We have just begun the 24-hour countdown.
The United States of America will test Dave's proficiency in Mandarin 24 hours from now, via a 15 minute telephone conversation. On a scale of 1 (being able to order food and maneuver a train station) to 5 (being a native speaker), Dave must prove he can speak at a 2 to pass the exam.
Should he pass, extra points will be added to his score, and guarantee his acceptance into the Foreign Service. Should he fail, he will continue studying at a frantic rate for the next 6 months, when he is allowed to test once again.
Dave has rarely entered a test where he predicted he would pass. This test is no different. His tutor thinks he stands a chance, and I'd put his odds at 50-50. We rest on the hand of God. Should the Lord want Dave to pass this test, God can make it so without any outrageous miracles. Should the Lord prefer the waiting pattern we've been holding for the past 1.5 years, no one would be surprised if Dave fails.
Either way, he looks forward to a break from studying next week, and a few extra hours to himself. For a week.
Please keep him in your prayers right now. I'm praying that he sleeps well tonight and faces the day (and the evening) refreshed. I'm praying that he goes into the test feeling calm and confident. And I'm praying that God's will be done.
At 10:00pm Shenzhen time on November 30, the 24-hour countdown begins.
He tests at 9:00am Washington DC time on December 1st.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Chinese is Really Hard!
Dave has been working hard to build his Mandarin skills for the past six months or so. He's been meeting with a tutor for an hour probably four times a week for the past 2 months, and she thinks the possibility exists that he will actually pass the Mandarin test. I'll remind you that Dave's ranking in the Foreign Service hiring list is just shy of getting an invitation to join, but that the points from testing proficient in a foreign language would guarantee a call. Dave will take that test on Dec. 1, at 9am DC time. Mark your calendars so you can remember him in your prayers.
While diligently studying late one recent evening, he came across an essay titled Why Chinese Is So Damn Hard. It may be funnier to those of us who have studied the language, but I think anyone interested in Mandarin would find it a good read. No joke - Chinese is a really difficult language. We have plenty of foreign friends who are proficient in many languages, entirely fluent in 3 or 4. Very few of these people speak more than taxi Mandarin - that is, just enough to get by.
I don't know anyone who speaks Mandarin well, unless they grew up with it. And according to this essay, even the Chinese think its hard! Our friend Yen (mainland Chinese citizen, and native speaker of Mandarin) confirmed this last night - he agrees that pronunciation can be a challenge, that the characters make it hard to read, and that there are loads of words (and therefore characters) that the average Chinese person does not know.
Remember, when an English reader doesn't know an English word, they can read it phonetically and then figure it out. When you come across a Chinese character you don't know, there will be no figuring it out - no matter how long you stare at it. They do have dictionaries, but these are organized by brush strokes and then by root characters; or by the pinyin pronunciation of the word. Figuring out the word is a process, and requires some prior knowledge.
So, pat Dave on the back for as much Mandarin as he has learned so far. And remember him on Wednesday. We're praying for God's plan through this - if He wants us back in China through the foreign service, Dave could pass the test. If He wants us following a different path, none of us would be surprised if Dave failed the test.
Will post the results as soon as we know.
While diligently studying late one recent evening, he came across an essay titled Why Chinese Is So Damn Hard. It may be funnier to those of us who have studied the language, but I think anyone interested in Mandarin would find it a good read. No joke - Chinese is a really difficult language. We have plenty of foreign friends who are proficient in many languages, entirely fluent in 3 or 4. Very few of these people speak more than taxi Mandarin - that is, just enough to get by.
I don't know anyone who speaks Mandarin well, unless they grew up with it. And according to this essay, even the Chinese think its hard! Our friend Yen (mainland Chinese citizen, and native speaker of Mandarin) confirmed this last night - he agrees that pronunciation can be a challenge, that the characters make it hard to read, and that there are loads of words (and therefore characters) that the average Chinese person does not know.
Remember, when an English reader doesn't know an English word, they can read it phonetically and then figure it out. When you come across a Chinese character you don't know, there will be no figuring it out - no matter how long you stare at it. They do have dictionaries, but these are organized by brush strokes and then by root characters; or by the pinyin pronunciation of the word. Figuring out the word is a process, and requires some prior knowledge.
So, pat Dave on the back for as much Mandarin as he has learned so far. And remember him on Wednesday. We're praying for God's plan through this - if He wants us back in China through the foreign service, Dave could pass the test. If He wants us following a different path, none of us would be surprised if Dave failed the test.
Will post the results as soon as we know.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Abu Dhabi photo journal
Abu Dhabi is an incredible city. I have rarely seen such obvious wealth, such dramatic modernity, and in such a peaceful (and hot) setting. The city felt calm and comfortable, yet full of brand new hotels and skyscrapers. A fully modern city, to look like any other in the West. And yet, the photo above was only taken 50 years ago. That photo is Abu Dhabi 50 years ago. All of it.I marvel at the change that people in China have gone through within a few generations. The same is true in the United Arab Emirates. The Emirati discovered oil near Abu Dhabi in the 1960s, and life changed dramatically.
But these Emirati women, nationals who only make up 10% of the residents of Abu Dhabi, must have clear memories of life before the oil. They gather to keep their handicrafts alive, wearing their traditional clothes and speaking their language. And snuggling cute little white babies like ours.
The Emirati people do not pay taxes. Rather, they receive a check every month for their portion of the oil revenues. And the government still has the funds to create something like the Emirates Palace, said to be the world's only 7-star hotel.
Another grand display of wealth is the recently completed Sheikh Zayed Mosque, or the Grand Mosque.
The mosque houses the world's largest Persian carpet, the world's largest chandelier (below), and a capacity for 40,000 worshipers. That number does not include the number who will kneel on their prayer mats in the parking lot during Eid.
The beauty is astounding. Marble and gold make up the obvious portions of the facade, and the walkways, walls and pillars of the interior display beautiful flowering vines of inlaid precious stones.
All guests are asked to dress appropriately, and offered the appropriate dress to wear. I wore a full burka covering my head and clothes, much like the women above. The girls only needed to cover their heads.
While we found the city pleasant, the food delicious, and the mosque beautiful, everyone's favorite part was our journey out to the desert. I will spare you all of my photos, although it was truly beautiful. But the photos can tell the rest of the story.
Feeling Better
Although I offer no apologies for what I wrote last night, I would like to report that I have returned to my equilibrium. Today made a satisfactory substitute for an All-American Thanksgiving. The kindergarten teachers at Lilly's school organized a Being Thankful Brunch this morning, where parents brought in a traditional dish and we all picnicked on the front lawn. It was a wonderfully international spread, with some turkey and cranberries, but also German sausages, taboulleh, Japanese sponge cake, Chinese dumplings and loads of other tasty treats. It lent a festive air to the day, and finished when school let out for early dismissal at 11:30.
Both girls spending the afternoon at home lent a holiday-esque air to the day as well. In addition, they played beautifully, and we had no pick-up at 3:00 so I actually crossed a few items off of my To Do List. A few Christmas presents have been crafted, I finished two pies for dinner tonight, and I actually kept Annika on the schedule I've been striving for over the past few days.
This evening we shared Thanksgiving dinner with friends, and it was lovely. As kids have school and grown-ups have work both the day of Thanksgiving and the day after, we celebrated tonight. I am reminded how blessed we are to have good friends here, and after only a few months. I enjoyed the time spent with everyone, and I hardly saw Lilly the entire night as she immersed herself in the screaming and giggling group of children racing through the house and the garden. We ate the classics, with a few fun foods thrown in by the international crowd who joined us. A British family and a German family joined, as well as the Filipina helpers for two families. Dave and I brought our friend Yen, a Chinese colleague from Shanghai. Good conversation with good friends, good food, and then relaxing around a few bottles of wine, some Hennessy and a pumpkin pie. If this is Thanksgiving, I'm not complaining.
I dressed the girls in fall colors and long-sleeves, so we felt the part as we walked home in the chill of the evening. And now Dave and Yen have gone out for a drink, leaving a quiet house for me to cross one more item off my To Do List. My long-promised Abu Dhabi photos are now posted. Enjoy - and Happy Thanksgiving!
Both girls spending the afternoon at home lent a holiday-esque air to the day as well. In addition, they played beautifully, and we had no pick-up at 3:00 so I actually crossed a few items off of my To Do List. A few Christmas presents have been crafted, I finished two pies for dinner tonight, and I actually kept Annika on the schedule I've been striving for over the past few days.
This evening we shared Thanksgiving dinner with friends, and it was lovely. As kids have school and grown-ups have work both the day of Thanksgiving and the day after, we celebrated tonight. I am reminded how blessed we are to have good friends here, and after only a few months. I enjoyed the time spent with everyone, and I hardly saw Lilly the entire night as she immersed herself in the screaming and giggling group of children racing through the house and the garden. We ate the classics, with a few fun foods thrown in by the international crowd who joined us. A British family and a German family joined, as well as the Filipina helpers for two families. Dave and I brought our friend Yen, a Chinese colleague from Shanghai. Good conversation with good friends, good food, and then relaxing around a few bottles of wine, some Hennessy and a pumpkin pie. If this is Thanksgiving, I'm not complaining.
I dressed the girls in fall colors and long-sleeves, so we felt the part as we walked home in the chill of the evening. And now Dave and Yen have gone out for a drink, leaving a quiet house for me to cross one more item off my To Do List. My long-promised Abu Dhabi photos are now posted. Enjoy - and Happy Thanksgiving!
Earthquake!
While Sophia spent a quiet afternoon playing in the living room just last week, we felt (and heard) a boom. We looked at each other, commenting on what a big truck must have gone by. Amusingly, it never occurred to us that our little road couldn't possibly hold a truck large enough to shake our living room. We live on more of a glorified path than an actual street. Still, we shook our heads and thought nothing of it.
Until we learned, later that afternoon, that we had experienced an earthquake! The earthquake measured 2.8 on the Richter scale and the epicenter is rumored to be in Shenzhen Bay - quite near our home.
I'll admit - I was wound up excited when I learned the news. Now I can cross Experience an Earthquake off of my To Do List.
Until we learned, later that afternoon, that we had experienced an earthquake! The earthquake measured 2.8 on the Richter scale and the epicenter is rumored to be in Shenzhen Bay - quite near our home.
I'll admit - I was wound up excited when I learned the news. Now I can cross Experience an Earthquake off of my To Do List.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Creating a Holiday
I'm a bit of a grump today.
Americans observe Thanksgiving today, but this observation feels pretty low from here. Thanksgiving possibly holds the title of favorite holiday in my book. I love it because, in my tradition, it is the holiday which is purely about the holiday. With every holiday, family and friends come together to enjoy good food and one another's company, leaving at the end of the day with a renewed sense of family and strengthened conviction of our many blessings. And that's the whole point of Thanksgiving. There's nothing else to get in the way, to dress up for, to shop for or to decorate. We simply cook, gather together, cook some more, eat, and enjoy each other's company.
But in addition to its beautiful simplicity, Thanksgiving has a tangible feel to it. The weather is chilly, if not actually cold and snowy outside. But the house is toasty warm, full of people and with the oven running all day long. The air is thick with warmth, and with the scent of the food slowly cooking, the spices being added to everything.
Whenever the meal comes, we exclaim over every dish - most are unique to this meal, even though we could easily make them year-round. The tradition of the meal and the combination of dishes makes it taste fantastic. The likelihood of things being made from scratch, and the potluck effect enhance the flavors further. And then the leftovers the next day, while extra people are still sleeping in the house and work and school have been out for two days. The quiet festivity of a day spent eating and gathering with family.
But how do I pass this on to my kids?
Dave had work today, and so he left home at 7:30 this morning and returned at about 7:30 tonight. The girls had school today, and ballet class after school. We got home at 5:15, and I quickly put a cold dinner on the table so we could eat by 5:30.
Not exactly traditional, but we did have turkey, homemade bread,
cranberries and corn for dinner on Thanksgiving day.
And who wouldn't feel happy eating these cupcakes?
Its not pumpkin pie, but they're so pretty and they're still
pumpkin based so it counts.
We will gather with friends tomorrow for a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. I'm bringing pumpkin pie, chocolate creme pie, and cranberry salad - a recipe from a family member, no less. We'll have turkey and gravy, stuffing and rolls, plus whatever the Germans, British and the Filipinas are bringing to the table. But while sharing a big meal and a large table with friends may recreate a semblance of Thanksgiving for Dave and I, it has no sense of tradition for my children. This is simply another meal eaten with friends.
What can I do to create a tradition of Thanksgiving for them? There are only a few days a year when I feel our lifestyle cheats my children out of something very important - their culture, their family, and their tradition. Thanksgiving is one of those days.
So I'm a bit of a grump today.
Add to that the hours Dave has been working - home no earlier than 7:30 at night, just to dive right into Mandarin lessons at 8:30.
Add in that poor Annika the Peaceful is teething and not sleeping... nor sitting alone happily for longer than 5 minutes.
Add in poor Sophia the Tempermental who is simply not happy, a problem I can't seem to diagnose, let alone fix or live with comfortably.
Luckily, Lilly seems quite happy and I'm surrounded by good friends. I should say blessedly. God has allowed Lilly and I to land blessedly well here.
Dave and I both feel exhausted and overwhelmed. We certainly will not go to sleep tonight feeling the peace that comes from a full belly and a day spent on the couch surrounded by family.
Americans observe Thanksgiving today, but this observation feels pretty low from here. Thanksgiving possibly holds the title of favorite holiday in my book. I love it because, in my tradition, it is the holiday which is purely about the holiday. With every holiday, family and friends come together to enjoy good food and one another's company, leaving at the end of the day with a renewed sense of family and strengthened conviction of our many blessings. And that's the whole point of Thanksgiving. There's nothing else to get in the way, to dress up for, to shop for or to decorate. We simply cook, gather together, cook some more, eat, and enjoy each other's company.
But in addition to its beautiful simplicity, Thanksgiving has a tangible feel to it. The weather is chilly, if not actually cold and snowy outside. But the house is toasty warm, full of people and with the oven running all day long. The air is thick with warmth, and with the scent of the food slowly cooking, the spices being added to everything.
Whenever the meal comes, we exclaim over every dish - most are unique to this meal, even though we could easily make them year-round. The tradition of the meal and the combination of dishes makes it taste fantastic. The likelihood of things being made from scratch, and the potluck effect enhance the flavors further. And then the leftovers the next day, while extra people are still sleeping in the house and work and school have been out for two days. The quiet festivity of a day spent eating and gathering with family.
But how do I pass this on to my kids?
Dave had work today, and so he left home at 7:30 this morning and returned at about 7:30 tonight. The girls had school today, and ballet class after school. We got home at 5:15, and I quickly put a cold dinner on the table so we could eat by 5:30.
Not exactly traditional, but we did have turkey, homemade bread,
cranberries and corn for dinner on Thanksgiving day.
And who wouldn't feel happy eating these cupcakes?
Its not pumpkin pie, but they're so pretty and they're still
pumpkin based so it counts.
We will gather with friends tomorrow for a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. I'm bringing pumpkin pie, chocolate creme pie, and cranberry salad - a recipe from a family member, no less. We'll have turkey and gravy, stuffing and rolls, plus whatever the Germans, British and the Filipinas are bringing to the table. But while sharing a big meal and a large table with friends may recreate a semblance of Thanksgiving for Dave and I, it has no sense of tradition for my children. This is simply another meal eaten with friends.
What can I do to create a tradition of Thanksgiving for them? There are only a few days a year when I feel our lifestyle cheats my children out of something very important - their culture, their family, and their tradition. Thanksgiving is one of those days.
So I'm a bit of a grump today.
Add to that the hours Dave has been working - home no earlier than 7:30 at night, just to dive right into Mandarin lessons at 8:30.
Add in that poor Annika the Peaceful is teething and not sleeping... nor sitting alone happily for longer than 5 minutes.
Add in poor Sophia the Tempermental who is simply not happy, a problem I can't seem to diagnose, let alone fix or live with comfortably.
Luckily, Lilly seems quite happy and I'm surrounded by good friends. I should say blessedly. God has allowed Lilly and I to land blessedly well here.
Dave and I both feel exhausted and overwhelmed. We certainly will not go to sleep tonight feeling the peace that comes from a full belly and a day spent on the couch surrounded by family.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Coming For Christmas!
I am excited to announce that we have our tickets for travel over the Christmas holidays. I am sad to say that Dave can only take 3 weeks of vacation time, and we will share that time with him. Three weeks is far too short a visit, leaving me both excited and sad at the same time.
Here's the basic itinerary:
Dec. 18 - arrive at St. Louis airport, in the afternoon
Dec. 29 - arrive at Chicago Union Station, in the evening
Jan. 2 - fly to Washington, DC early in the morning (without our children)
Jan. 4 - fly to Chicago early in the morning (to meet our children)
Jan. 8 - fly away from Chicago
Here's the basic itinerary:
Dec. 18 - arrive at St. Louis airport, in the afternoon
Dec. 29 - arrive at Chicago Union Station, in the evening
Jan. 2 - fly to Washington, DC early in the morning (without our children)
Jan. 4 - fly to Chicago early in the morning (to meet our children)
Jan. 8 - fly away from Chicago
Monday, November 15, 2010
Bringing You Up to Date
Photos of Abu Dhabi are forthcoming, but first I thought I'd bring you up to date on life in our household. I know this is far too much information for a good blog posting, but I also know my audience - plenty of you are more interested in our updates than in readability.
After an expected 6 weeks away, Dave ended up in Abu Dhabi for only 2 weeks. He flew back with us at the end of our stay. Had I known this eventuality, we would not have traveled to join him. The financial cost was steep, and the travel was challenging. However, I must say that I'm glad we went. The city was lovely - and it is always nice to get out of China. I found the area quite child-friendly, and the girls always make great travelers. The Middle East made a good impression as well, being far more interesting and beautiful than I had imagined. The girls fell in love with the desert, and Dave and I decided that a future posting in Abu Dhabi would not be so bad.
Before we left, we made a few exciting discoveries:
BANANAS
The lady who regularly sweeps our yard (I suppose I should call her a gardener) asked if I wanted the bananas growing on our tree. Excitedly, I said yao, yao! Let's translate that to yes, please! But then I had to leave, as we had reached the end of Fia's schoolday. Fia and I returned home to one less stalk on our entire banana tree - she did not just reap a few bananas, but took down the entire branch , from the ground up! This may be how banana reaping goes. Having done a bit of reading, I know that the entire plant grows from the ground every year. Anyway, we came back to disappointment as we had less of a banana tree and no bananas. Until later in the afternoon, possibly an hour before we were scheduled to leave town, a big bag of bananas appeared on our front step!
Sadly, they were still green and needed time to ripen - but the week of our trip proved too long, and ayi had tossed them before we returned. I'm sure looking forward to the next harvest!
BABY TEETH
In fitting with bananas, we also discovered two new baby teeth last week!
Annika's first two teeth popped through her bottom gums on Saturday morning, and she had her first taste of rice cereal last night. I know what a cliche to say they grow so fast, but...
BIBLE STUDY
Soon after we moved here, I lamented that I had found no strong Bible Study or prayer group here. And so, the study will begin at my house this Thursday. A group of us met together just before I left, I feel really excited about getting to know these ladies. We have about 5 in the core of the group, and already a few more who are interested. I'm looking forward to a new study and the accountability it brings, but also to the diversity which I see appearing in this group of women. I'm not too excited about the name of the study. It's Tough Being a Woman? Come on. But otherwise, I can't wait to begin!
THE FOREIGN SERVICE
We heard that the State Department issued invitations to the February class of the Foreign Service, and Dave did not receive one. We now know that we will be in China at least through the end of March. Invitations to the next class should go out in January, after Dave has taken both the language test and the Econ interview. Should he pass the language test, he will definitely receive an invitation. Should he not, scoring a 5.7 on his interview should guarantee a spot in the next class. This is 0.1 points higher than he performed on the Political test, and seems entirely possible.
UNCLE H--
Things with Dave's current job still keep us on our toes as well. Uncle H-- has recently married Aunt A--. That is, Dave's employer recently merged. Aunt A-- is already quite large and successful in Asia, and so this meant some interesting juggling of management. With Dave currently seconded, he is outside of the organizational chart at the moment - a scary place to rest during such change. Happily, his new manager has been a friend and colleague of Dave's for the past few years. Dave is penciled into the org chart in Singapore, meaning that should the Foreign Service fall through, we will likely move on to Singapore next summer.
POTENTIAL VISITORS
Potential visitors should take note of a few bits we now have inked and penciled into our schedules.
So far we know that...
We are going home for Christmas, with travel dates to be determined by the end of this week.
We will return to life in Shenzhen after the Christmas holidays.
We will continue life in Shenzhen until at least the end of March.
We suspect that...
We will probably leave Shenzhen by the end of the school year, not to return.
We will probably spend the summer in the United States, either training in DC or visiting family. With this summer visit, we will begin spending annual time in the states over the summers as opposed to over Christmas.
Anyone planning to visit ought to begin thinking about it now. Winter and early spring are said to be quite pleasant in our region; Shenzhen is an interesting town; Hong Kong is a fantastic city; the Pearl River Delta is lovely; our complex is like a resort, our guest room is quite nice, and we make some awfully tasty cinnamon rolls.
Whew!
This brings you up to date on the happenings in our house, and hardly even mentions last week in the United Arab Emirates! Keep watching for photos...
After an expected 6 weeks away, Dave ended up in Abu Dhabi for only 2 weeks. He flew back with us at the end of our stay. Had I known this eventuality, we would not have traveled to join him. The financial cost was steep, and the travel was challenging. However, I must say that I'm glad we went. The city was lovely - and it is always nice to get out of China. I found the area quite child-friendly, and the girls always make great travelers. The Middle East made a good impression as well, being far more interesting and beautiful than I had imagined. The girls fell in love with the desert, and Dave and I decided that a future posting in Abu Dhabi would not be so bad.
Before we left, we made a few exciting discoveries:
BANANAS
The lady who regularly sweeps our yard (I suppose I should call her a gardener) asked if I wanted the bananas growing on our tree. Excitedly, I said yao, yao! Let's translate that to yes, please! But then I had to leave, as we had reached the end of Fia's schoolday. Fia and I returned home to one less stalk on our entire banana tree - she did not just reap a few bananas, but took down the entire branch , from the ground up! This may be how banana reaping goes. Having done a bit of reading, I know that the entire plant grows from the ground every year. Anyway, we came back to disappointment as we had less of a banana tree and no bananas. Until later in the afternoon, possibly an hour before we were scheduled to leave town, a big bag of bananas appeared on our front step!
Sadly, they were still green and needed time to ripen - but the week of our trip proved too long, and ayi had tossed them before we returned. I'm sure looking forward to the next harvest!
BABY TEETH
In fitting with bananas, we also discovered two new baby teeth last week!
Annika's first two teeth popped through her bottom gums on Saturday morning, and she had her first taste of rice cereal last night. I know what a cliche to say they grow so fast, but...
BIBLE STUDY
Soon after we moved here, I lamented that I had found no strong Bible Study or prayer group here. And so, the study will begin at my house this Thursday. A group of us met together just before I left, I feel really excited about getting to know these ladies. We have about 5 in the core of the group, and already a few more who are interested. I'm looking forward to a new study and the accountability it brings, but also to the diversity which I see appearing in this group of women. I'm not too excited about the name of the study. It's Tough Being a Woman? Come on. But otherwise, I can't wait to begin!
THE FOREIGN SERVICE
We heard that the State Department issued invitations to the February class of the Foreign Service, and Dave did not receive one. We now know that we will be in China at least through the end of March. Invitations to the next class should go out in January, after Dave has taken both the language test and the Econ interview. Should he pass the language test, he will definitely receive an invitation. Should he not, scoring a 5.7 on his interview should guarantee a spot in the next class. This is 0.1 points higher than he performed on the Political test, and seems entirely possible.
UNCLE H--
Things with Dave's current job still keep us on our toes as well. Uncle H-- has recently married Aunt A--. That is, Dave's employer recently merged. Aunt A-- is already quite large and successful in Asia, and so this meant some interesting juggling of management. With Dave currently seconded, he is outside of the organizational chart at the moment - a scary place to rest during such change. Happily, his new manager has been a friend and colleague of Dave's for the past few years. Dave is penciled into the org chart in Singapore, meaning that should the Foreign Service fall through, we will likely move on to Singapore next summer.
POTENTIAL VISITORS
Potential visitors should take note of a few bits we now have inked and penciled into our schedules.
So far we know that...
We are going home for Christmas, with travel dates to be determined by the end of this week.
We will return to life in Shenzhen after the Christmas holidays.
We will continue life in Shenzhen until at least the end of March.
We suspect that...
We will probably leave Shenzhen by the end of the school year, not to return.
We will probably spend the summer in the United States, either training in DC or visiting family. With this summer visit, we will begin spending annual time in the states over the summers as opposed to over Christmas.
Anyone planning to visit ought to begin thinking about it now. Winter and early spring are said to be quite pleasant in our region; Shenzhen is an interesting town; Hong Kong is a fantastic city; the Pearl River Delta is lovely; our complex is like a resort, our guest room is quite nice, and we make some awfully tasty cinnamon rolls.
Whew!
This brings you up to date on the happenings in our house, and hardly even mentions last week in the United Arab Emirates! Keep watching for photos...
Friday, November 12, 2010
In Bat Cave, On Bat Time
We have returned to Shenzhen, accompanied by Dave. The girls slept around 2 hours on the flight Thursday night, made an amazing effort toward wakefulness yesterday, and then slept a whopping 15 hours last night to return to some semblance of local time. Dave, Annika and I nearly matched them with an unbroken 11.5 hours of sleep. Well done, Annika!
We faced paltry internet connectivity last week, as well as precious little time to myself. To make up for the lack of postings, I'll share a photoessay of the week with you soon, as well as an update on Dave and Uncle H--.
Stay tuned!
We faced paltry internet connectivity last week, as well as precious little time to myself. To make up for the lack of postings, I'll share a photoessay of the week with you soon, as well as an update on Dave and Uncle H--.
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Abu Dhabi or Bust!
The things I do for my husband and my children. The girls and I will board an airplane taking off at 4:45 on Thursday afternoon. We will sit on that airplane for 9 hours, until it eventually lands at the Dubai Airport in the middle of the night. A crew of sleepy little girls will exit the airplane, and I will maneuver them through immigration and customs alone, meeting Dave and a taxi on the outside. From that point, we'll have about an hour ride before we reach Abu Dhabi. And if we're lucky, we'll all sleep a bit late on Saturday morning.
We'll stay until Thursday night, when the girls and I will again travel overnight and alone. This time we'll eventually arrive at home, which always helps. But we will also arrive in Hong Kong at 6:00 in the morning, making for probably a very long day.
Still, I'm feeling strangely calm about the whole thing. Possibly peace? We have a bassinet confirmed for both legs of the trip, so Annika needs neither her own seat or my available arms at all times. She will fall asleep at almost exactly 6:45pm and likely bother no one again until morning. Lilly has become a pro at flying, and with the books I'll load onto the iPad, I doubt I'll hear a peep from her the entire time. That leaves Sophia and I to keep each other company, and I've certainly kept worse company in the past. We'll enjoy your prayers, as I have certainly named the best case scenario. But I feel we're traveling at this sweet spot, while Lilly and Sophia have gotten good at flying and before Annika gets bad at it.
Wish us luck! (And seriously - how cool that we're going to Abu Dhabi?!)
We'll stay until Thursday night, when the girls and I will again travel overnight and alone. This time we'll eventually arrive at home, which always helps. But we will also arrive in Hong Kong at 6:00 in the morning, making for probably a very long day.
Still, I'm feeling strangely calm about the whole thing. Possibly peace? We have a bassinet confirmed for both legs of the trip, so Annika needs neither her own seat or my available arms at all times. She will fall asleep at almost exactly 6:45pm and likely bother no one again until morning. Lilly has become a pro at flying, and with the books I'll load onto the iPad, I doubt I'll hear a peep from her the entire time. That leaves Sophia and I to keep each other company, and I've certainly kept worse company in the past. We'll enjoy your prayers, as I have certainly named the best case scenario. But I feel we're traveling at this sweet spot, while Lilly and Sophia have gotten good at flying and before Annika gets bad at it.
Wish us luck! (And seriously - how cool that we're going to Abu Dhabi?!)
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