Cream (small tub) - $4.38
Can of Dr. Pepper - $1.16
Can of Sprite - $1.76
Can of (Chinese) Diet Coke - $0.37
Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts: $7.66
Small pack of M&Ms - $1.88
Quaker Life Cereal - $10.00

Ok, most of that was junk in preparation for our Thanksgiving last week. Next time we go food shopping, I'll post again. :-)

Morgan's photos

A few weeks ago, I saw a call for child models for some catalogue work. I know a few other expat moms who've done it with their children and had good experiences, so I thought we could try it. I'm not saying Morgan is the most beautiful child, most photogenic, etc. I just thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, the test pics were the day Morgan was starting to get sick, and she also refused to nap that day. :-( So, the pics weren't all that great, and I'm sure we won't get called for the actual catalogue. But, here are a few of her better pics so that you can see them. We did an impromptu one of us together at the end, and I was not expecting to get my picture taken! It was only after that I realized I had put one of Morgan's bows in my hair for safekeeping!