You know you're a true tai tai...

when your driver pulls up with brand new "Gucci" floor mats and a GPS system put in the new car!!

Ever since moving, we have been having quite the ordeal with drivers. Since we now must drive our ayi to our house (it is too far for her to bike), we have had to get a second car. That in and of itself was an interesting ordeal. Most expat families in China get a Buick G8 minivan. I guess we were spoiled in the US with our Honda Odyssey, because we have never liked the Buick - the drive is very bumpy and is not nearly as smooth as the Honda. When getting our new car, Danny aksed if we could please get a Honda. They were flabbergasted to say the least. They could not believe that we did not want an American car! In the end, I did get a new Honda Odyssey wagon, which we love and are very thankful for!

The driver situation has caused plenty of anxiety for me. Our first new driver was a woman. I was very excited because I thought that she would do great with the children and she would probably have more tolerance for my shopping expeditions. She was very sweet, but unfortunately it seemed as if she had never driven a car before and she did not know the streets of Tianjin at all. She has lived there all of her life, but I was giving her directions for the places she needed to take me to. She lasted for one week, when after she put the car in reverse in a busy intersection, Danny fired her.

Our second driver seemed nice enough. He came equipped to work with a GPS system that he used to get me to and from the shops and houses I needed to go to. He was the one who, on the second day, brought me the lovely (and extremely tacky!!) Gucci floor mats! He must have thought I really loved Gucci because of my purse! Too funny and now all of my friends are very jealous! But he was only temporary!

We now have a third driver who began this week while the kids and I are in the US! We were fortunate and got to hire him from our friends who went back to Ireland. My girlfriend was a good shopper, so I am sure he will have already explored all of the places that I like to frequent!!