Random

I meant to include these photos with the first post.  This is the flight from the beautiful city of Detroit to Shanghai.  I will never fly United on an international flight again (shoot this was a roundtrip ticket)  I will never fly United after that!  Terrible food (because airline food is typically soooo good), No TVs (I'm a TV Nazi but on a 14 hour flight, they are a Godsend), really small seats.  Which is why Rich was kicked out of his so I could lay down.


My friend, Maren, has a 10 week old baby and she lost her last binki so I went on a desperate hunt.  I finally found a baby shop that carried them as well as other necessities, like Red Bull.  The picture is a bit fuzzy, but there it is next to the formula...brilliant product placement!

Our apartment is quite nice and ridiculously expensive (is that tacky?...I'm trying to make a point, so don't judge me!)  On to the point...mold!  Nasty, black stuff that will probably kill one of us before our landlord addresses the problem.
 I didn't know it was there until Eli saw a little crack in the paint and proceeded picking it off.  I'm fairly certain he ate some paint in the process so if the mold doesn't get him the lead paint will.  China has not been good to him so far!

 Eli does eat plenty of other things besides paint.
 The mess I allow him to make with food makes my Ayi crazy!  She told Rich I do it on purpose.  Which I guess I do because it makes for a cute picture and allows sensory development!  She doesn't see those as valid reasons for making such a big mess. 

Here's an OINC (only in China) for you.  We were heading to Shanghai and I said I was really thirsty.  Our driver pulled over onto the median, halfway up the freeway on ramp and ran back down and across the street to buy a case of water.  She is a very dedicated employee!
 BTW this would never be grounds for a traffic citation...in the States it would guarantee you a court appearance!

Shocked

I hate to be a downer but this really shook me.  Matt came home and told me about this 'cool trick' they were doing at school.  It was a version of the 'choking game'.  It didn't use a ligation device so, to him it seemed harmless.  I jumped online and found all the scary statistics and notified the school.  The guidance counselor found the following website and they are having an assembly today to make kids aware of the dangerous involved.
http://www.gaspinfo.com

Goes to show you there's no outrunning the stupidity of youth.  America or China humanity is what it is.

I promise more sunshine and chicken feet with the next post.

Chen's Do China...Again!

Here we are, two years later, back in China. The last two years have been crazy with Rich constantly traveling and the kids and I moving three times. It made the decision to move back here easier knowing our family would all be in one place and it should be the same place for a few years.

The other factor that helped sway the pendulum in favor of China is an Ayi: Ayi is the Chinese word for aunt. It is what you call all women, unless they're really old then they're a Nai-Nai; or really young then you're a Mei-Mei. The first time we came to China, before I was China-savvy, I asked Rich why so many women were named Ayi?

Nearly everyone, foreign or not, has an Ayi that works in their home. Foreigners just pay their Ayi more since we require the use of crazy stuff like dish soap and disinfectant. There are so many stories of people that realize, after several months, and a few stomach viruses, that their Ayi isn't using soap, for anything; just water and friction.
So we have an Ayi and she does all the laundry. I hate laundry. It is worth living here just to have someone do our laundry for $3/hour.

Hold on! I am waiting in line for a roller coaster while I type this and the girl in front of me is eating squid on a stick; full on tentacles, eyes , the whole enchilada.
Small example of why his country smells so bad! People eat anything, regardless of looks or smell.
Sorry, tangent.

I feel a little guilty for having someone clean and do the laundry but it gets so dirty here so quickly all I would do all day is clean and I can do that in Texas. Also, the dryer is miniscule so most laundry gets hung outside and needs ironed. Just justifying my guilt.

This is Eli's first experience in China. He's doing great, except he is such a juicy fruit the mosquitos can't resist him. He currently has 45 mosquito bites!  Poor baby!