AUGUST 31, 2007

I've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. Some interesting new folks have come into our lives recently. I received a text message from my friend, Toni, saying that she'd met someone that I simply must know. Mike and Ali are a couple from Australia who live in the penthouse of building 10 with which we share a lobby. They are a lovely couple with children grown and out of the house, and those children have a few children (someone with whom we can brag about grandchildren). But the biggest reason Toni felt Ali and I would make great friends is that Ali was looking for someone to dog sit occasionally. Toni has heard me whine often enough about missing Mattie and, rightly so, decided that having a dog in my life might do me some good, bless her heart.

Ralph is an old poodle mix, beige-ish in color, slightly to mostly deaf (could be selective hearing), and is a really lovable old guy (he reminds me of a miniature Airedale). When I called Ali at Toni's insistence, she immediately invited me over for coffee. When Ali let me into their lovely apartment, Ralph was sleeping on the sofa. He didn't open his eyes or twitch a muscle (Mattie would have been barking her fool head off). I asked Ali if Ralph was deaf. She replied, "Could be. Can't be certain, really," in that wonderful Aussie accent. She sat down next to Ralph on the sofa, and still no movement. I had a brief moment of panic that Ralph might have taken the moment of my arrival as the moment of his departure spiritually, but finally he opened one eye. Then I had a brief moment of concern that maybe he was also blind. Finally, he opened the other eye, and noticed that there was a stranger in the room. He jumped off the sofa and trotted over to check me over thoroughly ... gave me a good sniffing. Ralph may be old, but the sniffer is in prime working condition. He decided I was OK, and let me pet him for a respectable amount of time (he's polite, too).

Ali and I had a lovely visit during which time I learned that she works part time doing relocation service work, and it is normally during those times that she is in need of someone to look after Ralph. Ralph has a heart condition and is medicated for that problem which makes it a bit more necessary than usual for a trot out of doors during the day. Ralph and I both decided that we'd make a pretty good match, so Ali and I made dates for the upcoming Monday and Tuesday for Ralph to stay at our apartment while she worked.

In the meantime, Ali allowed me to walk Ralph a couple of times so as to get used to the old guy and his habits. He isn't much for the Shanghai heat (well, who is???), and slows down pretty quickly, usually with a fair amount of panting and coughing. My biggest fear is that Ralph will go to his great eternal reward on MY watch, but at his age (11 years), I suppose every day is a gift.

Ralph showed up Monday morning around 10:00 with his Mum who was also bearing a basket of necessities for Ralph's day .... his water bowl, a sausage treat, and a leash. Ralph spent a half hour to 45 minutes giving the place a good once over (a dog can never be too sure) and woofing once or twice to the dog who lives above us, and having found the place to his satisfaction, settled down for a little nap on the sofa.

Taking Ralph outside is an interesting journey. I have always been the owner of female dogs, so the male habit of "anointing the world" with his scent is a new one for me. As mentioned previously, Ralph has a pretty good sniffer, and it seems as though if an offensive aroma is detected, it must immediately be covered with "Ralph" scent. Male dogs must have bladders the size of Nebraska. Ali said she is sure she can see him counting the trees and doing the calculation in his head ("OK ... 4 trees ... that means 3.2 ounces of pee per tree before I run out."). And the guy pulls pretty well for a forty-ish pound dog. He decides where he's going, and that's pretty much the direction taken. Good thing the old ticker is a bit worn because once he's been in the heat for a few minutes, he's ready to get back into the AC for a rest (me too).

Suffice it to say that Ralph has TWO Mums now. After a couple of days in our apartment, Ali said that Ralph immediately pulled towards our side of the lobby at the conclusion of his Wednesday morning sojourn. And he was none to pleased to be dragged back to the penthouse where he proceeded to sit by the door with an expectant expression ("Come on, Mum! We're off to Roxanne's now, right?"). I emailed someone this week that it doesn't make me miss Mattie any less though. It's like having kids ... apparently the heart expands to include more than one dog too!

Ali has become a terrific friend, and we seem to be kindred spirits in many ways. There have been some fun shopping trips, lunch, and coffees. Ali really knows her way around Shanghai, and has been an amazing resource for many items about which I was clueless. One of the things that Ali has helped me accomplish is the acquisition of an Ayi (maid).

Oh, I can hear the groans now ... "You're not even working! What do you need a maid for?" And I felt exactly the same way for the first several months here. How the heck would I justify my existence if I hired an Ayi?

Well, let me say this about that. I have never liked cleaning .... but I DO like a clean residence. Yes, I'm fully capable, but the fact is that an Ayi can be hired for less than $2.00 per hour (sometimes MUCH less), and I figure this apartment can be cleaned in 5 hours. That's $10 a week to have the place completely cleaned (and I am only having her one day per week). Also the fact is that there are many locals here that need the work, so I am helping to contribute to the local community financially. And at that price, I became convinced that there isn't anything wrong with having someone come in and do the things I REALLY hate .... the dusting, floors, bathrooms, patios .... all of which get dirty MUCH faster here than in the states for some reason (pollution perhaps?). Besides that, I was the only expat I knew who did not have an Ayi (yes, I CAN be persuaded to go along with the crowd occasionally). So I am going against my lifetime mandate ("only if I'm working full time will I hire somebody to clean for me"). I'm mature enough to admit when I'm wrong ... especially if it gets me out of some cleaning (quit rolling your eyes at me).

She started this morning and so far, so good. She doesn't speak any English, but my pidgin Mandarin seems to be doing the trick so far. I did have the foresight to compile a list of duties that I wanted performed, and had it put into Mandarin by my friend, Suely (who has TWO Ayi's ... see, I'm not SO bad). Ayi walked in the door, took the list from my hand, and went to work. And I'm using the time to write which thrills me no end!! Case closed. Besides, I HAVE a part time job as a dog sitter now ... right? OK, I'll now quit trying to assuage my guilt. Did I tell you that some of my expat friends have Ayi's EVERY DAY? OK, OK, I really will quit now.

I know this is going to push some of you over the edge in terms of having ZERO sympathy for me whatsoever, but my bargain of the week was a manicure and pedicure for less than $8.00 USD for both!! Ali and I went shopping, and Toni had put a bug in our ears about the cheap nail treatments. It took a little while for us to find the out-of-the-way kiosk run by a couple of young Chinese girls, but we persevered until we did. GREAT bargain!!

Then, to top that off, we found Carlo Rossi red wine for less than $2.00 US a bottle at a local market. Usually, the only reasonably priced wine here is the Chinese variety, suitable only to mix with oil for salad dressing (my apologies to the Chinese vineyards, but the stuff is truly unpalatable). Randy and I had stumbled upon some Argentian red for around $8.50 US last week, and thought we'd struck gold. But Ali held up a bottle of Carlo Rossi in the market and yelled over to me, "Ever drink this?" I replied, "That's what you and I have been drinking at our apartment the last two days." (Not ALL day, only when she came to pick up Ralph ... I haven't gone completely bonkers!!). At which point, she drew my attention to the fact that it would be on sale until October 31 for under $2.00 a bottle .... time to stock up (as long as it lasts)!

So things are going really well. I'm still doing Tai Chi daily, and I actually think I'm noticing some improvements in my body. One of the Chinese ladies, whom I consider one of the better Tai Chi performers, told me today "How well you doing now!!" Wow, made me feel great! I actually purchased one of the CD's from Luo Shu and had practiced at home a bit, and that seems to have made a difference. We start again with Luo Shu next week, so I will have a few more weeks of semi-private instruction which will be good for me. I understand that there will be an opportunity to learn sword dancing from him as well. Luo Shu even sells the swords which are apparently decorative enough to be used as a work of art when not in use as a dancing foil. Randy is no doubt secretly whispering a prayer of thanks that I no longer suffer from PMS.

The hot weather has broken at bit here in Shanghai, thankfully. The evenings are offering up cool breezes which we welcome with open arms and uplifted faces. We even had a day of lovely summer showers one day this week, cool and cleansing. It's still in the upper 80's during the day (and is sure to hit the 90's again before summer is said and done), but occasionally now dips into the 70's at night. We still need the AC at night for sleeping, but the promise of autumn is in the air, and gives us lightweights from Michigan some hope for the arrival of a more comfortable climate soon.

AUGUST 21, 2007

Our Tai Chi group (the class with the expert instructor) decided that we'd treat Luo Shu to a lunch at a nice restaurant in order to thank him for all his efforts on our behalf. Toni recommended Din Tai Fung which is very well known in Shanghai for it's dumplings (or "boadze" meaning anything that is bundled up, or a stuffed thing). I had my doubts that feeding Luo Shu would be a big treat for him .... the man is 5'3" and probably weighs 85 pounds. I wondered aloud if he ate anything beyond lettuce, but having heard so much about Din Tai Fung (or "The Dumpling Place" as Toni referred to it), I was excited about trying it.

Din Tai Fung is actually a chain of restaurants. Toni claimed that the original was indeed the only 5 star restaurant in Shanghai (located on the Pudong side of the Huang Pu river), and typically has a line around the block to get inside for lunch or dinner. But the Din Tai Fung nearest our compound is actually just a few blocks away, and is much more accessible. Phil Hu very graciously made our reservation, and also offered up his car and driver for service (it's STILL bloody hot here!!).

I will say that Luo Shu cleans up rather nicely. He appeared in khaki slacks and a handsome pink polo shirt which set off his black hair and tanned skin quite nicely. Phil did all the ordering for the table, and I think he may have been worried about a famine or something. I'm quite sure that he ordered everything on the menu and two of a couple of things.

The vegetable dishes were presented first ... sliced cucumber with a bit of marinade, pickled tripe sliced in very delicate, wafer-thin pieces, various leafy spinach like greens and asparagus all either lightly steamed or again marinated. And again, the cold, soy drenched chicken (with the bones) like we had at Morning Shanghai. This seems to be a traditional favorite in Shanghai.

Eventually, the dumplings started coming out in big stacks of wicker baskets used for steaming the "boadze." Stuffings were seafoods, meats, vegetables, and various combinations of each of these things. There was soy sauce and soy vinegar for dipping, and very thin slices of ginger with which to spice the sauces. Also, a big pile of fried rice showed up. Beverages were jasmine and chrysanthemum tea. Really excellent!! I will be dragging Randy there soon as another phenomenal meal was consumed.

We had several serious discussions about the "proper" way to hold chopsticks (as most of the expats are still new to this skill), and eventually a big laugh when Luo Shu used one chopstick to stab a hunk of cucumber just to prove that however you manage to get the food to your mouth, it's really OK.

Phil had his camera handy and we took photos to document the event. After dinner, Toni, Suely, Johanna, and I decided to stroll down Shuicheng street instead of riding in the car. It was nice having some female companionship, but being the oldest of the group, I was really feeling the heat about halfway back to the apartment complex. I can understand why the locals don't seem to move too fast in this weather .... I was thoroughly wet and exhausted by the time we returned.

When we arrived at the complex, the Yanlord staff was busy setting up a stage and lighting for a special event for the next evening in the plaza. Suely, who is fluent in Mandarin AND can read and write, said that the signage displayed the information for a summer dance to be held in the plaza of our complex on Saturday evening. It was decided that we'd each bring our husbands, a bottle of wine, and a couple of glasses, and meet there for the festivities. I also decided to call our friends, John and Nicole, who are an American couple that we'd recently met here in the complex.

When we arrived at the dance, the staff had set up some tables and chairs, and a small (about 8 instruments) band was tuning up. I was really tickled when their first number happened to be "The Beer Barrell Polka." Talk about homesick .... all I could think was, "Where is my dad when I need him?" He is my favorite polka partner. None of the Chinese folks seemed willing to attempt a polka, so we just enjoyed the Asian rendition of a German favorite. The band easily transitioned from polka to waltz, and quite a number of Chinese couples showed their talents in ballroom dancing. Apparently dancing is a favorite Chinese pastime. I've been told that most of the public parks in Shanghai are filled with music and dancing on Saturday evenings.

Toni and Simon, along with their three children, kept us company, as well as Johanna and her husband, Juha (pronounced YOO-ha), and their two kids. In fact, the entire Finnish contingent seemed to have arrived. It was interesting listening to their hard, clipped syllables in stark contrast to the wide, yawning Mandarin spoken all around us. It seemed everyone had a camera, and there was even a video camera rolling. These are the moments when I sometimes think that some of these local folks have never seen a non-Asian person. We must have had our photo snapped a hundred times.

Soon, one of the staff told Toni that she simply MUST take her friends out onto the dance floor. She thought she would outsmart him by asking for music that was, no doubt, not available. When the band was not playing, CD's were utilized for dance music, so she told them she simply couldn't dance unless they played ABBA. Not more than a few minutes passed when, lo and behold, the strains of "Mamma Mia" soon reverberated through the plaza. Well, we couldn't exactly go back on our word, so out we went to the dance floor (only the women, of course ... the men hadn't NEARLY enough to drink to move their bodies in THAT direction).

I think had a few moments of fantasizing that I was on the red carpet at the Academy Awards .... every camera within three city blocks of us was flashing furiously, and the video camera was right in our faces!! They couldn't get enough of us. I told Toni that we need to ask for royalties ... I'm certain that our likeness is going to appear in brochures and marketing videos lauding the festivities of the Yanlord and the attendance of the expats (to whom they direct their marketing). Oh well. It sure seemed to give them their jollies for the day!!

John and Nicole showed up eventually, and we made a date for dinner Monday evening at a hot pot restaurant they liked. Little Sheep is a chain of hot pot restaurants that, according to Phil Hu, originated in the USA, but has recently found it's way to China. Hot pot is a very popular way of Asian cooking that Randy and I had not yet attempted. We'd seen folks hovering over steaming pots and picking out delectable morsels from the wonderful smelling broths through the windows as we passed by on the street, but had been intimidated by the possibility of the language barrier previously.

The four of us were seated at a second floor window looking out over the street. The center of the table held a gas burner upon which a large, divided metal pot was placed. One side of the pot held a chicken broth steeped with herbs, spices, and various roots. The other side was similar except for the fact that it was reddened with chopped hot chilies. Both sides smelled fantastic!!

Nicole did the ordering for us as she was the experienced consumer in this case. We ordered various meats, seafoods, and veggies that were served to us raw and sliced paper thin .... beef, lamb, chicken, shrimp, lotus root, at least three kinds of mushrooms and fungi, cabbages, and other leafy greens. These were brought to our table on platters as the pots began to boil. We began to place these items on each side of the hot pot, and they cooked very quickly in the boiling broth. Then we simply used our chopsticks to fish out the delicious bites from the mild or spicy soup. It was really yummy!! Not that we didn't thoroughly enjoy ourselves, but we all agreed that this was the PERFECT thing to do on a cold, winter's day in January or February.

It was lovely getting to know John and Nicole, and having some time with other Americans was a nice treat too. We all agreed that we'd keep in touch and plan other adventures together soon.

AUGUST 20, 2007

Randy writes ...

Last week one of my Chinese Engineers (Stephen) came into the office, shut the door and said in a hushed voice, “I need a personal favor”. It seemed his sister-in-law is a teacher at one of the local primary schools and was organizing a photo-shoot publicity event for the upcoming “Special Olympics”. She needed a ‘Westerner’ for the event as the German fellow they had lined up backed out at the last minute stating he was too busy. He asked if I would be willing to take part, to have my picture taken along with the group of people. He said maybe only 15 minutes on our lunch hour would be enough time. The theme of the event was “Walking into the Light”.

The school sent a driver over to pick the two of us up and we were on our way. The event was being held at a facility for the mentally challenged. Along with about 20 residents of the facility there were another 12 girls from the primary school, many newspaper photographers and at least one TV camera crew providing coverage. We walked in, we were handed a bottle of water and asked to sit down on one of the chairs lined up along the wall. Looking around me there appeared to be a classroom set up with small chairs in a semi-circle and a chalkboard on wheels with various English words and phrases along with the corresponding Chinese phrases.

Stephen and the sister-in-law were in discussion with the camera people for a few minutes then Stephen came back to me and said they wanted me to act the part of the teacher. I needed to say the English phrases, wait for the group response and then pronounce the next phrase. So much for me quietly blending in for the group photo shoot. Anyway, we finally got around to doing the stunt and we had to run through the blackboard scene 3 different times. Then cue cards were passed around to all the students and I was asked to point to each card, say the word and wait for the group response and then move on to the next card. Again we ran through this routine 3 times as I was standing and again 3 times as I sat amongst the students.

Afterwards all of the photogs came up to me and thanked me for attending, Stephen and I were both given ‘debit cards’ to a local grocer for 200 rmb by the school officials. We were then whisked back to work by the driver and lunch hour was over. I’ve asked Stephen to make sure I get a copy of the newspaper if photos are indeed published.

AUGUST 12, 2007

My good friend, Dan, is in Shanghai on business. Dan and I become friends when he was a consultant and computer program designer on a project for Walther Farms while I was in Walther's employ, and we have remained friends since. Dan stays with our mutual friend, Cathy, while in town (in fact, that is how we became acquainted with Cathy), and it was decided that we should try to get together during his three week visit.

We agreed to meet last week at the Superbrand Mall near a subway station with which we were familiar in Pudong. It was pretty crowded and busy area, but we decided we'd like to try a Japanese place. Cathy recommended a Japanese noodle pot restaurant (kind of a "Noodles R US" or "Tokyo Bell").

Everyone ordered some kind of steaming pot of noodle soup, and Cathy ordered a few items to compliment our meal ... BBQ squid on a stick and deep fried pumpkin. I'd ordered a spicy beef noodle pot which reminded me a bit of some of the Thai things I'd tasted lately .... a bit tart and spicy, but just spicy enough to be interesting, not "get out the fire hose" spicy with a touch of coconut milk to keep the heat in check. Although not normally a big squid fan, I have to admit that this was probably the best squid I've eaten .... not "rubber eraser" chewy like some I've had in the past, lightly glazed with a lovely BBQ sauce. And the deep fried pumpkin was outstanding .... sort of like deep fried zucchini, but with a definite pumpkin flavor .... REALLY good!!

Dan and I met at our end of town Monday afternoon for a coke and some yakking, and while together, we decided that we should probe Cathy's brain for a really great Chinese restaurant. We both agreed that neither of us had had a really outstanding Chinese meal since being in China, and we knew they were available. A few phone calls ensued and it was agreed that we'd meet at Morning Shanghai, a Shanghaiese restaurant with which Cathy was familiar.

We jumped in the taxi to head to the restaurant, and no sooner were we under way when our driver decided it was time for his dinner. We could hear all this slurping, chewing with a full mouth, and generally disgusting sounds emitting from the driver's seat. It is very common in China to see folks walking down the street with a small watermelon (think a bit smaller than a football) with the end broken off, sticking their entire faces in and slurping away like crazy. This is apparently what our driver was doing. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever heard in relation to the act of eating. Randy said that lunch at the office sounds like that daily. Again, the culture shock hits hard! I won't say that the Chinese have bad table manners, but it seems that what is acceptable behavior during the course of eating is WAY different than that to which we are accustomed. Our driver was slurping and spitting, all the while navigating (quite well, I'd say) the incredibly busy Shanghai streets, which is a quite impressive feat in and of itself. Finally, he rolled the window down and heaved the remains onto the street .... his dinner was complete!

Morning Shanghai was in the basement of a large, bustling mall area. Once seated, I noticed that the interior appeared almost like a streetside cafe with windows in the brick walls lighted in such a manner as to project the illusion of looking in from outside. The tables were dressed with linen cloths and napkins, and beautiful silver spoons and chopsticks, and the dinnerware was lovely white china plates and bowls.

Cathy took care of ordering for us which was a relief. We started with a few appetizers .... pickled dates, a cold chicken dish marinated in a soy vinegar sauce, a dish of assorted pickled veggies ... cauliflower, red and yellow peppers, onions, etc., all washed down with hot chrysanthemum tea (the Chinese believe chrysanthemum tea helps the body cool itself naturally in spite of the fact that it is served hot). I picked up a pickled date with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. Tasted like the dates from home, but with more of a grape-like texture, fuzzy skin with a pit in it. I chewed it up, swallowed, and spit out the pit. Cathy said that I should also spit out the skin, but it was too late for that. I replied that all the nutrition is in the skin, to which she replied that also all the bad pesticides. I told her that's what I have a liver for. She thought that was pretty funny!!

The chicken was good, but I am still figuring out the ritual of eating chicken Chinese style. Chicken here isn't cut into legs, thighs, breasts, etc. It is simply hacked into pieces which can easily be picked up with chopsticks, bones and all. You put the piece into your mouth (with the chopsticks), and after working the living daylights out of it in your mouth, and all the meat is off the bone, you simply spit out the bones/cartilage onto your plate. In fact, a plate in China is simply a space for collecting the undesirable objects that have found their way into your mouth (bones, rinds, pits, scales, etc.). Do not pick up your chicken with your fingers! Nobody in China touches their food with their fingers (Randy believes that is because their fingers tend to find their way into other places less appetizing ... noses and other orifices I'm too dainty to mention .... yes, I said dainty .... quit laughing!).

Back to the Morning Shanghai meal ... the main dishes were very good: a nicely seasoned BBQ pork and squid mixture served over a plate of steamed baby bok choy, and a couple of lovely fish (don't ask me the species) steamed in white wine with some peppery spices. Both were quite tasty and enjoyable, served with steamed rice. Also a couple of varieties of dumplings were served with a tangy soy vinegar for dipping. Dessert was a little puff pastry stuffed with a date (sans pit), glazed, and coated with sesame seeds. Very nice. Cathy tells us that this is traditional Shanghaiese fare which seems to favor the pickled and spicy cuisine.

Tuesday evening, Randy and I decided to take the subway to Zhongshan Park station which is directly beneath the Cloud Nine Mall. We decided we'd simply walk around until we find someplace interesting to eat, and have dessert at a Cold Stone Creamery we'd recently discovered in the mall. The mall is a tad confusing ... it is 8 floors, and some of the escalators are "express" which means they go up 2 or more floors thereby directly passing other floors in which a person may have no interest. And others are regular escalators going up one floor at a time. You have to be quite careful to get where you want to go otherwise you think you're going from 3rd to 4th floor, and the next thing you know, you're on the 6th wondering what the heck happened!

The malls in China are interesting in that they tend to group like stores all on the same level. One floor may be all women's clothing and accessories, the next might be hair, nails, spas, massage, etc. Many have all the restaurants on one level which is handy when you aren't exactly sure what you'd like to eat and feel the need to peruse your options first.

We located Dim Sum Studio on the 5th floor and paused outside the entrance. Looked like a nice place. Randy glanced at a menu .... no English. We looked at each other. We'd avoided this situation entirely since our arrival in China, and were both feeling a bit sheepish about it. There are MANY great restaurants in Shanghai with no English on the menu, and we were certainly missing out by avoiding them due to the communication barrier. OK, "sink or swim" time had arrived. What was the worst thing that could occur? Dan had mentioned that it is perfectly acceptable to walk around the restaurant and point out the things which appear appetizing. Not that we WANTED to do that, but we'd utilize our best pidgin Mandarin and see what happens.

Luckily, the menu had photos on it which was a big plus. I could see big photos of delicious looking dumplings in steam baskets on the walls, so I knew I could eat those for sure. It seemed we were left with the menu (which always gets handed to the oldest man at the table in China) for quite some time. I told Randy that the entire staff was in the kitchen at this very moment arguing about who was going to wait upon the dumb Americans who could, no doubt, speak zero Chinese. We laughed about that for a moment, and eventually, a cute Chinese gal appeared with her pad and paper (she'd apparently drawn the short straw). Randy ordered a beer without too much difficulty (he has his priorities straight!!), and I ordered tea. Well, stupid me ... this IS China!! There is no such thing as just TEA. The waitress showed me a page full of Chinese characters which was apparently all the varieties of tea available at Dim Sum Studio. I sort of held up my hands like "Gosh, I just can't decide!!" She took pity upon me and pointed at one ... yes, that is EXACTLY the one I was looking for ..... xie xie (thanks!). OK, we knew weren't going to die of dehydration at any rate.

Dim sum is Mandarin for snacks or appetizers, but is also used to describe an assortment of dumplings (stir fried or steamed) that are available almost everywhere in Shanghai (in restaurants or on the street). Dim Sum Studio is apparently well known for their dumplings as we later learned, and there is an entire menu of dumplings.

When it came time to order our meal, Randy wiped the bead of sweat from his brow, and began to point at pictures on the menu. Selected were a pot of some kind of soup or stew which didn't appear too frightening, a BBQ meat dish of some kind, a shredded pile of something (we suspected meat) served on a lovely arrangement of baby bok choy (rapidly becoming our favorite vegetable in China), and a basket of the dumplings. OK, so far, so good.

Our waitress took off, brought back our beverages (good tea choice, by the way .... several kinds of seeds and blossoms in a cute little clear glass pot which was kept filled with hot water the entire meal), and then tried to tell us something about our order. Oh, oh .... send out the language police ... we were in trouble. Finally, she found a fellow that she thought might know some English (which he didn't), who pointed to our menu and said, "Wah mayo." ... Don't have. OK, they don't have something that we had ordered, and we later learned it was the BBQ meat thing. So Randy pointed at a another basket of dumplings hoping we'd simply get a different TYPE of dumpling along with the ones originally ordered. That seemed to have been comprehended.

The soup/stew was a thin chicken gravy with pieces of chicken (yes, the dumb chopped pieces with the bones in them) and potato dumplings. Very nice flavor if you can work around all those bones (Randy seems to have gotten the hang of it from the lunches that are ordered in daily at work). The dumplings were a bit on the mealy side, but still a nice potatoey flavor to them. The pile of meat we discovered was a fish and crab meat mixture in a peanut oil sauce with the bok choy .... very tasty!! And lastly came the two baskets of steamed dumplings, one was a crab meat mixture, and the other a chicken and veggie mixture inside. YUM!! So we were very happy that we'd attempted to navigate the minefield of the language barrier, as it resulted in a really lovely meal. Definitely a positive result to the adage "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

AUGUST 9, 2007

Early last week, Randy received an email from our friend, Rich, who lives with his wife, Magali, in Suzhou. A chain of restaurant/taverns called the Blue Marlin was launching an offshoot of their business called Blue Marlin Tours by offering a weekend bus trip to Nanjing where, among other things, we'd be wined and dined by the Blue Marlin in Nanjing. Seemed like a pretty good deal to include visiting some historic sites, a bit of shopping, and a night in a four star hotel. We hadn't seen Rich and Magali since before our visit to the states, so we decided this would be a good thing to do with them.

The weekend commenced with a bang ... literally. It had been arranged that I would be driven by our driver, Da (we have long ago lost Shao to another company), to the plant where Lifeng, the plant manager, would give Randy and me a ride to Rich and Magali's apartment in Suzhou as Lifeng and his wife also live in Suzhou. Seemed like a swell plan, but the weather conspired to throw a wrench in our works.

About 3:30 Friday afternoon, the skies darkened, and distant thunder rolled. This rapidly deteriorated into something not-so-distant. Suddenly, the threat turned into a reality when the downpour began around 4:00. We're not talking your garden variety summer shower here. This was violent, crashing lightning and torrents of water unleashed in all it's fury. Randy and I had been instant messaging each other, and he informed me that Da would in all likelihood be running a little late. Didn't surprise me any. In a city where the crowds and traffic often move slowly on a good day, a bad day can bring things to a screeching halt in a hurry.

The pick-up time had been slated for 4:00, but a little after 5:00, Randy texted me that Da was downstairs waiting under our building's awning. I wasn't too worried about getting wet because all of the walkways to and from the apartment buildings in this complex are under cover, but I did have my hands full with a couple of weekender size suitcases. Of course, I'd overpacked (I always do), so whereas most folks probably would've gotten by with one, I had two to deal with.

Da put the bags in the back of the van, I jumped in, and we're off like a herd of turtles!! Pretty slow going in the downpour. We hadn't gone three blocks when the traffic halted completely. We were up to the chassis in water. People walking on the sidewalk on both sides were up to their knees in water, carrying their shoes in their hands. Scooters and bikes were being pushed by all but the most intrepid of pedestrians. The traffic lights had gone out, so it was indeed total gridlock for quite a while. I wondered briefly how much water was going to be leaking into the van at any moment as the downpour continued.

Not to be daunted, Da did some of the most creative driving I have probably witnessed to date. We drove on sidewalks and lanes meant only for bikes or pedestrians, blowing the horn and flashing the lights like crazy until we finally reached an elevated street that was somewhat dryer than the city streets (or at least it had better drainage)!! He was going to get me there come hell or high water ... well, at least high water!!

Randy kept texting me ... "Are you close? Do you see the Honda plant yet? Where are you?" I wasn't even sure I was headed in the right direction. In my best pigeon Chinese, I asked if our destination was far away. He answered me in his best pigeon English and I'm pretty sure that neither one of us understood each other at all. Finally we arrived at the plant, collected Randy (as Lifeng had long ago given up on us and taken off without his riders), and we set off for Suzhou.

I hadn't eaten all day, and some of you know that I get pretty cranky when I am hungry for longer than five minutes ... probably a low blood sugar thing (yes, you can call me the Princess .... Randy does). This evening was no exception. The van is equipped with a radar or camera detector so that the driver can be alerted before the automatic cameras which pepper the expressways can snap a photo of a vehicle in the flagrant act of speeding!! It sounds like the most irritating warning siren you can imagine followed by a female Chinese voice saying the same statement over and over (you'd think everyone would know by now what the little siren in the dashboard means, but apparently it is necessary to repeat this statement each time a camera is detected!). This thing kept going off every thirty seconds or so until I thought I would rip the thing out of the dashboard!! Not only does it not keep anyone from speeding, but it also offers the probability that everyone in a vehicle is going to have to be treated for whiplash as everyone is speeding and then slamming on the brakes in order to not be caught on camera!! REALLY irritating ... especially when you're hungry!!

Randy didn't notice until we were on the other side of Suzhou, that we'd missed our exit, and none of us was sure of our exact whereabouts at that particular moment. Let me tell you, you ain't been lost until you've been lost in China!!! Rich kept calling Randy and asking him what landmarks we could see. Nobody could make sense of anything. Da kept jumping out to ask directions, and off we'd go again. We were certainly NOT making any positive progress. Did I mention how cranky I was getting??? Finally Randy and I saw the restaurant street where we'd had dinner with Rich and Magali previously (remember the chicken head incident?) so we knew we were close. A couple more checks for directions by Da, and the next thing we knew, we'd pulled up in front of the Renaissance Hotel. "We're here!!" says Da (or the equivalent in Chinese). Randy and I looked at each other .... "Uh, NO. We're NOT!!" Da seemed to think that this was where we needed to be, and by then (8:30) I didn't much care, I just wanted to get out of that van and find something to eat. OK, I'm beyond cranky now, and have surely reached PISSED status at this point!!!

Randy considered throwing Da out of the van and taking a crack at driving himself (and I doubt that I would have stopped him). Luckily, at that moment, the phone rang again ... Rich. Rich and Magali had invited another couple for dinner, Cesar and Iliana. Cesar got on the phone and told Randy to sit tight. He'd come over with his scooter and guide us to the apartment building which wasn't too far away. Finally, a plan that just might work!! And indeed we arrived just prior to death by starvation ("Thanks to God!!" as Magali said) to a lovely Mexican BBQ prepared by Magali, Rich and Iliana.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, and we were all looking forward to our bus trip. This was Blue Marlin's first attempt at the launching of a tour business, so we were the "prototype" tour. There are two Blue Marlin locations in Suzhou. We were to meet at one of the locations for a departure of 9:00 Saturday morning to go to the other location to pick up the remainder of our tour members. There was some confusion about who was meeting where, so we were an hour delayed taking off. But eventually everyone was picked up. There were sixteen of us in all on a mini-bus type vehicle. Laura, who was our guide for most of the trip, was cute and perky, but a bit nervous as she'd never done this sort of thing previously. She punctuated everything she said with a nervous twitter that was probably more endearing than irritating (OK, maybe it would have been irritating if I'd been hungry, but Rich and Magali provided a wonderful pancakes and bacon breakfast, so no problem).

The itinerary of our trip included several points of historic interest, and a little shopping, as well as one night at the Central Hotel of Nanjing, with dinner and drinks at the Blue Marlin Nanjing Saturday evening. In spite of the fact that we'd departed over an hour late, we seemed to arrive in Nanjing fairly close to on time. There was some difficulty finding the hotel (are you seeing a pattern developing?) but with a few minor fits and starts, we did eventually arrive. We turned in our passports and received room keys in return. Everybody was ready to get cleaned up a bit before heading out on our adventures in Nanjing. We opened our room on the 8th floor to find that it had not been cleaned from the night before ... OK, no freshening up for now.

We got back to the bus to head to our first destination only to be informed that we were scrapping the first historical destination and going straight to the shopping area. Right about then, the skies opened up for another spectacular downpour. Good thing Magali had brought along extra umbrellas. We did our site seeing and shopping in the rain. It was a typical Chinese shopping area built around a Confucius temple which was closed for renovation. I didn't see anything in Nanjing to purchase that I haven't seen plenty of in Shanghai, but I did purchase a couple of bead bracelets as all the ones I purchased in Shanghai had been given to family on the holiday to the states. Randy did get some pretty good photos too. It seems there is always something interesting to photograph in China.

Our dinner at Blue Marlin was wonderful. BBQ meats, fish and vegetables, lovely salads, and anything we cared to drink all evening. Rich and Randy made good use of a pool table while Magali and I spent time getting to know our fellow travelers, some of whom were from the states. Around midnight, the owner of the Blue Marlin insisted upon getting us a bottle of champagne, and since it is considered rude to not accept the offer of a gift in China, we toasted our trip to Nanjing with a bit of bubbly.

Nanjing is a very pretty city and is very proud of the fact that they have more trees in their city than any other in China. I'm not sure of the variety ... looked to be some type of shag bark maple, but they were huge and beautiful, and provided the city with much needed shade for the hot summer days. While in Nanjing, Laura was relieved of duties for a bit by Jen who seemed much more comfortable in the spotlight than Laura. Jen was full of interesting information and tidbits, and chided those who arrived to the bus late with the threat that they must sing a song since they could not be punctual.

One of the more comical moments occurred when Jen was enlightening us about the construction of the Xioling Tomb which houses the remains of the emperor from the Ming Dynasty. Seems the best was none too good for the emperor and his wife even in the afterlife. The brick makers were made to put their names on every brick so that in the event of failure or deterioration of the bricks, they would promptly be executed. "And so the first quality control system of China was invented," proclaimed Jen proudly. Of course, someone from the back of the bus shouted, "So what happened since then?" Ah so ......

The Xioling Tomb was indeed one of the highlights of the trip. It was another hot day, but it was slightly overcast, so a bit more comfortable than usual. There are beautiful gardens and statuary surrounding the tomb and property, and we spent several hours taking in the breathtaking scenery and shooting photos. It seems the emperor was not only interested in fine quality, but was also extremely vain. We were shown several sketches made by artists of the emperor who had a reputation for being somewhat ugly in the face. Of course, the accurate renderings of the ugly emperor caused the emperor to call for the immediate execution of the artist. But the artist who portrayed the emperor as the handsome devil that he wasn't, was spared and indeed idolized as the fine artist that HE wasn't. Seems saving face was important even 600 years ago.

Originally, we'd been told that we were to visit the Purple Mountains of Nanjing. Somewhere along the way, it was decided that we'd visit a Jade Museum instead. We tried to quell our disappointment by deciding that the Jade Museum might indeed be very interesting, and surely it would be air conditioned, so upon the conclusion of our lunch on Sunday (again at Blue Marlin), we departed for the museum.

We were trooped into the museum and handed over to an English speaking tour guide for a rather brief look into a handful of rooms that showcased several types of jade objects. We were educated about the various types of jade (which can be assessed by not only their appearance, but by their "song" which can be heard by striking the object with something hard to make it "ring" ... the clearer and brighter the "song," the higher the quality of the jade).

We'd barely taken in this information when we were whisked into a gift shop full of very highly priced jade objects (everything from statuary to pendants, bangles, and other jewelry) where we were apparently expected to divest ourselves of all cash on hand. Talk about the hard sell!! There was still plenty of museum to see, and many of us expressed wanting to do just that. But we were told that the museum closed at 4:30, and we had to go out the back door of the store to get to our bus. They had literally locked the door back into the museum so that we could not return. It was rather blatant attempt at getting us to purchase items so that a commission could be obtained by our tour planners. Well, call us Americans "jaded" if you must (I hear you groaning), but we weren't so easily hoodwinked much to the chagrin of Jen who did her best to keep us occupied in the store long enough to think we were going to have to buy something just to be released!

Well, at least our trip was educational in more ways than one. It was lovely spending some time with Rich and Magali, and all the other folks that toured with us. We'll give Blue Marlin a pass on the problems this time as this was their first tour. And in spite of the issues, we were glad that we went to Nanjing and, for the most part, a good time was had by all.