Fair warning - I may not post for a few days.
I am just shutting down the computer in preparation for our final move. We check out of the hotel tomorrow morning, and who knows what our internet access may be for the next few days. We'll check email as often as possible, probably be away from Skype for a few days, and will post again when possible.
Thank for your patience!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Travel Plans
Our travel itinerary is quicklly filling.
Uncle H-- is hosting an office retreat in Xiamen this weekend. We leave our hotel tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 7:00 am, returning late Sunday night.
Dave's got meetings for a week in Bangkok in early December, so the girls and I will join him.
Rather than spend our first Christmas alone holed up in our apartment feeling sorry for ourselves, we've just booked tickets to Bali and will spend the week at a tropical resort.
We will keep you posted on how easily our children manage airports and hotels when they're not ill.
Uncle H-- is hosting an office retreat in Xiamen this weekend. We leave our hotel tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 7:00 am, returning late Sunday night.
Dave's got meetings for a week in Bangkok in early December, so the girls and I will join him.
Rather than spend our first Christmas alone holed up in our apartment feeling sorry for ourselves, we've just booked tickets to Bali and will spend the week at a tropical resort.
We will keep you posted on how easily our children manage airports and hotels when they're not ill.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Rush Hour
A guest post from the other half...
Today was my first experience with the Shanghai subway system during rush hour. We have had previous experiences with this transportation system that felt quite crowded, so I felt somewhat superior to all those who were telling us "you don't want to commute on the subway at rush hour - it's way too crowded." Well, I have been put in my place. Let me describe.
I needed to go to a meeting "across the river" this morning, so I decided to take the subway as a test of my commute, albeit in reverse (since we currently live near my office, and this meeting was near our soon-to-be home). I arrived at the nearest subway station and awaited the train, which arrived in less than 30 seconds. The station was pleasantly crowded for those who like major city transportation centers during rush hour (I confess to being such a person). Many people exited the arriving train, so it was not too difficult to get on the train - still just pleasantly crowded.
One stop later, we arrived at People's Square. This is the central hub of the system - where the two main lines "connect". The quotation marks are there because this "connection" requires more walking than many cities' systems require to walk from one stop to the next. Since I needed to transfer, I joined the crowd headed towards "line 2".
Unfortunately, the crowd I was in quickly came up against the crowd heading toward "line 1". Our crowd of hundreds came up against their crowd of thousands, and with no Alamo to hunker down in and await our noble end, we tried to push through. I was in a conga line about 3 wide snaking through a mass of humanity completely filling the tunnel. We shuffled along, occasionally coming to complete stops as we would approach stairs or a gate of some kind. This stroll of 5 or 10 minutes became a shuffle of closer to 20 minutes.
Eventually we arrived at line 2. The Shanghai subway system cleverly marks the locations where all the doors will be opening when the train arrives, and at each of these soon-to-be doors, there was a group of about 50 people waiting to board the train. That's 50 people at each door. When the train arrived (within a minute of my arrival), the subway police bellowed through their blowhorns to let people off first (advice that, while sensible, seems to be a general rule only in the most rational of societies - say, Austria). So the piles of people waiting to board let a pile of people spill out of the train and then attempted to squeeze a few more out like a last dollop of toothpaste by pushing in from the sides. The mad scrum ensued as 50 people attempted to fill a space that could reasonably hold 20. About 30 are able to squeeze on, the last few by literally pushing the pack in front of them as hard as they can (picture Sisyphus working his way up the mountain). A couple folks nearly lose limbs or digits as the doors begin to close; one or two more are forced to disembark and await the next train. I was just behind Sisyphus in the mad scrum at my chosen door, so I waited. Now I am at the front of the door space, so when the next train arrives (just moments after the last one departed, I am able to hold back the crowd momentarily to allow the new arrivals to get off before being carried by the tide into the depths of the train.
I stand, getting to know the shape of the 6 people in immediate contact with me better than I would have liked, looking over the sea of black hair bobbing and weaving with the movements of the train as we pass under the Huangpu River.
At my stop, I am still pressed against the doors opposite the exit doors. I am forced to somewhat violently push my way out (no one is offended or really even takes notice of this sort of pushing; I believe it is rather common in China to be pushed around by strangers - and I don't even mean that as a political comment). I peel off like the skin from a banana and head to the nearest Starbucks to remind myself that I am still an American, despite the blending that surely occurred in the Shanghai subway sardine.
I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I doubt I will ever consider it "pleasantly crowded."
Today was my first experience with the Shanghai subway system during rush hour. We have had previous experiences with this transportation system that felt quite crowded, so I felt somewhat superior to all those who were telling us "you don't want to commute on the subway at rush hour - it's way too crowded." Well, I have been put in my place. Let me describe.
I needed to go to a meeting "across the river" this morning, so I decided to take the subway as a test of my commute, albeit in reverse (since we currently live near my office, and this meeting was near our soon-to-be home). I arrived at the nearest subway station and awaited the train, which arrived in less than 30 seconds. The station was pleasantly crowded for those who like major city transportation centers during rush hour (I confess to being such a person). Many people exited the arriving train, so it was not too difficult to get on the train - still just pleasantly crowded.
One stop later, we arrived at People's Square. This is the central hub of the system - where the two main lines "connect". The quotation marks are there because this "connection" requires more walking than many cities' systems require to walk from one stop to the next. Since I needed to transfer, I joined the crowd headed towards "line 2".
Unfortunately, the crowd I was in quickly came up against the crowd heading toward "line 1". Our crowd of hundreds came up against their crowd of thousands, and with no Alamo to hunker down in and await our noble end, we tried to push through. I was in a conga line about 3 wide snaking through a mass of humanity completely filling the tunnel. We shuffled along, occasionally coming to complete stops as we would approach stairs or a gate of some kind. This stroll of 5 or 10 minutes became a shuffle of closer to 20 minutes.
Eventually we arrived at line 2. The Shanghai subway system cleverly marks the locations where all the doors will be opening when the train arrives, and at each of these soon-to-be doors, there was a group of about 50 people waiting to board the train. That's 50 people at each door. When the train arrived (within a minute of my arrival), the subway police bellowed through their blowhorns to let people off first (advice that, while sensible, seems to be a general rule only in the most rational of societies - say, Austria). So the piles of people waiting to board let a pile of people spill out of the train and then attempted to squeeze a few more out like a last dollop of toothpaste by pushing in from the sides. The mad scrum ensued as 50 people attempted to fill a space that could reasonably hold 20. About 30 are able to squeeze on, the last few by literally pushing the pack in front of them as hard as they can (picture Sisyphus working his way up the mountain). A couple folks nearly lose limbs or digits as the doors begin to close; one or two more are forced to disembark and await the next train. I was just behind Sisyphus in the mad scrum at my chosen door, so I waited. Now I am at the front of the door space, so when the next train arrives (just moments after the last one departed, I am able to hold back the crowd momentarily to allow the new arrivals to get off before being carried by the tide into the depths of the train.
I stand, getting to know the shape of the 6 people in immediate contact with me better than I would have liked, looking over the sea of black hair bobbing and weaving with the movements of the train as we pass under the Huangpu River.
At my stop, I am still pressed against the doors opposite the exit doors. I am forced to somewhat violently push my way out (no one is offended or really even takes notice of this sort of pushing; I believe it is rather common in China to be pushed around by strangers - and I don't even mean that as a political comment). I peel off like the skin from a banana and head to the nearest Starbucks to remind myself that I am still an American, despite the blending that surely occurred in the Shanghai subway sardine.
I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I doubt I will ever consider it "pleasantly crowded."
Current Events
On random days, housekeeping leaves a fresh copy of the China Daily on our coffee table. This is the English language daily of the country, and if it is not run by the government then Beijing at least holds a strong hand over what it prints. We find the news in it uninteresting or of no consequence at best. At worst, well, check out this article. My comments are below it, and I've inserted the italics:
Experts: Pills key to curbing abortions
By Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-24 07:27
Information about contraception should be made widely available to the public to help reduce the frequency of abortions, experts said.
"Though no official figures are available, the abortion rate in China is believed to be high and shows no signs of falling," Wu Shangchun, a researcher with the Institute of Scientific Research of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, said recently.
"One of the main reasons for this situation is that people do not know enough about contraception," Wu said.
"We advise women in steady relationships who do not have children to take oral contraception (OC) pills as the first option. Our studies show that less than 2 percent of Chinese women aged from 18 to 44 take the pills," the researcher said.
The Netherlands leads the world in the use of OC pills, with 36 percent of the women aged 15 to 44 taking the medication. France rates second with 30 percent, according to figures provided by Organon, a pharmaceutical company, in a recent report.
As a result, the abortion rates in those countries are quite low - 0.51 percent in The Netherlands and 1.33 percent in France. The rate is 8.4 percent in Japan, where just 1 percent of women take OC pills, and 2.8 percent in the United States, where 9 percent take them.
However, in China, condoms are widely perceived as the most reliable contraception method, according to a month-long online survey conducted by the women-oriented portal of Sina.com and Organon.
About 65 percent of the survey's 4,281 respondents, of whom 43.3 percent were male, said condoms were the most reliable contraception method, followed by intrauterine devices (IUDs) with 12.1 percent, which Wu said could be a reflection of the influence of the former national family planning policy, which favored those methods.
About 11.5 percent of the respondents said they relied on external ejaculation, while almost 4 percent said they just timed their intercourse to coincide with those times when it was least likely for a woman to become pregnant. Wu said the latter method, commonly known as the safety period, is not safe at all.
Zheng Shurong, a veteran gynecologist with Peking University First Hospital, said OC pills are 10 to 15 times more reliable than condoms, and 1.5 to 4 times more reliable than IUDs.
"It will take time to educate the women in our nation to accept OC pills because they have many deep-rooted misunderstandings.
They worry about the side effects and weight gain, believe the pills could affect their fertility and cause birth defects," Zheng said.
A research report by the World Health Organization indicated that about 10 percent of women face a higher risk of uterine or breast cancer after taking pills. But those at risk can simply stop taking the pills.
--------------
I found this article amazing. Many of you may not realize that China still holds and often enforces a strict 1-child policy. If a woman becomes pregnant with her second child, the government can - and often will - suggest, and then force an abortion. This at any time during the pregnancy. Even the 9th month.
Yet this article talks about abortion as a national problem that must be curbed. One of the main reasons for the high abortion rate, according to the article, is not that they are mandated by the government, but that people do not know enough about contraception.
The article goes on to support that the people do not know about contraception, citing that 15% of those surveyed rely upon external ejaculation and timing intercourse. External ejaculation is adolescent and timing is outdated, granola, or adolescent. Of course, the article also does not mention that external ejaculation and timing are both free forms of birth control, and with this communist state no longer covering medical care, I'm surprised that only 15% choose such cost-effective means.
Of course, the misinformation of the masses is nothing compared to the misinformation of the reporter and her sources. Cited above, Zheng Shurong, the veteran gynecologist with Peking University First Hospital (a university hospital, no less!) said that oral contraceptive pills are 10-15 times more reliable than condoms and 1.5 to 4 times more reliable than IUDs. An example of fuzzy math. Here are the facts, as provided to me by both my gynecologist and the piles of literature she provided me when I received my IUD.
- Condoms are in the 90% range of reliability.
- Birth control pills, when taken perfectly, are about 98% effective.
- An IUD is 99.9% effective.
The 20% of respondents on this hardly scientific survey who apparently do not use any form of birth control may need some of Dr. Shurong's mildly incorrect advise. But what the people probably need more is a national policy which allows a man and woman to manage their own family planning, and does not actively encourage abortions.
Experts: Pills key to curbing abortions
By Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-24 07:27
Information about contraception should be made widely available to the public to help reduce the frequency of abortions, experts said.
"Though no official figures are available, the abortion rate in China is believed to be high and shows no signs of falling," Wu Shangchun, a researcher with the Institute of Scientific Research of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, said recently.
"One of the main reasons for this situation is that people do not know enough about contraception," Wu said.
"We advise women in steady relationships who do not have children to take oral contraception (OC) pills as the first option. Our studies show that less than 2 percent of Chinese women aged from 18 to 44 take the pills," the researcher said.
The Netherlands leads the world in the use of OC pills, with 36 percent of the women aged 15 to 44 taking the medication. France rates second with 30 percent, according to figures provided by Organon, a pharmaceutical company, in a recent report.
As a result, the abortion rates in those countries are quite low - 0.51 percent in The Netherlands and 1.33 percent in France. The rate is 8.4 percent in Japan, where just 1 percent of women take OC pills, and 2.8 percent in the United States, where 9 percent take them.
However, in China, condoms are widely perceived as the most reliable contraception method, according to a month-long online survey conducted by the women-oriented portal of Sina.com and Organon.
About 65 percent of the survey's 4,281 respondents, of whom 43.3 percent were male, said condoms were the most reliable contraception method, followed by intrauterine devices (IUDs) with 12.1 percent, which Wu said could be a reflection of the influence of the former national family planning policy, which favored those methods.
About 11.5 percent of the respondents said they relied on external ejaculation, while almost 4 percent said they just timed their intercourse to coincide with those times when it was least likely for a woman to become pregnant. Wu said the latter method, commonly known as the safety period, is not safe at all.
Zheng Shurong, a veteran gynecologist with Peking University First Hospital, said OC pills are 10 to 15 times more reliable than condoms, and 1.5 to 4 times more reliable than IUDs.
"It will take time to educate the women in our nation to accept OC pills because they have many deep-rooted misunderstandings.
They worry about the side effects and weight gain, believe the pills could affect their fertility and cause birth defects," Zheng said.
A research report by the World Health Organization indicated that about 10 percent of women face a higher risk of uterine or breast cancer after taking pills. But those at risk can simply stop taking the pills.
--------------
I found this article amazing. Many of you may not realize that China still holds and often enforces a strict 1-child policy. If a woman becomes pregnant with her second child, the government can - and often will - suggest, and then force an abortion. This at any time during the pregnancy. Even the 9th month.
Yet this article talks about abortion as a national problem that must be curbed. One of the main reasons for the high abortion rate, according to the article, is not that they are mandated by the government, but that people do not know enough about contraception.
The article goes on to support that the people do not know about contraception, citing that 15% of those surveyed rely upon external ejaculation and timing intercourse. External ejaculation is adolescent and timing is outdated, granola, or adolescent. Of course, the article also does not mention that external ejaculation and timing are both free forms of birth control, and with this communist state no longer covering medical care, I'm surprised that only 15% choose such cost-effective means.
Of course, the misinformation of the masses is nothing compared to the misinformation of the reporter and her sources. Cited above, Zheng Shurong, the veteran gynecologist with Peking University First Hospital (a university hospital, no less!) said that oral contraceptive pills are 10-15 times more reliable than condoms and 1.5 to 4 times more reliable than IUDs. An example of fuzzy math. Here are the facts, as provided to me by both my gynecologist and the piles of literature she provided me when I received my IUD.
- Condoms are in the 90% range of reliability.
- Birth control pills, when taken perfectly, are about 98% effective.
- An IUD is 99.9% effective.
The 20% of respondents on this hardly scientific survey who apparently do not use any form of birth control may need some of Dr. Shurong's mildly incorrect advise. But what the people probably need more is a national policy which allows a man and woman to manage their own family planning, and does not actively encourage abortions.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Exhausted
I signed the lease, I hold the keys. I am the proud new tenant of an apartment with views of the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund. Furthermore, I checked off each box, I paid the duties, and I am once again in possession of many of my belongings. The shipment was delivered around 12:30.
Allow me to walk you through my day, so far.
9:00 - L-- and I wake up. Don't let this remove your pity for me. I went to sleep after midnight, and was up with S-- for an hour around 5:30 am.
9:30 - S-- wakes up. Luckily, I've managed to dress myself.
10:00 - L-- and S-- are eating breakfast. Both are in good moods, and we get through breakfast in a quick 20 minutes.
10:20 - Dressing both girls. I managed to pack the backpack while they ate their breakfast. This has been an efficient morning!
10:30 - Out the door, with S-- in the backpack and L-- in the umbrella stroller. Also carrying the camera bag on the stroller, and all of our moving documents and diaper bag implements in the backpack. It's heavy.
11:15 - Taking the metro with 2 little girls from the hotel to our new home is about an hour from door to door. We're stopping at the grocery store first, so the girls won't get grumpy while we sign papers and receive boxes.
11:30 - We meet Sheila, exactly on time, I might add. We receive the keys, sign for everything in the apartment, and discuss logistics with Woody. Woody is our new manager, and has promised to take care of any problem we can think of. He made sure I put his phone number into my cell.
12:15 - Woody gives me 16,800 RMB to furnish the apartment. He only asks that I provide receipts for everything I purchase, and that I leave it behind when we move out. That is about $2,250 I will carry with me for the rest of the day. Normally, this would make me nervous. Today, I'll stuff it in the backpack beneath the diapers and the bananas, behind the grumpy child. No one will presume there is anything of monetary value - I have no worries.
12:30 - The shippers arrive. They immediately ask to stop for lunch. I say no (the babies will need to nap as close to 2:00 as possible). I immediately feel like a jerk for saying no, as I set up lunch for L-- and S--.
12:35 - The shippers begin piling our boxes outside our door. There are 4 apartments on our floor, leaving plenty of room from the elevator to our door to pile the boxes from one liftvan. L-- and S-- begin to eat their lunch of bananas, hummus and cucumbers. As L-- would say, "Mmm, nummy!"
1:10 - It's time to verify the shipment is fully received. They bring in each box and show me its number. I check it off as received on the inventory, and tell them which room to place it in. L-- is still enjoyig her lunch. S-- has been screaming for about 20 minutes.
1:15 - They bring in the booster chair. L-- looks at it with surprise. "My booster!" she cries, as if thinking, "How did that get here?" S-- fits perfectly, and screams half as much once no longer on my lap.
1:45 - Everything has been received and the shippers are done. L-- has finished her lunch, and S-- has screamed so much that I put her on the floor. L-- is ready to open a box. Lucky for her, the box she chooses is full of her books. She was in heaven. Once book after another, she piled carefully on the couch, often leafing through before going for the next one. After only a few books, she couldn't resister. She sat down to read, and then pulled me over to read them to her. We spent a lovely 15 minutes reading our old favorites, and already beginning to feel at home. S-- has stopped crying - apparently she's happy to see something familiar as well.
2:00 - An hour later than we should have, we pack up and head back to the hotel. Already tired from an emotionally wearing hour and a half, I am quickly exhausted on the way back. The walk to the metro is about half a mile, first through the winding roads and boardwalks of our compound and next down the new Chinese road between our compound and the metro stop. We pass people collecting plastic bottles out of garbage cans, people selling hot food off of small stands, grown men weaving through pedestrians and traffic on their bicycles. I bounce the stroller down the stairs at the metro, lift it over the turnstile, bounce it down another flight of stairs to the train, push it onto the train, and L-- decides its time to take off her shoes. With a child on my back, there is little I can do besides hold her arms over her head - which I do for about 10 minutes, poor girl. At least she stops trying after that point. Someone also offered me their seat then, making the last few minutes much more relaxing.
3:00 - Back at the hotel, I wasted no time in putting each child to bed for their 1-hour-late naps. Exhausted, now I will do the same for myself.
It is a lot of work just to get the girls from the hotel to the apartment, and back. Luckily, we only have to do this for a few days. It will be difficult to get everything set up and unpacked, as well as some basic shopping done by Thursday, but even if we're sleeping in our sleeping bags for the first few days, surrounded by our books, blankets and peanut butter, it already feels like home.
Allow me to walk you through my day, so far.
9:00 - L-- and I wake up. Don't let this remove your pity for me. I went to sleep after midnight, and was up with S-- for an hour around 5:30 am.
9:30 - S-- wakes up. Luckily, I've managed to dress myself.
10:00 - L-- and S-- are eating breakfast. Both are in good moods, and we get through breakfast in a quick 20 minutes.
10:20 - Dressing both girls. I managed to pack the backpack while they ate their breakfast. This has been an efficient morning!
10:30 - Out the door, with S-- in the backpack and L-- in the umbrella stroller. Also carrying the camera bag on the stroller, and all of our moving documents and diaper bag implements in the backpack. It's heavy.
11:15 - Taking the metro with 2 little girls from the hotel to our new home is about an hour from door to door. We're stopping at the grocery store first, so the girls won't get grumpy while we sign papers and receive boxes.
11:30 - We meet Sheila, exactly on time, I might add. We receive the keys, sign for everything in the apartment, and discuss logistics with Woody. Woody is our new manager, and has promised to take care of any problem we can think of. He made sure I put his phone number into my cell.
12:15 - Woody gives me 16,800 RMB to furnish the apartment. He only asks that I provide receipts for everything I purchase, and that I leave it behind when we move out. That is about $2,250 I will carry with me for the rest of the day. Normally, this would make me nervous. Today, I'll stuff it in the backpack beneath the diapers and the bananas, behind the grumpy child. No one will presume there is anything of monetary value - I have no worries.
12:30 - The shippers arrive. They immediately ask to stop for lunch. I say no (the babies will need to nap as close to 2:00 as possible). I immediately feel like a jerk for saying no, as I set up lunch for L-- and S--.
12:35 - The shippers begin piling our boxes outside our door. There are 4 apartments on our floor, leaving plenty of room from the elevator to our door to pile the boxes from one liftvan. L-- and S-- begin to eat their lunch of bananas, hummus and cucumbers. As L-- would say, "Mmm, nummy!"
1:10 - It's time to verify the shipment is fully received. They bring in each box and show me its number. I check it off as received on the inventory, and tell them which room to place it in. L-- is still enjoyig her lunch. S-- has been screaming for about 20 minutes.
1:15 - They bring in the booster chair. L-- looks at it with surprise. "My booster!" she cries, as if thinking, "How did that get here?" S-- fits perfectly, and screams half as much once no longer on my lap.
1:45 - Everything has been received and the shippers are done. L-- has finished her lunch, and S-- has screamed so much that I put her on the floor. L-- is ready to open a box. Lucky for her, the box she chooses is full of her books. She was in heaven. Once book after another, she piled carefully on the couch, often leafing through before going for the next one. After only a few books, she couldn't resister. She sat down to read, and then pulled me over to read them to her. We spent a lovely 15 minutes reading our old favorites, and already beginning to feel at home. S-- has stopped crying - apparently she's happy to see something familiar as well.
2:00 - An hour later than we should have, we pack up and head back to the hotel. Already tired from an emotionally wearing hour and a half, I am quickly exhausted on the way back. The walk to the metro is about half a mile, first through the winding roads and boardwalks of our compound and next down the new Chinese road between our compound and the metro stop. We pass people collecting plastic bottles out of garbage cans, people selling hot food off of small stands, grown men weaving through pedestrians and traffic on their bicycles. I bounce the stroller down the stairs at the metro, lift it over the turnstile, bounce it down another flight of stairs to the train, push it onto the train, and L-- decides its time to take off her shoes. With a child on my back, there is little I can do besides hold her arms over her head - which I do for about 10 minutes, poor girl. At least she stops trying after that point. Someone also offered me their seat then, making the last few minutes much more relaxing.
3:00 - Back at the hotel, I wasted no time in putting each child to bed for their 1-hour-late naps. Exhausted, now I will do the same for myself.
It is a lot of work just to get the girls from the hotel to the apartment, and back. Luckily, we only have to do this for a few days. It will be difficult to get everything set up and unpacked, as well as some basic shopping done by Thursday, but even if we're sleeping in our sleeping bags for the first few days, surrounded by our books, blankets and peanut butter, it already feels like home.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Big News
Our shipment has been granted an import permit and has completed customs without inspection. It will be delivered tomorrow afternoon at 12:30. I receive the keys tomorrow morning at 11:30.
I can't wait to tear into that box, and begin to feel at home again!
I can't wait to tear into that box, and begin to feel at home again!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Children's Morning
Last night, riding to the store in her stroller, L-- took off her shoe.
She doesn't seem to fully understand what happens when you drop stationary objects off of moving vehicles.
Her shoe is gone.
So, this morning I packed up the kids and headed off to the Pu'an Lu Children's Market.
I think I've written about it before. As I'm getting used to the spot, I'm becoming quite comfortable there. It's very Chinese, and I look forward to taking any visitors to this or another local market. But today, we were looking for shoes.
I bought 4 pairs of kids shoes for 270 Yuan. That's about $36. Whoever says that things in China are cheap doesn't know what they're talking about. Sure, you can find low quality items for next to nothing. But children's shoes and toys that won't fall apart or leave lead paint flakes on their little tongues sell at close to American prices.
I wanted to buy little winter coats as well, but L-- was having none of it. She insisted that she had put up with enough shopping for one day. It was time to head to the playroom.
Think of a McDonald's playspace, only quite a bit larger. Unlike the other playgrounds and toys I've seen, I felt like the kids were perfectly safe here. No holes were large enough for a head to fit through. No edges were steep enough for a child to topple over. The attendants were very friendly, and played well with both of my kids. I may even have been able to leave them there while I shopped... hmm, I wonder if that's the idea? We spent a lovely hour jumping on trampolines, squirming in ball pits, crawling through tunnels and runnning over bridges. The more I explore this city, the more I like it!
After a morning on an indoor playground, it seemed only fitting to go to McDonald's for lunch. This is not the same experience as going to a McDonald's in the states. The link above will take you to McDonald's in China. There was precious little English - except the large lettered sign saying "i'm loving it". And surprisingly, there were very few hamburgers. The Chinese seem to be much more keen on chicken sandwiches, of which there were many varieties. But my double cheeseburger tasted much like a double cheeseburger in the states, so they're clearly using the same recipe for their patties.
For 32 Yuan - about $4 - I got a happy meal, double cheeseburger, medium fries, and a drink. They didn't ask me what drink I wanted - I was given a Coke, and it was rather flat. They did ask what I wanted in the happy meal. I asked for chicken nuggets, yogurt and milk. The milk was warm, the yogurt was quite tasty, the "chicken nuggets" were a drumstick and chicken wing fried in thick batter, and it still came with fries. I don't think I'll give the chicken bones to my 2-year-old daughter anymore, but I do think that I've found the comfort food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. If only the experience were more comforting!
Addendum - once home, S-- screamed for about half an hour, needing to be force fed her lunch. Please pray for her.
She doesn't seem to fully understand what happens when you drop stationary objects off of moving vehicles.
Her shoe is gone.
So, this morning I packed up the kids and headed off to the Pu'an Lu Children's Market.
I think I've written about it before. As I'm getting used to the spot, I'm becoming quite comfortable there. It's very Chinese, and I look forward to taking any visitors to this or another local market. But today, we were looking for shoes.
I bought 4 pairs of kids shoes for 270 Yuan. That's about $36. Whoever says that things in China are cheap doesn't know what they're talking about. Sure, you can find low quality items for next to nothing. But children's shoes and toys that won't fall apart or leave lead paint flakes on their little tongues sell at close to American prices.
I wanted to buy little winter coats as well, but L-- was having none of it. She insisted that she had put up with enough shopping for one day. It was time to head to the playroom.
Think of a McDonald's playspace, only quite a bit larger. Unlike the other playgrounds and toys I've seen, I felt like the kids were perfectly safe here. No holes were large enough for a head to fit through. No edges were steep enough for a child to topple over. The attendants were very friendly, and played well with both of my kids. I may even have been able to leave them there while I shopped... hmm, I wonder if that's the idea? We spent a lovely hour jumping on trampolines, squirming in ball pits, crawling through tunnels and runnning over bridges. The more I explore this city, the more I like it!
After a morning on an indoor playground, it seemed only fitting to go to McDonald's for lunch. This is not the same experience as going to a McDonald's in the states. The link above will take you to McDonald's in China. There was precious little English - except the large lettered sign saying "i'm loving it". And surprisingly, there were very few hamburgers. The Chinese seem to be much more keen on chicken sandwiches, of which there were many varieties. But my double cheeseburger tasted much like a double cheeseburger in the states, so they're clearly using the same recipe for their patties.
For 32 Yuan - about $4 - I got a happy meal, double cheeseburger, medium fries, and a drink. They didn't ask me what drink I wanted - I was given a Coke, and it was rather flat. They did ask what I wanted in the happy meal. I asked for chicken nuggets, yogurt and milk. The milk was warm, the yogurt was quite tasty, the "chicken nuggets" were a drumstick and chicken wing fried in thick batter, and it still came with fries. I don't think I'll give the chicken bones to my 2-year-old daughter anymore, but I do think that I've found the comfort food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. If only the experience were more comforting!
Addendum - once home, S-- screamed for about half an hour, needing to be force fed her lunch. Please pray for her.
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