SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
As I write this post, my Ayi and I are awaiting the arrival of Typhoon Wipha which is due to hit Shanghai at approximately noon today ... about 15 minutes from now! This typhoon has been well publicized in the media, and we've been expecting it now for about 48 hours. I hate to say "It's about TIME!" but we're as prepared as we're going to be. That is to say that I've brought the palm plant off the patio which is about as much as I can do. Schools are closed for the day, and apparently public government businesses are also shut down. Randy did go to work this morning as, at that time, it appeared that we might have actually dodged the bullet. Not so. Wipha is a slow mover and wanted to hang about south of us a little longer before coming to visit Shanghai.
I've had a few "Chinese" moments that I can report. It seems that the oxymoron term of "Chinese quality" has been the subject of concern, both here and abroad lately. The start up of the new plant has definitely had more than a few hiccups lately, and when pressed for reasons, Randy's reply was that the customer's U.S. project manager in charge of the product coming out of China has quite a bias against Chinese products (and who thought that THIS GUY was the best person for this assignment???). Actually, what Randy REALLY said was, "He buried his dog who died from tainted dog food on the same day that he had his stomach pumped because of the arsenic toothpaste, AND returned toys meant for his grandchildren that were found to contain lead-based paint!!" OK ... maybe a bit extreme, but the point is well taken.
My own personal experience with Chinese quality was highlighted over the weekend when the cotton tip of the swab (I refuse to call it a Q-tip ... they are nowhere NEAR as good as a Q-tip here) I was utilizing to clean my ear came off and lodged itself firmly in my ear canal!!! My first thought was, "Great. This is a little awkward." OK, OK, I know ... you're not SUPPOSED to put them inside your ear which always begs the question ... "What ARE you supposed to use them for???" I imagine that this is why the Chinese grow that long pinky fingernail!! BLECH again!!!! I walked out to the living room where Randy was eating his breakfast and explained my predicament. His first thought was, "Can the credit card take another trip to the hospital?" I handed him the tweezers, and it took a few attempts, but he finally retrieved it .... BIG sigh of relief!!
Another funny situation occured when Randy and I were shopping at the local Jiadeli (jia means "home," so I guess this would be the home-deli, the Chinese version of your local IGA). We had a couple of baskets full of items, and had gotten through the checkout lines without difficulty (a MAJOR accomplishment .... usually we forget to weigh our produce which is something I seem to be finally getting used to ... I've had more than one Chinese tongue lashing due to that error), and the clerk handed us our receipt and waved toward a service desk near the entrance of the store. I said to Randy that they must be giving something away with a purchase of a certain amount. So we stepped up and the clerk checked our receipt, then cheerfully handed us a free tube of Colgate toothpaste! That's right .... the aresenic-laced toothpaste which can no longer be imported out of this country is given away FREE to the residents (well, I suppose they have to do SOMETHING with it). Randy and I looked at each other and busted out laughing!!!
And you know what? The fool actually kept it, and put it in the medicine cabinet!! I told him there was no way in hell I was going to put that S**T in my mouth, but the guy who is usually the biggest cynic in the group explained to me that it's OK as long as you don't swallow it. Yeah, right! No, thanks. I'll stick to my U.S. purchased Sensodyne. I may yet return to the states a widow!! Now tell me again ... just what ARE the symptoms of arsenic poisoning????
We successfully hosted a good ole fashioned BBQ this past Sunday attended by our new Aussie friends, Mike and Ali, who arrived armed with a devine bottle of Australian wine and smoked oysters. We had purchased salmon and shrimp to put on the grill (thanks to the German butcher in the Sheraton), skewered some mushrooms, onions, yellow and green peppers, baked some potatoes, and Randy even made a wonderful sole ceviche as an appetizer. The compound right across the road from us has a small market and a cafe on their grounds, and the cafe offers baked goodies delivered hot to the apartment as one of their services (and it's free delivery!!). So we also had lovely hot baguettes with our meal. Dessert was ice cream sundaes comprised of vanilla ice cream, chocolate Magic Shell, and caramel .... YUM!!! Mike and Ali congratulated me for having snagged such an incredible cook (with which I'd have to agree).
Tai Chi is going very well, although Luo Shu is getting much tougher on us. He explained to the class on Monday that we are no longer beginners, but are now considered intermediate (I guess I missed the graduation ceremony), and as such, more is expected of us. We are learning some different step orders which keeps us on our toes (figuratively and literally), and that's OK. Keeps me from getting bored. But if David Carradine shows up to audit the class, I'm outta here!!! Actually, my Aussie friend, Toni, aspires to become accredited here which thrills Luo Shu no end. I'm not that ambitious, but I am enjoying honing my craft (as much as is possible for an old lady). That is the one thing that I really like about Tai Chi .... as long as you can still get on your feet, anyone of any age can do it.
Well, the wind is gusting quite a bit more, but still no rain. Wipha is coming in on little cat's feet, apparently. I'll report more once the storm is said and done.
I've had a few "Chinese" moments that I can report. It seems that the oxymoron term of "Chinese quality" has been the subject of concern, both here and abroad lately. The start up of the new plant has definitely had more than a few hiccups lately, and when pressed for reasons, Randy's reply was that the customer's U.S. project manager in charge of the product coming out of China has quite a bias against Chinese products (and who thought that THIS GUY was the best person for this assignment???). Actually, what Randy REALLY said was, "He buried his dog who died from tainted dog food on the same day that he had his stomach pumped because of the arsenic toothpaste, AND returned toys meant for his grandchildren that were found to contain lead-based paint!!" OK ... maybe a bit extreme, but the point is well taken.
My own personal experience with Chinese quality was highlighted over the weekend when the cotton tip of the swab (I refuse to call it a Q-tip ... they are nowhere NEAR as good as a Q-tip here) I was utilizing to clean my ear came off and lodged itself firmly in my ear canal!!! My first thought was, "Great. This is a little awkward." OK, OK, I know ... you're not SUPPOSED to put them inside your ear which always begs the question ... "What ARE you supposed to use them for???" I imagine that this is why the Chinese grow that long pinky fingernail!! BLECH again!!!! I walked out to the living room where Randy was eating his breakfast and explained my predicament. His first thought was, "Can the credit card take another trip to the hospital?" I handed him the tweezers, and it took a few attempts, but he finally retrieved it .... BIG sigh of relief!!
Another funny situation occured when Randy and I were shopping at the local Jiadeli (jia means "home," so I guess this would be the home-deli, the Chinese version of your local IGA). We had a couple of baskets full of items, and had gotten through the checkout lines without difficulty (a MAJOR accomplishment .... usually we forget to weigh our produce which is something I seem to be finally getting used to ... I've had more than one Chinese tongue lashing due to that error), and the clerk handed us our receipt and waved toward a service desk near the entrance of the store. I said to Randy that they must be giving something away with a purchase of a certain amount. So we stepped up and the clerk checked our receipt, then cheerfully handed us a free tube of Colgate toothpaste! That's right .... the aresenic-laced toothpaste which can no longer be imported out of this country is given away FREE to the residents (well, I suppose they have to do SOMETHING with it). Randy and I looked at each other and busted out laughing!!!
And you know what? The fool actually kept it, and put it in the medicine cabinet!! I told him there was no way in hell I was going to put that S**T in my mouth, but the guy who is usually the biggest cynic in the group explained to me that it's OK as long as you don't swallow it. Yeah, right! No, thanks. I'll stick to my U.S. purchased Sensodyne. I may yet return to the states a widow!! Now tell me again ... just what ARE the symptoms of arsenic poisoning????
We successfully hosted a good ole fashioned BBQ this past Sunday attended by our new Aussie friends, Mike and Ali, who arrived armed with a devine bottle of Australian wine and smoked oysters. We had purchased salmon and shrimp to put on the grill (thanks to the German butcher in the Sheraton), skewered some mushrooms, onions, yellow and green peppers, baked some potatoes, and Randy even made a wonderful sole ceviche as an appetizer. The compound right across the road from us has a small market and a cafe on their grounds, and the cafe offers baked goodies delivered hot to the apartment as one of their services (and it's free delivery!!). So we also had lovely hot baguettes with our meal. Dessert was ice cream sundaes comprised of vanilla ice cream, chocolate Magic Shell, and caramel .... YUM!!! Mike and Ali congratulated me for having snagged such an incredible cook (with which I'd have to agree).
Tai Chi is going very well, although Luo Shu is getting much tougher on us. He explained to the class on Monday that we are no longer beginners, but are now considered intermediate (I guess I missed the graduation ceremony), and as such, more is expected of us. We are learning some different step orders which keeps us on our toes (figuratively and literally), and that's OK. Keeps me from getting bored. But if David Carradine shows up to audit the class, I'm outta here!!! Actually, my Aussie friend, Toni, aspires to become accredited here which thrills Luo Shu no end. I'm not that ambitious, but I am enjoying honing my craft (as much as is possible for an old lady). That is the one thing that I really like about Tai Chi .... as long as you can still get on your feet, anyone of any age can do it.
Well, the wind is gusting quite a bit more, but still no rain. Wipha is coming in on little cat's feet, apparently. I'll report more once the storm is said and done.
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
8:42 PM
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