Shanghai Children's Home

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Matthew and eight of his classmates worked at the Community Service Store. The goal that weekend was to raise enough money for a child to receive a cleft palate operation. The weekend was a phenomenal success. The kids raised enough money for two children to receive the operation. It was a tremendous feeling to see Matthew donate his time to the community and we were very proud of him.

Today, Matthew and his classmates went to the Shanghai Children's Home (a local orphanage) to present the Shanghai Children's Home with supplies and 13,000 RMB (equivalent to almost $2,000 US Dollars). We had an opportunity to spend some time with the toddlers and of course, I and the other three mothers were busy holding the kids. Most of the children who reside there are girls but, there were two boys as well. In China, a boy is desired because of old tradition. It is very rare to find a boy in an orphanage. Both of the boys have heart problems and were abandoned by their families. It was extremely heartbreaking for me to see this.

One of the boys became very attached to me and wouldn't let me go. I fed him and had to resist the urge to walk out with him. A lot of these children are waiting to be adopted by a family. They are in need of a home and because of the fact that they were either born a girl or with a medical condition, they have been left to be raised at the facility. I hope that each of the children will find a loving home and a chance to experience love and security.

A....A....Chooo

Well, Fall is here and that means cold and flu season. As people sneeze all over the place in Shanghai, I come to a realization that there is no equivalent Chinese expression for "God Bless You". No "Gesunheit", no "Cheers" or "Salute". Nothing. People don't even look at you. I found this to be very disturbing. I've always been told to say "God Bless You" after someone sneezes. In fact, I don't think I can stop myself from saying it. It's become instinctive and impulsive, who am I the Pope? How did this come to be? Why do we say it and the Chinese don't? Well, I did some investigation and found that those expressions were a result of the black plague in Europe. Apparently, a sneeze was the first sign that you were getting the plague and you know what that meant. So we say "God Bless You" or "Gesunheit", which means good health.

Okay, so my driver, a nice guy but not the most hygienic guy in the world, is constantly sneezing. Of course, he doesn't cover his mouth when he sneezes, which produce a lovely spray of bodily fluids. An aurora Borealis, if you will, of snot, spit, bits of food and whatever else is in someone's mouth. Of course, this happens in the car so I have no escape. Being a nice guy, he rolls down the window so the sneeze can escape. Instead, air rockets this spray to the back of the car, blanketing me in a cocoon of germs, not to mention the most vial smell I've ever had the misfortune to ingest. I wonder if he notices that I am not breathing or better yet, trying to breath through by shirt sleeve. Luckily, he is facing the other way and can't see me, I think?

There are definitely cultural differences here in China. Spitting is acceptable, small children peeing and pooping on the street, no problem. Picking their nose with the most determination if ever seen is okay. Burping, farting and a bunch of other disgusting noises all seems acceptable. So it gives me the dry heaves every once in a while but, I'm getting used to it. My fear is that when I return to the US after my expat assignment, I will be doing the same things, nah.

Winter Holiday Concert

We're getting ready for the Christmas holiday. The weather is certainly cold enough in Shanghai, but it lacks the same holiday feeling we get from the United States. The stores are decorated for Christmas but, the locals do not celebrate Christmas here. It's more of a commercial holiday than a religious one here. Normally, this time of year, our home in Connecticut is fully decorated for the holidays. We always go and pick out a live tree and spend a weekend decorating it. Here, it's just not the same. We don't have a tree, the house isn't fully decorated and we haven't been feeling very holiday like.

The other day, Matthew's school hosted a Winter Holiday Recital. All the kids in school had to perform. Matthew and his classmates performed "The Holly and the Ivy" on the recorder and sang "Santa's Job is a Snap". It was a wonderful recital and it really helped to get us into the holiday spirit.

We'll be spending the Christmas holiday in Hong Kong with family and friends. Tony Sung (one of Tony's best friends from college) is currently in Hong Kong and will be there until January 6th. Matthew's very excited that we'll be seeing him very soon.

We've been feeling pretty homesick recently. We've been told that this is always the hardest time of the year for those who are on expatriate assignments. So, we're really looking forward to seeing familiar faces in Hong Kong and spending the holidays with them.

Thanksgiving

We had our first Thanksgiving here in Shanghai. Tony’s away on business so we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving as a family on Saturday. Matthew's school hosted a Thanksgiving meal for the parents. The children had to serve their families and clean up, which was quite refreshing. Matthew got into the spirit of the day by having three helpings of turkey, mashed potatoes, string beans and stuffing. When he returned with his third plate, the teachers gave him a turkey leg (see picture - yes, it's already been dismantled).

Matthew and I celebrated Thanksgiving in our own special way. We didn't have an elaborate meal or anything, it was just a plate of Matthew's favorite foods. We gave our thanks for the blessings we have received as a family. We also gave our thanks to all our family and friends for the support we have received when we decided to embark on this adventure in China.

I’m especially thankful to May for all she’s done for us and will continue to do. It’s not easy monitoring the amount of our mail that comes through her mailbox. She’s been there for me since the year of the flood and she has listened to my ranting and ravings about the trials and tribulations of living in China. Often times when I complain about not finding a particular food, it shows up in the mailbox. She’s been there through all the laughter and the tears.

So, we give our thanks to all of you who have been so supportive and understanding when we decided to move halfway around the world. Please remember us when you’re passing your turkey and stuffing around. We’ll be there in spirit with all of you at the table giving thanks as well.

A Taste of America

The American toy store has finally hit China. Toys R Us has opened it's first store in Shanghai. Let's just say that Matthew is a happy little camper now. Toys R Us will give the local department stores a run for its money. Toys can be found in Shanghai but, it's a pretty limited selection. A lot of the toys are traditionally sold in small outlets in department stores and it's mostly geared towards girls. You'll find a lot of Hello Kitty and dolls but the selection for boys is generally very small and geared towards the little kids.

We went over to check out the new Toys R Us store on Saturday and found it crawling with a lot of expatriates. Matthew spent a lot of time looking at Hot Wheels, remote control cars and helicopters and other "boys" things. He was really making up for lost time over the past several months living in Shanghai. However, I suspect that we'll be spending quite a bit of time at the Toys R Us since it's the next best thing to being back in Connecticut. Now, who do I contact to open up a Costco in Shanghai so I can be happy?

Lights...Camera...Pie?

Well, we're in November and it's starting to get cold and chilly in Shanghai. I really miss the autumn colors of New England, carved pumpkins and most of all, I miss the smell of a freshly baked apple pie. So, today, I've decided to bake one complete with cinnamon and nutmeg and hope that I can recreate that wonderful feeling of New England here in Shanghai. Trying to find a pie plate here is a mission in itself. I went to every "kitchen" store and no pie plates to be found. So, I'm going to have to improvise. So it's not going to be round. Who said an apple pie had to be round anyway? Remember the Hostess Apple Pies in a package? They were rectangular. As long as it tastes good, it doesn't matter what shape it is.

Yesterday, we had our family photos taken by Gangfeng Wang. He's a pretty famous local photographer. He's like the Chinese Bruce Weber of the Shanghai photography scene. We see a lot of his work in local magazines and books. The photograph is our annual family photo. I usually send out pictures to our friends and family for the holiday season so they can see Matthew as he's growing up. Unfortunately, there isn't a Sears or a JC Penney's in Shanghai, so we decided to have Gangfeng do the photos. The back drop is a very old cobblestone street in Shanghai, lined with houses built in the early 1930's. It is a street rich with cultural history and we thought it was the perfect setting for our pictures. Years from now, when we look back at these pictures, they will remind us of our time here.

He took several pictures of us as a family and he even took several of Matthew on his own. I know that the photos will be great. Now I just have to figure out how to get the photos made into holiday cards so I can send them out in time for the holidays.

Now, onto my apple pie. Maybe I'll even make chocolate chip cookies!

Things to Be Grateful for in China....Wait, Give Me a Minute

As we enter into the Thanksgiving season, I pause for a minute to give thanks for the things that make my life easier in Shanghai. Okay, so I haven't thought of anything yet but, I'm working on it. I do, however, have a very long list of things I absolutely hate. Let's start with internet access. If you've been reading the blog, I'm sure you've come across a few rants and complaints from Susan about the problems we are having with the internet and telephone access. We've had China Telecom and the internet provider over so often that I've declared them as dependents on my tax returns.

What drives me absolutely mental is that things seem to change on their own, like if the internet was possessed or something. We have our friends from China Telecom and the internet provider fixing the problem for 5 long hours. Everything finally works and a few days later we have problems again. I almost feel like someone is messing with me, as if I were a large but handsome lab rat, poking me with a stick and zapping me with electricity.

I guess that you've probably figured out that we are currently experiencing problems, yet again, with the internet. We've given up on the phone. People call us at home and all they hear is beeping like a damn fax machine, beep, beep, beep, beep, what the hell! China Telecom doesn't know what it is so they won't fix it, nice!

Maybe we should try a more proven technology to communicate with our friends and family, maybe smoke signals, but they'll probably be in Chinese.

Smokin' Joe Cachina

We had a visitor from the United States the other day. Joe Cachina, a former colleage who worked with Tony at Burndy. It was great to see him again after so many years.

He brings a black Samsonite suitcase with him. He opens the Samsonite suitcase and it was like....Christmas!!!!

For Matthew, he brought over ten pounds of Halloween candy, Halloween toys and a Halloween trick or treat bag. Matthew's in candy heaven. Joe figured he's missing out from going door to door. The average kid probably does get about 10 pounds of candy. Why not just get it in one shot and not have to work for it right?

For me, Joe brought over my baking supplies- Nestle Toll House Morsels (something that is impossible to find in Shanghai), three large bags of Hershey Kisses and boxes of Shake and Bake, for those days when you just need good ol' Shake and Bake chicken.

For Tony, he brought over 5 Corvettes. When Joe asked what we needed from the U.S., I gave him the laundry list for baking items. He asked Tony what he wanted. Tony tells him nothing unless it's a Corvette. Joe brings over a box of 5 Hot Wheels Corvettes. Nice.

We had a great dinner at Shintori and then proceeded to Xintiandi for a stroll after dinner. Xintiandi was full of people that night and Halloween was in full swing. Xintiandi is a popular place for expats to visit and as a result, there were decorations at every restaurant, a ghost, witch and pumpkin walking around giving out little Halloween toys.

It was great to catch up with Joe and we'll see him again when he returns for another business trip. In the meantime, Matthew's busy digging into this stash of Halloween candy and I'm going to start making chocolate chip cookies, while Tony is busy driving his new cars around the house.

Feeling The Blues

I woke up this morning and I got a strong sense of nostalgia for Connecticut.

Autumn is in full bloom in New England and I really miss it. There are few trees in Shanghai, no Thanksgiving turkey, no pumkin pies or stuffing. No Halloween, no multicolored leaves falling to the ground. Nothing.

These are the times that I think I made a big mistake coming here. The funny thing is that missing holidays like this was trivial when we made the decision to come to China but now, they are the things I really miss. I know it is going to be really hard at Christmas time but, at least we have plenty of mosquitos as a substitute. We've gotten bitten so many times that I think we are actually on the mosquito menu. Maybe we're the blue plate specials....Sweet and Sour Tony, Moo Goo Gai Pan Susan or maybe some Meat Loaf Matthew. Yummy! Them's some good eats!

.... And The Winner Is ME!

The Formula One race was incredible. We were sitting at curve 7, (look at the map to the left). This was a great spot to see the car try to over take each other and is one of the fastest curves in the Formula One circuit. The weather was not the best. It rained, at one point very hard. Luckily Matthew, Susan and I went to a local store and bought some slickers. Everyone had a good time. Even Susan, who normally doesn't like racing.

I bought Matthew a giant Ferrari flag. In addition to the flag, he wore his bright red Ferrari shirt. He looked like he worked for Ferrari. The girls, (which he calls Coochie Mamas, don't ask), loved him. They were taking pictures of him waving his flag like he just conquered China or something.

You haven't really experienced a Formula One race until you've been to one. I've been watching these races for years but, I never truly felt the electricity of the fans or the brute force and speed of the cars and the deafening noise, what a rush! We were hoping for a good race and it was. Schumacher came from 6th place on the grid to win the race. A classic battle between good, in this case Ferrari, and evil, in this case Renault. God it was good. If you ever have the opportunity to go to one of these races, take it. The tickets are not cheap, transportation in and out of the race track is exhausting but, you will truly love it. We are definitely going next year, maybe we'll buy our tickets tomorrow.

A Day At The Races.... Actually Three

Yes, what you see before you is not a figment of your imagination. Nor is it a download image from the internet. These my friends, are the real McCoy. The genuine article. Three tickets to the Shanghai Formula One Race and they belong to yours truly. (Maniacal laugher, pause for dramatic effect).
I feel like James Bond, "Money Penny, get me three tickets to the Shanghai Formula One, thanks love." If you know me, then you realize how excited I really am. I never thought I would be able to go to a Formula One Race, let alone one in Shanghai. This is also Michael Schumacher's last season before retirement and I get to go. Maybe next year, I'll take the yacht to Monaco.

What Dialect Do You Want That In?

I've started my intensive immersion Mandarin classes at Berlitz. I've been attending classes for eight hours a day, five days a week. Needless to say, my head is ready to explode. I am doing fine in my classes, it's just that when I need to say something and can't think of the Mandarin equivalent, I can't help but say it in Cantonese. Top that off, with the fact that I have a "heavy" Cantonese accent. I can't help that I have a Cantonese accent. My instructors can understand me when I am expressing myself in my "native" tongue but, I am discouraged from using any form of Cantonese at all. The other day, I had an oral test. I couldn't think of the answer in Mandarin but, was able to answer in Cantonese. My instructor refused to give me credit. My argument was: if I were unable to speak, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer, then I deserve to have points taken away. The fact that I can answer you in Cantonese, I should get partial credit. Nice try. The answer was NO. I plan to take the local Shanghainese dialect as well once I am done with my immersion class. So, if I think that trying to converse in Mandarin is bad, add Shanghainese to the mix and let's see who will be able to understand me when this is all over!

Tony has started his Mandarin lessons as well. He's been traveling all over the place and can only take his lessons on the weekends. So, his instructor comes to the house on Saturday and Sunday for three hours and he's doing quite well. It was pretty funny when he asked Matthew for the answer to a question the other day and Matthew refused to give it to him. That's what I call power.

What Currency Would You Like That In?

We're in Hong Kong now. Matthew returned home from school yesterday afternoon and we bolted for the airport. The Proctor & Gamble integration is going full speed ahead and I had to be in Hong Kong to meet with the representatives of HSBC Bank to open up a new bank account with Tony. Effective October 1, 2006, Tony's pay will be switched to Hong Kong Dollars. Under the current Gillette plan, most of Tony's pay is being deposited into our US bank account in US Dollars and a small portion of it is being deposited into the Bank of China in Chinese Yuan (or RMB) in Shanghai. I wasn't wild about taking Matthew out of school and asked if there was some way that we do this over the weekend? How about a Friday? Can't you send the documents to me and I'll sign it and get someone to attest that it's my signature? I tried everything and the answer was NO. That meant, I had to take Matthew out of school for two days and bolt for a flight out of Shanghai. Tony was in Dongguan on business and arrived directly from South China. Matthew and I arrived at 11:30 at night. We were late due to the inclement weather that Hong Kong is experiencing. It was pouring cats and dogs.

This morning, we met with Rachel, the representative at HSBC. She explained the different bank accounts that were available to us. We had a barrage of questions and by the end of the "orientation" my head was spinning. HSBC offers quite a bit of options for the expatriate. All of which I appreciate. However, when you're trapped in a small room with the bank representative and a nine year old who is constantly asking "When is this going to be over?", you're ready to blow your brains out. There are so many things that I have to watch over...the currency float, the service fees, the transfers to be made to the US on a monthly basis since we still have ongoing obligations that need to be paid, we will need money to be converted from Hong Kong Dollars to RMB in order for us to buy the day to day necessities in China and then there's the travel expense reimbursements.

The most frustrating thing for us since we've moved here is that Tony can't get a corporate credit card. Why? Who knows? Finance tells him that it isn't offered and it is expected that all employees who travel use their personal card. So, he uses our personal credit card to pay for his travel expenses. He charges his trip- either in Korean Won, Chinese RMB or Hong Kong Dollars to our credit card. The bill is then billed out and paid in American Dollars. He then prepares and submits his expense report and he gets reimbursed in RMB. Got that? Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep track of what goes out, what comes in and then I have to convert it all back to see if we're missing anything.

So, now that I am "unemployed", I have become Tony's full time "administrative assistant". It's my job now to keep track of the expense reports, go to the bank and see if the money has been deposited and then track it back to the expense report and see what other open items there are.

Tony does have an administrative assistant at the office. Since he's arrived, she just doesn't want to do anything for him or for anyone for that matter. Every time she has submitted an expense report for reimbursement, there has always been an issue in getting payment. Why? Let's see, perhaps she doesn't attach all the receipts that he's given her, loses somes of the receipts, forgets to submit the expense report altogether or even better, just doesn't prepare it for him.

So, I'm lobbying for a position as his personal assistant at P&G now. I even told him that I would get him coffee too (without an attitude... maybe).

Chinese Drivers License

Well,I did it. I actually managed to get a Chinese Drivers License. I really didn't have any intentions of getting a license here. I just happened to ask the HR representative of Gillette what it would take to get one out of curiosity. He asked to see my Connecticut drivers license, so I showed it to him. The next thing I knew, we were on our way to get my license officially translated. Then I had to get a physical (yes, a real physical- height, weight, eyes, reflexes) and then I was taken to a building to "register" for the test. I thought, I'd register and return for the test. No. I registered my name, was given a pamphlet with 100 questions and was told to sit and read it. Literally five minutes later, my name was called and I was told to take the test. Ok. Problem. I only got up to question number five. In order to receive a drivers license, you need to score a 90 or above. I scored an 86 and was told to return the next day to retest. I went home, looked over the pamphlet and returned the next morning for the retest and scored a 97. I was given a drivers license on the spot. The good thing about the drivers license is that it states my name in Chinese and my country of citizenship. I figure, if I ever get hit by a car, the only thing they can read in my wallet would be the drivers license. They would know I have a Chinese name and that I am an American.

I have absolutely no intentions of driving in this town. The drivers do not let the pedestrians walk the cross walk, they drive on the sidewalks and they just don't stop for lights at all and you have the constant traffic of bicycles and mopeds to top it all off. I did it as a challenge since I was told that they discourage foreigners from getting licenses. So, I have a license good for the next six years and it's a piece of identification.

Where Would You Like This?

We received our sea shipment the other day, 126 boxes to be precise. Needless to say, we have spent the last three days unpacking. It's insane that we shipped so many boxes because the apartment came fully furnished, we're just talking personal items here. What's even crazier, is that 500 additional boxes have been put into storage, so relatively speaking we packed light. You never realize how much stuff you accumulate in your life until you move.

Luckily for us the apartment is big. We have a large storage room that I knew we'd put to good use. I call it the bomb shelter because there are enough supplies to last us through a nuclear war. I think Susan went a little nuts with the supplies. The bright side is that we can always open a convenience store if we ever need additional cash.

Would You Like Kim Chi With That Order?

Ok no bitch session on this entry..... who am I kidding, time to bitch. I just returned from Korea on Wednesday. I've been to Korea twice in the past two months and I think it is a very nice place. So what's the problem? Well gentle reader, my problem is not with the country, but the circumstances that seem to follow me like a fly on a pile of poop. Need more? Let's continue. I was asked to assist Duracell with the qualification of a piece of equipment that was being made by a Korean company. The program involves members of a Chinese battery company that was purchased by Duracell a couple of years ago. The problem is, that my Chinese friends spoke very little English. Coupled with the fact that the Koreans spoke no Chinese and yes, very little English, made for an interesting time.

Wait there's more
Someone, who shall remain nameless, decided that it was a good idea to have my Chinese counterpart, we'll call him BOB, arrange all the travel and hotel details for them and myself. Strike One. Oh, did I mention that BOB was also the main contact person with the Korean's and that I couldn't contact the vendor directly? Strike Two. Weeks go by and I get no information from BOB. I can't call him because I don't have an email, telephone number or FBI Most Wanted Poster. Nothing. Strike Three. A week before the trip to Korea and no information from BOB. I have no choice but to call someone from Duracell to get his number. I call BOB with the assistance of Linda a Chinese co-worker and the conversation goes something like this:

Me: Hi BOB. It's Tony. We're suppose to be meeting in Korea in a

couple of days and I still don't have your itinerary. When and where will

we be meeting the vendor? What hotel will we be staying at and how will we get there?
BOB: Oh, Tony, I... ah... I ah... (changes to Chinese)
Linda: (translating)- He said that he will send you his itinerary today.

He has arranged the transportation and hotel with the Koreans.
Me: (thinking to myslf): Boy, I misjudged BOB, he had things under control afterall.

Three days go by and no email from BOB.
I have no choice so, I book my flight to Korea. I heard a rumor about

their itinerary, so I make the same arrangement. Two days until the flight I call BOB.

Me: It's Tony. I have not heard from you so I booked my flight.

I've sent you my itinerary by email. Is everything correct?
BOB: Tony, oh... ah...oh,
(I ask Linda for help)
Linda: He said that the time is good and that Mr. Byoun will meet

you at the airport and drive you to the factory. Oh and by the way,

they have not yet received their visas yet, so they may not go.
Me: WHAT? (veins pulsating on my forehead)
Linda: He said that they should receive the visa today.

BOB receives his visa and the trip is on so I sent my flight information to Mr. Byuon. Now, there is something you should know about Korea. They have their own mobile frequency, which means that no other mobile phone in the world will work in Korea. So I have no way of contacting Mr. Byoun when I arrive at the airport. But that's not a problem because he has my itinerary, I think.

By the grace of GOD or the fact that I stick out like a sore thumb, we all find each other. The plant is 3 hours away from the airport. This was the quietest ride I've every experienced. I slept most of the way. I hope that I didn't drool or talk in my sleep, not that it would matter because no one spoke English. We check into a Motel. You know the type that you pay by the hour. Now what would people need an hourly hotel for? All I can say is yuck!

Of course I am taking some dramatic license here but, not too much. We ran the trial. BOB would ask my opinion on something and then not understand what I was saying. It was like talking to a mental patient.

It's Tuesday and we finish the trial. Tomorrow we would have a wrap up meeting and I would take the long trip back to the airport. I find out the BOB has changed his plans and decided to see another vendor and would be returning to China on Friday. Okay, no skin off my nose. I arrange my transportation back to the airport with Mr. Byoun. There is a heavy exchange of rapid fire Korean and then he says:

Mr. Byoun: Okay. We leave for the airport at 1:15 pm.
Me: What about BOB? How is he going to get to the vendor? (Not that I really cared).
Mr. Byoun: We will drive BOB to see his vendor.
Me: And what about me?
Mr. Byoun: You will take the bus.
Me: Huh? Bus? You mean car- different letters and it starts with a C.
Mr. Byoun: No No, they have bus to the airport. Takes 3 1/2 hours.
Me: Wait- Mr. Byoun aren't there two airports in Korea?
Mr. Byoun: Yes.
Me: How would I know I am at the right airport?
Mr. Byoun: No Problem.
Me: Great- No Problem. Here we go again.

So we have a quick lunch at the bus terminal. As in most Asian countries, people don't understand how to wait on line so as soon as the bus doors open there is a mad rush. By the time I get in, the only remaining seat is in the back over the engine. An hour into the ride, I start smelling something cooking, maybe pork, no, wait it's me. As it turns out, the bus does stop at both airports but luckily for me the signs are in English.

The flight home was uneventful. I've had enough Kim Chi to last me a life time. When I arrived home, I ask Susan what she wanted to do for dinner. She tells me that she was thinking about having Korean food ...... everyone's a comedian.

The Three Stooges

Ok, adapting to life in Shanghai has been full of events that you can't plan for. For one, Matthew's school bus didn't show up on the first day of school. Why you ask? Well, because the bus coordinator didn't read my instructions on the form. After completing the form and faxing it in so he could be on the bus schedule, the bus coordinator just read our street address and assumed that we lived in a different apartment building that happens to be on my road. Hmm...let's see, there's quite a few apartment buildings on my road, why did he just assume I would be in that building? Anyway, Matthew was late for the first day of school. Luckily, I was able to have Mr. Wu, the Company driver take Matthew and I to school. I found Henry, the bus coordinator. I was armed with a copy of the marketing brochure for the apartment building, a street map that I highlighted to show where we lived and last, explained to him that the bus driver cannot just drop my kid off on any corner. I wanted Matthew delivered to the front of the building. Let's just say Henry got my point loud and clear. Matthew arrived home safely that afternoon. I think the New Yorker in me got to him.

So, moving right along. We've had sporadic problems with our phone service and internet connection. Sometimes, when I get a call, I would get a very annoying beeping sound much like a fax machine. Sometimes the calls come through but, you get this horrendous sizzling sound and you can't hear the other person because the sound quality is horrible. The piece d'resistance is when you can't dial out. Then comes the internet problems. I am usually unable to get internet connection because it's very slow- not high speed cable- it's ADSL and it's as slow as molasses. I've had the phone company up here at least 15 times since I've arrived in Shanghai and they never seem to be able to solve the problem. I usually get the "it's not my assignment" speech and you'll have to call a computer specialist. Ok, if China Telecom is providing the phone service and the box that allows me to get internet access, I believe that the internet problem is part of the phone company's responsibility. However, the workers don't see it that way and we're back in the vicious cycle again.

Yesterday, after losing both phone and internet service, the phone company sent the Three Stooges to see me. Larry, Curly and Moe walked into the apartment shortly after lunch and I knew I was doomed. They came up with the brillant solution of separating the phone line from the internet line (ok- I've asked them to do that a month ago and they told me it wasn't necessary) so instead of the single line being split for telephone and internet, I have a dedicated line for phone service and a dedicated line for internet. Sounds like a easy fix right? Wrong!!! Three hours go by and Larry, Curly and Moe completely dismantle the wiring behind the wall and left a pile of dust. They then turn to me and say:
The Three Stooges: "Tai Tai, ni dian nao hen hao le. Wo men chu le."
Meaning Lady, your computer works now. We're leaving.
Me: (in my limited Mandarin peppered with Cantonese) You're leaving? What about my phone? I have no dial tone and it still doesn't work.
The Three Stooges: You have to wait until tomorrow for it to be fixed.
Me: Tomorrow? Why?
The Three Stooges: It's not our job to fix the phone. Someone is working on it at the facility. It will be done by tomorrow sometime.

Ok. I'm being held hostage by the Three Stooges. I speak to the building engineer, Mr. Huang, who is well aware of this problem and he is the one left cleaning up the mess that Larry, Curly and Moe left behind. He was kind enough to tell me that he will follow up with the phone company on the status of my phone.

I am happy to report, that the phone situation has been resolved. I can actually receive phone calls now. Though, sometimes the phone does have that annoying beeping sound but at least the sizzling sound has gone away. You learn to accept things are they are here in Shanghai.

Hong Kong

Matthew and I just returned from our quick getaway to Hong Kong. I picked up my passport after "presenting" myself (now really, who would really want to be me?) and picked up Matthew's passport and ran over to the China Eastern Air ticket office to pick up our plane tickets. We ran home and packed a quick bag and Matthew and I were off running for the airport to catch a 4 pm flight to Hong Kong. Landed, picked up a Hong Kong SIM card and called my cousin from the airport and said "WE'RE HERE!!!". Needless to say, it was a wonderful reunion for me to see my family after many years (too many years) and a wonderful experience for Matthew.

Most of my family never met Matthew in person and have seen him in pictures over the years. My Godmother met Matthew when he was 4 months old with a few whisps for hair and no teeth. She was amazed to see him in person and we were all amazed at how time quickly passes. My cousin Cheung Yau and his wife, Gloria were planning to visit us in Shanghai since I couldn't leave China without the residence visa. So needless to say, when I called to say we arrived in Hong Kong he was absolutely thrilled. Of course, immediately after my arrival, I arranged for Matthew's return visitor's visa into China otherwise, he would be stuck in Hong Kong and can't attend school (I'm sure if I told him he couldn't attend school, he would be thrilled).

We had a reunion with May and the kids and spent Thursday wandering around Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. We took the kids on a tour and we visited a very old village and showed the kids what life is really like to other families. Needless to say, they were quite shocked to see people living in a home that is less than 200 square feet that comprised of a kitchen, living room and bedroom and no bathroom in the home. These residents had to use the bathrooms in the outhouses. Jocelyn and Matthew were shocked and quite appreciative of what they have at home.

May and I left the kids with Auntie Momo that evening and went shopping at the Ladies Market in Mong Kok. The Ladies Market is like a flea market where vendors set up their "stalls" and everything and anything is available. All you have to do is roam around and see what you're looking for and start bargaining. Needless to say, I was very happy to be able to "speak" to the vendors in Cantonese and have them understand me and utilize my bargaining skills. May was happy to have me there to translate for her and we had a great time just the two of us wandering the streets without the kids. Our fantasy lasted about two hours and we had to return to reality.

Tony was on business in Shenzen, China and was scheduled to return to Shanghai on Friday evening but, decided to take the Turbojet Hydrofoil from Shenzen and arrived in Hong Kong on Friday evening and spent the weekend with us. Of course, there was fabulous food in Hong Kong and lots of shopping. We wandered back to Mong Kok on Saturday morning to what is known as Electronic Alley with May and they each picked up new cell phones. Of course, I had to bargain for them and had to be subjected to being yelled at by the sales person since Tony didn't believe the prices quoted for the phones were absolutely low until he left the store and started to see what other stores were quoting for the same phones. After realizing the mistake, I had to go back and "eat crow" and of course, "accept the blame" for the sale being botched in the morning. Since I had the upper hand and could speak Cantonese, I told the sales person that both Tony and May were difficult to deal with and it was no joy for me to have to work with them as well. Ok, I had to put some blame somewhere.

We had a farewell dinner with May, Auntie Momo and the kids last night. They left Hong Kong last night to go onto Cyprus to see her cousin Jo who has been expatriated there for an assignment. Needless to say, it was a tearful farewell. May's Grandmother was pretty teary eyed, her Aunt and Uncle as well but, they promised to come visit us in Shanghai soon.

I had "farewells" with my family as well but, since we will be returning to spend the Christmas holiday with them, it wasn't as painful. Tony left this afternoon to return to Shenzen for business on the Turbojet Hydrofoil and Matthew and I left to return to Shanghai to prepare for school orientation on Wednesday.

Matthew loves Hong Kong and he's pretty excited that we'll be spending Christmas in Hong Kong with my family. May and the kids are planning to return to Shanghai next summer and we'll probably plan a trip to Beijing, Xian and Guilin with the kids.

Whirlwind

May, Auntie Momo and the kids arrived in Shanghai after much anticipation on Thursday, August 3rd. We had a wonderful meal that evening to welcome them to Shanghai at Shintori, an upscale Japanese restaurant in the heart of the French Concession area. We walked around the French Concession area that evening and the area reminded me alot of the Soho area in New York that I miss very much.

We started off our marathon sightseeing on Friday with a trip to Jing An Temple and then proceeded to walk about 5 miles on Nanjing Road with the kids in the blazing sun and humidity to the Shanghai Museum. The kids had a great time at the Museum and were fascinated with the ceramics, chops, calligraphy, jade and other artifacts. We then headed downtown to the Xintiandi area and had a wonderful meal at Zen that evening where May's Grandmother was visiting family members in Shanghai as well. We had a mini-reunion with Grandma since we last saw her in the States for Thanksgiving at May's house.

Saturday, we took the kids over to the Pudong side of Shanghai and visited the Shanghai Science Museum. They had a great time there and then we went over to Century Park where the kids were feeding the fish in the lake. We headed over to a Korean Barbeque restaurant for dinner that night and experienced our first charcoal cooked barbeque. We topped the evening off with a visit to Jin Miao Tower to view the skyline of Shanghai and it was really beautiful to see the city all lit up.

Sunday, we met with one of May's friends- Dave who is here on business in Shanghai and he took us over to Yu Yuan and we proceeded to shop (quite a bit) and the kids were getting a bit unruly. We headed over to the Marriott Hongqiao and had a wonderful buffet luncheon and the kids each picked up some animals made from palm leaves. Dave took us over for dinner that night to a Sichuan retaurant (extremely hot!) that had a Chinese Mask Fan Show that was absolutely fascinating! The kids really enjoyed the show. The dancer would dance with fans and then wave the fan over his face and his mask would change. We were pretty up close to him and we still can't figure out how he did it. Though Matthew is really trying to figure out how it's done.

Monday, May and I took the kids for a cruise on the Huangpu River and then headed over to the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall. We headed over to People's Park and had dinner at this fantastic restaurant- South Beauty 881.

Tuesday, May's last day in Shanghai . We headed back to Yu Yuan to shop for last minute gifts for May to bring back. The kids were much better behaved this time and we returned home to help May pack. May and the kids left this evening to return to Hong Kong and Matthew and I are hoping to be able to go to Hong Kong tomorrow evening.

Matthew has a slight problem in getting his residence visa issued. We received a call last week asking for proof that Matthew is our child. Normally, I do have a copy of Matthew's birth certificate with me. However, with the move, everything got put onto the container that was supposed to arrive in Shanghai on August 6th but has been delayed due to the typhoons that are causing problems in the Hong Kong area. We are not sure when the container will arrive and May is the only person who can help me get a copy of his birth certificate and she's been here with me and will not be returing to the States until the end of the month. Therefore, until the container arrives or until May sends a copy of his birth certificate, Matthew's residence visa is on hold. This causes a slight problem if I want to travel with Matthew to Hong Kong since he entered China on a single entry visa. He can leave China but, he can't return. Unless I can take him to Hong Kong and apply for another single entry visa in order to get him back into the country in time to start school. If that's possible, that would be great.

So.....I am supposed to go back to the Residence Visa office tomorrow and "present" myself in order to pick up my passport. I am hoping that my little quick fix solution will work. If my solution is possible, Matthew and I will be running for a plane tomorrow night to Hong Kong. If we can't, Matthew and I will have to remain in China until we can get the residence visa situation resolved.

Blending In......Not Really

We have been doing alot of the domestic things that families do on a daily basis. Susan found many places to shop (no surprise, if you know Susan). She has explored the train system and we have been taking the train everywhere. The train system is modern, clean and cheap. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but this was a major achievement. Susan and Matthew are picking up the language faster than me. I've been travelling everywhere. I've been to Beijing, Korea, Shenzhen, Dongguan and 5 other provinces that I can't even remember. It is hot in Shanghai, it's Africa hot, Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot and did I mention humid? It's like living in a giant humidor. That was very suprising for me because Shanghai is about the same latitude as New York.

Susan and Matthew found the Grand Gateway in Xuijiahui. They took me there over the weekend. It's a very large mall that is very similar to what you would find in the States. There's a floor devoted to electronics (yes!), there's a Nike Store, Disney Cuties, Hello Kitty, Rubbermaid, Hallmark, Formula One and other brands that we're not familar with. It was interesting to see the different stores. The mall had two floors full of restaurants and we had a very cheap Thai lunch for 129RMB (that's about $16 US) complete with three dishes and cans of Coca-Cola.


An old family friend of Susan's is currently working in Shanghai and was kind enough to take us to this resort area called She Shan. Hard to believe that is was about an hour from the downtown Puxi area and not too far from where we live. It's the Le Meridian hotel and we had afternoon tea there. The hotel had a lot to do for kids and Matthew even caught some fish in the pond- about 15 of them and he was ready to bring them home and adopt them. Susan had to convince him that the right thing to do was to return them back to the pond. She wasn't ready to be a surrogate mother to 15 fishes. So, Matthew and I returned the fishes into the pond.

We're awaiting our first visitors to our new home. Matthew's Godmother May and her two children, Jocelyn and Joanna and Auntie Momo are currently in Hong Kong and will be arriving in Shanghai this week to stay with us. Matthew is very excited about this and has been anxiously awaiting their arrival. Susan and Matthew will be off and running all over Shanghai with them as they explore the city together. There will be visits to the Shanghai Science Museum, the Acquarium, French Concession area, the Bund, the Pearl TV Tower, the Insect Museum and if Susan can squeeze it in with three kids, shopping as well.

Matthew will start school after May and the kids leave. He's anxious to start so he can meet the kids in his class.

Susan and Matthew's Great Adventures

We've been living in Shanghai a little over a week. Needless to say, it's a bit daunting trying to find our way around. Shanghai is a very large city and when we first arrived, we took a taxi everywhere. Now, a little over a week, I am now dragging Matthew all over town by train and it's incredibly cheap (16 RMB roundtrip for the two of us which is US $2.00) . Our first adventure on the train didn't go as planned. I wanted to take Matthew to visit this area called Xintiandi (which means New Heaven and Earth). Typical tourist trap but, I wanted to save his brain from turning into mush from watching too much Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon (yes, those channels are here thanks to satellite tv). Getting off the train, we were supposed to transfer to another train to get to where we were supposed to go. Instead, we wound up at the Cloud 9 Mall. Okay, not a bad compromise, but not quite where I wanted to go. We exited the train station instead of going down the corridor to the train platform. Fast forward, several days later, I am proud to say that I managed to get Matthew to the Shanghai Science Museum in Pudong and we spent a wonderful day together at the Museum. Today, we went back on the train to the Pudong side and found the Shanghai Aquarium and, what's that across the street? Another MALL!!! This mall had things that I never thought I would see in Shanghai- like Sephora, Kenny Rogers Roasters (who knew that the cowboy would be a celebrity here as well?), Nike and all the other brand names that we're familar with in the States.

Ordering food can be a bit of a problem since we're trying to get by with my limited Mandarin. In frustration, I often pepper my conversation with Cantonese which causes people to say to me "Shen Me?" which translated means "What the hell are you saying?". When we order meals, I often call it "Mom's Surprise" because who knows what I ordered in my limited Mandarin. So far, we haven't eaten anything that I can't identify so, that's a good thing.

We're still waiting for the arrival of our air shipment from the States. We're supposed to receive it on Friday, the 21st. This is after we were told we were supposed to receive it no later than Friday, July 14th. I've learned one thing since I've been here, nothing ever shows up on time.

Rockets Red Blaze

I'm sorry that I haven't updated the blog sooner but, we have been very busy over the past two weeks trying to get settled. I was back in the US for two weeks over the Fourth of July holiday. I returned home to help Susan and Matthew pack up the balance of the house and to say so long to our friends and family. To sum it in one sentence, I had a great time. I couldn't think of a better send off.

We spent time with people that really mean alot to us. It was bitter sweet to see everyone or what may be the last time in the next three years but, we really enjoyed each and every visit. We met with May, Auntie Momo, the kids, Belle and Steve and had a fabulous dinner at London Lennies. I met Steve for the first time and he was extremely likeable and very funny.

We had a lunch reunion with all our friends from the Chinese school in Long Island. It was really great to see how big the kids have gotten since we saw each other last Summer. That same day, Matthew had dinner plans with his friend Robert and we took off to see our old neighbor, Barbara.

The next morning, Matthew had a playdate with his friend Reilly while Susan and I continued to work on packing up the house since the movers were returning on Friday for the final packing. Friday was extremely hectic- the movers came early and spent the day packing and wrapping. It was 6 pm before we finally left the house and checked into the hotel. We had our dinner with the Guys- Tony, Gus, Anthony and Al. We even met Stephanie, Gus' girlfriend and capped off the evening with champagne in the hotel.

We went up to see my Uncle on his farm in Woodstock, New York. Matthew and I had a blast riding on the ATV- my parents even took a ride. We had a wonderful Korean dinner with Terry and Tanya in Flushing. Then we were off having a send off with Susan's family in Chinatown. We spent the Fourth of July with May and her family and I got to drive Tom's cars. I will always get excited when I remember the car going at top speed on the highway.

We met with Boris and Irina and they were the last people to see us before we left the US. We will always remember the send off we received from all of our friends and family.

Balancing Act

Did you ever wonder why they don't make stools with one leg? The obvious answer is that if they did, you would be constantly off balance, never feeling comfortable and eventually you'd fall down. Well, that's the way I've been feeling for the past 5 weeks, like a one legged stool. I didn't realize it until I came home that Susan and Matthew are my other legs. I know that sounds corny or even dramatic, but it's the truth.

It's Sunday today in the US and our hectic packing schedule will begin tomorrow. By Friday the 30th, all our furniture will be in storage, our house will be vacated and we will be in the final transition stage of our relocation to China. Holy Crap. This is for real.

We went to Dinah and John's house yesterday and saw Andrew, Viola, Violet and all the kids. As usual, we had a great time laughing, eating and talking. When it was time to go, we all hugged and kissed and suddenly we realized that this will be the last time we will probably see each other for the next three years. We couldn't seem to leave. We said good bye to Dinah and John at least three times and I'm thinking to myself, I am going to feel like this with everyone we see in the next two weeks. Wow, okay, enough drama, now on to the slap stick.

NO PROBLEM
I've come to hate the phrase "No Problem" because inevitably, when I hear it, I know that it is going to be trouble. I was asked to go to Southern China last Friday, to an area called Shenzhen. Expats call the area the "wild wild South" get the picture? Let me tell you how my trip went:

Thursday, June 16th
Lars: "Tony, can you go with Walter (a Braun quality manger), to Shenzhen this weekend?"
Me: "Okay. Where will I be staying, who will I be visiting and where are the plane tickets?"
Lars: "Oh, the secretary will arrange everything. NO PROBLEM."
Me: "Okay."

Friday, June 17th
4:00 pm (I still haven't gotten anything from the secretary)
Lars (urgency in his voice): "I think you better go to the airport."
Me: "When should I leave?"
Lars: "Ah.....right now"
Me: "Where are my tickets and where will I be staying?"
Lars: "You have e-tickets at the airport and here is your itinerary at the vendors
Me: "Is there time to make the flight?"
Lars: "NO PROBLEM"

At the airport one hour before the flight
Me: "I have an e-ticket waiting"
Ticket agent: Hands me the ticket.
Me: (thinking to myself), Boy that was easy. I happily walk over to security with my Braun friend and hand the e-ticket to the guard and she says...
Guard: "Where you ticket?"
Me: (Panic in my voice)"What do you mean? My ticket is in you hand"
Guard: "No. You need ticket."

At this point, gentle reader, let me clarify something to you. E-ticket in China is not the same as any where else in the modern world. For all it's changes, China is still a paper society. Their idea of an e-ticket is to wait on line to get a piece of paper that is stamped with an official seal and then you bring this paper to another line and wait to get a boarding pass, doubling the time it takes to actually board a plane. Sounds stupid? It is.

Now I'm running back to the e-ticket counter with Walter trailing behind. I cut in front of a line of people waiting to get the e-tickets, which is totally accepable in China, and ask the agent where I can get my boarding pass. He vaguely points over to the left and we are off again. All I had to do was find the China Southern counter, get my boarding pass, go through security and run to my gate in the next 45 minutes- NO PROBLEM, right?

Sound easy enough except we couldn't find the China Southern counter. I don't think GOD himself could have found the place. We found 10,000 China Eastern, 2500, Dragon Airs and 10 Southern China Airlines (which we hoped was a grammatical mistake, but it wasn't), but no BLOODY CHINA SOUTHERN COUNTER! Finally, as if almost divinely directed, from the corner of my eye I see something... wait...behind the huge standing billboard, yes I think I see a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper with the words China Southern Airlines scrolled on it.

I bolt for the counter. My bag is hitting me on the ass like a Jockey whipping his horse on the home stretch. I come to a sliding halt at the counter. I still have 30 minutes. NO PROBLEM. I hand the guy my e-ticket and he says one word, "PROBLEM". Apparently, the ticket machine had broken down. A this point, I spewed a series of curse words, making some up as I went along because I used all the ones that I knew. He manages to fix the machine and hands me my boarding pass - 25 minutes left. I sprint for the the security gate doing my best OJ Simpson imitation, (the jumping over the luggage part, not the killing part). I get through security - 15 minutes left. Of course, my gate is at the end of the terminal. I start running on those moving side walks doing about 60 mph- 10 minutes left. NO PROBLEM. I get to the gate, out of breath, sweat pouring down my face, hand the agent my boarding pass and she says "The flight is delayed for one hour." And I said, "NO PROBLEM."

Fast boat to Hong Kong
The rest of the trip was uneventful. Our Sunday meeting was cancelled, so Walter and I decided to take the Hydrofoil into Hong Kong. When we get to the port, we are told that we just missed the boat and the next one was in three hours. Okay, we will just go back to the hotel, have some lunch and come back later.

In Shanghai, the taxis are well organized and fairly inexpensive. Your driver takes you to your destination and you pay him the amount on the meter. This is not unique to Shanghai, in fact it is done the same way everywhere in the world except Shenzhen. I walk up to the first taxi in line, show him the address of the hotel in Chinese and get in his cab. The first thing I realize is that he is not getting in the car. He sticks his head in the back window and says:

Driver: "How much you pay?"
Me: "I don't know because you haven't driven me yet."
Driver: "No, how much?"

He types the number 450 rmb in his phone so I can see it. This is approximately $50 US. The hotel is 5 miles away, this guy is smoking crack!

Me: "No, no, no 100 rmb" (about $12 which is still alot but I just wanted to get out of there)
Driver: "150"
Me: "100"
Driver: "Okay, okay" and he walks away.

So I get out of his car. Another driver says ok 100 so I follow him to his cab. The first driver starts arguing with the second driver. A third driver comes over, okay 100 and begins pushing me to his car. It was a frenzy. The drivers were all screaming at each other. I get in the cab and the driver starts to pull away and the first driver blocks the cab with his car. At this point all hell breaks loose. They were chasing each other, screaming and throwing things like a Chinese version of the Keystone cops . Walter and I get out of the cab and decide that it was safer to wait the three hours in the port.

We had a great time in Hong Kong. The day was beautiful and we had a nice lunch at the Intercontinental Hotel. While I was eating, I had a stoke of genius. I called the hotel in Shenzen and arranged for the shuttle to pick us up at the port for the return trip. This worked out perfectly and it only cost us 120 rmb. I wished I thought of that earlier. Oh well, you live and learn.

I am truly happy to be home. I have to go to Duracell on Monday morning for a meeting and to return some things and then the packing fun begins..... more to come.

Matthew's Farewell

On Friday, June 23rd, it was Matthew's last day at Hart Elementary School (above) and at Piper's Hill (right). He will be entering fourth grade in August in Shanghai and has completed a chapter of his life with Piper's Hill. Piper's Hill has been a tremendous part of our lives for the past nine years and has been the second home for Matthew since he was three months old. It was very bittersweet.

We started the day with a donut party for the kids at the elementary school. Matthew walked around the school to visit his teachers from the previous years to say good bye. In the afternoon, we had an ice cream party for the after school program at Piper's Hill. It was very nice that all the kids in the after school program made a little speech for Matthew and gave him a shirt with their names on it. He also received cards made by the children and will be cherished for a very long time. Matthew and I got pretty teary eyed with Angelica, the Executive Director of Piper's Hill. Angelica (left) is Matthew's honorary Greek Yia Yia (grandmother). I have known Angelica for the past nine years and have had the privilege of working very closely with her over the past six years, while I was a member of the Board of Directors. I've also had the pleasure of working with Debbie (below) and Bess, who are the right hands of Angelica. Emotions aside, it was a pretty significant day for Matthew and I.

Tony was on his way back to the US to help us with the balance of the move that will start on Monday, June 26th. Due to weather conditions, there were significant delays from Shanghai to Chicago and Chicago to New York and he didn't arrive home until 2 AM on Saturday morning.

In the meantime, we have lots to do around the house before the movers arrive on Monday and will also be busy with the marathon of lunch and dinner appointments with many people who want to see us before we leave. We'll be moving out of the house at the end of the week and will be camping out in a hotel for the balance of the time. Lots to do before we leave and I hope that we will get it all done.

Unemployed

Well, I am officially unemployed. This is the first time in my life that I am without a job. It is a feeling that I am having a hard time adjusting to despite all that needs to be done before we leave for China. I left International Paper on Thursday, June 15th. I did the usual with Human Resources- returned the key to my office, returned all of the Company issued equipment and signed the termination agreement. It just seemed so anti-climatic to me after all the months of anticipation of the final day. I was the last one left in my department.

I met with my former colleagues on Friday evening at my former boss, Andrea's house for a farewell dinner. It was great to see everyone again and we've even made plans to have a final dinner before Matthew, Tony and I leave for China in July. The next day, Matthew and I went to my friend, Margaret's home (she is one of my nearest and dearest friends. We experienced a lot together on a trip to China many years ago) for a farewell lunch that turned into a farewell dinner as well. Matthew had a great time playing with his little buddy, Nicholas and they even engaged in a water fight and involved two other kids up the street as well. Needless to say, the two of them came back sopping wet and needed to be wrung out and dried.

A lot will be happening this Friday. Tony will be coming home to help with the final move and Matthew will finish school. I will be throwing a farewell party at the elementary school in the morning and a ice cream party at Piper's Hill in the afternoon. Nothing like sugaring up the kids before I send them home for the weekend.

We will be vacating our home on June 30th and will be moving to a hotel for the balance of the time period. We have found a corporate tenant for the next two years. Our home will be rented to a couple transferring to the U.S. on assignment from the Netherlands. Things are falling into place. My car has been sold, my plants have been moved to new homes and now all that's left is the balance of the packing and a prayer that all our items will arrive in China.

Coffee, Tea or Breath Mint?

Updating the blog is proving to be a difficult thing because the Chinese government is blocking blogs. Apparently, people within China use the blogs to express political and religious views which are strictly forbidden. Little do they know that this blog is about toilet paper and physical abuse. Go figure.

Anyway, on to the update.... My return trip from Hong Kong was interesting. I sat next to a 70 year old man whose breath smelled like he licked a horses ass. He was sitting in the middle seat next to me, so every time the stewardess came by, I would get a blast of dung breath that would make my eyes water. The flight was around noon so they started serving lunch. In my mind I'm thinking, "Thank God, maybe some food will wash that smell reeking from his pie hole away". The lunch menu consisted of noodles with some foreign substance that I think was edible but I'm not absolutely sure. After scoffing down his meal and a couple of glasses of orange juice, I thought that the problem was solved. Instead, his breath had transformed into something that would make a skunk puke. At this point, I had stopped breathing altogether. It's amazing how long you can hold your breath when you have the proper incentive.

Fast forward two hours into the flight and the pilot informs the passengers that we will be landing shortly. At least, that's what I thought he said because it was in Chinese, or maybe he said "Kiss your sorry asses good bye because this is my first time flying." I was truly scared. The plane is going up and down like a roller coaster. Then side to side and we are getting closer to the ground. People began to panic. The old guy next to me is spewing toxic breath all over the place as he rattled off a version of "Holy Shit, I'm going to die!" in Chinese. My life begins to flash before my eyes as we get lower to the ground. My heart is pumping like a jack hammer as the plane comes in sideways to the runway. How we landed safely I don't know. All I can say is that my pants now smelled of the the old guys breath!

All in all things are getting better. Not knowing the language really sucks and it make everyday tasks a major event but, it's getting better. I count the days when I return to home to be with my family. I know living in Shanghai will be tolerable maybe even enjoyable once they are here.

Christmas in Shanghai

Well, the boxes have arrived from customs and all the contents were in there. There goes my overactive imagination that the custom agents were having a grand old time going through the contents of the boxes and eating all the food. The much anticipated arrival was like Christmas for Tony. He's happy that there's music, cereal, snacks and most of all, the familar items of home are now in China. He made it back from Hong Kong safely and has even started to venture out to find out where things are. He made another trip to Carrefours on Sunday in anticipation of the arrival of the boxes. He purchased some food, picked up a kitchen appliance and had lunch at Carrefours. He even found a place in Carrefours that sells gelato, and its quite good. He's starting to feel like he lives in Shanghai and I trust that he'll find other places in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, I did some research on the internet and found a mall within walking distance to the apartment and even a fancy bakery of some sort. I'm sure by the time Matthew and I arrive things will be running a bit smoother and Tony will have the lay of the land and can tell me where to find the things that I need to make the household run smoothly.

Meanwhile, the house is still being shown and I'm going to see who makes the best offer. Since I technically haven't signed a lease agreement yet, the house can still be shown. We'll see who will be my lucky tenant and I can practice being a landlord over the next three years.

Oh, and did I mention that my mother is planning to visit us in China? Oh, and she plans to bring my sister Sheila of course and my grand aunt. Those who know me know that I often refer to the three of them as the "door prize." I don't just get one door prize, I always have three door prizes. I don't know how I was ever blessed with such luck. My sister Sandi is chuckling since she knows that this will turn into a long vacation for my mother. Having the three of them with me under one roof will mean months or even years of intensive therapy for me. So, Christmas can come early. For Tony, it was the arrival of the boxes, for me it's the door prize.

Changes

Hard to believe that a week has gone by. Tony's been living overseas and adapting to life in China while Matthew and I are chugging along here in the States. Matthew's busy counting down the days before he's done with school and we'll be on a plane to China. I'm counting down my last days with International Paper.

Our home went on the rental market last Friday and by Tuesday evening, we had an offer. Wow. That was fast. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled that we found a tenant and everything checked out. Now all we need to do is sign the lease agreement and on July 15th, Tony and I will officially become Landlords. The good thing is that we'll have someone here to manage the property in our absence and we won't have to deal with the phone calls at 3 AM in China that something has gone wrong. I can't imagine trying to deal with those issues halfway around the world.

Tony in the meantime is dealing with issues in China. Namely, the residence permit. Yes- the residence permit. It came to his attention five days after he arrived that the "business" visa that's affixed to his passport that allows him a one time entry into China is not the correct visa. Apparently, a "work" visa should have been applied for in order for the residence permit application to be processed. WHO KNEW? It was never communicated to him by HR in China that he had to apply for a work visa. So, a standard business visa was issued which allowed him a one time entry into the country and allow him to stay a maximum of 90 days. However, once he leaves, he can't return unless he applies for another entry visa. Well that's a slight problem. Considering he's returning at the end of June to help me finalize the move and then we're all going to return to China in July to live together as a family. The residence permit had to be resolved within 15 days upon arrival into China. So, he went to Hong Kong to get this resolved.

The good news is it was resolved in Hong Kong and he's returning to China tomorrow. If all goes well, he'll be readmitted into the country, the residence permit application will then be approved and the boxes that have been sitting in customs will finally be released. Yes- the infamous boxes that I so painstaking prepared over two weeks ago. The boxes have arrived in China and could not be released until Tony arrived into the country. Proof of his entry and a copy of his passport, baggage claim that's stamped with a chop has been turned over to the courier in order for the boxes to be released. As of today, no boxes yet. I have this vision of the customs agents going through the boxes and eating the cereal, popping the pop corn and just having a grand old time with the contents of the boxes. OH WELL.

Day One

I flew into Shanghai on Thursday, May 18th. Little did I know that I was flying into a Typhoon. Not a Typhoon in the figurative sense, I mean TYPHOON - wind blowing, raining cats and dogs, plane rocking back and forth---that kind of stuff. Considering the weather and the fact that the plane landed on one wheel, the rest of the landing was uneventful.

I had flown for 18 hours and needless to say, I was exhausted but, my day was just beginning. First off, I had to go through a "special" line to get two baggage claims tickets stamped so I can get the packages that I sent a week ago out of customs. Special usually means trouble.

So this is what I envisioned in my mind for the whole entire flight.

I walk up to baggage claim and.....

Me: Hello, I need multiple baggage claims stamped because I've shipped some of my belongings by air.
Guard: Dwebuchi chinwan, Ni shu?
Me: Ah, hi, I need multipl......
Guard: Dwebuchi chinwan, Ni shu?
Me: Ahh...I need......
Guard: DWEBUCHI CHINWAN, NI SHU!!!!

At this point, the guards surround me, grab my arms and rush me off to a back room. A sweaty man in a military uniform mimes to me to remove my clothes, like some twisted charades game. After the anal cavity search....well you get the idea.

The reality was that they spoke English, slightly, and approved both baggage claims without a problem. Okay, so I have an over active imagination.

Melody, our realtor from Well & Well met me at the airport. We drove to the apartment and proceeded to inspect every itty, bitty detail. All I wanted was some toilet paper and drinkable water. I kept repeating to my self, "and don't forget to ask about the toilet paper. Can I get some toilet paper? Paper for the toilet? PLEASE, for God sakes, I'll give you a $100 US dollars for some toilet paper!"

We spent close to three hours signing documents, turning on all the appliances, reviewing instruction manuals and asking for toilet paper. At this point, I was ready to pass out. All I wanted to do was eat something and go to bed. No such luck. Don't get me wrong, I was very grateful for Melody's help but, I was tired. So tired in fact that I skipped dinner, a first for me, and went straight to bed.

The next morning, 2:45 am to be precise, I got up. Reality had set in that I have nothing. Nothing to eat, not a plate, not a fork, nothing except a coffee mug, some coffee and two towels that Sue put into my bag. I love you Sue. With these three items I was able to do things that MacGyver would have been proud of, now all I needed was some food. No problem, I'll just go to the local supermarket, if I knew where one was and of course when I get there they will all speak perfect English. I did tell you I have an over active imagination.

Fast forward, after not eating for two days, I decided that it was time to venture out. I found a couple of nice restaurants around the corner and a Starbucks. Of course, they were all closed at the time, but I now know where they are.

I got really brave yesterday and decided to take a taxi to a supermarket called Carrefours. It is an international supermarket that is French owned. According to the management person of the apartment building, this was going to be easy. All I had to do was press a button on the intercom and say "Taxi" to the front guard. Ok, I can do that, so I press the button and say "Taxi". What I heard was "Dwebuchi chin wan, ni shu?" oh my God not this again. I figured that the guard knows what I am talking about and that a taxi would be available instantly. So I gave him 5 minutes and went down stairs. I see the guard and say "Taxi" he nods his head. OK that was easy. After 10 minutes of standing around I realized that he didn't get it. Suddenly, the management agent comes running out and says,

Girl: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Yes, I need a taxi"
Girl: "Oh, ok" (she tell the guard something in Chinese and instantly a taxi appears.).
Me: "Can you tell the driver that I would like to go to Carrefours?"
Girl: "Carrefours?"
Me: "Yes, Carrefours"
Girl: Confused look on her face.. "I'm sorry, Carrefours?"
Me: "Yes, Carrefours"
Girl: "Oh, Carrefours" and turns to the driver and says "Carrefours"
Me: (thinking to myself) What the hell was that? I guess she couldn't understand my accent?

I get to Carrefours and almost started crying. They have most everything that Americans are used to. I purchase a large bowl, chop sticks, some plastic forks, plastic wrap and TOILET PAPER. Yes, I know I didn't buy any food but I was worried that if I bought too much I couldn't get it back to the apartment besides, I know where the restaurants are now.

I had a plan for getting back to the apartment. I took a sales brochure that had the address of the place on the back and I would just have to show it to the driver and voila! I assumed the Chinese writing on the back was the address or it could have been for underwear for all I know.

As it turns out, it was the address and I got a very nice taxi driver. I may go there again today around lunch time, this time I'll buy food.

I really miss Sue and Matt. Hopefully this month will go by fast so I can return to the US and see them again. More excitement ahead.

Countdown

I have been given my official end date at International Paper. My last day will be on June 15th. My group consisted of six women and we worked very well together. They were my lunch buddies and we truly enjoyed working with one another. The dynamics of our group started to change last month when Deborah left to join Xerox. Last week, my boss Andrea and my assistant Melinda left after the annual meeting of the Company. Now, there's just Mary, Carol and I until the end. I've started training my replacement and packing up my office. All the pictures and art work on my wall from Matthew's visits to my office and the art work contributed from my nephew Nicholas when he was visiting from Florida has been put away into a box and will go into storage.

Meanwhile, things are moving right along for Tony as well. The moving company sent two movers over last week to pack the air shipment of essentials for Tony. I had spent the previous week segregating a lot of household and non perishable food items for Tony so he could get the new home started until Matthew and I arrive in July. The movers arrived around 11:30 in the morning and it blew my mind to see the stuff packed and on the truck in less than an hour. It was as if locusts came in and invaded our home. I had never seen anything like it. In an effort to prepare the home to go on the rental market soon, I had scheduled the movers to return yesterday to start the process of putting stuff into storage for us. I truly thought we would only have about 20 boxes going into storage but, was amazed when it was more like 40. The movers showed up at 8:30 in the morning and by 9:45, everything was boxed and on the truck. The movers will return again in a few weeks and work with us over a three day period to move most of our furniture into storage and pack the items for shipment to China. We will be left with the bare minimum until July 6 when the balance of what's left will be removed from our home and into the storage facility. Pretty scary when you realize your entire house will be locked up in a room somewhere for the next three years.

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff one can accumulate. We've been in this home less than three years but yet, we somehow have stuff everywhere. Matthew's been really good about cleaning out his toys and has donated quite a bit to his little buddy Nicholas in New Jersey. We've also donated some of it to Piper's Hill, the child care center that Matthew started with when he was three months old. A bulk of the games and books went to Piper's Hill and I've donated quite a bit of books to the local library. My nephew Nicholas in Florida was also the lucky recipient of Matthew's computer games and toys. He was pretty happy when the box arrived from Connecticut.

We're getting down to the wire and I still have to sell my car and hope to find a good tenant to live in our home. So much to do...so little time left.

Transition

Okay, here's the update. I've sold my Caddy, well more like gave it away but, I am happy that it's over. My last day at Duracell was Friday, April 28th. They gave me a going away party nothing real formal just cookies and coffee in a conference room. I thought it was doing to be a small gathering but, as it turned out, all of Michael Robert's staff showed up - around 40 people. I didn't expect so many people to show up, maybe they just came for the cookies, ... wait a minute. Terry Hamilton opened up things with a speech, then Michael and finally me. It was pretty heart warming. The official going away party is scheduled for May 9th at Boston Billiards. I know it's going to get really sloppy then.

I've been home making repairs, getting the house ready to rent, my back feels like a gorilla is standing on it. It sucks getting old...er.

We spoke to the realtor yesterday about renting the place. It feels weird that someone else will be living in our house. I hope that we get a good tenant. Once we told our Lawyer that we will be renting she said "Okay, I will start the eviction notice ". Thanks for the sense of security Bernice. I'm sure that won't be necessary...... I hope.

I was informed by HR that I would have to give up my Blackberry, computer and American Express Corporate card upon my transfer to the ATC budget, which was on May 1st. The problem was that without these essential items I would not be able to communicate with anyone or even expense our relocation flights to Shanghai. Okay, I hear you saying, "Can't ATC give you those things, after all they are part of Gillette." The answer is yes they can, once I am in China which defeats the purpose because I need to get there first. Luckily, Duracell graciously allowed me to hold onto my corporate card and computer equipment until I return to the US in June to relocate my family to Shanghai.

Organizing this transfer is like watching a movie that has a ticking time bomb, they always diffuse it at the last second, same thing seems to be happening to me. For months I couldn't get answers to my questions and then suddenly things started falling into place last week, making the last of my hair that much grayer, gee thanks.

I must admit I'm feeling nervous about leaving without Susan and Matthew. In fifteen days I'll be on a plane, flying half way around the world away from my family. I've done plenty of traveling in my professional career and it never bothered me. Then again, I have never lived in another country. I'm sure I'll feel better once I get there and settle in.

Defcon 1

Well, I told my parents. My father first, that was hard but, easy compared to my mother. I told my father a week before Easter and he suggested that I shouldn't tell my mom until after Easter, good suggestion.

Monday - April 17th
So Easter comes and goes and now I have no excuses. So I muster up my courage and make the phone call. Okay, I can hear some of you saying, "You did it over the phone?", Yes! I did it over the phone, that was hard enough. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Mom, I was offered a new job in Shanghai! "
Mom : "Oh No!"
Me: "It's an incredible opportunity."
Mom: "Oh No!"
Me: "I can't begin to tell you how much Matthew, Susan and I will get out of it. Matthew will gain this wonderful life experience and Susan and I will be able to include the living and working in China on our resumes which will leapfrog our careers."
Mom: "Oh No!"
Me: "Okay then, bye Mom."
Mom: "Oh No!" Click.

"That went well", I thought to myself, looking for a broken bottle or some sharp object to cut my wrists with. Well, I figured that I would give it some time and she will come around. Yeah, that's it, time cures everything.

Saturday - April 22nd
My father is supposed to come over to help me install some molding around the garage door. I call him up in the morning and said "Hi Dad, are you still coming over to help me out and oh, and is Mom coming?" (I think my heart actually stopped at this point waiting for the answer). He says, "Yeah, we'll be there at ten." Boy, I was worried about nothing. I knew she'd come around and realize what a great opportunity this is.

Saturday, 10:00 AM
Ding Dong, the doorbell rings. I open the door and whack, she punched me. PUNCHED ME! What the hell. Then I see the tears and the nose blowing and the dramatic performance that was worthy of an academy award....(and the winner for most dramatic entrance goes to .... ). Well, needless to say, all hell broke loose. My mother is crying, Matthew is crying, I started yelling "You punched me!". Susan ran away somewhere and my father starts fixing the molding around the door. What insanity!

To make a long story short, after lots of yelling and crying and hammering, things got better. I showed them pictures of the new apartment and Matthew's school and by the end of the day, we were planning our vacations together. You know, sometime you have to break the wall down to build it up stronger .... or sometimes, things just seem to work out.

The Last Ride

Tony sold his motorcycle today and it was very sad. The dealer called and asked that he bring the bike into the shop so it can be inspected. It was a beautiful Spring day and he took a leisurely ride over to the dealer. The dealer took the bike for a test drive, came back and handed the license plates over to Tony. Tony didn't expect the bike to go that same day. It turned out to be his last ride on his bike. Everything seems so surreal right now. I am overwhelmed by what needs to be done. The movers have called to set up an appointment to assess what's going into storage and what's being shipped in the containers. I realize that some essentials will need to get shipped over to our new home in China so Tony would have part of a home up and running until Matthew and I arrive. Problem is, we don't have a signed lease yet and we don't have a residence permit. Which means, we can't send anything until the residence permit is issued and we know where we're living for sure. We're working with the real estate agent to secure the apartment that we all loved and are waiting to hear about our offer. On top of that, we're still trying to figure out what we're doing with our home in Connecticut. Are we going to rent it out or are we going to sell it? A part of me wants to keep the house- it's MY house. We've done some great renovations to it and I want to keep it. The market has softened in the New England area and it is something for me to come home to once this assignment is over. Tony is leaning towards selling the house. He's worried about tenants destroying what we've so painstaking taken care of. There are pros and cons to each. We have a conference call scheduled with the accountants who will be responsible for preparing our tax returns once we move out to China. The only thing we know for sure at this time is Matthew was accepted at the Shanghai American School in Pudong through early admission. He will start school on August 16.