Happy Mothers' Day

Thanks to my darling little girl (and my dashing husband), I get to celebrate Mothers' Day (hard to believe it is my second one!) - so what did we do?

Well, first we woke up at the break of dawn (thanks to Chase's new tooth) - no problem, we had to be up early anyway as we were being picked up at 8:30 a.m. for a China-tastic berry picking excursion with 9 other families.

En route to berry picking, we passed a truck filled with seaweed. One word - YUM.













We finally arrived at the strawberry fields (greenhouse)...














Inside the greenhouse...














Chase found a little spot all her own and started playing in the dirt...














She would look up occasionally to ensure we were still there...













And then it was back to the dirt...














She did, however, manage to find a couple (pre-selected) berries...














And then the paparazzi found Chase...













From there, we had to cool off a little. Luckily, there was a little driving range nearby. Good thing Chase already has her own set of small, brightly colored plastic clubs of her own.

She knew just what to do; yeah, she pretty much schooled her peers.














Our little pro...



















The competition...













Chase found time between shots to show off her squatting skills...



















And inspect the golf balls...














And then there was the group photo - complete with a custom banner...













And then it was off to lunch (it was at a Chinese hillside village turned restaurant)...














And after lunch, we found out it was actually a birthday party (note the ritz crackers on top of the cake)...














One word: YUM

So what did we learn? One can never be too overdressed for strawberry picking in China.

Ho Di Play Date

So we quite enjoyed our time at little Ho Di's home, although he did cry every time Chase tried to play with him. He's a little shy and I think Chase is the-only-white-child he has ever encountered.

I was thinking about it today - how strange it must be for a child to see a white person for the first time. We must be downright scary looking.

We're going to try it again next week - if he keeps crying, I may elect to remove him from our playdate schedule.

Token White Girl

Gymboree was crazy today; there were 12 kids in Chase's music class.
I must admit, I really have a hard time telling the kids apart.

The good news: we have been asked to join an arts and crafts playgroup; the founder wants it to be more "international," so we will be the token white people.

I am actually elated, as I am finding that Chase needs more activity. The Hello Kitty window decals will only keep her busy for so long. When we're at home, she keeps looking at me as if to say, "when are we going to 'Go Dog Go,' Mama?" But I guess I deserve this, after all we did so much movin' and shakin' last year.

I fear I might even be putting on weight as we have not been travelling as much as we used to. Forget about Jenny Craig, the best way to keep slim is to travel with a small child. Our trip to Beijing, scheduled for the end of the month, can't come soon enough (Great Wall here we come!).

All for now. I hear my sleeping beauty waking. Time to visit her little friend, Ho Di.

A Few Of Your Favorite Things...

My little darling, Chase, we just wanted to tell you (for the zillionth time) how much we love you.








































At nearly 14-months of age, you most enjoy playing your xylophone, reading, drawing, painting and playing with stickers. Your Hello Kitty window decals, we've found, keep you busy for at least 10 minutes; you love patting them on and pealing them off windows.

You love all things shiny. I even put small pink, glittery bobbles on my phone, just for you (Dada doesn't believe me, he thinks I did it because I wanted a pink, glittery phone).

This morning, I caught you sucking one of the glittery sparkles off my phone; you opened your mouth and the pink sparkle winked at me.

I wonder if it tasted pink and sparkly to you - I can't really blame you for wanting to see what pink and sparkly tasted like - you used to try to taste the notes from your xylophone - as well as taste the color that came off your crayon.

Speaking of things that taste good ... you still love banana (as well as just about any fruit), as well as eggplant parm, lasagne, pumpkin bread, and Chinese food. You recently started devouring zucchini with basil and olive oil.

You are really cruising now. You love walking on your own. You also love getting your own way (shocking) and you are already letting us know when you are not happy - you find the nearest flat surface and put your head down onto your hands, looking up only briefly to make sure we are taking note of your displeasure.

I have started counting (with you) to 5, because you want everything yesterday. Counting to 5 seems to help. Curiously, you don't forget what you wanted, you hold onto the idea - I find this interesting, because I was quite sure that by the time I got to 5, you would be on to something else. Clever girl.

We love you.

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

The wind was up.
It was a "must fly" kite day.
And so we headed to Xinghai Square.
Chase was darling (as always).
Dada let her fly the kite, which made her squeal with delight.
She waved her arms up and down (any faster and she would have been airborne).
The kite, meanwhile, dipped and soared accordingly.

Dada remarked "now I remember why kite flying is fun."

But before we actually got to the kite flying part - we posed with a complete stranger (we actually pose with so many of these people that we've decided to just hand them our camera and get a picture while they're at it).














And, of course, Chase got a lot of attention (as usual).















What's a girl to do with so much attention?







































Let's not forget about the kite ...

Trip: Chinese Countryside (Spa Weekend)

We just returned from a Spa weekend in the Chinese countryside; a serious cultural experience.

First, I must say that for some reason it is really hard to get a clear understanding of what one will be doing when one goes on a group excursion here (for example: the time when Hubs thought he was going skating, he ended up snowboarding).

So when the opportunity to go on a Spa weekend with friends arose, I couldn't help but feel like I might just be happier (and more relaxed) at home.

But of course, curiosity makes it impossible for us to decline such invitations. So we packed our bags, jumped on a bus and headed for the Chinese countryside.

When we arrived (2.5 hours later), we were shown to our room (small but clean with communal shower and bathroom facilities). Our host was kind enough to try to upgrade us to another room so we could have a little more room for Chase to crawl about.

The view from our window ... (note police facility at entrance)















Chase, ready for the spa ... Only later did we find out the water would be too hot! Hubs couldn't make it in past his knee.




















Chase decided to try to store some of her valuables ...















We were given welcome packages when we arrived. Part of the welcome package was this tiny pair of swim trunks (not sure why because no one uses them)...














Well, except Chase!




















After we got settled in, we headed to lunch.
And then Dada hit the Spa, while we "rested."
Around 4 pm there was a knock on the door.
Time for fruit picking!
So we jumped in the bus, drove for 5 minutes and then set off by foot into the countryside.

































It didn't take us long to realize that fruit picking here was going to be totally different from any fruit picking we'd done before - what gave it away? We were heading for a greenhouse.















Just ouside the greenhouse was a chicken coup.
Chase loved the chickens.














And the guard dog...














Inside the greenhouse we found nectarines!












































And then we were off to "pick apples," but we had to wait for the manager of the cold storage unit to open the doors. Chase decided it was high time for a nap...














When the manager finally arrived, we were informed the apples were 6 months old, but they were green apples (no pesticide). As they were kept in a cold storage unit they would be good to eat anytime within the year (hmmm... very different from my fruit picking experience where one actually picks fruit from the tree and eats it on the day it is picked).















Here is Dada picking apples...














The next morning, most of the group headed off to a hike. As we didn't have a proper baby backpack, we decided to go for a small walk into the hills behind the Spa.




























Here's a view from the top. It was really lovely.














And then we went to lunch, jumped into the bus and headed home.

Frozen Seaweed

I delight in cleaning out the fridge (not be confused with actually cleaning the fridge).

I delight in throwing away old food - I don't know why. I consider it one of life's simple pleasures.

So I decided it was time to clean out the fridge this morning.

As I now share the fridge with Flora, I didn't really know what to expect. Thankfully there were no chicken heads. But I did come across things I never thought I'd find in my fridge - or freezer. Frozen crab, seeweed and something I couldn't identify. I think it was dumpling dough?

Anyway - now my fridge is clean - er. Hmmm, what's next?
Maybe Chase's closet?

So what does this all mean? Watch out world (and Hubs), I've started Spring cleaning.

Six Pack Of Chicken Heads

I was at the market the other day and came across a six pack of chicken heads.

I don't get queasy easily - good thing because there are many unusual items for sale here - but I have to say that the sight of pre-packaged chicken heads made my stomach turn. But then I started wondering, how does one prepare chicken heads? Are they best for soup? Where's the meat? I mean, what's the point of eating something with so little meat?

So I asked a friend tonight how one prepares chicken heads. She said she wasn't really sure but she had one at a Chinese BBQ - on a skewer.

Good thing BBQ season is right around the corner - now I know what I'm putting on my kebabs!

Tailor Update

So I made what must be the 5th trip to the tailor today - he can't quite seem to get the pants right. First they were SO tight. Then he said he said he took them out, but I didn't see a difference. When I got them back yesterday they were big in strange places.

SO frustrating.

Four Mondays

"I've had four Mondays in a row," Hubs informed me last night.

With another big holiday on its way, the Government has issued "guidance" that businesses are to be open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as usual, but closed Tuesday through Tuesday (which means people get the following weekend "off" - Hurrah?).

Now that's a noodle I can't seem to untangle. How can it possibly make sense to make people work eight days in a row - and over weekends - in exchange for days off?

To Catch A Fish

So I asked my language teacher about how to select fish at the market (there are so many kinds and I am not familiar with any of them).

She explained that the Chinese classify their fish by the number of bones; they believe the fish that has the greatest number of bones also has the greatest flavor, because the meat is precious.

She also explained that there are fish from the river and fish from the sea, and that the fish from the sea has a strong fish flavor, so the Chinese prefer the fish from the river.

Eau De Sewage

The one down side of living where we live - in the specific apartment we selected - is the scent (some times it is stronger than others) of raw sewage. It seems to come up through the bathroom drain pipes - odd, because we live on the 6th floor. Maybe if we lived on a higher floor, it would not stink as much.

We've already plugged the main drain (despite Hub's concern that the gas will collect and eventually explode) - but it seems to be working itself into the room through the shower, bath and sink drain now.

So I complained to Flora (my Aiyi's new English name). I told her I wanted the building management to fix this problem. She sat down with a pen and paper and drew a map of Dalian, explaining that when the wind comes from the South (when it comes in from the Yellow Sea), it smells bad and when the wind blows North, it smells nice.

Apparently the wind is the problem - not exactly something the building management can solve.

Just Relax...

The dentist said to me as she started drilling into my front tooth - without first using Novocain.

Just as I started to believe she wasn't going to hurt me, she got close to the nerve and I could feel the pain. "Oh, I know, I know," she said to me. "Don't worry, it's okay."

Seriously? Sure, it's okay because she's the one with the drill and I'm the one in the chair with white knuckles.

"Her Smile Lights Up The Room"

The above is a lovely quote from a friend; she also took this photo.

No Sheep Is Safe Tonight

The following has subject matter unsuitable for parents and grand-parents, so those of you related to me in any way, shape or form, please stop reading now.

Our driver, Qin, who drives slowly and carefully when Chase and I are in the car, must be starting to feel a little more comfortable with us - or maybe he didn't want to wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

This afternoon he surprised me by driving the wrong way up a freeway off-ramp and then proceeded to make a U-turn to join the vehicles that were speeding by us in the opposite direction. A bold driving maneuver, I must say. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Maybe the thing that surprised me most is that I wasn't actually terrified for my life, I was concerned, but the driving here is so whacky that it didn't feel as scary as it would in the US.

At this point, I can just chalk it up to my list of crazy driving experiences - like when I was in a taxi and the driver made a left from a far right lane (in front of oncoming traffic), or when I was in a taxi and the driver sped toward a red light in the oncoming traffic lane, so that he was the first car to hit the intersection when the light it turned green. Oh, and then there was the time in Shanghai when our taxi driver decided to set the speed record in transport from the airport and Hubs had to bang on the window and yell at him to slow the *@^# down.

I have never been more terrified than I was on that day.

Patrick Anderson

Our good friend, Patrick Anderson, paid us a visit over the weekend. We had a great time, but now I can't seem to find the camera. Meanwhile, Patrick left his camera here. Sounds like bad camera karma to me.

The funny thing is, we can never seem to take pictures of the Anderson-Sunilas when we are with them - and finally I have pictures of Patrick - and boom - the camera goes missing. Strange.

We had a lovely time. After pancakes on Saturday morning, we took Patrick to the boardwalk. Hubs rode a Segway. From there, Hubs and Patrick (aka Scandal Anderson) hit the road to enjoy a real bonding/team building experience at the hot springs. After they returned, we went to Labor Park (none of the amusement rides were open) - and then out to dinner (Chinese food).

Sunday morning, I woke Patrick up and took him first to one cafe to pick up cinnamon rolls and then to our local coffee joint (one of the few places in town where one can find good coffee).

From there, we headed to Walmart (where he saw pig face, feet, chicken feet and other items in the prepared food section). Then it was back to our place, where we ate breakie before heading out to one of the many parks to see locals practicing Tai Chi, Kung Fu, singing, and playing the erhu. After we had worked up an appetite, we headed to the Shangri-La for some lovely Dim Sum.

Next up - a huge underground shopping plaza, followed by Russian street. As it was late afternoon, we decided to take a quick drive down Binhai Road (the Chinese Riviera). And then it was back to the apartment, in time for Patrick to iron-dry his clothes and pack for his flight the next morning.

We had a crock pot special for dinner. As mentioned in prior posts, it is impossible to find ingredients for most of my recipes, so I have resorted to crock pot cooking. Not great but it gets the job done (most times).

And now he's gone back to England and we really miss him!

Finding My Way Through

Dalian has been hard city to get to know, as there are so many underground markets, outdoor markets and night markets - oh and all the signs are in Chinese.

As I do not know Chinese (don't ask how language classes are going), I have to rely on people I meet along the way to help me find the things I need.

Earlier this week I met with a woman who knows the city quite well. She told me about a flower market that sells herbs (mint, rosemary, basil). I can't describe in words how happy I am at the thought of having my own herb garden. Finding fresh herbs in the markets has proven near impossible.

I've also been on a hunt for large carpets (in an effort to protect Chase from our hard, marble floors). YP is on the lookout, so we should have the carpet thing sorted next week.

And then there is the fact that I just can't find ingredients for Western recipes (I used to think I had it bad in Zurich - not so).

So today I went shopping again with my friend Ruth; she really knows her way around this town. She took me to a little market, under a park, that smelled of fish - no wonder, as I found out later that it is "the" place to go for fish.

On the floor above the fish market, she showed me a little shop that sells mozzarella cheese (one of only two shops you can buy it) - along with some other Western ingredients.

She then took me to another shop and asked one of the shop ladies for cupcake cups (whoa!). The lady dug around under a table covered in various dried and salted things and pulled out a couple packages. Crazy stuff.

Ruth also let me know that there is a place where you can buy cinnamon rolls. But you have to buy them on the right day, as they make them once every three days. She called me this afternoon to tell me they are fresh today, so I should mark my calendar.

Should I be concerned that I am counting down the days to a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls - or that I have to go to a fish market to buy mozzarella cheese?

Names

My helper, Yu Peng, asked me to give her an English name today.
I have to say, it feels a little strange naming an adult.

What makes it harder is that Chinese names have meaning.
My language teacher's English name is Sunrise, because that is when she was born.

Americans tend to select names based on how they sound.

Oh, and it has to be something she can pronounce easily.

Hmmm... the pressure is on.

Tight Pants

My (skin tight) pants came back from the tailor on Monday.
Looks like I'm going to have to go back and ask the tailor to let them out a little.
I don't want to look like I've been poured into my clothes, for goodness sake.

Fantasies

I'm having fantasies about Dunkin' Donuts. Nothing scandalous; I could just really go for a small box of donut holes and a large, jump-in-and-swim-around-in-it, cup of iced coffee.