SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Greetings, faithful readers. I have once again returned to the Orient for more fun and adventures. Seems so long since I last wrote, I'm not sure where to begin.
Our vacation was simply wonderful! I won't go into very specific details as I have intended this blog to chronicle only our Shanghai experiences but I'll touch on a few of the highlights.
Randy and I spent the month of July at our home away from home and favorite spot on the planet, Grindstone City (OK, maybe technically Shanghai is now our home away from home ... but you know what I mean). I can hardly express how happy we were to have finally arrived in our beloved Grindstone. Randy and I rested and recharged our batteries, caught up with dear friends and family, tipped a beer or two, went fishing, sang karaoke, gazed at billions of stars while toasting hot dogs and marshmallows by a campfire, and allowed our beloved Mattie (our miniature Australian Shepherd who is normally tended in our absence by my son, David, and his family) to run and swim in beautiful Lake Huron to her heart's content. The weather was outstanding and the time spent refreshing!! To our Grindstone family, we miss you already but carry your spirit in our hearts always ....... thanks for a great vacation!!
On a whim, we decided upon a casino bus trip with my parents that took us for two days to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (another of our favorite spots .... OK, I guess we have a FEW favorites). We didn't win a bundle but didn't lose a bundle either although I had limited success on a slot machine called Paws and Claws from which my husband had to literally drag me away because I was having SO much fun!! I managed to parlay $19 into almost $100 on that machine alone. OK, not enough upon which to retire but it was great fun!!
After a brief business trip to Brazil, Randy returned to Shanghai in early August, and I traveled with my folks (a large 5th wheel trailer in tow) to visit my brother, Alan, in South Carolina. We enjoyed three special weeks with my nieces and nephew, met my brother's new girlfriend, Annette (thanks for taking me to see the bull riding, Annette), and enjoyed a few days in a lovely seaside condo on Hilton Head Island. My brother is quite an accomplished trumpet player so we also tapped our toes through a couple of concerts in which he performed. I will cherish the memory of watching the 2008 Olympics with my family while in South Carolina made all the more interesting due to our living in China. Also a few lively debates ensued as a result of the Democratic National Convention but I won't irritate my brother by mentioning his misguided politics here. He does, however, make an incredible grilled pork loin and an outstanding cheesecake (made from scratch). Believe me, I'll overlook politics ANYTIME for cheesecake!! Thanks for everything, bro!!
Our trip back to Michigan took us through the northern Georgia area where we spent a few days visiting my youngest son, Jake, a senior in high school in Canton, Georgia. That trip would have been somewhat unremarkable except for the fact that I spent the night in the hospital after having experienced a couple of dizzy spells and numbness in my left arm. After eight doctors, an EKG, and so many blood tests that I think I have junkie tracks on my arms, it was concluded that I have the heart of an athlete (my resting heart rate is so low that my nurse woke me up at 5:00 AM to make sure I hadn't slipped into a coma!). Turns out that an old neck injury was flaring up resulting in some new symptoms including the limiting of blood flow to my brain occasionally (insert smart ass comment here) hence the dizziness and numbness in the arm. Upon returning to Michigan, the efforts of a masseuse and a chiropractor have me in fine shape again.
The downside of the trip stateside happened to include the relocation of my elderly grandmother into an adult foster care facility. This transition was probably more than overdue but the matriarch of my mother's side of the family wasn't going down without a fight .... OK, maybe not a fight, but suffice it to say she wasn't thrilled with the idea. Age related dementia has progressed and a few medical tests revealed that she indeed has cancer. I know I am extremely lucky to have had a grandparent until the ripe old age of 50 (Grandma is 94 and I was raised right next door on the family farm), so it was with a heavy heart that I said my good-byes to her prior to my travels back to China last week. The doctor tells us she may be with us for as long as another year (although as stubborn as my grandmother is, I'm betting she'll stick around a little longer) but there are no guarantees as to her being on this side of the sod before I make another trip stateside. Love you, Grandma.
So I embarked upon my trip back to Shanghai with mixed feelings .... rested, happy, and extremely grateful for a terrific vacation, sad to leave my friends and family, eagerly anticipating reuniting with Randy as we'd been apart for 5 weeks (I missed you tremendously, my love). My best friend, Judy, sent me off after a lovely fall evening that included Indian food and a brisk walk to Cady's Grill for dessert (cookie dough encrusted tortillas served warm with vanilla ice cream .... YUM!! No, I did NOT lose any weight on my vacation in case you were wondering!!). It was a lovely way to end a spectacular vacation. Hugs to you, Jude.
After an uneventful flight (I'd upgraded to business class .... MUCH more comfortable), I discovered that Shanghai is pretty much as I left it ..... hot and humid!! Jet lag is kicking my butt on this trip for some reason but I'll recover, I'm sure. As the weather has permitted, Randy and I have taken a few walks and I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with our neighborhood here, still bustling with noisy activity and seeming to have taken no notice of my having left it behind for several months. I have to admit to a slight sense of coming back home which didn't quite overshadow the melancholy of having left my loved ones behind.
So I have returned to the wonders and tribulations of an American expat in China. To ease my return to Shanghai life, we have frequented some of our favorite restaurants and night spots lately with some of our Yanlord friends. It has been great to see some familiar faces. Randy's back has been giving him fits again, and in the interest of maintaining the health in my neck situation, we are back to our regular weekly massages. My dear Brazilian friend, Bela, has managed to poach the ayi of my other dear Brazilian friend, Suely (who has relocated with her family to Michigan where her husband has started a new job in Farmington Hills), so Bela arranged ayi to cook us a lovely Chinese lunch which she guaranteed would lift my spirits (which it did) and alleviate the symptoms of jet lag (which it did not). I have returned to my Tai Chi lessons where my esteemed Lao Shu, upon hearing that I had not not done any Tai Chi all summer, complimented my memory (not bad for an old lady, eh?). My friend, Phil, informed me that the Yandlord Choir will once again be clearing their throats to defend our title at the city wide choral competition in October so I expect I'll lend my voice to the group once again.
I will endeavor to once again offer you weekly updates of our adventures here in Shanghai (and I am desperately hoping that I am UP for adventures very soon). Ta ta for now.
Our vacation was simply wonderful! I won't go into very specific details as I have intended this blog to chronicle only our Shanghai experiences but I'll touch on a few of the highlights.
Randy and I spent the month of July at our home away from home and favorite spot on the planet, Grindstone City (OK, maybe technically Shanghai is now our home away from home ... but you know what I mean). I can hardly express how happy we were to have finally arrived in our beloved Grindstone. Randy and I rested and recharged our batteries, caught up with dear friends and family, tipped a beer or two, went fishing, sang karaoke, gazed at billions of stars while toasting hot dogs and marshmallows by a campfire, and allowed our beloved Mattie (our miniature Australian Shepherd who is normally tended in our absence by my son, David, and his family) to run and swim in beautiful Lake Huron to her heart's content. The weather was outstanding and the time spent refreshing!! To our Grindstone family, we miss you already but carry your spirit in our hearts always ....... thanks for a great vacation!!
On a whim, we decided upon a casino bus trip with my parents that took us for two days to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (another of our favorite spots .... OK, I guess we have a FEW favorites). We didn't win a bundle but didn't lose a bundle either although I had limited success on a slot machine called Paws and Claws from which my husband had to literally drag me away because I was having SO much fun!! I managed to parlay $19 into almost $100 on that machine alone. OK, not enough upon which to retire but it was great fun!!
After a brief business trip to Brazil, Randy returned to Shanghai in early August, and I traveled with my folks (a large 5th wheel trailer in tow) to visit my brother, Alan, in South Carolina. We enjoyed three special weeks with my nieces and nephew, met my brother's new girlfriend, Annette (thanks for taking me to see the bull riding, Annette), and enjoyed a few days in a lovely seaside condo on Hilton Head Island. My brother is quite an accomplished trumpet player so we also tapped our toes through a couple of concerts in which he performed. I will cherish the memory of watching the 2008 Olympics with my family while in South Carolina made all the more interesting due to our living in China. Also a few lively debates ensued as a result of the Democratic National Convention but I won't irritate my brother by mentioning his misguided politics here. He does, however, make an incredible grilled pork loin and an outstanding cheesecake (made from scratch). Believe me, I'll overlook politics ANYTIME for cheesecake!! Thanks for everything, bro!!
Our trip back to Michigan took us through the northern Georgia area where we spent a few days visiting my youngest son, Jake, a senior in high school in Canton, Georgia. That trip would have been somewhat unremarkable except for the fact that I spent the night in the hospital after having experienced a couple of dizzy spells and numbness in my left arm. After eight doctors, an EKG, and so many blood tests that I think I have junkie tracks on my arms, it was concluded that I have the heart of an athlete (my resting heart rate is so low that my nurse woke me up at 5:00 AM to make sure I hadn't slipped into a coma!). Turns out that an old neck injury was flaring up resulting in some new symptoms including the limiting of blood flow to my brain occasionally (insert smart ass comment here) hence the dizziness and numbness in the arm. Upon returning to Michigan, the efforts of a masseuse and a chiropractor have me in fine shape again.
The downside of the trip stateside happened to include the relocation of my elderly grandmother into an adult foster care facility. This transition was probably more than overdue but the matriarch of my mother's side of the family wasn't going down without a fight .... OK, maybe not a fight, but suffice it to say she wasn't thrilled with the idea. Age related dementia has progressed and a few medical tests revealed that she indeed has cancer. I know I am extremely lucky to have had a grandparent until the ripe old age of 50 (Grandma is 94 and I was raised right next door on the family farm), so it was with a heavy heart that I said my good-byes to her prior to my travels back to China last week. The doctor tells us she may be with us for as long as another year (although as stubborn as my grandmother is, I'm betting she'll stick around a little longer) but there are no guarantees as to her being on this side of the sod before I make another trip stateside. Love you, Grandma.
So I embarked upon my trip back to Shanghai with mixed feelings .... rested, happy, and extremely grateful for a terrific vacation, sad to leave my friends and family, eagerly anticipating reuniting with Randy as we'd been apart for 5 weeks (I missed you tremendously, my love). My best friend, Judy, sent me off after a lovely fall evening that included Indian food and a brisk walk to Cady's Grill for dessert (cookie dough encrusted tortillas served warm with vanilla ice cream .... YUM!! No, I did NOT lose any weight on my vacation in case you were wondering!!). It was a lovely way to end a spectacular vacation. Hugs to you, Jude.
After an uneventful flight (I'd upgraded to business class .... MUCH more comfortable), I discovered that Shanghai is pretty much as I left it ..... hot and humid!! Jet lag is kicking my butt on this trip for some reason but I'll recover, I'm sure. As the weather has permitted, Randy and I have taken a few walks and I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with our neighborhood here, still bustling with noisy activity and seeming to have taken no notice of my having left it behind for several months. I have to admit to a slight sense of coming back home which didn't quite overshadow the melancholy of having left my loved ones behind.
So I have returned to the wonders and tribulations of an American expat in China. To ease my return to Shanghai life, we have frequented some of our favorite restaurants and night spots lately with some of our Yanlord friends. It has been great to see some familiar faces. Randy's back has been giving him fits again, and in the interest of maintaining the health in my neck situation, we are back to our regular weekly massages. My dear Brazilian friend, Bela, has managed to poach the ayi of my other dear Brazilian friend, Suely (who has relocated with her family to Michigan where her husband has started a new job in Farmington Hills), so Bela arranged ayi to cook us a lovely Chinese lunch which she guaranteed would lift my spirits (which it did) and alleviate the symptoms of jet lag (which it did not). I have returned to my Tai Chi lessons where my esteemed Lao Shu, upon hearing that I had not not done any Tai Chi all summer, complimented my memory (not bad for an old lady, eh?). My friend, Phil, informed me that the Yandlord Choir will once again be clearing their throats to defend our title at the city wide choral competition in October so I expect I'll lend my voice to the group once again.
I will endeavor to once again offer you weekly updates of our adventures here in Shanghai (and I am desperately hoping that I am UP for adventures very soon). Ta ta for now.
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
9:55 PM
|
0 comments
