Our Next Escape

It's that time of year when many expats begin escaping China for a little rest and relaxation! The way I look at it, I can be in China about 3 months at a time and then I need to escape! Luckily the Chinese holidays fall about 3 months apart during the school year!! We currently are choosing destinations outside of China based on beaches and sunshine, another criteria is to fly into a major city that has good shopping!


On Wednesday we will be departing for Malaysia!! We are so excited for some family time, shopping, beach, and sunshine! We will fly into Kuala Lumpur Wednesday and stay there until Friday. On Friday we will fly on to Kuantan and stay on Cherating Beach for 6 days! We are hoping that during our stay we will get to visit the turtle sanctuary at night and watch the turtles come on shore and lay their eggs!

The children and Danny are off school and work over these next two weeks for October holiday. During this time the Chinese will be celebrating the Moon Festival and National Day on October 1st. This is the 60th year of communist rule here, so the festivities will be gigantic! I'm assuming they will rival the opening ceremony of the Olympics last year. I read that 200,000 people will be participating in events in Beijing alone. We also received an e-mail last week that they will be closing Beijing International Airport (yes, thousands of flights are in and out daily) from 8:30 - 12:30 during the main part of the celebration. We anticipated that they might do something like this so thankfully we scheduled our flight out the day before!! Danny's mom sent me this article on the preparations...
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/china_prepares_for_its_60th_an.html
I'm sure after perusing through this you can understand why an escape is in order!!

Channeling Miley

Coop was practicing some new dance techniques and I couldn't help but giggle! He sure is something!

Hello to all the Children of the World

At a recent assembly organized by the second grade they celebrated all of the nationalities within the two classes. I think there were 11 different countries represented from 24 students!

When Danny goes away...

it's usually not too pretty at the St. Martin house!! Today I had my ayi come to help for a few hours, even though it was Saturday, and she pulled me aside and asked if I was really okay!! I'm guessing maybe the louder voice I have been using with the children hinted to her that I was beginning to lose it!! Maybe she didn't like that Coop spent more time in time out yesterday than he did playing. Or, maybe it was the fact that the minute she walked in the door, I basically ran out of it to go and workout!! Yes, 8 days of being a single parent in China does make a person crazy!!

There were a few things besides Danny being in the US that probably led to my crazed state of mind. First, on Monday I decided to take Coop to the SOS (dr.) to verify that the cough he had had the past week was in fact nothing to worry about and he was fine to go to school. (Last Friday we had another case of swine flu so the school asked us to be extra vigilent in watching for possible symptoms.) We were seen by the doctor quite quickly. She began listening to his lungs and I knew right away we had some problems. She told him to breathe deep and he took it to mean fast breathing. She thought he was serious, so immediately she diagnosed him with asthma. I told her that we have never been told that he had asthma, although we know that it is a real possiblility for him because he was premature. Then she proceeded to say that the cough started as viral and had turned to bacterial and he definitely needed anitbiotics. Okay, so the cough that was nothing got us a prescription for zythromax, an inhaler, an expectorant, and instructions to keep the three year old from physical activity. That last part lasted for a total of 30 seconds after we walked through the door, apparently Coop spends part of his time as Batman and he began "flying" off the couch!!

Not to be outdone by her little brother, Ellie woke up Monday night in tears saying her neck hurt. When we finally pinpointed what hurt, it appeared to be her ear. I cuddled her and assured her that if it still hurt in the morning we would go to the SOS after school. Tuesday morning she said it still hurt, so I made her and I an appointment for after school. It turned out not to be her ear, but an irritated lymph node very close. It was probably inflamed from her cold she had last week. Thankfully she hasn't complained about it for the past couple of days so I am hoping it has resolved itself after we gave her a few doses of ibuprofen.

I tried for the past 2 weeks to use over the counter meds for my nasty sinuses, but since Ellie was going to the doctor I figured it was time to beg for some antibiotics! I think the doctor took one look at me and decided there was no need to beg - she could tell I hadn't breathed out of my nose in 2 weeks and my head was so full of pressure that I could possibly burst, so I got a whole bag full of goodies! I'm still not completely better, but I am getting there!! I think Danny coming home will be the perfect medicine!!

Coop was allowed to go back to school on Wednesday!! He was over the moon to see his dear little friend Isaiah. I had to go to the school for a meeting and when I returned home, my ayi was in tears because the washer had broken for the second time in less than a week. I decided to call our manager and ask for a new washing machine. She was rude to me and said no, so I had to use my evilness and threaten her that she would pay for all of the clothes that the washing machine ruined. I still don't have a new washing machine!!

Thursday was an okay day I think - I really can't remember! All I do know is that all of the agression that was building up I took out on my poor tennis coach! Karen and I are improving quite a bit, so Andy (our coach) was tuckered out by the end of our hour! I'm pretty sure he was even grunting a bit when returning our hits!!

By Friday, my nerves were completely wound up! The day started with Coop throwing a major three year old tantrum for the entire school to see. After 20 minutes of him kicking and screaming and yelling at anyone who tried to help, I finally gave into the urge and had a good cry myself - why not?!! The teachers did not know what to do with me because I am not one to let my emotions get the best of me, especially in public!! I took it to mean that I must feel really comfortable here to let it all off my chest and for everyone to realize although I smile and giggle a lot, I am only human!! Thankfully for skype, I could talk to Jenny and she helped make it all better!!

I ended the day Friday with really good friends and a bottle of fizzy wine! I was only going to serve coffe and tea at our playdate, but after my week, caffeine just wasn't enough!!
And now it is Saturday and I am thankful for many, many things. Among those are, almost completely healthy children (Coop still has a lingering cough), lots of hugs from friends who truly understand and get it, a loving husband who respects my decisions and totally supports me, lots of love from America in many different forms, and knowing this single parent thing is almost over!!

Ellie's New Do!!

Last Saturday Ellie decided to cut off her sweet locks for a simpler hairdo!! She is loving the short look and I am loving the absence of arguing every morning about how she wants her hair done!

Batman meets Littlest Pet Shop

You know you have boys in the house when you see this...

Apparently Coop thinks that Batman needs a nap!!

Flexibility is Key!

My patience is tested daily here in China and unfortunately, I am not the most patient person. I can always tell when my patience supply has diminished because I do not tolerate little things that the kids do. I really try and take a step back, but sometimes, I just cry!! I was very proud of myself on Saturday when I was able to step back and for once, be flexible. If I could just do this more often, life would be so much easier!!

Saturday morning, we were on our way to Beijing to take Danny to the airport for his trip to the US. I decided that the kids and I would go along because the boys were becoming quite furry - they desperately needed haircuts! My agenda was to drop Danny off, go to the kids haircutting salon, do a little toy shopping, have some lunch and then drive back to Tianjin. Plans changed quite quickly when we got to the police check point (they are back to checking cars going into Beijing due to the HUGE National Day celebration they are preparing for on October 1st - it is the 60th year of communist rule). Our driver came back to the car and told me he didn't have the correct numbers on his license plate, so we couldn't go past the third ring road into the city. I really wanted to cry, but knew it would not help the situation. I conjured up plan B...I called my hair salon which is located close to the airport. They were able to squeeze the kids in! I decided I would take them to The Blue Frog restaurant that had opened recently close by for lunch. It was so clean, the food was good and they had a play room with Tom and Jerry on the TV. We were all so happy!! Next we went to a toy shop becuase the kids had earned a small toy - they all found something they wanted!! Then it was on to the salon where, although it wasn't as kid friendly, it still had a motorcycle for the boys to sit on and Ellie enjoyed a 20 minute head massage, and it was about 1/2 the price!! Once again we were all happy! Finally to end our afternoon, I grabbed a Starbucks and the kids played on two huge bouncy slides for 30 minutes. They were completely worn out when we got in the car and we had a nice quiet ride back to Tianjin!!

Hopefully this year I can learn to be more flexible and realize that sometimes plan B is better than plan A anyway!!

Bursting the bubble!!

I know that we currently live in an expat "bubble". Our lives are completely different than the local citizens here, we enjoy many privileges that most citizens do not and on the flip side, we are subject to daily frustrations that the locals are not. When Danny and I were contemplating moving to China we spent a day with an expat "counselor" who helped us to see how we would each deal with living in a foreign country and how we could help each other through the highs and lows. I was fully aware at that time that given the choice between going to a local gym and one that catered to foreigners, I would quickly choose the foreigners' gym - no question! Danny on the other hand was more hesitant with his choice. After almost 15 months, I'm pretty sure he would no longer hesitate and pick the foreigners' gym. We live in this expat "bubble" because it is easier and we relate so well to the others' within it. But every once in a while, I get the urge to really see what life is like in China. I don't want to go back to the US with only a romanticized view of China, I want to also, in my own way, see what is "real"!

On my reality hunt, I decided to walk to one of the import grocery stores in Tianjin and put money on my cell phone. It is about a mile walk and I enjoyed seeing the many things I miss when I am trapped in the car. I could freely take pictures and watch what others were doing. Of course, I was stared at and asked several times where I was from, but besides that, I got to enjoy my walk in peace! This is the import store that has a pretty good selection of western goods and organic milk here!Who would have thought that you can get another set of keys made right on the street!!This is a typical sidewalk in Tianjin, it is nice until out of nowhere there is a big hole! I guess that's why all of the guidebooks suggested not bringing strollers here!This is the entryway to one of the fruit and vegetable markets in our area. Once your nose gets accustomed to the smell, it is fascinating!! Most bike shops are located right on the sidewalk!

This is a daily scene throughout the city...typically men, playing mahjong.

When I do burst out of my bubble, I find that my compassion grows more and more for this country!!

Happy Birthday Grandma (in Chinese)

Peer pressure got the best of me

and the pile of dishes that sits in my sink all weekend long. I have finally succumbed to hiring an additional ayi for the weekend. Actually it is just for Sunday so I don't feel that bad and we are honestly helping this woman. Don't laugh Shonna and Jenny!!! She has a disabled husband and really needs the money, and I really need a bit of help on Sundays. So when I look at it that way - it's a win/win situation!!

She starts this Sunday so we will have to see how it goes! I'm not so sure how our ayi we have now is going to react. She may be offended, but I really hope she isn't. She probably will wonder why we didn't ask her to come in for another day during the week, but I think she should spend time with her family. I think my best bet will be to not let them work together - we don't need any more drama than there already is in the St. Martin household!!

Eensie's Mommy Day

Last Thursday I was able to join Eensie on his first field trip to the Natural Museum in Tianjin. His first unit of inquiry is animals, so we were able to go on a hunt through the museum to find different species. We had such a wonderful day, just the two of us. An added bonus was that I was very impressed with the museum, it was clean and a great place for kids to explore.

Bless the wonderful teachers who teach these young little minds!!Our first stop was to find the sea creatures...

My brave Eens even tried to feed the sea lions with chopsticks!!We're not too sure about the outcome of this turtle!Eensie "saved" his mommy a seat at a table for two! He didn't want to sit with his friends - "just mommy"!! I enjoyed every minute of our lunch with the dinosaurs!

Eens and "his girls"!! They make him so happy and so does his stuffed cat which was my compromise for a real one!!

Glorious Sunny Days!!

We have had some gorgeous days here recently (which we do not take for granted!!). Ellie even e-mailed her friend Karleigh from the US and told her that one of the things she likes most about China is the sunny sky!! I was giggling when she wrote it since China is not really known in this area for sunny, blue skies!!

But, here are some pictures of the little ones enjoying their outside time!!

We love blue skies!!!

Most Recent Happenings!

It's been almost a week since I last posted, which is rare, but I have a very good excuse! I've been sucked into the Twilight saga and I can't stop! My mom is very smart and knows me oh so well that she basically forbid me to begin reading the books this summer. I am obsessive when I find a series I enjoy and I don't stop reading until I am finished. Thus far I have completed the first two books and I am going to try to take a break until next week when Danny is in the US! I'm sure the third book will keep me busy for a couple of days and sleepless nights!!

Here are some of our most recent tales...

I ended last week with a stye in one eye and a nasty sinus infection, and then was lucky enough to have a cold sore pop up on Sunday - it always happens at once!!

Ellie and Coop both have colds due to the changing seasons!

The weather has changed here - the humidity is nearly gone!! Yippee!! We are still enjoying very warm days (almost 90 today), but it is dry heat so I can handle it!!

Eensie is beginning to read - I honestly cannot believe it!! This was one of my favorites things to witness when Ellie was in kindergarten - the process is truly amazing and this time around it is even better. Ethan's teachers are pros at their job and they seem to know when to push and when to pull back. Eens loves books and reads at least 2 emergent reader books to me nightly! I am so excited for him!!

Coop has two "best" friends at school. After going through last year spending most of his time worrying about when mommy was picking him up, it is a welcome change to kiss his excited face in the morning when he is going to school!!

Ellie has discovered an addiction to the internet (hmmm...I'm thinking she may have her mommy's obsessive issues). She spends most of her time composing e-mails on her new account!! I have to admit that I love waking up every morning to read her sweet notes! Then this afternoon I was talking to her about barbie.com and she mentions that she has friends on there - needless to say, she doesn't anymore. I spent a good chunk of my afternoon going over internet safety with her. I can't believe I have to be worried about that at the age of 7, but it looks like I do!

Danny and I spent our first night out since we returned, at the European Chamber dinner on Friday night. It was an interesting night with a bit of dancing and lots of laughs!!

On Saturday my neighbor and I had to march right over to the Sheraton when a guest at a wedding being held in the garden decided that our pathway would make a good restroom. All of our kids thought it was hilarious - all of the adults thought quite differently! Once again, a bathroom was available less than 100 yards away!!

It is amazing to me how different we perceive "normal" this year - our daily lives are now our "normal", which unfortunately means I miss some of the cultural differences that amazed or terrified (take your pick!) me last year!!

It's Starting Already...

Yesterday we received word from very good friends that they will be finishing their assignment in December - 6 months earlier than planned. I was not prepared by the wave of emotion that struck me by the news. I knew coming into this year that we would have a lot of good-byes to say at the end of the year due to the "3 year cycle" and the fact that a lot of our friends were on year two last year. However, I was not prepared to be so upset by our friends leaving.

When we first decided to come on an expat assignment I thought privately in my mind that I would spend three years enjoying my family, travelling, learning another language, and meeting people from all over the world. I did not envision deep friendships as part of the equation. I just assumed that because I knew this was "temporary" I would save myself from the pain of eventually saying good-bye. I've had to do that too many times. For those of you who know me well, you probably aren't surprised that deep friendships have become one of the most important parts of this experience for me. A really good massage would not be nearly as fun if I didn't have someone to tell about it, and who wants to go haggle your way through the silk market alone, and who else understands this crazy, backwards country that we are living in better than our dear friends. I now realize how deep I already am in my friendships here, so this year I plan on loving, supporting, and celebrating these friends and our time here in China!

I am blessed and I am thankful for the friends we have in our life, and instead of good-bye, we will use, until we meet again!!!

Winnie the Pooh in Chinese

On Saturday we took advantage of some quality theater here in Tianjin by taking the kids to see Winnie the Pooh Live! I had a hunch that it would probably be in Mandarin, but when we got to the theater I had a bit of hope that just maybe it would be in English when I saw that it was a "real" Disney production and that some of the actors on stage were foreigners! My hopes were diminished when Mickey and Minnie came out speaking the sweetest Mandarin I have heard!! Thankfully we are 14 months into our time here (not that we're counting - hehe) because if this had been last year, we would have left - there would have been no point staying because we wouldn't have understood a thing! This year, thanks to Danny's intense Chinese studying, we got the gist of the show and I could even translate some of it for the kids! I can listen and understand much better than I can speak!

The kids loved eating popcorn and cotton candy. I even got over the fact that I could only understand every other word and was enjoying myself until I got pulled back to reality that yes, we were still in China. About halfway through the first part of the show, a mother or grandma lifted up her little girl and took her down the aisle where no one was sitting and allowed her to squat and relieve herself right in the theater. Dan and I both looked at each other and hoped she was squatting to look for something. Immediately when the lights went on during intermission, I had to have a look for myself. Sure enough, there was a puddle right there on the nice floor where everyone could walk through it. There are a few things that cross my mind when I see things like this, especially when there is a very clean restroom less than 50 yards away.

We didn't tell the kids about the little incident, but we were very clear that shoes must come off immediately when walking through the door!!

Open House

This morning our school had an open house for nursery through grade 5! It was held in the morning, which was very different than what we are used to in the US. Even though Danny couldn't go, I thought it was well attended and very organized. Because it was during the day, it seemed more natural for the kids - they are used to being there, the only difference was there were a lot of parents walking around! Also, I think because most of us rely on drivers and live about 20 - 30 minutes from the school, nighttime activities are not very easy to participate in - this was much easier! I love every opportunity I get to go to school and be with El, Eens, and Coop - I am always overwhelmed with pride and grateful that we have such a wonderful school available to us!

We began the morning with a short assembly. Our director gave us a brief update on new swine flu procedures, which are basically what I put in a previous post. He also informed us that a 7 day mandatory home quarantine may be in place when we all return from October holiday. This basically means that my kids will miss 8 school days because we are already planning on pulling them out for 4 days to extend our holiday! Eeeee...that'a a lot of school to miss, but I keep telling myself that part of the reason we wanted to go overseas was to allow the children to experience different cultures. How can I deny them a beach vacation in a different county??!!!

After he spoke, our principal introduced all of the elementary teachers and support staff. It was amazing to look around and see how many teachers are necessary to run an international school. We have our Chinese teachers and aides in each class, we also have a French and German teacher, and then we have many teachers who support the ESL program because many students come to school speaking very little, if any English! I have been amazed to talk to some of the kids this year that did not speak any English when they arrived last year, and now they are little motor mouths - it is a wonderful reflection of our teachers!

After the assembly I went to El's room where she was armed and ready with her checklist in hand. She took me around her classroom and showed me what she is working on. Since they have only had 2 weeks of school, there really wasn't that much to see, but I could tell she enjoyed showing me her new room!

El and I then went to Eensie's room. That boy can concentrate so well - there were a lot of people walking around his room, but he was completely focused on cutting out his ants, he didn't even realize El and I were there!! His Chinese teacher complimented him on how mature and focused he was for being in kindergarten - I wish he could be that way at home! Eens totally took control of our tour. He took us through his classroom and then all over the school. I can tell that he feels like a big boy!

Cooper was next on the list, and in true Coop fashion, he was the last one at the table finishing his snack. I'm beginning to think that he thinks it is a requirement to eat everything in his snack bag and lunch box. I keep adding more food thinking he cannot possibly finish it, but everyday all containers are empty!! Apparently he is a growing boy! In Coop's room I played with him a little and he made me a delicious sand hamburger and pink lemonade! When it was time for me to leave, he went off on his taxi (aka tricycle)!

Bye, bye mommy! Have fun at your 3 hour lunch with your girlfriends!!

Following in mommy's footsteps...

I was so proud when I came up to the boys' room tonight and saw this...

Ellie loves to read to the boys and lately she has wanted to pretend to be the teacher! Tonight Eens got a bit of homework..."If you get a free minute, you might want to look this book over again and study the picture clues!"!!

Back to school again!

We basically started from square one on Tuesday when our school was permitted to reopen the doors after 10 days (including weekends) off for the H1N1 flu. They have placed a few more precautions in place to help curb another outbreak from occurring. Everyone coming into the school will continue to have their temperatures checked upon entering and then they must use hand sanitizer. The school has also purchased thermometers for every student and two more temperature checks are performed during the day and reported. If at any time a student is discovered to have a fever at school, they are sent home and may not return to school for a mandatory 7 days. I have packed hand sanitizer in my kids bookbags and their lunch boxes to help remind them to wash their hands!!

El, Eens, and Coop were eager to go back to school, but it truly did feel like day 1! El forgot all of her homework that she had worked so hard on during the time off, Eens hesitated at his classroom and gave me the sad eyes, and Coop just let it all go with a kicking and screaming fit (which was all for mommy because the minute I was gone, he was off playing with his friends)!! I missed them terribly the first day back. Although it was hard work, I liked being directly involved in their education and I think in a way it was a very positive thing. I've noticed this week that I can ask specific questions about what they are learning because I have a better understanding of what the teachers are trying to teach right now. So, although many people might think that it was a wasted week, I would beg to differ, I loved the time with my kids and I feel much more involved than I ever have in their schoolwork.

This was an interesting article I ran across this morning regarding schools and H1N1...
China to Punish School Officials Over Swine Flu
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1047004&lang=eng_news

They take the swine flu very seriously here and many locals continue to be extremely scared. On Tuesday all my ayi could talk about was SARS and how scared she was about that. Thankfully H1N1 does not seem to be nearly as bad as the SARS outbreak, but I can understand how after living through that fear, you automatically think it is going to happen again. Also, I learned this week that although the government is allowing most foreigners to quarantine themselves at home if they test positive, the locals continue to be quarantined in the hospital for 7 days, another reason to be scared.

Renovated Water Park

On Sunday Dan and I took the kids to the "renovated" Water Park in Tianjin. Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for the renovation - it had been done rather quickly, but we were pleasantly surprised. We had taken the kids to the park on the Saturday after we arrived last year and it was pretty dirty. This year, it was clean, vibrant colors were everywhere, and it was so nice to see loads of people enjoying this lovely outdoor space! The only problem I found with the park was that none of the water features or fountains were working...oh well, one step at a time!!

One of my favorite things to do when we were out and about is to observe the locals. This gentleman was leading a small group of instruments and some singers. It seemed rather impromptu, which made it all the more amazing because they were really good and very flexible! We also watched a bit of dancing during our visit.

Eens continues to want to ride in one of these paddleboats. I'm really hoping that these are the next thing to get a little renovating!