Dean's Family Wall

A couple months ago I decided the bare white walls of Dean’s room were too much, and it needed some color. I cut out letters from colored construction paper to spell the word “FAMILY” and stuck photos all around of his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles using bits of clear packaging tape.

It’s not the most stylish of collages, and it won’t be featured in Pottery Barn any time soon, but I love it. We'll ask Dean things like "where's Granddaddy? where's cousin Mia?" and he'll point to the correct pictures. Every night when he goes to bed we say goodnight to the bridge to Hong Kong, the lighthouse & boats outside, and his family on the wall.

Not Fresh Enough

Today (Wednesday) I took leftovers for lunch to the office. They were from Monday, and included beans, potato slices, and bits of chicken. I asked one of my coworkers to order some extra rice for me from the delivery place they were ordering from. I used the rice as a base and filler for my leftovers.

One coworker, Kathy, asked me where I got the food and I explained that Dean’s Ayi, who is a fabulous cook, made them for lunch on Monday. “So old!” she exclaimed. “They’ve been in the refrigerator – and they’re really not that old” I answered her.

She explained that she always throws away anything that is not eaten within 24 hours. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this, and probably won’t be the last. My coworkers often tell me not to “da bow” (doggie bag) items like noodles because they are so fresh and lacking preservatives, so they will go bad very quickly.

I’m really not sure how much truth there is to this. I wonder if it’s the way their parents raised them to think, based on the fact that most of them didn’t grow up with a refrigerator.

When we first moved here we noticed that eggs are not kept in refrigerators in the grocery store. I was afraid to buy non-chilled eggs, thinking that they would be spoiled when I got them home, especially during the hot summer months. At some point we got over that and we now buy unrefrigerated eggs regularly. I think at least part of the reason they are not refrigerated in stores here is because they are fresher than in the U.S., but I haven’t gotten a real clear answer from coworkers on this. When I ask them why they don’t refrigerate them, they tell me they “just don’t” and that it is unnecessary.  

Apart from the eggs, we were also surprised to find that here in China they do not stamp foods with a “best if used by” date. Instead, it’s a “packaged on XX/XX” date. We like to buy fresh milk from Hong Kong dairy, and usually it’s packaged the day before we buy it. The largest size we’ve found is smaller than 1 pint, so we go through it pretty quick. The milk is probably fresher here than in the U.S., though that is not to say it’s healthier. We have no idea how it’s processed, but so far, we haven’t gotten sick from it (that we know of).

What we do know is that milk is expensive – about the equivalent of $8.00 a gallon if you convert it. It’s cheaper and more common to buy boxed milk here, but we still think it’s strange to buy unrefrigerated milk off the shelf. It just doesn’t seem fresh enough.

White Cloud Sunday

Ahhhh Sunday, how I love you so! Today it was particularly white outside, and once again I feel like we live in a cloud. I can't see anything from our 17th floor balcony outside, not even the ground. I don't think it's entirely pollution and smog today though. The air feels wet and everything in the house is a bit damp. I picked up a pair of pants this morning crumpled in the corner of our room from yesterday and they felt very damp, then I noticed they'd left behind a white water mark on the wood floors. I promise I didn't pee in them and they were dry when I took them off yesterday! There's also condensation on all of the windows. I can understand why so many buildings in southern china have black mold and mildew growing inside.

It's so nice to relax on the weekends and not stress about running errands. We're within walking distance of several grocery stores and have a slew of delivery menus on hand for everything from pizza to groceries, so as long as we have cash from the atm, there's no fear of starvation. With the cloud in full force this morning, it felt like a veg on the couch kind of day. Dean went down for an early nap so I didn't take him to church; instead I spent the morning curled up on the sofa reading a book.

Around 4:30 I started feeling guilty for letting Dean watch 2 hrs of cartoons, even though they were in Chinese so it's kind of an educational experience. I took him for a walk to the closest import store to buy milk and see if anything special caught my eye. We were in luck - fresh mini marshmallows in easter/spring colors shipped in from usa! A bag was only 15 yuan, or about $2.30, which I consider a real bargain compared to most of the prices in this store. I really wanted to buy a pkg of cheddar cheese, but at 40 yuan for 8 oz (over $6), I managed to restrain myself.

I am finally starting to make friends with fellow moms in our complex, and it's fun to walk outside and run into them, letting the kids have impromptu play sessions. Dean and I had just such an experience on the way home. We ended up playing for over an hour at a playground underneath one of the buildings near us. Thankfully it's not too hot out yet, so our milk didn't spoil.

Dean has a red plastic ride-on car that I let him "drive" to the store to get milk. When it was time to go inside, he hopped on his car for the short commute home. He's gotten really good at Fred Flinstone foot action, so he can really get some speed on the thing. At one point, with his feet in full motion, he started shouting something out loud. I referred to it as cute baby babble to my friend, who laughed out loud. Though not fluent, she has a pretty extensive Chinese vocabulary and she explained that he was shouting "kuai, kuai" which means "fast, fast" in Mandarin. Aha!

A similar aha moment had already happened to me this weekend on Friday evening. I got home from work and Dean was excited to see me. He was rambling a bit but I heard him say "bao bao", which I know as "baby" in Mandarin. I smiled and shook my head asking if he had seen a baby recently on TV or outside. Ayi Ms. Yiao, who keeps Dean during the day and speaks about as much English as I do Mandarin, corrected me. She picked up Dean and handed him to me to show me what he was saying. "Bao bao" with the sounds Dean used meant "hold me". Aha!

I think bao bao is spelled the same in pinyin, the language used to write the sounds of Chinese characters using romanized font, for both "baby" and "to hold". But the tones are different for each word, so the sounds of the words are very different.

Now I'm really wondering how many other Chinese words Dean knows and says to me without me understanding. We had hoped that he would learn to speak Mandarin, but now that it's happening, I feel very disappointed in myself for living here a year but not taking the time and effort to learn the language. Dean's ever expanding vocabulary is inspiring me to tackle this project head on. I'm determined to find a tutor or school for Matt and myself this coming week. The next time a big white cloud outside makes me feel like a couch potato, I hope to crack open a Mandarin book to study instead of a cheesy romance novel.

No Earthquakes or Tsunamis, but Major Pollution

It's Monday and we're kicking off another week. Unfortunately, I think Dean passed his cold virus to me and now I'm battling major congestion. I spent much of the weekend resting and sleeping, trying to fight off a head cold.

My troubles are minor in the grand scheme of things. We are fortunate that we're far enough away from Japan (about 3 hours by plane, and over 1,300 apart) that we didn't feel or experience any impact from the horrible earthquakes and tsunamis ravishing the country. We live on the edge of Shenzhen Bay with water always in sight, and I occasionally have nightmares about a wall of water washing us away.

I keep seeing updates on yahoo.com about nuclear power plant troubles, and my heart goes out to those in need right now. Events like this are a constant reminder to us of how far away from our family we are. I worry more now about the affects of natural disasters than I did in Atlanta, where the occasional tornado or thunderstorm warning was our biggest concern.

Instead of major catastrophes, we're battling a daily grind with depressing levels of pollution in Shenzhen. It feels like we're living in a cloud due to the constant haze and white smog around our building. Visibility is only about a quarter of a mile, and even that is questionable.

I came across this blog post when googling "pollution in China" and it really hits the nail on the head: 7 Things you should know about China's pollution problem

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I know the pollution is really high right now, but I can't find anything from the Chinese government that confirms it or tells me just how high the level is. I can look out the window and see it in the form of a hazy white cloud, or feel the sting in my eyes and throat at the end of the day, but I don't know how it officially compares to polluted cities in USA. I'm not even sure I would want to know! For now, I'm just considering this a stay inside kind of day.

Back in the PRD

We made it back safe and sound to Shenzhen, aka the Pearl River Delta (PRD), from our whirlwind trip to Seoul. We were worried about traveling with sick little Dean, but he was a real trooper and made it through fine. He goes crazy with excitement when he sees airplanes in the sky or on the ground, so right now a trip to the airport is a special treat for him. He especially loves to look out the window on takeoff and landing to see what's out there in the big wide world.

As for seeing sights in Seoul, the trip was a bust. Work consumed my entire time there and taking care of sick Dean was a full-time job for Matt. Once again, mom guilt weighed heavy on my shoulders. I hated leaving the guys alone in the hotel room in the morning and I was sad to arrive back after Dean was in bed each night.

Monday and Tuesday night Matt headed out to get dinner at local restaurants after I returned to the room. Fortunately, he was able to try authentic Korean BBQ and loved it. He also managed to make friends with a street food vendor selling what Matt referred to as "rotisserie chicken and kimchee wraps with yellow sauce." I tried a bite of one and it was tangy, sweet and zesty with very moist chicken, kind of like a soft chicken taco with honey mustard and sauerkraut. After buying two wraps on Sunday and Monday night, the vendor laughed when he saw Matt Tuesday night and gave him a free wrap.

A few observations about Seoul - though keep in mind while reading this that we were there about 72 hours and saw little outside the hotel:
1) It feels cleaner than China and much more westernized. I only experienced western toilets, no 101's
2) There's more orderly traffic than Shenzhen, and fewer scooters and bikes used as the main form of transportation
3) It's easy to find English speaking people to ask directions or to help you out. A woman at the airport looked highly offended when I asked her if she spoke English before asking her a question.
4) It's expensive. For example, a buffet lunch at the hotel where we stayed cost $70 per person (we passed). There was a Starbucks on every corner - seriously, we passed 4 different ones within a couple blocks of our hotel when we drove to the factory - and a ton of donut shops, including Duncan Donuts and Krispy Kreme. I didn't make it to the night market, but Matt explored it a little and quickly decided the deals were not good enough to waste time on.

With such a short trip and no time to get out and explore, it kind of felt just like any other big city. I would love to go back someday when Matt and I have free time to explore.

Misc. Projectile Sprays

Our first full day in Seoul is over. I spent the day in a factory while Matt spent it in a Korean hospital. We're members of an international service called SOS, and with their help Matt located and made an appointment for Dean to see a Dr. in a clinic located within a hospital across town from our hotel. With help from Google maps and an address translated into Korean by the concierge at the hotel, a taxi took the guys right where they needed to be.

Turns out Dean is really sick. He was diagnosed with a sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, and eye infection due to the sinus and chest problems. Matt received a written prescription and navigated his way through a Korean pharmacy without trouble thanks to an English speaking Dr. He was given an antibiotic, eye drops, and cough syrup that smells like honey with a powder you mix in to take care of congestion in his chest.

On the cab ride back to the hotel Dean got carsick and threw up about 5 times. I'm sure Mr. cabbie was real happy about that. Matt took off Dean's overalls and cleaned it up as best he could.

While the guys had their excursion, I was involved in a project review for several new craft items that lasted the entire day. The highlight of the meeting was an amazing lunch of traditional korean BBQ in a restaurant next to the factory. The meat was cooked fresh in a recessed fire pit with coals in the middle of the table. Various mixed greens, macaroni salad, kimchee cabbage, marinated mushrooms, spicy crab legs plus cucumber and seaweed salads were scattered on the table in front of us. I couldn't help but feel guilty and disappointed that Matt wasn't able to join us. The guilt was even worse when I met up with him tonight and found out that he was battling projectile vomit while I ate melt-in-your-mouth flavorful hot meat fresh from the grill sitting in front of me. Needless to say, I didn't mention lunch to him.

He's out now getting dinner at a Korean restaurant across the street from our hotel. Dean is sleeping soundly in his crib, and I'm getting ready for bed myself. It's been a tough day abroad.

On a lighter note, this morning Dean discovered a bidet and all of its controls attached to the side of the toilet in our hotel bathroom. He managed to turn it on and twist the knob to full blast. The thing is so strong it was shooting water out the door and across the room, hitting the closet and covering the floor. I heard the water and Dean saying "uh-oh" a second after it started, but by the time I crossed the room and battled my way to the toilet both the floor and Dean were drenched. I couldn't be angry because I was laughing too hard.

Here's hoping he feels well enough tomorrow morning to make me laugh just as hard.

Seoul

We arrived in Seoul, South Korea safe and sound today. My flight landed around noon and I said a temporary goodbye to my colleagues to wait for Matt and Dean. Their flight arrived at 2:00 and I met them as they came through customs. Dean was as cute as he could be when he saw me and said "mamma" out loud. He's very much into calling Matt "daddy" as well, and no matter how many times I hear either name it melts my heart.

We caught a bus from the airport to the Westin hotel in downtown Seoul, which took about an hour. The bus was clean and inexpensive at around $14 per person. We were able to check into the hotel from the airport, so once we arrived we could go straight to our room.

Seoul is an hour ahead of Shenzhen, and the afternoon seemed to slip away from us quickly. Fortunately I didn't have any work mtgs (it is Sunday after all). We wanted to find a traditional Korean restaurant for dinner, but we settled on eating at a Tony Romas next door to the hotel instead since it was so convenient. Funny, this is my first time eating at one of these. A sign and picture outside the door showed Tony and his original restaurant in Miami, FL. The food was awesome. Matt had ribs and I ate a cheeseburger. Both were cooked just right to please our western palettes.

The weather is pretty cool here and we didn't want Dean outside for long. In fact, Matt called me in a panic this morning because Dean woke up in the middle of the night Saturday running a temperature as high as 103. It was better in the morning, under 100, but we went back and forth regarding whether or not he should travel. I have no idea whether health care is better in Korea or China, but thankfully we have good global insurance coverage in both (ironically, the one place in the world where we are considered uninsured is USA). Matt decided to bring him on the trip since he seemed fine this morning, but he's going to look into taking him to an urgent care clinic in the morning just to make sure there isn't anything going on that we can't see, like an ear infection.

Time to try to get the little guy in bed and sound asleep so Matt and I can get some rest tonight. It's 8:30 and he's giggling and rolling around on the bed in our hotel room. If he were a little older I might teach him something bad by encouraging him to jump on the bed. It's so fun in fluffy hotel beds!

The Shivers

This morning I sat with 4 colleagues shivering around a space heater in a factory reviewing prototype samples for several new Plaid products shipping to the U.S. later this year. No matter how much hot green tea we drank, it wasn't enough to warm our toes. This winter I've really learned what a luxury indoor heating is.

We take it for granted in the U.S. that when you walk into a building it will be warm. I stayed at a hotel in January where you had to put on several layers of clothes and a heavy coat to go to breakfast. I was amazed I could see my breath while walking down the 3rd floor corridor. China winters are frigid!

Tomorrow we leave for Seoul, where the temperature will be even colder. Looks like it will be in the teens at night with highs of around 45 each day. I'm very excited that Matt and Dean will be able to join me. They leave from Hong Kong while I depart from Nanjing with my coworkers. We'll meet in the Incheon airport around 2 pm and head to the hotel together. This is the 2nd time Matt is joining me on a business trip and the first for Dean, so I'm considering it a special treat for us to be together.

I'm not sure what the guys will do during the day while I'm working since it's going to be so cold outside. They may just hang by the (indoor) hotel pool and enjoy fresh Korean food. The only foods that come to mind when I think of Korea are pork barbecue and kimchee, so I'm looking forward to seeing what local foods Matt discovers. He's much more adventurous than I am about trying new foods, especially when it comes to mystery meat.

That reminds me, I need to send him a reminder email about packing Tums and Immodium...

Adding Pages

Wednesday morning I left Shenzhen for a 7 day business trip. The journey this time involves traveling for 4 days in northern China around the Shanghai/Nanjing area, and then 3 days in Seoul, South Korea. We will return to China via Hong Kong on the 9th of March.

I realized when renewing our Chinese visas in the U.S. last month that my passport was almost full of stamps. Only 2 pages remained blank by the time we returned to mainland China. Matt only had 3 pgs left, but Dean was ok with about 8 pgs remaining. My first thought was - cool! I'm a real world traveler. My second thought was yikes, I'm not sure what happens if you try to go through customs without any open spaces for a stamp, and I don't want to find out.

Fortunately, getting new pages added to our passports was pretty easy and a fairly painless process. We were able to make an appointment with the U.S. Consulate office in Guanzhou. On Tuesday Matt went by car, which took about two and a half hours to get there. After 45 minutes of waiting and a payment of $164 (I thought it was pretty steep at $82 a piece), our passports now hold an additional 12 pages, or 24 if you count front and back. We should be good to go for an another year or so.