Bob-O-Meter

Well, I've just return from yet another business trip and I'm starting to feel like a nomad. I've slept in more hotel room beds than Heidi Fleiss and it's getting a bit old. Coming home seems like a vacation so hopefully, I'll be here a while.

There is a milestone that is rapidly approaching that saddens me. The retirement of a good friend, Bob Cz. Bob worked for me at Duracell and he was just one in a group of people that I considered my extended family. My crazy, illegitimate, cigarette smoking, mayonnaise eating, toothpick chomping Uncle, if you will, (he's the guy on the left of the picture). I care very deeply for my previous group and miss them all very much. I don't think that I will ever have the opportunity to work with such creative, funny, positively crazy people again. But I digress. Bob, you see, will retire soon. I found him living the good life in Florida when I hired him and now he wants to go back, what nerve! I'm sure I will not be the only one who will miss him. Bob is one of those guys that no matter how mad he got, and he had plenty of opportunities, would never curse. It drove me crazy. It got to the point where I would intentionally try to push him over the edge but he would never crack. He is also well like by everyone, incredibly knowledgeable and funny as hell.

The guys in Duracell created the Bob-O-Meter that is steadily counting down his remaining days. The last time I checked it read 47 work days, not that Bob is actually "working" these days. Maybe the meter should show the remaining "lounging around, doing nothing but smoking" days left. My biggest regret is that I won't be there to attend his retirement party and to say good bye to him in person. I may have to pay him a visit in Florida when I'm back in the US on business or vacation. He can never escape me!

The Giving Tree

During the holiday season, the international school community participated in The Giving Tree. The Giving Tree is an organization that was formed four years ago to help the underprivileged children of Shanghai and nearby provinces. When the organization was first formed, only thirty children were part of the gift program. This year, with the help of the international community, 2,700 children received gifts of new clothing, shoes and toys.

On Tuesday, Matthew's school and the children from the Yew Cheung International School attended the final distribution ceremony. We arrived at the Dong Jiao State Guest House to meet the children. We didn't expect a big elaborate affair. We were very surprised to find an agenda that included an opening speech by the director of the Giving Tree, the presentation of Recognition Certificates for the two international schools and song and dance performances by children from the recipient schools.

After all the formalities, it was time for the children to present their gifts. It was quite nice to watch the children line up to meet their Giving Tree donor. The gifts of clothing, shoes and toys will be used for the upcoming Chinese New Year when a new outfit and shoes are often purchased to usher in the New Year.

Often times, it saddens me to see the level of wealth and poverty in Shanghai. During my walking excursions, I see the two extremes. The extremely wealthy who are driving their BMW's, Porsches, Mercedes Benz and Ferrari's and the extremely poor who are riding their bicycle with a cart picking up things to turn into the recycling area, or sometimes, children begging on the streets for food or money.

It was nice to know that there are many in the international community who contribute to The Giving Tree. Tony and I have always contributed to charitable organizations. We have always supported the local food shelter, the battered woman's home and various children's programs. Over the years, we have taught Matthew the same principles. We felt it was important to continue this tradition while we're in Shanghai. Matthew realizes and understands that not all children are as fortunate as he is. Many times when he sees someone begging on the streets or on the train, he will give money from his pocket. This is something that we are really proud of.

Matthew and I will never forget the look of the little boy's face who received his bag. We hope that many will continue to give to this worthwhile organization to help the number of children in need.

Best Buy

Well, another American staple has shown up in Shanghai. Best Buy. We went by the other day and found it crawling with expatriates. We're thrilled that there is a place we can go to pick up the things we need....and most of all, they have a Return Policy!!!!

In China, anything you buy, is yours. Absolutely no returns. Exchanges - maybe...and only for the same exact item. When you buy something, you better make sure it's the right item. Otherwise, it'll wind up sitting in a closet, taking up space. This applies to everything.

We're so happy that there is a Best Buy here. It offered more selection than the local stores. About a month ago, we were looking into purchasing a DVD recorder. We went to Yolo, a local store that sells appliances, televisions and other household items. The selection was limited to two styles only by Philips. At Best Buy, there were about 20 different brands to choose from in all price ranges. That's what I call a selection!

So, we picked up a new computer at Best Buy because we figured, if there's a problem, I wouldn't have to deal with the local computer place. I can call Best Buy and they send the Geek Squad (yes, the Geek Squad is here in China too) to solve the problem. They even speak ENGLISH!!! Horray!!! This is definitely a major improvement to our lives.

The Holidays

Well, we're back from Hong Kong where we spent the Christmas holidays with members of my family and Tony's college buddy-Tony. Matthew had a wonderful reunion with Uncle Tony and it was great to see a familiar face. It was our first holiday away from home. Usually, we're the ones who are hosting the Christmas bash at our home in Connecticut. Last year, we were preparing dinner for 25 guests, complete with turkey and all the fixings. This year, we spent it in Hong Kong. The weather was beautiful- a fabulous 68-70 degrees and sunny. We spent several days at Disneyland (a very small version compared to the real thing in Orlando, Florida) but, Matthew managed to keep himself busy by hopping the rides several times.

We did the usual tourist things. We visited Ngong Ping Village, which is where the Big Budda is and watched Shao Lin Monks perform kung fu, rode the 360 Cable Tram (which is the longest cable tram in the world), visited Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, rode the tram to the Peak, visited Stanley Market, Repulse Bay and spent a day at Lamma Island.

Lamma Island is where my father grew up and some of my relatives still live there. Matthew got to see the house where my father was born and together, we paid our respects to my grandparents. Even with all the constant running around, endless breakfast, lunch and dinner dates, we managed to even find time to visit Macau. It was Matthew's first experience on a hydrofoil boat and he did really well. The boat trip out was very smooth but the return trip, was an entirely different story. We dubbed the ride The Vomit Comet because of the continuous vomiting of passengers due to the rough waters. Uncle Tony had to leave his seat because of all the vomiting and we weren't sure if he was going to toss his fortune cookies as well.

We ushered in the New Year on Nathan Road with thousands of others. I doubt very much Matthew will ever forget where he was on December 31, 2006. We spent New Year's Day with an old family friend and took a boat ride to Sok Ku Wan, a town on Lamma Island for a seafood dinner. Matthew even had a chance to drive the boat and he was pretty excited about that. We ended our evening by watching fireworks off Victoria Harbor from the boat.

The holidays drew to a close with a very sad farewell to Uncle Tony. We're really looking forward to seeing him again either in Shanghai or when we return to the United States for our home visit this summer. We returned to Shanghai reluctantly only to be welcomed back with a temperature of 45 degrees and rain. In fact, it's been raining every single day since we returned. Quite a change from what we had in Hong Kong. I'm now looking into our next getaway...... perhaps Sanya Bay. It's an island off of Guangzhou which is located in Southern China and close to Hong Kong. I heard it's quite beautiful and it's considered the Hawaii of the East. Surf's Up Big Kahuna!

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.