Notes From Monday and Tuesday

It's the rainy season right now in this part of China, for another couple of weeks. The downpour for the first two thirds of the day doesn't seem to stop the bicyclers. It is the means of transportation for many. They ride in the rain, wearing rain ponchos in every color of the rainbow. I looked today... red, yellow, bright pink, lots of purples, green, blue, black, some multicolored. They all have little brims on the hood, like a baseball cap.Umbrellas also seem to be more colorful here than in the U.S. I saw a myriad of them today, moving briskly down the street.

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I had a physical today for my residence permit. Scott had already done his on one of his trips here in the last few months, so he stayed with the kids and I went alone, with Mr. Wu driving me. It is very quiet in the car when you cannot communicate with the person you are riding with! I kept silently thinking, "I wish you could teach me Chinese, I wish you could teach me Chinese", but I didn't even know how to ask him anything. Finally toward the end of the ride, somehow it happened that he told me the Madarin for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I was so excited! I said them over and over, and Mr Wu seemed very pleased at my excitement. Later when we were all in the car with him, we practiced Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday outloud for him, and he taught us a few more words. I don't retain very much of it, but it's a start.

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IKEA in Shanghai is pretty similar to IKEA in the States. It is, after all, a Swedish company, so it should be Swedish in both China and America. They served Swedish meatballs at the cafeteria! But there were chopsticks next to the knives and forks at the end of the lunch line, and several Chinese entrees to choose from. The snack bar that is just past the check out lines had amazing prices... just 1 yuan for a soft serve ice cream cone, which is about 12 cents! We all got one, as a reward for us all for spending far too long on our disorganized shopping trip, complete with a feverish child. Hotdogs came in at 3 yuan, or 36 cents a piece.

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At breakfast this morning in the hotel, a man came around to the table where Scott and the kids were seated (I was at the medical exam... not allowed to eat breakfast beforehand). He made beautifully detailed little creatures for each of them, deftly weaving long, tough grasses into a frog, dragonfly, praying mantis, and a grasshopper. I'm sorry I missed seeing him make them... the kids reported that he did them so quickly, and to see them you would be amazed at their intricacy!

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We have a rebellious washing machine at our apartment. We actually have two of them, although I only know the temperment of one so far. The machines are tiny, about the size of a small dishwasher, low and square. And they not only wash the clothes, but once the wash cycle is finished, low and behold, they morph into a dryer! Which is why it is good that we have two, if you see what I mean. So this afternoon when we went to the apartment, I brought along some of our dirty clothes to try out in the machine. Now this machine is brand new, mind you, but unfortunately for me, the controls are all in Chinese characters, so I have to guess at what buttons to press and how far to turn the dials. We also had to guess about where the detergent should go. Suffice it to say, something was not done right, because I had water and suds all over the laundry room floor two times, and suds coming out of the seams in the machine, too. It also agitated and spun so violently that it jumped all over the floor, moving several feet from its original place, and at one point pinning the door to the room closed. When I finally got the clothes out after nearly two hours, they were still soapy. Do you suppose I should ask for help with the controls?

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Shanghai is a very modern city, but it's fun to find bits of what I consider Old China here and there. Today I saw people squatting on the curb, selling round melons. I saw live chickens, being held upside down by the feet, while a prospective buyer poked at the flesh under the wing to see how plump the chicken was. I saw a man on a bike hauling a load of styrofoam coolers... not a heavy load, but this pile was no less than 12-15 feet high and wide!

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I don't think it has sunken in yet that we really live here. Because we are still in a hotel, living out of suitcases and eating meals out for the most part, it still seems like a vacation of sorts. I'm guessing it will feel more real within the week, as we move to our apartment for good and Scott goes back to work. The kids are doing pretty well, although they all have some kind of crud that is causing a cough and drainage. They are having fun getting things set in their new rooms, and this afternoon we explored the grounds around our apartment complex, which they enjoyed. I'm looking forward to finding a new normal, once we're in our place.