Farewell Meals Part II

We had a final farewell lunch with Boris and Irina today. Matthew and I made a trip up to Duracell to see them. We had an Italian feast and of course, who can ever get enough of pasta right? It was really nice to be able to grab them for lunch before we leave on Sunday for our return trip home. There is a possibility that Boris may be sent over to China for a project. Ok, at least that's what I am hoping so that he'll get to visit us in Shanghai and we can return the hospitality.

As if we didn't eat enough, I had plans to meet with Lori for dinner as well. Matthew begged to be excused from dinner. Excused. That didn't stop me from meeting with Lori. Lori is someone who has known me for many, many years. She lives in Brooklyn in the same building where my Mom lives. I used to cat sit for Lori when she would go away. Though we keep in touch by phone, it's not the same until you see each other face to face. We headed over to London Lennies. Those who know me, know that I am absolutely crazy about the garlic bread. Lori has never been there before and this was her first exposure to the garlic bread. Let's just say that the bread was gone. I had steamers and a wonderful Loup de Mer and Lori had chilean sea bass. We rolled out of the restaurant 3.5 hours later. That shows you how much catching up we had to do.

This week marks the marathon farewell meals that Matthew and I will be attending. After we leave, Matthew and I will have to stop eating completely in order to lose the weight we've gained from all the eating we've done these past two months. Then again, you can't get this stuff in Shanghai. I'm sure that we'll be able to lose the weight quickly once we return.

Ladies Night Out

We had a reunion with Zio, Arlene and Anthony today. We saw Zio and Anthony over the Father's Day weekend in Woodstock. Arlene was in California helping her son Brad, who was sick. I am happy to report that he is in remission and it's good news. Zio, Arlene and Anthony came over first thing today and we had an Italian feast. Just when I didn't think it was possible to eat any more.... I skated out to meet Evelyn, Peggy, Liza and Suzy (the mom's from the Chinese school from Long Island).

We had plans to meet once more before I left town. So, we decided it was appropriate to have Korean barbeque. It's one thing to eat Korean by yourself and navigate through the menu. It's another to eat with a native. Suzy is Korean and she ordered everything and we even had this great Korean ginseng rice wine. Let's just say....we all ate.....lip smacking barbeque and there was very little left. It was nice to have a native do the speaking for us.

Afterwards, we headed to Starbucks and hung out and chatted. Lots of laughter, lots of noise coming from the table in the corner. It's sad to say, I'm really going to miss my friends. It was nice to have a ladies night out without children. Don't get me wrong, I love Matthew...I just need sometime to myself sometimes.

Doh!

We had a reunion dinner with my friend Carl and his two children, Rebecca and Emily before our return trip to New York. It was great to see him again and meet his kids. Sandi and Nicholas came along for dinner and we topped the evening off with ice cream from Emack and Bolio's. Something that we don't have in Shanghai....another thing that will probably make an appearance in Shanghai sometime in the near future.

Matthew and I left first thing Saturday morning for our return flight to New York. I returned to start the packing process (where did all this stuff come from????) and we had dinner plans to meet Uncle Al for dinner. Al is a friend of ours from many many moons ago. It was really nice to see Al since we didn't have a chance to see him before Tony left to return to Shanghai. After dinner, Al took Matthew to see the Simpsons movie. It's definitely a guy thing. They were both quite animated discussing Homer and Bart Simpson. I was happy to drop them off at the movie theatre. I spent the time browsing at the Barnes and Noble bookstore and then went over to pick them up. It was nice that Al took Matthew to the movie. I, for one, would have not appreciated the humor and it would have been painful for me to sit through it. After spending several days at Disney doped up on dramamine, it was nice to have someone else take Matthew out for entertainment. Thanks Al!

Our final week in the States is quickly drawing to a close. We still a lot of things to do and many people to see before we leave. Hopefully, it will all get done before the week ends. Zio and Arlene will be coming down from Woodstock tomorrow morning to see us before we leave. I have a ton of errands to do before I leave and I'm starting to think I can't get it done.

We Survived Disney with Two Kids

We left for Disney on Tuesday morning. Sandi and I drove up with Nicholas and Matthew in the car. That's a story in itself. Two kids, one aged 5 and one aged 10, you kind of get an idea what the road trip entailed. Nicholas wants to follow Matthew all over the place and mimic what he does. Matthew loves his little cousin but, being an only child, he can't take him on a constant basis. I told him that's what little siblings do...they follow you around like a little shadow. That will give you an idea of what Sandi and I had to deal with the whole trip.

Tuesday

Arrival at Disney. We drop off our luggage at the hotel. The room wasn't ready so we decided to head over to Animal Kingdom. Matthew was very excited about going to see the new exhibit Expedition Everest. I didn't have the dramamine on me that I needed in order to survive the ride so we went to the First Aid office to get some. Thank goodness for that. We waited an hour and I was able to get on the ride and not leave any embarassing trails. Matthew was very proud of me and we had a great time on the ride. We took the kids to dinner and called it a night.

Wednesday

We went to the Magic Kingdom first and hopped the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger ride.... twice. We took in the Monster Laugh Floor show and even went on Space Mountain. I can't begin to tell you how much the Space Mountain ride didn't agree with me but, for the sake of Matthew, I had to suck it up and go on it. Sandi commented that "I would never go on those rides or take dramamine for anyone." Let's just hope that Matthew appreciates what I've done for him.

We went to Epcot after lunch. Matthew and Nicholas were busy at the Living Seas exhibition and had a great time together. It was very cute to watch Matthew holding Nicholas' hand, picking him up and watching after him. We spent a couple of hours exploring the park and had an early dinner. Sandi took off to take Nicholas back to the hotel and Matthew and I stood in line for two hours (yes, I am serious) to get on the new Soaring ride. I wasn't wild about it but, I can at least say that I survived the newest rides at Disney. We returned to the hotel and were greeted by Nicholas' happy smiling face. He offered to give me a massage and of course, Matthew felt he should be massaging me instead. In the end, I had two children fighting for my attention. It was nice to have two kids fighting over me...I wonder if they'll still feel the same for me five years from now.

Thursday

Sandi and Nicholas headed over to Sea World while Matthew and I went over to MGM Studios. Matthew has never been on the Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster. This year, he finally met the height requirement and he was THRILLED. Normally, I would send Tony on those rides with Matthew. However, Tony being in Shanghai wasn't going to help me. I took the dramamine and hopped on the rides with Matthew....back to back. Yes- I survived it and even was able to speak to Tony on the cell phone in China. I went so far as to go on the Star Tours ride with Matthew which....was another stomach turning ride. I must say I am a big fan of dramamine. I need to buy stock in that company and keep it going.

We piled the kids in the car and headed back to Boca Raton. The kids fell asleep in the back seat (no fighting...just snoring) and we enjoyed a very peaceful ride. We made a pit stop at Delray Beach where we met Jeff for dinner at Lemongrass to celebrate my birthday. It was the perfect ending to a week in Florida.

We'll be leaving to head back to New York first thing Saturday morning....more people to see and lots of things to finish up before we pack up our excessive amount of luggage to head back to Shanghai where Tony is anxiously waiting our return.

Sandi, Jeff and Nicholas

Nicholas is my 5 year old nephew. He's a very happy child. He's also quite the little chatterbox and I should mention that he's got a voice that carries. I am not exaggerating. He's got a very "loud" voice and that's his normal voice. You don't want to hear him when he's shouting. You can go deaf in one ear. Literally. When Sandi and Nicholas stayed with us in Connecticut two years ago, he would often run to the door and greet Tony when he would come home from work and say: "Hi Uncle Anthony....How was your day?" Tony would respond: "My day was fine." Nicholas would then ask, "Aren't you going to ask me how my day was?" You would often hear Tony telling him "Nicholas- volume...volume...you need to lower the volume of your voice."

Matthew and I arrived in Florida this morning and were greeted by Nicholas and Jeff at the airport. He was chatting from the time we saw him at the airport until we arrived home. That was quite a ride. We settled in and Sandi and I decided to run some errands and pick up some things for our trip to Disney. It was during our trip out when my sister called me an "immigrant". Yes, you read that right. She called me an immigrant. Let me draw out the scene for you. We were in Target picking up snacks for the car ride to Disney. I was staring at all the snacks and was amazed at the choices. She starts to laugh and said "You're like an immigrant. You can spend hours here because you're overwhelmed by the choices available." True. In China, there aren't that many choices for the American taste. I can find the occassional Doritos, Cheetos but it's pretty limited. The Chinese snacks consist of a lot of seaweed and other funky flavored items. Not quite designed for the American palate.

Sandi knows how much I've been missing the seafood so we went to the Rustic Inn this evening for dinner. It's a place in Fort Lauderdale famous for it's garlic crab. We had the crab sampler and immediately put the kids to work for us. Matthew and Nicholas were busy bashing the crab while we were busy digging out the meat to eat. It was very messy but very good. We probably consumed more butter in that one sitting than we do in a lifetime, but then again, I can't get this stuff in China so.....I am enjoying every little bit of it!

No More Pencils, No More Books

Today was the last day of Kumon for Matthew and Jocelyn. Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of continuing our stay in the US without ample work to keep him busy. In fact, May did the same thing. Even though she's leaving to take the kids on vacation, she asked for four weeks worth of work for Jocelyn as well. Can't you just hear the groans from the kids? It was really great that Jocelyn and Matthew got to do the program together these past six weeks. It has made a difference for Matthew. Instead of just complaining to me, he had someone to kvetch with.

We finished our class at Kumon and Matthew will continue the program in Shanghai when we return. Afterwards, we said our good-byes to May and Jocelyn and we started our return drive back to New York complete with a loaded car full of luggage. Matthew had an invitation to attend Timmy's birthday party in Long Island. Timmy is one of the kids that we became friends with when Matthew attended the Chinese school in Long Island.

We had another reunion with the parents from the school and even saw two other families that we haven't seen in over four years. Liza had just returned from Qingdao for the summer with the kids and Matthew was hanging out with Brian. We had just seen Liza and the kids in Qingdao in March and it was really nice to see her again. As usual, Matthew jumped into the pool and was swimming like a fish. Of course, no reunion is complete without the mother's planning a "mom's night out" which will happen next weekend when I return from Disney with Matthew.

It's sad when I think about the time that has flown by with our friends and family. We still have several people that we haven't had a chance to see yet and will need to find a way to see them before we leave in August.

Farewell Dinner's

We're getting ready to leave the New Jersey area today. We had our farewell dinner with Margaret, Rick, Nicholas and Mr. Chin on Thursday evening. It's hard to believe that our trip is winding down so quickly. It seems like we just got here the other day and had to deal with the layover in Chicago and me wondering if our luggage was actually going to be waiting for us at the airport.

Last night, we had our farewell dinner with May, Tom, Auntie Momo and the kids, Belle and Steve and Michelle and Fernando. May and the kids are getting ready to head over to Taipei and Japan on Monday and I'm getting ready to go to Florida. It's a sad process for me to have to leave and move onto our next destination. Staying in New Jersey allowed me to see my friends fairly easily. I saw May and the kids on a daily basis and I was able to see Margaret, Ann and Janice as well. Leaving the area only drives the fact that we'll be leaving in two weeks that much more real. I've been busy packing things up and I can't figure out where all this stuff came from. Now I am really worried that I may not have enough luggage space and may have to improvise on my packing technique.

We're leaving VERY EARLY tomorrow morning (like 4:30 AM) and Matthew is thrilled. Wait, let me clarify. He's not thrilled that we're leaving at 4:30 AM, he's thrilled that we're going to Florida. We're going to see Sandi and Nicholas and go on all the spinning rides. Last night over dinner, Matthew was having a very animated conversation with Steve about the rides that spin. Steve is a big kid and Matthew asked that we bring him along. I have an idea, why don't I just send Steve down with Matthew and I won't have to consume dramamine right?

Rugged Rangers

Matthew, Jocelyn and Maggie have been in camp for the past two weeks in the Rugged Rangers program. Maggie is about the same age as Matthew and Jocelyn and they have also been participating in the Rutgers Reading program together. You know the saying, misery loves company. This week marks the end of their participation in the Rugged Rangers and Rutgers Reading program. May, Eileen (Maggie's mom) and I hope that the kids have gained some skills that they can utilize in school. (One can only hope!)

They've spent the past two weeks learning survival skills for the great outdoors such as how to tell which berries are safe to eat, how to make meatballs and how to brew pine needle tea (doesn't sound that appealing). They've learned how to square dance, pitch a tent and climb rock walls. They have learned the necessary survival skills for the great outdoors.

Let's just say- Matthew had different expectations from the program. For one, he was not happy with the culinary choices offered at the camp. I must admit that Matthew is a bit of a foodie and knows good food. Obviously the camp lunches were not up to his expectations. Then again, during the school year, I would send him to school with risotto, pasta with homemeade marinara sauce and other culinary delights. Often his friends would be eyeing his lunch bag and try to make off with the homemade cookies. So naturally, he expected me to pack a homemade lunch to camp on a daily basis. I couldn't do that since we were living in temporary quarters so, it was easier for me to pay for camp lunches. He was NOT HAPPY and would complain that the food was "disgusting." Ok- the other kids didn't have a problem with lunch so, I knew this was not going to be easy. Strike 1.

I should also disclose that Matthew is not the typical kid who loves to get down and dirty with the great outdoors. He complained that the counselors would make him sit on the muddy grounds after a major rain fall, he didn't like the fact that there was "duck and goose poop" all over the grass and vocalized his displeasure for having to wade through algae. As a child, Matthew has always been immaculate. The kids in his class would have food all over their faces and clothes but, not Matthew. He was always wiping his mouth with a napkin, would never wipe his hands on his clothes and most of all, you would never find a pile of food by his seat at the table. If he got a stain on his shirt, he had to change into a new shirt. So that gives you a better idea that he's not quite the outdoorsy type. Strike 2.

Strike 3 was getting trapped into the Rutgers Reading program that was crammed down his throat by me. He would attend class every Tuesday afternoon (for the past four weeks) from 3-5:15 with Maggie and Jocelyn. They would walk into the class and sit together in a row. Very cute but you knew that they were not happy little campers. (Excuse the expression)

Then again, maybe it's the fact that Matthew was also in the Kumon Math program with Jocelyn on Saturdays since we arrived six weeks ago. May and I wanted to ensure the children's brains would not turn to mush over the summer. Matthew and Jocelyn would constantly complain about the "evil" work that has been assigned to them for the summer.

Alas, not to worry. We will be leaving for Disney on Sunday morning to see Sandi and Nicholas. I have decided to make it up to him by getting on the spinning rides with him. Though I have horrific motion sickness, I have stocked up on dramamine. I will bring the reading and math work with us to Disney. I may just surprise him by giving him the "week off" from the school work. See, I'm not so bad after all!

I'll Take That With A Schmear

What you see here is the most aloof of all mythical creatures. You have a better chance of seeing a unicorn than seeing this.....a Chinese bagel. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, bagels in China. Upon my return to the US, I was asked what I culturally missed the most. My response was a good bagel. Having grown up in New York, and lived in Connecticut, bagels were easy to find. But in China, I was relegated to eating Lenders Bagels, which everyone knows is not a bagel. In fact, I'm not even sure that it's bread. So when I happen to come across these bagels, not more than 300 feet from my home, it was like witnessing the Second Coming.

I prepared it at home with loving hands. Watching the toasting process with loving anticipation until it was toasted to perfection, applying the proper amount of butter so it would not be too soggy and giving it the correct consistency and taste. I brought it to my nose like a fine wine, savoring the smell and the texture. I could feel a tear of happiness rolling down my cheek.

Each morsel was chewed until it was pulverized to dust in my mouth and it never took me so long to eat a bagel. It was thoroughly enjoyed. How does it compare to a New York bagel you ask? I tried to manage my expectations. Nothing is as good as a New York bagel. This would qualify as a 3 day old bagel in New York but still, IT'S CHINA. I thought I've seen everything but never thought I would see bagels in China. Truly the world is global. Now, where can I get some lox?

A Day At The Movies

Movies, something that we don't indulge in living in Shanghai. There's no need to pay $10 US dollar for an entrance ticket for each of us and then add the concession stand, which makes for about a $45 US dollar trip to the movies. I am ashamed to say, but, you can get the new movies on DVD for under 2 US Dollars. Illegal yes- but nevertheless, everyone in China participates in this practice. So, since we've been back, we've been going to see all the new releases. We go to the local googleplex with the stadium seating and just sit back and watch the show on the big screen with the surround sound. Nice.

Today, we roped Gus into going to see "Transformers" with Matthew and I. We had lunch at Johnny Rocket's and then headed to the movie. It was great. Matthew had a great time and I must admit, the movie was pretty good. Definitely a boy movie and it was great that Gus came with us to share the experience.

So, we have another two weeks before we leave and we're going to see Harry Potter and of course, Matthew wants to see the Simpsons movie (silly if you ask me) but, I guess we'll have to get it all in before we return to Shanghai.

Dave and Buster's

We made a pit stop on the way home from Ann's house to Dave and Buster's. For those who don't know what Dave and Buster's is...it is literally Las Vegas for children. There are tons of games and slot machines to play and the kids would get tickets that they collect towards a prize. Dave and Buster's sounds like a casino. There are blinking lights, loud pinging machines and of course, loud music. You can't hear yourself think at Dave and Buster's, let alone have a conversation with anyone. It is a place where kids get completely overstimulated. You practically have to scrape the kids off the ceiling once you get them out of there.

For years, May and I would take the kids over there on a weekend and they would run around like lunatics with their chip cards, while May and I would watch them from a safe distance and monitor their spending. Matthew's been asking when he could go with Jocelyn since there isn't anything like it in Shanghai. So, we met May and the kids there tonight for old times sake and the kids were thrilled to be back in action. It's been a year since Matthew, Jocelyn and Joanna have made a guest appearance there.

While we settled on a table where we can watch the kids safely from a distance, Matthew and Jocelyn were itching for their electronic chip cards so they can start playing on the machines. Ok- maybe not itching...more like twitching. When May and I finally handed out the cards and gave them strict instructions that they were to stay together, they were gone before we can even finish our sentence. Joanna chose to stick close by with us and just play the coin machines. She figured why get trampled by the other two kids. Smart move on her part.

After two hours of running loose, Matthew walked away with 1,204 tickets towards a prize. He decided to cash in all his tickets for a Darth Vader dash board figurine while Jocelyn and Joanna settled for two stuffed animals. So, who says it's not nice to be a kid? Your parents support your "gambling" habit and you get the rush that you're looking for.

Ann and Janice

Ann and Janice are my former colleagues from International Paper. We became fast friends and our children became friends as well. Besides the parenting thing that we have in common, we are also very avid shoppers. We are specialists in clothing, shoes and accessories.

We had a reunion today at Ann's house. Matthew had a great time seeing Ted and Tom (Ann's children) and Janice came by with little Miss Kelly. Janice also brought over Jamaican Patties (something that we all love to eat) and we hung out at the club while the kids were busy kayaking or swimming in the pool. I should mention that Ann's kids have a Nintendo Wii....which Matthew made a point of letting me know. Do you think he wants one???

It was really great to see Ann and Janice and catch up with the news of the past year. I was busy oggling all the purchases that Ann and Janice have made and I got to live vicariously through their shopping excursions. These days, I just get to fantasize about running through Saks, Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf during the sales.

We know that this assignment will continue for another two years but we are anxiously awaiting for my big return to the States so we can run wild in the stores together. So, we're going to mark our calendars and this will give me a chance to save my "pennies" so I can go hog wild when I return. This gives me something to look forward to!

Auntie Momo

Auntie Momo (May's mother) is a very important part of our lives. She is my second mom. She's watched me and my sisters grow up and knows all the intimate details of our ups and downs. She's always been there for me and often listens to my ranting and ravings. She never takes sides, she just always offers guidance. We've been staying at her condo since we've arrived and we truly appreciate her generosity. Tony has made some repairs in her condo as a way of expressing our gratitude.

Matthew started camp this week with Jocelyn. They're participating in the Rugged Rangers series. A program designed to teach the kids survival skills for the great outdoors. Matthew came home the other day with cuts on the bottom of his foot. I went looking for antiseptic and bandages. Unfortunately, all I could find were Disney Princess or Elmo bandages. Something that I knew he wasn't going to agree to putting on his skin. So, I went to the pharmacy to stock up on first aid items. Auntie Momo asked me why I was buying all the supplies when there was plenty of first aid items in the house. I told her I couldn't find any bandages that were not decorated with girlie icons in her medicine cabinet.

The conversation went something like this:

Auntie Momo: "You need to look in the dishwasher, that's where all the extra supplies are stored."

Me: "Why would you store things in the dishwasher? Don't you use your dishwasher?"

Auntie Momo: "No, I never use the dishwasher. It's easier and faster for me to wash it by hand."

Me: "Silly me, I have thought to look under the bathroom sink. The thought has never occurred to me to look in a dishwasher."

While this conversation was going on, May was laughing and said that "it's typical for my mother to hide things in places where you would never expect to find it." It's true. I've witnessed the ongoing battles between May and her mother over things that have been "put away" and never to be seen again...since only Auntie Momo knows the path to where things are hidden.

Armed with my first aid supplies, I came home to clean up Matthew's cut. Out of curiosity, I did open the dishwasher and was amazed at what I found. So the next time I can't find anything, I'll remember to look in the dishwasher or even the garbage compactor. You never know where things are hidden.

Happy Days

Tony left this morning to return to Shanghai. We found out that he had been upgraded to First Class to Chicago and Business Class to Shanghai. Happy Days! Since our return, he had been moaning and groaning about the trip from Shanghai via economy class.

Since I had to listen to this from Shanghai to Chicago and Chicago back to New York, as soon as we arrived, I put him on the waiting list for an upgrade for the return trip back. Nevertheless, we were never notified that he was upgraded. He was not looking forward to the long flight back to Shanghai via economy.

Lo and behold, MY PRAYERS were answered. He was upgraded and he was very happy. Who said that divine intervention doesn't exist?

Fourth of July

May had a barbeque and the guys came over as well. Tony was busy on the grill while Matthew was busy tormenting Gus to go into the pool with him. It was a day of eating and just hanging by the pool.

Though this was a happy day to celebrate, it was a sad day as well since it marks the final reunion of the guys. Tallini couldn't be there because of a previous famiy commitment. So, Tony has plans to visit Hong Kong/Shanghai in November and Gus plans to tag along. We're planning a reunion in Italy for next summer. We think it would be great to go see Italy next summer and the guys will meet us there and May will be there with the kids as well. Italy will never be the same once we leave!

Tony's leaving tomorrow and we're going to have to head to the airport early for security check. He's not happy that he's leaving to return to an empty home. He asked that Matthew and I return home earlier than scheduled. Matthew and I will be leaving a month later and we realize our time here is running short. We still have so much to do and many people to see. We have a trip to Disney scheduled and Matthew's really looking forward to that. He's already telling me what rides he's going to go on. Unfortunately for me, that means I'll have to take the dramamine in double doses since there's no one else to ride with him. Unless of course, someone volunteers to join us. Anyone interested?

Nicholas

Went over to Margaret and Rick's house today for a barbeque. It was great to see Nicholas again. Nicholas is 6 years old and has been Matthew's little sidekick since I could remember. They share some common interests- Star Wars, Batman, Spiderman and of course, video games. They were busy going over Nicholas' inventory of toys and playing with the Nintendo Wii. Of course, Matthew made it quite obvious that he wants a Wii System. This only amplified the need for us to find one before we leave. I haven't figured out how to bring back all the stuff we've picked up so far. Tony's leaving soon so, he'll have to be the mule and carry as much as he can. The rest is up to Matthew and I to transport back to Shanghai.