MARCH 27, 2009

Well, I've procrastinated at updating the blog long enough. Besides that, the water is turned off in our compound for a few hours which limits what can be accomplished around here. So it seems a good time to write a few words.

The subject for this week is the wedding that Randy and I attended for the ADS Shanghai receptionist, Bonnie, on Saturday. We were pretty excited about this celebration as this was the first Chinese wedding party we'd attended in Shanghai. I didn't know where to start .... do I get a card and/or a gift? How much do we spend? Do we dress up or go casual? Randy found a website that he forwarded to me which outlined the general activities of the Chinese nuptials but didn't really help me with the above questions.

I'd sent an email to our Chinese American friend, Phil, to ask about the gift. He explained that I should try to come up with the red enveloped Chinese card into which I should place cash for a gift. Also, he sent along the Chinese symbols for double happiness which seem to adorn all the congratulatory cards that are purchased for a wedding. Our friend, Wind, generously offered to take me shopping for the card as I didn't have a clue where to begin. He suggested book stores because they would have the best selection.

Wind and I set off in the subway for People's Square and he guided me towards a street that was FULL of not only book stores, but gift paper, stationery supplies, and various items one would need for proper gift giving. Wind really felt that we should give a traditional western style card (he kept calling it a "Hallmark" card) because that is what we'd do if we were in the states. So we looked at some of those. The book stores had all kinds of cards, some in English, some in Chinese, some with English AND Chinese ... it was hard to decide. Wind did point out that we simply could NOT use a white envelope because that signified a funeral. But it did seem that the "Hallmark" cards were mostly in white envelopes. We finally settled on a card that had a blue envelope but I was still concerned about having the proper red Chinese envelope that really should be used for the cash. So I found a couple of the double happiness envelopes (it's really a red card stock envelope with a flap on the front that has some kind of flower or gold cord or other kind of ornamental design on it). Alan had asked me to pick up something for him as well so we shopped a bit until I finally had two Western cards and three Chinese red envelopes. I figured we'd have an assortment from which to chose.

As wedding party day approached, I agonized a bit over the dress code. This city always seems to surprise me in that regard. Just when I think I should be all dressed up, then everyone is casual .... and vice verse. I'd had some pearls strung for a dress that I thought would look nice. But on the day of the party, Randy informed me that Lifeng had said everyone should be very casual, in fact Lifeng was wearing jeans. Now I was confused. My expat girlfriends all agreed that we should get gussied up ... "It's expected of Westerners," I was informed. I finally decided on dress slacks, a nice jacket (with the pearls), and I carried a lovely Chinese silk clutch that nicely matched the ensemble. Randy wore nice trousers, a jacket, but no tie. I figured better to be somewhat over-dressed than under-dressed.

I should point out that in China, apparently a couple is considered officially "married" as soon as they pay for the license. The festivities and other regalia is completely ornamental and is mostly for show and tradition than accomplishing the union. There doesn't seem to be a priest, minister, or any other kind of official presiding over the event.

When we arrived at the restaurant in Anting, the room was set up like any other big Chinese event ..... big round tables with the glass lazy susans on them, approximately 10 people at each table. The groom's family greeted us at the door, many family members sporting boutonnieres or corsages. We signed a guest book on our way in.

The room was huge and lavishly decorated. Atop each table arose a very tall clear glass vase. At the top of each vase was a pretty rose arrangement in white and pink. But what I thought was interesting was that each vase was half filled with water, and a single rose floret floated on the water inside the vase underneath the arrangement which rested at the top of the vase ..... very lovely! There were pink and white balloons arranged in groupings on the wall. A brightly lit stage was at the far end of the room and on one side of the stage was a multi-tiered wedding cake in white and pink similar to what we'd see at an American wedding. There was a video slide display of the bride and groom, and several large life-sized photos of the happy couple decorated the stage.

There were bottled beverages (beer, wine, soda, juice) on each table along with the cold items that normally are served prior to a big Chinese feast .... cucumbers, cold marinated chicken (yes, the head was there too), jelly fish, smoked and dried fish (sort of like smelt) ... the usual assortment. We were guided to the correct table about halfway toward the stage on the right side where we shared a table with several other ADS employees. Shortly after we were seated, Bonnie appeared in the big white dress and veil to welcome us. There was recorded music playing through the loudspeakers, a combination of Chinese and modern western music. It was smoky, noisy, and boisterous .... as you'd expect any wedding reception to be.

Lifeng explained to us that there would be 2 or 3 parties associated with the marriage ceremony ... the bride's family hosts one, and the groom's family hosts one. Not sure where the third one comes in. This was apparently the groom's party. Lifeng added that as it was mostly the groom's family and friends, we'd have to be VERY supportive of Bonnie tonight. I would say that the room was set up for around 400 people but a few tables were not completely full. We were the only non-Asians (Randy, Alan, and myself) in the room.

Eventually, the lights in the room dimmed, and a spotlight shined on the door by which we'd entered the room. There stood Bonnie and her father. The groom was on the stage waiting with a large bouquet of roses. A recording of Allison Kraus singing, "You say it best when you say nothing at all," filled the air (an interesting choice) as Bonnie's father walked her down the "aisle" between the tables upon a bright red floor runner. A little boy and girl held up her train but there were no other attendants.

The groom met the two of them at about the halfway point where the groom knelt to exchange a few words with Bonnie's father (the official asking of the hand in marriage, I assume), and he then gave Bonnie the flowers. Eventually, he rose, and the father handed Bonnie's hand to the groom prior to them proceeding up the aisle toward the stage to the triumphant strains of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March." So far (other than everything being spoken in Chinese, it resembled a western style wedding).

At that point, various members of the family got up on the stage to speak with the assistance of a microphone. We couldn't understand a word of it but here and there, the other party-goers would applaud, so we did too. Eventually, the bride left the stage for the first of two costume changes and it was then that the food started coming out of the kitchen.

This party went on for two (plus) hours and I do not exaggerate one iota when I say that there were big pots and platters of food coming out of the kitchen to our table during the entire event!! There was chicken, pork, beef, squid (some of the best squid I've eaten here .... lightly grilled with a sweet BBQ sauce), shrimp (heads and all), lamb chops, several kinds of greens (collard and bok choys), asparagus, crab served on a Spanish rice mixture, lobster fried with a sweet/sour sauce, beautiful platters of fish, three kinds of soup (vegetable, sweet soup, and rice soup). I know I am not remembering everything .... it was overwhelming the amount of food on our table. And it just never seemed to stop!! Every time I started thinking, "Surely, this must be the end of it," out they'd come with something more.

Bonnie came back into the room in a beautiful gold metallic floor-length creation with a sparkling tiara on her head. There were more speakers brought onto the stage and time spent by Bonnie and her new husband greeting the guests who were busy gobbling up this incredible feast (I'm not sure if the bride and groom ever got the opportunity to eat!). I think it was at this point that we were treated to a spectacular indoor fireworks display on the stage floor. It was just a tad nerve wracking to see sparks ricocheting off the ceiling and wondering when the sprinkler system might start to gush .... oh yeah, this is China. Probably no sprinkler system!!

Eventually, Bonnie left one more time and returned in a red satin number with her hair piled way up on her head. She and her new husband pushed a cart that was filled with lit candles which were placed on each table (the unity candle portion of the program?). At that point, bride and groom went around the room for toasts with each table and a smoke for each man. Red boxes of cigarettes are passed around to all the men (like cigars when you have a new child) and it is expected that you will puff a congratulatory butt with all the other men at your table. Yes, even Randall smoked (although he remarked, plagiarizing Bill Clinton, "I did not inhale!"). It was at this point that we presented the BLUE enveloped Hallmark card which contained the RED envelope with the money inside. I think I covered all the (color) bases .... and not a white envelope in sight! The ADS fellows at our table had a good time mixing up a special "cocktail" of a bit of each of the bottled beverages on our table and insisting that the groom down the mixture when they arrived at our table for the toast ..... I guess boys will be boys no matter what their home country!!

Eventually the cake was cut, and large hunks were placed on each table. Interestingly, no one seemed to go for the cake (which was 90% frosting .... beautiful icing roses everywhere but not a lot of cake under them). Most everyone was interested in the watermelon which is often the traditional dessert at Chinese dinners. I did scoop out a bit of cake and was surprised to discover that it was filled with pineapple .... tasted a bit like pineapple upside down cake.

Bonnie must have personally thanked us three times for coming ... she seemed VERY pleased that we attended her wedding celebration. I suppose it was an honor for her to have the boss and his wife as her guests. Well, it was OUR honor to be included! Oh, and as for the dress code, we saw everything from jeans to prom wear. We were more than appropriate. We left for home carrying little pink and white boxes of chocolates that were given to each guest although nobody could possibly consume another bite!! I had to laugh on our way out the door when I saw many of the children from the party running around in the lobby laughing and playing with the balloons that had been pulled from the walls ... just like kids at most wedding receptions I have attended in the states!

Randy and I would like to personally thank Bonnie, her new husband, and their families for including us in their very special day. We had a terrific time and enjoyed every moment! Happy forever to the happy couple (how's that for double happiness?)!!

March 18, 2009

Happy Birthday, Janet!!! Today is the birthday of one of my dearest friends (and she has been my friend the longest of any other). I still remember her getting on the bus the first day of second grade on our way to the 4-room schoolhouse in Tuscola (closest thing we had to a one room schoolhouse in those days ... that was close enough), one room for each grade first through fourth. She and I hit it off immediately and have always been in each other's lives in one way or another. I could write reams about that ... but that's for another publication.

Last week, I had lunch with 10 other ladies at a Chinese restaurant called Xiao Nan Guo (loosely translated means "Little South Country") and was quite impressed with the food as well as the establishment. The building is a very large multi-story building and the dining areas have high ceilings, marble floors, beautiful chandeliers, and linen table clothes upon which the glass lazy Susans rest waiting to serve hungry patrons. After I told Randy about our lovely lunch there, it was decided we'd organize a Friday evening dinner to include Alan, Bela & Julian, and Wind & Nicole (our Chinese friends ... Wind is a former ADS employee). I had also invited Phil & Danli but they declined as they were busy with family. But in the exchange with Phil regarding the restaurant, he insisted that we try the house specialty at Xiao Nan Guo .... deep fried python. To which I replied, "Uh ..... OK," with a bit of trepidation. We aren't usually afraid to try most new things but even snake was a bit of a stretch for us.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, we asked Wind & Nicole about the house specialty and they concurred with Phil .... it must be tasted!! Wind ordered it immediately as the snake is fresh killed, cleaned, and prepared, and this process takes around 45 minutes. So we ordered salads and appetizer dim sum in order to whet our appetites before our reptilian main course could be presented. I have to say that nothing we ordered was disappointing ..... marinated wood ear mushrooms served in a lovely red pepper that had been decapitated, steamed dumplings, marinated peanuts, and asparagus were all enjoyed.

Eventually, the aforementioned reptile was presented on a couple of long oval platters. It was cleaned much like a fish (head removed and gutted), sliced into 3-4" lengths, then fried (no batter or anything like that .... just some savory seasonings). It was served with a salt/pepper mixture that could be sprinkled to taste. I started out trying to utilize my chopsticks but finally realized that the locals were using their fingers to pick up the pieces as you would fried chicken. It was similar to pulling meat from a chicken neck .... came off the bone the same way except that there was meat both inside and outside of the rack of bones which came off the spine in a fashion similar to a fish. The meat was very tender and slightly spicy .... really quite good!! Probably my only objection was having to work around those bones. So I'd have to say that the python eating experiment was a success other than at some point during the meal, I realized that I'd chipped a piece from one of my back teeth (sigh .... I HATE dental work).

On Saturday, we decided we'd like to try to locate the dodgy electronic market to see if we could find a combo docking station/speakers for Randy's I-Touch in order to play music in the apartment from it. I'd had a business card picked up during a visit there last year and we were able to find the market without too much difficulty. After the purchase, I'd remembered that there was a Western restaurant called Element Fresh just a couple of blocks down the road and, as the day was pretty pleasant in terms of the weather, we decided to walk there.

We left Element Fresh after a lovely lunch of Vietnamese noodles and pita with hummus (there's nothing like a mixture of Asian and Mediterranean), and without my sunglasses which I think were nabbed when I went to the bathroom. They LOVE American sunglasses here .... MUCH better quality. We were not too far from my dentist's office (you may remember my mentioning Dr. Hu in a previous post) so I popped in and made an appointment for Monday. Health and medical services such as dentists and eye doctors are available every day of the week including Saturday and Sunday. Normally, the only days these places are closed are national holidays.

Sunday was another nice day weather-wise so we took advantage of the climate and did a little more walking, locally this time. We trekked to a small mall called Brilliance for a few personal purchases, and then on to the Pines grocery store which caters to the expat community where we purchased among other things some charcoal. Randy had decided he was ready for a real BBQ, so we fired up the grill for chicken and ribs .... YUM!!

On Monday, I hailed a taxi for the dentist and arrived at Kosei Dental Clinic on time. Dr. Hu examined me and said, "Yes ... velly tiny chip in tooth. I fix!" I'm telling you, it is worth the price of the plane fare to come to this country for dentistry ...... quick, painless, sterile conditions, good quality care, and best of all .... CHEAP!!! He filled my tooth (no drilling needed!) in about 10 minutes and charged me about $35 USD!!!

The real adventure that day started when I hailed the taxi to head back to the apartment. I jumped in the taxi and the driver asked, "Di nahlia?" Where to? I gave him the two streets that meet to make up the corner nearest our compound. He just stared at me. I tried another two streets thinking that maybe I'd need to select a more major intersection in order to obtain his comprehension .... no go there either. Finally, we took off and I thought, "OK ... he gets it now." But I soon realized that we were heading AWAY from the compound, not towards it. I knew the general direction we needed to go but not exactly what streets we should take. I had an idea .... I called my Chinese American friend, Phil, and asked him to give the driver directions for me. OK, no problem. A little chat on the cell phone and we're all set. Oh, no .... the driver stopped to ask no less than 6 different other taxi drivers how to get me home all the while fooling around with a GPS system that didn't seem to offer him any assistance either. I kept wondering if this guy had fallen off the turnip truck just this morning, or maybe it was yesterday!!!

Finally, we got ourselves to a point where I could tell the fellow myself "Yu guai, or tso guai." (Right turn, left turn) and finally, we turned into the compound. "Great!!" I thought. That's over!! Well, not quite. I gave him my metro card which is utilized for taxi, subway, or bus (really handy .... no need to fool around with cash, simply charge it up with more money at the subway station when it runs low), and he didn't seem to know what to do with it (I had a suggestion for him ..... you can use your imagination!!). Finally, it appeared we'd handled the transaction and I jumped out of the taxi. I was about 30 steps away from the taxi when the driver jumped out .... "La, la, la, la!" No, he wasn't singing .... this is how a Chinese person gets someone's attention. Like "hey, hey, hey!" He had the tape from the meter in his hand and was waving it at me. I'm thinking, "There's no way in hell I'm giving this guy any more money!!!" There was another taxi that had pulled up behind his, and he ran to the driver to ask him something waving the ticket in dismay. It's just a good thing there are SO many other taxis in Shanghai or this guy would have been completely LOST ... well, OK. Maybe he was anyway! Finally, he waved me off like, "Never mind." I decided that the biggest ordeal of my day was NOT the dentist appointment (which I'd been fearing), but the taxi ride home!!!

That's about all the news for now. The weather continues to be quite spring-like (which makes me very happy) and I've been going out just to stroll the lovely gardens and enjoying the warmer breezes lately in the afternoons.

Happy belated St. Paddy's Day to you all!!

MARCH 11, 2009

I'll start with a weather and climate update. What is it about talking about the weather that seems to get my creative juices flowing? Oh, well .... anyway spring is desperately attempting to replace winter with limited success. I have actually seen patches of BLUE SKY for the last 3 or 4 days in a row. And over the weekend, the temps crept up toward 60 degrees. Unfortunately, winter continues to raise it's ugly little head in it's last gasps that leave us shivering in the icy north breezes that grace our neighborhood now and again. But we're getting there. There are small leaves on the willow trees, and the azaleas and jasmine are blooming (the jasmine smells great!!). Soon the garden workers will rip out the pansies (the winter flower garden staple here) for more springtime blossoms.

So what have we been up to lately? Last week was fairly unremarkable other than me feeling the effects of a virus of some kind. I do believe that jet lag suppresses the immune system and leaves one vulnerable to a virtual plethora of ailments (depending upon one's innate weaknesses, I suppose). My Achille's heel has always been respiratory (although the older I get, the more it becomes digestive .... sigh, but I digress). So by the time I'd finished writing my last blog posting, I was feeling truly exhausted, head achy, and had a really odd sore throat .... almost as though I'd swallowed something that would not quite get past my Adam's apple. Hurt like heck especially when I swallowed food. I suffered those symptoms for a day or two and finished up the experience with some minor sinus drainage and a chest cough that lasted another day or so.

I wouldn't normally bore you with the details of my ailments except that it was my excuse for not leaving the apartment for several days. Randy had plans for Men's Fellowship again in Pudong on Friday evening. I'd been thinking that it would be nice to go as far as Lujiazui and Superbrand Mall with him, have dinner somewhere at the mall, and then I could shop a bit while he went on to the end of the subway line and taxi the remainder of the trip to our friends' place (Dave and Holly) for their "fellowship." But by the time Randy text'd me that he was on his way home from work to meet me, I replied that I wasn't going anywhere except to the sofa to watch a DVD from under a quilt.

I ordered some salad and pasta from a French restaurant via Sherpa's (a delivery service we utilize fairly regularly) which arrived in record time so Randy had dinner waiting for him. By the way, the bad economy has surely reached Shanghai. Prices have not come down any (except for rent) but portion sizes sure have! A large salad that Randy and I usually split for supper (one of our faves .... smoked chicken salad with bleu cheese and walnuts!) is now the size of a small dinner salad. And normally we receive a French baguette with each order placed (the closest thing I've ever tasted to REAL French bread outside of France). These days, if you want the bread, you're charged for it. Drat!

I awoke Saturday still feeling somewhat altered but improved. We decided to take it easy during the day as we had plans that evening with 3 other couples and Randy's coworker Alan for dinner at an Austrian restaurant which was new to us. As the weather was a touch warmer (albeit still somewhat gray), we decided to go an hour or so early via subway and walk the neighborhood in which the restaurant was located to just investigate the area.

Servus Vienna (the Austrian restaurant) is part of a group of businesses located in a new area called the New Factories. The New Factories is exactly that .... a neighborhood of old factory buildings that has been gutted and renovated to include restaurants, clubs, art/photo galleries, boutiques, and quite a few empty spaces yet to be filled. The streets are cobblestone and the store fronts beautiful and quaint. I believe that the upstairs areas are apartments but I'm not sure I'd want to live in them as the night life is probably quite boisterous. But I'm sure the younger folks would love it!! Randy and I enjoyed exploring this, the newest of hot spots in town prior to settling in at the bar in the restaurant for a pre-dinner drink.

The restaurant is a multi-level structure with the bar/tavern and stage for live music located downstairs and the dining room being upstairs (seems a lot of restaurants go with this two story situation in Shanghai probably due to lack of space), and the interior design was very nice. Having never been to Austria, I can't vouch for authenticity. But the food was excellent and decidedly German in nature which was OK with us. For most of the group (the majority of the group were Michigan natives), German food is comfort food reminding us of home.

The group took their drinks upstairs and was presented with an appetizer of bread with "tiger" meat and mustard dipping sauce. Any folks from Frankenmuth (or other predominately German areas in the states) are familiar with tiger meat which is basically raw burger heavily spiced and mixed with chopped onion to spread on bread or crackers. I have eaten this (and enjoyed it) on numerous occasions in Frankenmuth but decided to leave it on the table in Shanghai. Also, the menu at Servus Vienna was vast and very tempting so I wanted to leave my stomach available to other options. Randy suggested that I put a link to the menu here in the blog for perusal: http://www.servusvienna.com/en/. Have a look-see just for grins.

Most of us ordered some kind of soup or appetizer. I chose the pumpkin soup with pumpkin seeds .... YUM!! Excellent!! Randy got a beef appetizer that looked pretty good. It must have been OK because he didn't offer me any! I ordered Wiener Schnitzel for my main entree and Randy ordered lamb chops .... all exceptional!! Of course, no dinner would be complete without dessert. I decided upon the strawberry filled crepes (quite lovely), several other diners got the apple strudel which must have been divine because they were all moaning and groaning over it. But our friend Dave got the dessert that I WISH I'd ordered .... a selection of white and dark chocolate mousses. Looked outstanding!!! It was a truly successful culinary experience! There were so many items on the menu that we wanted to try ... obviously another visit in the future is in order.

That is one of the frustrating things about Shanghai .... there are SO many wonderful restaurants to try!! We'll never get around to all of them if we live here for 10 years (I guess I'd better be careful about putting THAT suggestion out there to the Universe!!). And when we visit a restaurant that we particularly enjoy, we're inclined to want to visit it again soon instead of trying something new. Choices, choices!!

Sunday dawned sunny and glorious! Randy had been wanting to take me to a wine store in the French Concession that he'd discovered in my absence so we devised a plan to ride the subway as far as Jing An Temple (which is located just outside the French Concession) and walk the neighborhood. This is a lovely area in which to spend time strolling on a sunny day .... lots of trees and cobblestone walks, many interesting shops, boutiques, and cafes to peruse. We popped into a store/museum that displayed many items from Tibet and the Himalayas, probably made by Buddhist monks. We noticed a large display of music CD's on a table and the proprietor indicated that the music to which we were currently listening was included in the wares on the table. There was a notice explaining that the CD's were free for the taking but a donation was requested. So we picked up one with the title of "Music of the Himalayas" and put our 20 rmb bill into the vessel provided for the purpose (Randy said, "Make a wish!"). I hope all this gets past the censors .... Tibet is a bad word in China, normally. I guess we'll find out.

We continued our walk until we found the wine store. Randy has a card given to him by the owners at his previous visit. But we were disappointed to discover that there is now a different owner (very typical of Shanghai .... store and restaurants change owners or open and close like the wind). Randy remembered some of the wines he'd tried at his last visit so we purchased a couple of bottles.

Upon leaving the wine store, we discussed our options for lunch. We were very near several good restaurants, I expressed my desire for Thai food at Simply Thai. As it was International Women's Day, any food ordered by a woman was 50% off, plus all women received a free trip to the dessert bar provided specifically for the purpose. We ordered a salad and a couple of chicken dishes with steamed rice ... all yummy!! Thai food probably isn't the best for my cholesterol diet due to it's heavy use of coconut, coconut milk, and peanuts .... but it sure is good!! The dessert bar sported fruit, red bean pudding, and several mousse type confections made with fruit and corn. I took a bit of most selections and was pleasantly surprised by the new things I tasted. Especially, the corn thing. It was sort of a mousse/meringue fluff (looked a bit like a petit four) that had sweet corn in it ... really very pleasant!!

We left Simply Thai feeling quite satisfied only to be confronted by Paul's across the street .... a fantastic French bakery where you might recall my story of the rhubarb pie melt-down from last spring. We just looked at each other, paused for a moment, and then marched across the street. They indeed had the rhubarb cream pie again so I selected that, and Randy got a chocolate tart-like thing that sort of reminded us of a big brownie which we took home to enjoy for a later evening sweet treat. Oh, heaven!!

We were not too terribly far from the Portman Ritz-Carlton which has a City Shop grocery in the basement. Randy and I had discussed fish chowder for dinner that evening so we went there to pick up supplies for the recipe before hailing a taxi for the ride home. It was so nice to have spent most of an entire day outdoors enjoying the pleasant weather, scenery, sights, and food of the French Concession. Little by little, I seem to be getting my "Chinese" legs a bit more steady under me.

A funny story to report though .... yesterday morning, I decided to start a load of the never-ending laundry before I walked out with Randy in the morning, he to catch his ride to work, and me to the gym for the morning date with the treadmill (I needed to do something to counteract all those desserts I'd consumed over the weekend!!). I placed my load in the washer and tried to start the machine. Rats ... I kept getting an error message and the machine would not start. I'd had trouble with this previously but had always managed to restart or hit another button to get it going again. Nothing I did seemed to make the damn thing run! I guess it just hit me at the wrong time or something. I walked back into the kitchen (the washer and dryer are on the patio just off the kitchen) where Randy was finishing his coffee. I slammed the door and shouted, "Sometimes I just HATE this damn country!!!" And proceeded to rail about every negative thing about which I could conceive in our current residential country .... pollution, poor quality products, crowded conditions, rude people, dust and construction everywhere, yadda, yadda, yadda!! Randy was a bit irritated with me by now due to my negative attitude of late. He walked out onto the patio, rearranged the load in the laundry, and it took off (of course)!

As we walked out into the hall and got into the elevator, I continued my tirade of objections regarding life in the Orient. Randy offered the suggestion that I let the Ayi do the laundry to which I replied that she is only here one morning per week, and what with the small laundry loads, I need laundry to be done almost daily to keep up with it. About that time, a tall German fellow boarded the elevator and sized up the situation, probably sensing that things may have been somewhat tense between the couple he'd just encountered. At that moment, Randy countered with, "Why don't you just get the Ayi to come in DAILY?" There was this stunned silence while I contemplated his suggestion (feeling quite certain it was probably just rhetoric on Randy's part), when the German piped up, "I sink ziss is a GREAT idea!!" We all just busted out laughing, and I pointed out that now that I had a witness to my husband's suggestion, I'd be getting on the phone to the Ayi post haste!! We arrived on ground level where the German wished us a good day knowing he'd probably just salvaged an expat marriage .... well, at least today (Big wink)!!!

Until next week ..... so long for now.

March 5, 2009

As promised, I am beginning to re-chronicle our Shanghai adventures this week. It didn't take long for our calendar to begin filling up with events upon my return (which means fodder for the blog).

I arrived in Shanghai on the evening of February 19th fairly unceremoniously and timely. Randy was waiting for me, his bald head quite obvious surrounded by a sea of shorter black-haired individuals all looking for their friends and loved ones. The company driver who'd driven Randy was trying unsuccessfully to match Randy with whichever Western woman came through the gates from the customs check point (apparently he didn't remember what I looked like .... guess I'd been away too long!), and Randy pointed at me as I wended my way through the masses as if to say, "THERE she is!"

Randy had warned me that Shanghai had become somewhat quieter and slower-paced during my absence in his opinion, probably as a result of two things: the Chinese New Year holiday ... the two week event which had just concluded (many Shanghai residents travel to their hometowns and villages in the countryside to spend the holiday with family), and the economic slow down as a result of the recession which is also being suffered in China. He'd told me that many of the establishments we expats frequent were no longer doing their usual brisk business as a result of many expats being sent home. Of course, many expats also take advantage of the holiday to travel as well.

I took my own notice of the decrease in activity as early as my transfer in Tokyo. Normally, the entire trip (Detroit to Tokyo, Tokyo to Shanghai) is traveled entirely in a 747. But this time, the flight out of Tokyo was a 200 passenger Airbus of some kind (the exact number escapes me at the moment). And that flight was not full either. Obviously, there isn't as much travel happening just now to Asia.

Randy was correct in his assessment of the situation. Taxis seem to be easier to procure (even in the rain when a taxi is almost impossible to hail), no waiting lines in even the most popular of restaurants, even the Pearl Market seems somewhat less busy than usual. Many of the expat magazines are reporting that the amount demanded for rent is down 20% from last year ... a sure sign of landlords worried about apartments going empty as the mass exodus of individuals to their homelands continues. This may bode well for us as our lease ends in November of this year .... maybe we can negotiate a decrease in the rent of our apartment. It certainly is worth opening the discussion anyway.

I hadn't been in Shanghai more than a few days when I received an email from our good friend, Dan O'Brien, from Oregon who often does business in Asia. He'd been in China for about a month and hoped for a visit with us before his return stateside on February 25th. He mentioned a Western Chinese (possibly Mongolian) restaurant called Urighy that he had previously enjoyed, and he and I decided to meet a few hours earlier for coffee in that neighborhood prior to dinner to include Cathy Wang, a mutual friend of ours who lives here in Shanghai.

It was great getting caught up with Dan and I certainly needed the caffeine jolt as the jet lag was brutal this time around (probably having something to do with a more lengthy four months stateside!). We found a taxi from the Starbucks to the restaurant where we met Cathy and eventually Randy who had come straight from work. The restaurant was a multi-level business and out front on the street level was a hot grill upon which meat on a stick (probably lamb or goat) was being flame broiled for passers-by who did not want to be bothered to go up to the second floor dining area for a snack. On the second floor, we found a table not TOO close to the stage and dance floor area as Dan had warned me of exuberant dancing by the employees of this establishment who often tried to coax dining patrons to join them.

The restaurant was staffed by mostly young men in colorful regional costumes of billowy pants, ornate vests, and unusual embroidered caps which I assume reflect the dress of the region from whence this type of food originates. Randy and I often see men with white caps grilling kabobs on the street or working in restaurants (Randy often calls them "the guys that wear the coffee filters on their heads" .... not terribly PC I suppose, but everyone knows who you mean when that reference is uttered) which seems to designate the Muslim population of Western China. Here's your demographic lesson for today: the highest population of Muslims in the world is located NOT in the Middle East (which is assumed by many due to the Arab population) but in Western China. These folks in (and from) Western China do not have the appearance of traditional Eastern and Southern Chinese and, in fact, look more Latino or perhaps Mediterranean than Chinese. But Chinese Muslims they are. You might recall my post about the fellows playing the Spanish guitars and singing in Spanish for Salsa night at the JZ club. Again, these were Western Chinese fellows who in all likelihood were Muslim as well.

Dan took the liberty of ordering for us which was just fine since he and Cathy had dined here previously. We were given not only chopsticks but clear plastic gloves as the cuisine is heavy on grilled meat, and digging in with one's hands is not only required, but encouraged. First came hot skewers of meat, grilled with a bit of savory spice ..... very tasty! Next came a rather large platter of leg of lamb expertly roasted until it fell off the bone .... lovely! There were a few vegetable dishes ...... some greens (sort of like collards), eggplant fries that were to DIE for (Micky D's take note), and mushrooms in a mild tomato sauce. Soon a plate of spicy chicken pieces arrived which were about the size of chicken McNuggets but with the bone still intact (have to re-learn my spitting out shells and bone technique again).

Also, I have to mention the beer. The beer which came in a tall brown bottle was dark like Guinness but very mild and served COLD which is unusual here in Shanghai. Sort of like being in Europe where beer is often served room temperature .... sometimes I ask for a glass of ice to go with my beer here but often even that isn't available. Ever since Randy and I have dined at this restaurant, we have been looking for this beer to buy in the stores we frequent. So far we have come up empty .... it's called Sinkling or something like that. If you happen to come across it (maybe in a beer or wine specialty store), I highly recommend it.

About mid-meal, the stage came alive with recorded music and karaoke type singing (in Chinese). The fellows all danced and clapped even as they served the patrons of the restaurant. There was one woman dancer who was also very lovely in her regional costume of long flowing yellow skirt which was decorated with profusions of brocade, embroidery, and sequins. The dancing reminded me quite a lot of Greek dancing .... much bobbing up and down with outstretched arms. Actually, the music sounded sort of Greek to me as well. And true to their reputation, the fellows tried their darndest to get me up to the stage to dance with them. I was quite stubborn about it though ..... still too jet lagged (and maybe not enough Sinkling) to feel comfortable dancing this complicated dance which did seem to have particular steps that needed to be followed. Of course, I'm sure they'd have forgiven me my lack of expertise. It would have been a huge coup to get the laowei up and dancing, I'm sure. There were many Chinese diners who got up to dance, and we speculated that these folks probably come from Western China to enjoy some "home" cooking, music, and entertainment.

I subscribe to an expat newsletter that arrives via email every week to let us foreigners know the events of this city in terms of entertainment. During that same week, I received one that described a "Second City" style improve comedy show taking place at a restaurant called Number 5. The show was called "Chop Schticks" and had apparently been running off and on for several months. I emailed Randy the link and asked him if he was interested. We looked up the info and it seemed reasonable and sounded fun. I'm sure Randy would have spent any amount of money to try to cheer me up ..... I'd sunk into a fairly deep depression that would NOT seem to lift. It did not help my mood any that the weather (even as of this writing) has been dark, cold, grey, and misty/drizzling since my arrival. We sent out an email to our Shanghai friends that we were getting tickets to this performance and to please let us know if anyone else wanted to join us. Our good friends, Larry and Therese, responded positively.

Number 5 is in the basement of the same building that houses the very classy restaurant called M on the Bund (about which I believe I wrote very early in the blog). We took the subway to Nanjing East and, after a short walk toward the Bund, we arrived. There were folding chairs in a semi-circle around a small stage area opposite the bar, but scattered here and there were tables for four which were also available for the show patrons. As we were quite early to arrive, we grabbed one of the tables for the four of us.

Chop Schticks is entirely improvisational comedy which utilizes suggestions from the audience as inspiration for it's acts (a la "Whose Line Is It Anyway"). One woman and three men put on an exceptional performance which had us literally in stitches ..... yes, a good laugh was had by all and did WONDERS for my disposition!!! Most of these entertainers are involved with something called Baby Wants Candy of which I had never heard but we'll more than likely research that next time we're in the states for any length of time. Definitely a troupe of bright and VERY "quick on their feet" performers. I'm not sure I'd be able to come up with something that brilliant if put into a similar situation. Definitely a show worth the time to experience!

We've gotten back into our routine of weekend walks and shopping at our favorite spots, drinking and dining at our favorite Hong Mei Lu restaurants and pubs, and weekly massages at our beloved Dragonfly (which also went a long way toward getting me out of my jet lag funk). I've already purchased pearls at the Pearl Market again (I'm sure Randy's thinking, "THAT didn't take long!!"). One of Randy's coworkers is getting married this month so I needed a new necklace and a silk clutch to complete my ensemble. I'm kind of looking forward to this, our first official Chinese wedding. I'll have a nice long post for the blog after that event, I'm sure.

So that's about it for now. I do believe I'm over the worst of the jet lag as well as a bit of a sinus bug that plagued me the last few days. I've been doing my daily walking in the gym on the treadmill due to the chilly, dreadful weather we've been experiencing. And Randy is happy to have somebody here doing laundry, cooking, and general apartment upkeep again. It's nice to be needed!!

March 2, 2009

If there are any followers of "Shanghai Junk" remaining (and I am praying that you have not given up on me), I sincerely apologize for my long absence. And thank you for your loyal readership. Explanations are detailed below.

Grandma's funeral was truly lovely and moving, made more so by the thoughtful efforts of Reverend John Becker of the First Presbyterian Church of Vassar who took the time to interview the family so as to give a supremely meaningful service. The church to which Grandma belonged is at the present time without a pastor. And while they were more than happy to host the service and a beautiful luncheon (thank you ladies of the Grace American Lutheran Church also of Vassar), John's professional services were procured to "pitch hit" in the absence of a permanent shepherd to the Grace American flock. Bless you, John. I daresay it might have been the best funeral I have ever attended (is that an oxymoron .... a really GREAT funeral???). Also amazingly beautiful flowers were arranged by Pam Hanlin of Hanlin Funeral Home (where I continue my efforts to have the slogan "Good Grief!" adopted). Again, thank you Dale and Pam for your thoughtful consideration and friendship. Life is much more special due to folks like you!! There are many others that should be mentioned and thanked ..... I hope you know who you are and how much you are loved. My family is SO lucky to have our lives filled with people of your outstanding kindness!

I spent the remainder of the month of November assisting my parents with various post-surgical and post-funeral tasks and errands. My father's healing was progressing quite nicely but he was prohibited from driving for about two months. My mother does not drive so I was kept quite busy with chauffeur duties on their behalf which I was very happy to assume. I also took this time to finish my Christmas shopping which was abruptly abbreviated when I left Shanghai so suddenly. Between driving duties, I enjoyed, once again, American TV, got hooked on What Not To Wear on TLC, enjoyed American politics from an American perspective, and ate all the food I wouldn't normally find in China.

Mother Nature was cruel to Michigan this year ..... winter came early and with a vengeance (another good reason for me to drive the folks .... seriously crappy roads), and I did MORE than my fair share of driveway shoveling during my stay in Michigan. I kept thinking that an Indian summer must be in our future yet but it never materialized. I believe November saw some of the largest accumulations of snow on record (for that month) in the state of Michigan, so I was doing an ordinate amount of grumbling right along with the permanent residences of my home state.

However, I was enjoying renewing my relationship with my beloved Aussie Shepherd, Mattie, home with me for a while, as well as spending time with family and friends, and getting ready for Thanksgiving, my favorite American holiday (all the food, none of the gift wrapping!!!). The weekend prior to Thanksgiving, I had a lovely visit from my oldest son, David, his wife, Melissa, the three grandkids, and we also exchanged Christmas gifts at that time as the assumption was that I'd be returning to Shanghai the first week of December where I would have the holidays with Randy. I hosted Thanksgiving at my house and my youngest son, Jake, had flown in for a week's visit from the Atlanta area.

David informed me during his pre-Thanksgiving visit that he'd be taking custody of another dog for a couple of months (he and Melissa are Mattie's caretakers during our stint in China) as his father was undergoing cancer treatments. As such, his father and stepmom would have to live at the treatment center for several months and needed pet care for their lab mix, Roxy (no NOT named for me, the dog was already named upon adoption by David's father and stepmother). Wondering how or IF Mattie would take to having to share her space with another dog (she's always been an only "child"), David asked about the possibility of Mattie going to live with Norma during this period of time. While Norma adores Mattie (and trust me, the feeling is mutual), she also has custody of Sami, a cat which she inherited from Randy's younger brother, Brian, and Sami does NOT adore Mattie (and trust me, the feeling is mutual). So with much regret, Norma understandably declined our request of babysitting for Mattie for such a long period of time.

I was on the phone with Randy one evening lamenting our lack of pet care situation just a few days before my planned departure for Shanghai when Randy suggested that I simply stay in Michigan, take care of Mattie, and he'd fly home for the holidays. I was happy to accept his suggestion .... the last six weeks had been quite stressful, and I was looking forward to having some time to relax a bit stateside as well as enjoy a truly "Michigan" Christmas!! My shopping was accomplished and I could take a little time to "catch my breath" before his arrival on December 18. So we delayed my flight so that we could return together the first week of January.

The time flew and soon Randall arrived. Of course, as soon as everyone heard that Randy was going to be home for Christmas, our calendar filled up. We enjoyed many gatherings of family and friends, and before we knew it, we were bemoaning having to return so quickly to China.

My folks had gone south to my brother's home in South Carolina for the holidays, and then continued south to their newly inherited house in Port Charlotte where my grandmother and grandfather had spent numerous winters post-retirement. As the time approached for our departure to China the first week in January, we were still without a suitable situation for Mattie. During one such discussion about that as well as our upcoming time off for the Chinese New Year (last week in January, first week in February), Randy asked me how I'd like to spend our Chinese New Year holiday in Florida. "Well, twist my arm!!" I replied. So quickly, a plan was hatched whereby I'd fly to Florida to my folks' place mid-January (it didn't make sense to fly the long flight to China and then back again two weeks later) and Randy would meet me there later in the month for a truly relaxing vacation in the warm sunshine of Florida. I could keep Mattie a few weeks longer AND partake of a tropical vacation!! Hence, my stay stateside was extended once again. Norma very graciously offered to have her grand-dog as a guest during my visit to Florida (much to Sami's chagrin), and David said that Mattie could go home to Grand Rapids within a few short weeks. Problem solved.

And so it was with a not-quite-so-heavy heart that I dropped off my beloved (Randy, not Mattie .... I know, it's confusing!) at the airport in Detroit for his return trip to Shanghai (duty calls, after all), made much lighter by the fact that we would be reuniting in a couple weeks in sunny Florida. We lead complicated lives, do we not?

After a canceled flight from Shanghai, Randall (re-routed through Los Angeles) managed to arrive in Florida on January 25 for a wonderful 9-day vacation (in spite of some unseasonably cool weather .... seems Florida was having a fairly harsh winter too). We enjoyed a few strolls on the beach (Randy with fishing pole in hand, of course), some shopping and sight-seeing, we stuffed ourselves with fresh seafood and were truly lazy enough to amuse ourselves with books, crosswords, Sudoku, and Bejeweled to which Randy and I have managed to become addicted due to his Christmas present, a new I-Touch. I was grateful for the time to reconnect with my folks leisurely and commence again my twice daily fitness walks with my father who seems to have completely recovered post surgery. Randy and I got to watch the Super Bowl which might have been the first such event for us in three years. What a treat!! American football, chicken wings, and guacamole!!

I flew back home to Michigan on February 11 to prepare myself for the long journey back to Shanghai February 18. I had quite an extensive list of things to accomplish before I could travel as I'd been stateside for almost four months at that point ... banking, notify police and neighbors that the house would be unoccupied again, gather income tax information, one last visit with family and friends, etc. I spent my last weekend in Grand Rapids with my son, his family, and Mattie (broke my heart ... I can still see in my mind's eye her watching me sadly out the window while I drove away). My family all tease me that I miss the dog more than I do the people. It's not QUITE true but my issue is that I can explain the situation to the people .... but not the dog!! I have to admit that it was with more than a little melancholy I hugged and kissed good-bye my best friend, Judy, and boarded the plane to head back to China (where many of my Shanghai family were anxiously awaiting my arrival). Yes, I'd missed my husband more than anything while we were apart and we both longed to return to a "normal" life (as normal as life can possibly be in China anyway). But no matter how long I live abroad, USA is HOME in my heart ..... and always will be!

My plan is to commence re-chronicling our Shanghai adventures this week. Already there are events to report with additional plans on the calendar for future submissions. So Shanghai Junk has resumed in earnest!! Again, thank you, readers, for your patience!!