The Packing List

While we were in the states, we spent time with friends and received plenty of questions about life in Shanghai.  One of the most common questions was What are you bringing back with you?  So, I thought our readers may find my U.S. shopping and packing list interesting.

Along with our standard clothes and Christmas presents, we fit into our 500 pounds of luggage:

- Pull-Ups: 1 box of Pampers Easy Ups gave us 80 items for $29.99;  1 bag of Pampers Chinese pull-ups give us 12 items for RMB100, or about $14.

- Deodorant: The Chinese do not use deodorant, so we each brought a 1 year supply.  This is no rumor.  Not only is it exceedingly difficult to find deodorant on a drug store shelf, but it is just as difficult to give it away.  I had a brand which I found ineffective for my personal chemistry, and tried to gift it to our ayi.  She had no use for it.  Impressively, I've never found her smelly, either.

- T-Shirts and Jeans: Although each of these products may be purchased in Shanghai, I am not likely to find my size or level of comfort.  I stocked up at the Gap Outlet and brought back a good pile of both.

- Cetaphil and Neutrogena Moisturizer: Allow me to generalize.  A woman cares about how she looks, and especially about her complexion.  Once a woman finds a good facial soap and a good facial moisturizer, she quits shopping around.  Consider my favorites found, and on my import list.  Although each is available for sale in Shanghai, the price runs double.

- Hair Product: If the following is true for me, than this is true ten-fold.  I've now had a few "fixes" on my bad haircut and am liking what I see in the morning.  But that is thanks in good part to the magic potions provided by my St. Louis based hairdresser, Martina.

- Quaker Instant Oatmeal: Available in Shanghai at RMB75 (about $12), purchased at an American grocery for .  This is where I have come to realize I am making a thoroughly American choice.  Apparently, making oatmeal from Quick Oats works as quickly as instant oatmeal packets.  But still, I happily pay for and import my packets of instant oatmeal.

- Old Navy Raincoats: These may be the best children's raincoats on the market.  Only available for a few months a year and in precious few patterns, these sturdy raincoats with jersey lining always look cute and keep our kids' appropriately warm on those chilly spring days.  We bought one in L--'s size, and in her sizes for the next two years.  Seriously, these are fantastic.

- Chocolate Chips: Purchased in the U.S. for around $3 per bag, they cost RMB60 (about $10) in Shanghai.  In the same vein, we also imported baking squares, powdered cocoa, yeast, baking powder and baking soda.

- BBQ Sauce and Natural Peanut Butter:  Brand Loyalty.  Kraft sells a BBQ sauce in Shanghai - the only BBQ sauce on the shelf.  For a girl from Kansas City, that stuff just doesn't cut it.  We import two sauces from Kansas City - Arthur Bryant's and Bilardo Brothers - and one sauce from Chicago - Sweet Baby Ray's.  The same goes for peanut butter.  Although Skippy actually makes  a peanut in China, sold at local prices which tastes just like the American product, I am just a lover of that oil-on-top, sugar-free variety.  So Smucker's earns a place in our luggage as well.

The list goes on, but my explanations become repetitive.  We also brought back Crystal Lite Raspberry Ice, Johnson's hair detangler, baby toothpaste, fruit snacks, a bag of chocolates and sundry other dry goods.

There is one last product worth mentioning:

- MacBook Pro: I made the switch.  I'm know an Apple girl, and although I'm not entirely sold on my new product, I am pretty excited to explore how well it works.  My last computer promised that it would die in under a year, and taking it at its word I decided to replace while still in the states.  I've been intrigued my Macs for quite a while, but AppleCare is what tipped the scales.  AppleCare is Apple's worldwide service, and therein lies the selling point.  Worldwide.

Simultaneously Interesting and Terrifying

Living in China is equal parts interesting and terrifying.  And ever changing circumstances have a dramatic effect on my level of interest or fear.

On a walk this morning, S-- and I found an amazing market within a few blocks of our home.  I wished I had my camera, and will try to return with it soon.  They sold a beautiful array of bright, firm vegetables alongside squirmy fish, pig trotters, and fowl splayed open for all the world to see their skeletons.  I found the entire place amazing, and also rather terrifying.

As our driver has made his career change to mahjong parlor host, I am desperately searching for his replacement.  The thought has crossed my mind that we could purchase a car, and I could drive myself around town.  This thought is equal parts interesting and terrifying.  We have lived in Shanghai long enough that I feel I know the rules of the road (there aren't any) and that I understand the layout of the city better than most drivers I have ridden with.  My life circles around trips to L--'s school and the grocery store, so I fail to see any reason to pay someone else to drive me around.  Except for one glaring reason - that obtaining my license, and owning and maintaining my own car in Shanghai seems absolutely terrifying.

We will see how this plays out.

FSOT Exam Tomorrow

I've mentioned our friend Doug in the past.  He hopes to enter the Foreign Service, and sits for the exam tomorrow.  He has asked for prayer as he finishes preparing for the exam, and sits for it in the morning.  

As he is a good friend, I wanted to post his request.

As the process is all quite interesting, I will post his progress.

That's It!

Tonight is the first evening since we landed on Sunday where I've stayed awake beyond 8:30pm.

Its been hard work, and I'm throwing in the towel.

10:08pm and my day is DONE.

Speaking Chinese

Henry began driving for us yesterday.

As I don't know what questions to ask to verify that someone with frighteningly little driving experience will do a good job, he is currently working under a probationary period where I am scrutinizing his every move. 

Yesterday: PASS

Today:  FAIL

He never looked behind him, except via his right side outer mirror.  No use of the rearview mirror.  No looking over his shoulder.  And lots of people honking and moving out of his way.  I'm not so sure about this guy.

One of the few questions I asked about him was, Does he speak English?

Jordan's reply (Jordan speaks good English, and translated this process):  No, but you speak very good Chinese.

I'm still riding high on the compliment.

Jet Lag Made Easy

After three nights at home, two of them have seen all four of us stay in bed until the sun shone in the morning.  It seems that everyone was lying awake in bed as the alarm went off this morning, but at least we had not been up and playing for 3 hours already!

Returning Home

We arrived home on Sunday evening, and my head has been so many places since that I fear this will not be a very cohesive post.  Still, in the spirit of a journal, I feel I must post where my head has been these long few days.

Sleep

During the 14 hour plane ride, none of us slept more than 2 hours.  We arrived at home with a very tired 3-year-old and a nearly incoherent 2-year-old.  We all went to bed and directly to sleep around 7:00pm, and although the elder 3 of us woke occasionally overnight, we all managed to stay quietly in bed until 8:00 in the morning.  This boded well for the girls and I, who followed a relatively normal day.  But Dave apparently awoke more often than the rest of us and could not function at work.  He came home feeling sick mid-day, and I just hope that he feels better after tonight's sleep.

By contrast, last night we all went to bed at 9:30pm and L-- and I were wide awake at 4:00 in the morning.  I got a pretty full night's sleep, but it will be interesting to see how she does today.

Staff

After 6 weeks in the states, it felt nice to have Jordan meet us at the airport and drive us home.  Jordan only rarely drives for us, although we enjoy his company very much.  Jordan is a Chinese man in his mid- to late-thirties from Anhui province.  He moved to Shanghai about ten years ago, leaving his family behind so that his son could go to school in his hometown.  Upon his arrival in Shanghai, he purchased a small car and began to hang out near Metro stops and expat areas soliciting rides.  He taught himself English in his spare time and built up a busines that now includes 2 large vans and a staff of part-time drivers.  Until recently, his staff also included our full-time driver, Michael.  Michael is a very sweet man, 32 years old with a wife and daughter living a few hours drive away.  He speaks no English and does not drive well, but kept us good company and managed the home-school route without too much difficulty.

Apparently, during his month away from work for us he had plenty of time on his hands.  With his time, he set up a mahjong parlor and enjoyed himself enough to make a career change.  Just last week he informed Jordan that he will no longer drive for him.  Instead he hosts his mahjong parlor, seated among 3 tables where up to 12 people can play.  An individual pays about 10 RMB to play for 6 hours, and Michael acts as a 4th when needed.  If his tables were full 24 hours a day, this leaves him the potential to earn a maximu of 144RMB per day - about $20.  Either he was not as well paid as we thought, or there is some gambling going on around his tables as well.  We are now in search for a new driver, and although we are hoping for someone who knows the streets better than Michael did, I doubt we will find someone as sweet and kind.

As we arrived at home, Wendy was just leaving.  She had spent the day cleaning the apartment and doing some shopping for us.  They both helped us maneuver our 500 pounds of luggage into the apartment before leaving us alone.

Arriving Home

Last year we went to America for the month of February, less than 6 months after we had moved to China.  Our return to China marked a turning point in my life here, as I realized that I felt at home in our apartment and returned to true friends.  I began to realize that I have a home and a good life in China.  Unfortunately, my return this year felt a bit the opposite.  We walked into our apartment (a different apartment from last year) and were struck by how empty and sterile it felt.  The walls are stark white, and recently bared from their Christmas decorations.  Empty hooks hung where our stockings had adorned the walls.  In the spirit of a temporary home, I have spent little on decorations and I had never noticed how sterile the place feels.  I have decided to live much more frugally, focusing our money on travel rather than on living lavishly.  Still, I am seriously considering investing in a few gallons of tan paint to warm up our bare, white walls.  Maybe the landlord could cover the cost!

Comfort In A To-Do List

After spending 6 weeks living with family, 10 days with Dave off work, and 13 hours in bed, I woke on Monday morning feeling low.  L-- starts school on Wednesday, and we have not lived in this home without the comfort of routine to guide my days.  Monday morning I faced two days with Dave at work, a house empty of other family, no driver, and no friends within walking distance.  It brought to mind the same question that always runs through my mind while in the states - what are we doing here?

I spent a few moments feeling sorry for myself, but then the kids asked for breakfast and my mind snapped back into focus.  Fifteen pancakes later, the day looked full with the basics of a day at home with children.  Just finding our toothbrushes took time, and the girls were happy to play with all of their remembered toys.  We all felt comforter by the familiar, and by our control over our schedule.  And by mid-morning we had plans to meet up with friends on Tuesday.

We miss family dreadfully, and are already counting the days until our next visitor.  And the walls are bare and stark, with a dreary view out the window looking through our dead plants onto our dirty, grey compound and the smoggy grey sky.  But snuggled in our fluffy robes, feet propped over our soft rug, with fluffy blankets piled on top of us L-- and I feel quite at home this morning.  And as we fall into our normal routine, we all feel perfectly comfortable.  And although Shanghai feels a rather soulless city in many ways, it offers some fantastic local food, some amazing photo opportunities, and plenty of wonderful people.

It is good to be home.