HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

We are having a great Halloween! The boys dressed up as super heroes - adorable! Brandon was Batman and Ryan was Superman. Their school did all the traditional Halloween activities...trick or treating, games, pumpkin carving, costume parade, and lots of food! All the little kids were SO adorable! I made spider deviled eggs and pumpkin glazed brownies for Ryan's classroom luncheon. Moms kept asking me what kind of food they should bring for Halloween...? Uh, good food? haha All I could tell them is that I can't get through Halloween without eating deviled eggs...c'mon...that's a given! And, of course, they had no idea what deviled eggs were. So, I brought some. Also, I bought our ayi a package of Reeses PB cups and carved little pumpkin faces on them while she watched...she got SUCH a kick out of it! I realized what a GREAT and simple potluck dish that would make...put a whole bunch of Reeses PB cups carved like pumpkins on a plate! *NOTE: I only carved the chocolate away from the PB of the cup. If you try and carve deeper...it falls apart. But since the PB is kind of orange and the chocolate is kind of black/brown...it totally works!


For all the Halloween "events" we are attending this year, I have been busy in the kitchen baking and cooking. I made chocolate chip muffins and whipped up an appetizer for the potluck in Puxi. I also carved the Reeses for ayi, whipped up some deviled eggs and baked two big brownie circles for the pumpkin shaped brownies, as well as threw together a confection glaze for the brownies and colored the glaze orange with food coloring. Not to mention decorating the pumpkin brownies with M&M's for the face(s). Since our ayi cooks both lunch and dinner for us 6 days a week, I really think she figured I couldn't find my way through the kitchen with two hands, a map and a flashlight. I think she was a little startled when I threw everything together in an afternoon. haha

I was asked to carve a pumpkin for Ryan's class...which turned into an event in the dance hall with a couple of different classes - yikes! The kids got a kick out of it. Only a few of the kids were willing to come up and put their hand in the gooey mess. hee hee But, they really liked watching the eyes, nose and mouth pop out of the pumpkin as it was being carved. Both, kids and parents alike, ooohhed and aaahhhed when it was time to put the candle in the pumpkin and turn off the lights. It was pretty cool...they all clapped. :) After the lights came back on, the kids and parents kept coming up to the pumpkins and peering inside the holes to see the candle. The parents went picture crazy...taking pics of their kids next to the pumpkins on the table. It was neat.


Yes, there is a plural aftter pumpkin. We carved two. I had picked a couple of pumpkins out for us and my friends at the local market near our house. Many other veteran mamas mentioned that the pumpkins sold here around Halloween are a bit different than the US. They are big, squat and very THICK! With this in mind, I chose pumpkins that were a little smaller, but had a good space for carving and hopefully had a thinner skin to carve. My friends had no idea how to choose a pumpkin and asked if I would pick out some good ones for them. Each classroom at school got a pumpkin picked for them. At the last minute, I ended up bringing the one I had picked out for our home. GOOD THING! I asked for a volunteer and gave the [hopefully] thinner skinned pumpkin to the novice to carve in front of the classes. GOOD THING I DID! My friend, Christine, volunteered and she was able to carve the smaller one without too much difficulty and with only a few instructions from me. I, on the other hand, chose to carve the bigger pumpkin. OMG! It was so thick, I had a very hard time carving it! I'm so glad I wasn't the only one up there carving a pumpkin. Mine took twice as long and the end result was...shall we say...more than a little pathetic. hahaha I stood up there, trying to explain how to carve a pumpkin to all these International moms and I couldn't even stick the knife in the pumpkin all the way! Too funny! Do as I say...not as I do! It was a good thing Christine was able to carve hers diligently since we had a room full of 2 year olds with attention spans of gnats! haha Seriously...my pumpkin looked like one of the two year olds carved it. hahaha So much for instruction! My knife got so stuck, I thought I would be presenting a pumpkin on a stick to everyone! And I was sweating profusely by the time I finished! Sheesh!

After all the partying and eating was finished at school, we went home for naps. The kids had to rest because we then picked up Daddy from work and proceeded to drive to the Puxi side for a haunted house potluck and more trick or treating! It was a lot of fun. It was madatory that EVERYONE be dressed up...even Daddy's. Since the pickings are slim here for adult costumes...Allen went as a long haired devil with cape and pitchfork and I had a purple wig with a mask. Pretty lame. haha However, I really enjoyed the fact that we were trick or treating ON Halloween, at night, with lots of other little kids. The compound we were visiting had their security guards put lighted devil horns on and they had a table set up for bobbing for apples. Remember that? I remember when I was a kid...we used to do that every Halloween. However, as an adult...you realize how disgusting bobbing for apples is from a vat of apples other people have dipped their heads into. Yuk! haha I'm glad to report that this table was very sanitary. They had individual plastic bowls that they did NOT re-use...they just kept grabbing plastic bowls from their pile, poured water into them and put an apples in each one. MUCH better! haha Anyway, the compound also had many happy and spooky residents who joined in the Halloween fun! The house where the party was had their garage turned into a haunted house and everyone brought delicious food for the potluck.

We have also been invited to join our friends at Season's Villas (one of the primary expat communities) here in Pudong TOMORROW, November 1st, for their Halloween clubhouse party and trick or treating. Our ayi has opted to come along for the fun as well. I have no doubt we will all be Halloweened out by the time we are finished tomorrow night! But, at least the boys are getting a TON of use out of their costumes this year! haha

We are thinking of our loved ones back home and wishing all of you a very safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

An update about ME!

This blog is specifically dedicated to a friend of mine in southern California. Since I write from the heart, I feel that anything I write about on my blog page says something about my life over here in China. I know many of you have found the information to be useful in keeping apprised of my feelings and thoughts about life. However, JUST IN CASE any of you are wondering about more specific and intimate (is that even possible?) details about my life here in China...here you go!

Q: How are you doing?
A: Well, I'm ok. I worry about the everyday living details for my family over here. They have now found excess amounts of melamine in eggs as well. Stuff like that can throw me for a loop...or two, since I feel responsible for the welfare of my family. I worry about their physical, emotional and spiritual well being. But, hey, that's my job, right? I, personally, don't like living here. But, I think it's a great place to visit at least once in your life. We have thought about me and the kids moving back earlier than expected...but splitting up the family isn't something I'm willing to do at this point. I'm sure things will get better with time. I'm still striving towards that 6-month mark.

Q: How are things between you and Allen, now that you have settled in a bit?
A: MUCH better! I think I hit "bottom" there for awhile. Allen was eventually able to help me through it...and we are stronger because of it. I hope this experience will help Allen and I to become even closer in our marriage...when all is said and done, of course. There are still many stresses we face while living here...all part of the devil's bargain, I guess. We'll get through it, I'm sure.

Q: Have you made any friends?
A: Yes...which helps a lot. I have TWO friends I hang out with on a regular basis. Normally, I don't usually count the number of friends I make...but, in this case, I think the number 2 is significant because having TWO friends has helped a lot in not feeling so desperate to make more friends. I find that with driving the boys to school everyday, my own small "projects" at home, endless errands and balancing two separate friends has been more than enough to keep me busy lately. In fact, I often feel a little stressed and "pulled" for time. Funny, right? One of my friends is from Australia. She is a really neat gal and our kids are the same ages. I enjoy hanging out with her. My other friend is Chinese and lives in the same compound as me. Her [one] daughter and Ryan are in the same class together. She lived in the States for 8 years and knows English. We compliment each other really well.

Q: Do you have any hobbies while living in China?
A: I have tried! haha But, something has always prevented me from pursuing them. I'll keep trying, if I find the time.

Q: Are you able to meet many other expats?
A: Yes...and no. There are several other expats who live here and many resources in which to find them. There is the school, of course. Also, there is a community center that plans many "expat" friendly events. There are also publications you can find that cater to expat readers...which also helps. I also say "no" because there seems to be a "hierarchy" of expats. Newbie expats, like myself, can be recognized by the look of open-ness with a hint of desperation attached to it. We always want to meet other expats and maybe "bond" with any one of them. The expats who have lived here for about 3-4 years are a very unfriendly crowd. They have already experienced the plethora of emotions involved in moving somewhere like China and they don't seem to want to get "involved" with a newbie's own emotional roller coaster. They have been there and done that, I guess. The expats who have lived here for 4-5+ years are once again friendly...and often helpful. But, the "catch" to this situation is that us newbies want and need to identify with other people in similar situations BECAUSE of the emotional roller coaster we find ourselves. SO, befriending a veteran can be useful for information, but also very discouraging. Who wants to hang around someone who handles any situation here in China with grace and unparalleled ease? They may sympathize with our emotional swings, but they can no longer offer support...they are truly on the other side of the fence.

Q: How are you handling things like melamine in the milk, etc?
A: The best that I can. It's very disheartening and frustrating to keep finding that products made for the Chinese market...are crap! My advice to people back home: don't EVER buy anything with a Chinese label on it. The new and upcoming appliance label is Haier...DON'T BUY IT...it's Chinese made and it's CRAP.

Q: How do you like having an ayi and driver?
A: Confining, actually. There is someone always in your house, invading your personal space. And you can't beat driving places by yourself. A driver means you have to plan out your days a whole lot better. We really like our ayi. She is so nice. But, she isn't family and it IS an invasion of our personal space. I sometimes think of different grocery errands for her to do so I can have my own space during the day when I'm at home. On the flip side, however, it IS nice having someone clean and cook for you every single day. It's a domestic luxury for sure. The driver is a necessity this year, especially since the boys' school is not near our home. But, it's an exhausting process trying to convey where you want to go to a driver who only speaks Chinese. LOTS of planning involved! I miss driving the Jeep!

Q: Are you able to find everything that you need?
A: No. THANK GOODNESS for those friends and family back home who have been sending me care packages! I love you!

Q: What do you miss the most by living in China?
A: My life back home...and good chocolate.

Q: Do you have any travel plans?
A: Yes! There are many places I would like to see and visit. I'm feeling a little dis-enchanted with China right now...so I have my sights on a Japan trip to see the cherry blossoms this spring...or next. Things may change.

Q: Are you glad you brought Blue?
A: Yes! Although, I suspect he is not as happy here as he was back home. You can just tell. But, I can't imagine life without him. He's my baby.

Q: Are you still considering expanding your family?
A: Yes...still considering it.

Q: Are you feeling the "crunch" of the failing market in the US?
A: No...not really. Things pretty much stay the same for us while we are here in China. The currency exchange and the strength of the US dollar compared to Chinese RMB...affects everyone here a little bit.

Ok! I think that about sums up the more intimate? details of my life here in China. Although, I know many of you will think the information is redundant since I blog about my thoughts and feelings all the time. But, here it is anyway. :)

Huangshan cancelled

Well, we are FINALLY getting back on track from being sick last week! Everybody here says that newbies like us always get something like this when the weather turns colder their first season in Shanghai. Well! Thanks for the warning...AFTER the fact! ;) That was miserable! But, the boys are back in school now and I'm trying to shake off the last bit of symptoms. Unfortunately, Allen finally caught it...a milder version, but uncomfortable all the same! He took today off to rest and will be back in the saddle at work by tomorrow.

Funny...people must have thought we caught some rare and vicious disease - and spread the word about it. People I don't even know or recognize at school kept coming up to me today to ask how me and the boys were doing and if we have recovered. Teachers and ayis in BOTH classrooms kept feeling the boys' foreheads. A teacher I haven't spoke to in many weeks joked that everyone thought our family had something equivalent to the Ebola virus or something...because we were out so long. She was joking, but she was as concerned about our recovery as other people seem to be. I guess being out for a whole week is like being out a month in school "years". haha

Unfortunately, both boys missed the school's annual marathon and PE day. This is something the kids have been working on during their outdoor time for a couple of months. We were bummed to miss it. I heard it was lots of fun and many students earned gold medals. The parents even had a tug-o-war competition and relay races. THAT would have been fun to watch! haha

We finally switched drivers. Yep...Mr. Chen kept out doing himself in causing me grief and frustration during my days. After three months, the guy was supposed to have improved - immensely! Not Mr. Chen, however. If it were possible, he slid the other way and got worse. So, after a very close call of leaving me stranded with no car out in the middle of nowhere (in countryside China!)...with Ryan, no less...he got the boot. Now, we have Mr. Ye, who speaks absolutely ZERO English. We'll see how this goes and for how long...

Considering that we just got a brand new driver who doesn't know our family and we don't quite trust yet...in addition to the fact that we just recovered from a very nasty flu bug...we decided against going to Huangshan. It has turned considerably colder in the last week and Huangshan is supposed to be one of the highest peaks in China...talk about chilly! Yeah...it'll have to wait! Oh well...

In light of our trip being cancelled...I now have some extra time to assist my friends in their Halloween preparations. I'll be carving a pumpkin for Ryan's class on Thursday. We are hosting a little pumpkin carving soiree at our house on Wednesday. We are attending a Halloween potluck and trick or treating party on Halloween Friday in addition to the boys' school activities.. And, yes, Halloween spills into November 1st in some places over here...so we'll be attending another Halloween party on Saturday. What fun! Got to use those costumes as much as possible! hee hee

Have a spoooooky Halloween week!

What a DOOZY!

Allen has been the only one to escape a week of illness in our household! Last Sunday, Brandon had a 103 degree temperature and we took him to the hospital to get checked out. By the time Brandon and I arrived back home, I had a fever of 102 degrees. It was official, both Brandon and I had a nasty flu bug, with all the flu symptoms imaginable!

By Monday, Ryan had also come down with the flu, temperature of 102.

By Tuesday, Brandon was finally beginning to recover, but both Ryan and I had a ways to go. If that wasn't enough, I woke up on Tuesday morning swallowing what felt like knife blades down my throat every time I swallowed. Back to the hospital! Sure enough, I also had strep throat. The strep throat in addition to the fact that I was still recovering from that nasty flu, landed me in bed for the rest of the day. Thank goodness we have ayi here to help us! She has been great! I was completely incapacitated and couldn't take care of the kids if my life depended on it...especially BOTH of them since they are both out of school with this flu.

A ray of sunshine...
Since Sunday, Allen has been calling our ayi's company a lot to arrange extra help. As I kept getting sicker, we needed ayi's help more and more. They must have thought I was dying or something, going in and out of the hospital. haha They actually brought me some flowers to help cheer me up! It certainly put a smile on my face and it DID cheer me up! :)

Aaaaagghh!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very recent thread on Shanghai Mamas...

Hi Mamas,

I was just over on Shanghai Expat and a man living in Yanlord Gardens
down near Jinmao Tower said that the dog catchers were there this
evening taking dogs by force.

His account of what happened is pretty sickening and even though the
dogs were within the compound and on leashes, he personally witnessed
six being taken away. The owners/ayis were not even allowed to get
their paperwork from their homes. This sounds like a pretty close
repeat of what happened in Thomson Golf a few months ago.

Please, please make sure you and your ayi always carry your dog's
paperwork with you when outside of your home. I hope and pray that
these poor dogs are not harmed further. I love China, but this is one
topic that truly breaks my heart.

Take care of your pooches. I am going too go and give mine a big old hug.

Response...

I bought a small zippered pouch and attached it permanently to my dog's
leash (and hid her other leashes) so that it's impossible to take her
out without it, after what happened at Thomson Golf.

What happened at Thomson Golf????

Another response...

Hey Mamas,

The original poster from yesterday who posted about the dogs in
Yanlord Garden said that she got confirmation from the management
company that 5 dogs were destroyed yesterday after the sweep.
Apparently one belonged to an old woman,who was crying and begging the
officers to let her get her license from her home, but they refused
and took her dog away. I feel so sad for the owners and the dogs.
This is simply so wrong. I understand the need for rules, but to have
you go through the process of registering a dog and then not allowing
you to prove it is registered is just plain wrong.

FYI: there is a notice up in Top of City, so there is likely to be a
sweep there soon too.

All this just makes me sick to my stomach.

AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 'original' post on Shanghai Expat!

I have just witnessed one of the most disturbing events since living in China.

The police and dog catchers entered my compound taking dogs that did not have licences with them whilst walking. The people walking the dogs were both owners and ayis and clearly did not have the licences to hand. They were not given the opportunity to collect the licences. I saw about 6 dogs being taken whilst I was there.

The dogs were grabbed around the throats by a claw at the end of a pole and literally hurled above the dog catchers head into the top opening of a cage on the back of a van, landing on top of other dogs. One small dog was dragged about 8 feet along the ground first before being hurled into the air and dropped on top of the cage...as he had missed the opening the dog catcher used the claw the push the dog through the hole in the cage nearly breaking the poor dogs neck.
Whilst this was happening the Management office brought trays of drinks out for the men and Police officers and they all stood there having a drink and a giggle. Some other people passing were clearly upset whilst some people found it amusing and started taking photos.

I went to the Management office to confirm what was happening and all three people there found it funny...its times like this I am disgusted by the attitude of the Chinese towards animals.

All I can say to other dog owners in Shanghai is please please please make sure your licence is up to date and make sure you take it with you EVERYWHERE...even inside your compound. Also if your AYI walks your dog ensure she understands she must take the licences with her.

I never want to witness anything like this again...if that had been my dog I would not have been as restrained as the Chinese people this happened to today...I would be locked up for assault on the dog catchers.

Another...

Me too, I am in shock. I thought you only needed your documents if you left the compound. I found a photograph of the way they grab the dogs on a website http://whatishotinchinatoday.blogspot.com/2007/08/husky-and-dog-licens e.html
this is exactly as it was today, I can't even think what I would do if this happened to my dog. Makes me want to go home now.

Response...

I haven't visited here for quite a while. Luckily, one of the friends we usually meet as a doggy-mom group in our compund told us this crazy news. I CAN"T believe this crazy cold-blooded raid. We live just next to the Yanlord Garden. This really disgust me. I also feel very creepy. I feel insecure again in this city. So where is safe to walk dog? Not even in our own compound???? I am MAD too

At the same time, I really appreciate this post. Thank you so much!!!!!!!

Byt the way, I suspect it could be some nasty people (who hate dogs) called the police. Just a theory.

I thought they are putting all efforts to prepare the World Expo and hope to improve the image..... We expats who live here see all the most clearly.

TOO CLEARLY!

Response...

I don't know about anyone else but I definately do not feel safe here anymore. The fact that these people can just come in and tear your dog away from you even if you have a license makes me want to start packing my suitcase. How do you take a 70 year old womans only companion and push her around without a thought? How could they stand there drinking tea and laughing while she was crying and begging them to give her her dog back? They would not even let her go upstairs to get her dogs license... There is just so much that I want to say right now but am just to angry and upset....I cannot believe that we are living in the same country that just hosted the Olympics and is gearing up to host the Expo.........

A disturbing response...

My wife who is Chinese says these dogs would be either sold or eaten, which isn't going to make anyone feel any better.
We have 2 miniature Liwawa, and as BONNIE says they are walked early in the morning, and late at night. Ours are not registered, as my wife will not. This sort of official behaviour does NOT encourage people to register. Stupid.

AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And FINALLY...a link for a story by the New York Times concerning this subject.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9D03E3D6133DF93AA25750C0A9679C8B63

October!

Is it really the middle of October already???? Wow! As usual, the Holiday season is fast approaching! And, as usual, I'm not quite ready for it! I guess I was a little blown away when I received a Scholastic catalogue in the boys' school bags. A Scholastic catalogue? Where are we? Don't get me wrong...I absolutely LOVED seeing it, as it reminds me of home! ESPECIALLY since the entire catalogue features books covering American Election Days, Halloween, American Thanksgiving and Christmas!? Well, uh, that's great...but what about the other 163 students in the school and THEIR holiday interests?? There are only a few American kids in the school...and I have two of them. I have to assume the election and Thanksgiving books are not as popular. For ME, however, I was very excited to look through the catalogues! :)

Which brings me to Halloween! The Halloween Holiday is all a-flutter over here. Surprising! A few party supply shops sell the appropriate Halloween decorations. The selection is VERY minimal! However, you can get costumes for kids and so far, I have seen a total of TWO costumes for adults. Well, alrighty then...life simplified! haha

Being a traditionally "pagan" holiday, many of the bigger International Schools who are Christian based, ie, Yew Chung, Concordia, etc. don't allow their kids to dress up for the Holiday at school. But, since these same kids live in [mostly] expat communities, they get to celebrate it anyway through their compounds. Many of the recreation centers in the expat compounds are having Halloween parties and encouraging the residents to join in the fun for trick-or-treaters.

We have absolutely NO hope of celebrating it in our own community as it is mostly Chinese, but we have been invited to join in the fun at an expat compound. Whew! Even though Halloween looks like it's gaining popularity here, it's surprising that not one single person I have encountered (outside the US) knows anything about it. The fun and flair of the Holiday itself is appealing to the International community...but I have been bombarded by questions about Halloween. Anything from how to decorate one's yard, to the history behind the Holiday (do I even know that answer accurately?), to how to carve pumpkins, to guidance on what to do with the decorations after you use them, ETC!! I have been asked by my good friend, Christine (who is Chinese), to help her decorate her yard. I have been asked by Ryan's teacher to help carve a pumpkin for the class. I have been asked to help my good friend, Cassy (Australian), carve a pumpkin AND to guide her kids through the trick-or-treating process, since they have never done it before.

Wow! I didn't realize just how "American" Halloween really is! Did you know that?? I didn't. I have seen International moms get excited about it over here, but I've come to learn that it's because they have seen IMAGES of the Holiday in America. They are very excited to join in the fun though. :)

I still have not seen a single pumpkin to carve...so...hopefully, I can locate at least a few. haha The boys will be SO pumpkined out! I'm also going to try and explain how [my friends] can clean, dry, roast and eat pumpkin seeds after carving up the pumpkin. It should be fun!

I put up a Halloween decoration around our front door and got quite a few puzzled stares from both our ayi and passersby. They didn't seem to have a clue what the pumpkin decorations represented. One older Chinese man who was walking by, pointed and (I think) asked, out right, what the heck I was doing with the pumpkin stuff? His wife, following behind...just smiled at me and shot out a quick explanation to her Husband, which (I think) could have been translated into, "You know...for kids!" Whatever she said, it seemed to pacify him and they continued on their walk. Wait until they see that we have gutted perfectly good pumpkins just to put lights inside. I can just see their puzzled frowns now.

I keep forgetting that the boys...well, Brandon at least, are of an age where they can help with the decorations. I'm used to doing it for them while they watched. But, life is getting more exciting with the boys during the Holidays now! They came home from school today and were SO excited when they saw the Halloween decorations on the door!! They squealed with unabashed delight! It was so sweet. I'm SOOOO glad I insisted on bringing our Christmas decorations, including their very favorite Holiday trains!

Ryan's teacher LOVES Halloween...although she was one of the people who asked what it was all about. She was so excited to go and get the decorations for her classroom. Unfortunately, the decorations you can buy here don't even come close to the fantastic stuff you can buy in the US! Everything made for the Chinese market is cheaper quality anyway...but I suspect since a lot of people don't have extra storage in their homes, they make it to throw away anyway.

I will have so much fun guiding people through the Holiday. I'm looking forward to it! :) Our trip to Huangshan preceeds Halloween day, so I'm hoping I can help my friends out before or after we come back. Huanghsan...I can't wait for that as well! October is proving to be a good and busy month for us!

Bubba's

If there is a heaven on earth here in Shanghai, it's Capitol must be Bubba's Texas-style BBQ & Saloon restaurant on the Puxi side of Shanghai (on Hongqiao Lu). OMG! Having experienced fine Texas BBQ before, more specifically those of you who know of the Salt Lick, I can honestly say that Bubba's ranks right up there with the Salt Lick!

Going to Bubba's...is literally like going home. Regardless of your original home in the US, Bubba's represents all that is fine and wonderful from the US...good food, good music...friendly people. We, again, went to dinner there last Saturday night (for our Anniversary dinner) and they were just finishing there 3rd Annual Chili Cook-off. The END of the cook-off would probably remind many people from the US of a frat party. Lots of people having had a good time all day long...and evidence of that, strewn ALL over the place! ;)

There were still lots of expats present, even though the chili cook-off was already long past over. However, the food was still as excellent as it always is whenever we go. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful the food is there...

The Salt Lick is by far one of the best Texas BBQ places in the US. However, because Bubba's offers pulled pork as well as all the traditional BBQ favorites, it's now #1 on Kim's restaurant list. No joke. There are several "american" places to eat here in Shanghai. We should know...as we have visited almost all of them. However, NOTHING beats Bubba's. If we were back in the US, it would still hold true, Bubba's is BY FAR one of the BEST Texas BBQ joints in the world!

The owner is Texas bred and darn proud of it...know any Texans who aren't? hee hee He makes no bones about his loyalty to his favorite college football team, the Texas Longhorns, whose hometown is Austin. He also oversees the cooking of the meat, which is the KEY to the absolutely scrumptious, mouth watering food they serve. All the meat is slow cooked with ALL the right spices!!!! Everything they serve is absolutely delicious and never needs additional sauce. However, if sauce is what you want, they offer that as well. The kid's meal menu is by far the most authentic "staple" choices for kids from the US...hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, PB & J sandwiches, etc. They also provide child highchairs! Bless them!

All of their scrumptious meat is USDA approved and imported! Yippee! You can order any of their meat choices for take-out...ribs, ham, brisket, different cuts of beef, etc. Their appetizers and sides include wonderful items like, cornmeal battered onion rings, jalapeno poppers with spicy SW ranch dressing, hush puppies, smoked chicken wings, creamy mustard potato salad, black bean soup, ETC! Let's not forget that at Bubba's, you'll find the creamy dressings we Americans love so much...authentic Ranch and Blue Cheese!

Their burgers and sandwiches include either beef or pork and you can order them with SLAW! Yummmmy! Bubba's desserts include some of America's favorites and Shanghai's most difficult to find items, such as apple pie, peach cobbler, brownies, etc. And, of course, the drinks from the bar offer a WIDE variety of American beer and spirits.

Did I mention the music? Good 'ol country and classic rock favorites! Heaven!

I will actually miss and crave Bubba's when we go back home. Too bad it's 'just a little west of Austin'. haha

Our neighborhood

The weather has turned cooler and it makes for days that are ideal for walking! Blue and I have been on several walks together, touring the sights and smells of our neighborhood. I love our neighborhood. It's really quite beautiful and serene. The streets are wide, cobblestones line each individual lane, there are small outdoor playgrounds scattered throughout the division, waterways travel through it at a leisurely pace, it surrounds one of the largest and well known International Schools, BISS, there are no overhead cables or wires to obscure your vision, there are several large grassy areas to have a picnic or practice calisthenics, and it's always so quiet.

On the days I'm out walking with Blue, the peace and serenity help to recharge my batteries. There ARE days, of course, I have a desire to be around more expats. Our neighborhood is what's considered a "mixed" community...primarily Chinese, sprinkled with several expats. Considering how large this development is, we only occasionally see other expats out and about.



Almost every housing community I have visited which have trails or walkways throughout them, also have several "stations", usually located at the junction of a couple different paths. These stations are usually brightly colored and the kids often mistake them for playground equipment. However, these are areas with different kinds of exercise equipment for adults. I have seen a rope pulley system to move your arms up and down, a glider that can be compared to a simple (non-mechanical) elliptical machine, several large wheels on a post to help move your arms around and around, several different kinds of bars for stretching, etc. None of this equipment offers any sort of resistance...it's just there to help move your muscles and stretch. At dusk, you will see a TON of Chinese families come out to enjoy the early evening...the late evening as well. Lots of Chinese people live in MUCH more cramped apartments than what our own neighborhood offers. I think this is a habit developed to get out and stretch...and because it is a cultural habit, developments like ours (catering to the Chinese community) put these stations up as a "benefit" of the neighborhood. I think it's a marvelous idea! Young and old alike, get out in the evening and move around. In fact, you will see entire calisthenics classes as well as tai chi classes being performed on sidewalks or open areas of parks throughout the city.

The days I crave a bit of serenity in my life, I truly appreciate living in this community. The days I crave companionship or socialization...well, our neighborhood is not as ideal. We have almost everything an expat community offers, ie, community pool, gym, clubhouse with restaurant, etc...but it's all Chinese. In fact, just the other day we received a notice that something was going on at the clubhouse for all the residents between 1-4 pm on a Saturday, but we have no idea what the event was about since the notice was written in Chinese. Bummer, right? haha



Another thing I love about our neighborhood is that when it was planned, they planned for each individual lane to be lined and planted with different kinds of trees. Our lane, for example, is lined with fruit trees. Another lane close to us has formed an arch from the tall trees lining it. Right now, as we walk, I smell the most fragrant of trees?, bushes? flowers? (not sure) throughout the entire community. It smells incredible! Also, evidence of each season is prevalent down each lane. In the summer, the gardens of the grounds as well as each lane was bursting with summer color and life! Now, you can see the fall colors throughout the streets.

This neighborhood is very safe. It is a gated community, externally. And it is not the Chinese culture to purposefully cause harm to others. I'm not saying it doesn't happen...it just isn't in their culture to do so. So, the feeling of peace extends even further because you feel safe while out walking.

I also love to see how the Chinese residents have adorned and decorated their yards. Each house and yard varies drastically from it's neighbor, but all of them [generally] add to the curb appeal of the overall community. It's interesting to view the differences between cultures in the yards they keep and present to any who will look.


I do wish, however, that I could believe this manhole cover says something like, "No littering, water drains to the ocean." While out walking in this kind of peaceful environment, I can almost believe that people won't throw their garbage into the streets or pour acid into the sewers or dispose of other equally toxic substances somewhere down the river. I can almost pretend that the serenity that surrounds me extends to a stream of consciousness from the people around me about such things. I can almost believe that while out walking for the greater good of my body, I CAN take in a deep breath of air...and almost pretend that by the time I return home with Blue, my hair WON'T be standing up on end because of the filth and pollutants in the air.

But...I cannot. Reality always lurks just around the corner, in every situation over here. However, I can enjoy what IS offered. The tranquil beauty...the natural perfumes of the seasons...the peace and quiet. What mother doesn't love that?? ;)

Week's End

Well, it's the end of our 'Golden Week' here in China. While we had always intended to keep this week casual and low-key, we didn't realize just how low key it would turn out to be...until week's end, that is. We had planned three different outdoor activities, a day trip to Hangzhou, the Science and Technology Museum and the Wild Animal Park. Needless to say, we managed to squeeze in the day trip and that's about it.

We attempted to go to the Science and Technology Museum one day...however, it was SO packed full of people, we barely managed to get through the entrance. TOO many people for our taste! The kids would get swallowed up in no time and lost in the throng of the masses. Nope, no way. So, we walked over to the plaza that housed the Fake Market right next door and again, there were a ton of people about. This IS Golden Week after all...so I guess we shouldn't have expected less people milling about town. SO, we ended up going to a little playground in our community that had a large open field next to it. Some other child had left a soccer ball there and we had LOTS of fun kicking around the soccer ball and enjoying a little family time. The day definitely didn't go to waste! :)

In fact, we ended up doing lots of cool things this week...like make a homemade card for Brandon's teacher, make fall place mats with leaves the boys collected on a walk, and we even went fishing in the canal next to our house, using hot dogs as bait! Both Ayi and Mr. Chen would have been very happy to take the fish home with them to eat. Unfortunately, we didn't catch anything this time. I guess we'll have to keep trying! :)




The other field trip we had planned was supposed to be the Wild Animal Park on Sunday. However, once again, our plans were waylaid...

Now, let's talk about Hospitals here in Shanghai. Both Allen and I received a thorough education on navigating the Hospitals and what to expect from the local Health Care here in Shanghai. From day one on arriving here in Shanghai, I had been dreading the upcoming flu/cold season. In the first two weeks of school, two students were diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth disease. Classrooms were quarantined, the sick children were kept at home and notices were posted around the school about the situation. Ok...not a good start. However, you can't keep the kids from getting anything, so I could just hope for the best.

Ryan had what appeared to be a common cough/cold off/on since arriving here. The cough always sounded "moist", because of what I figured to be the intense humidity here. He would cough for a few days and then it would stop...and this has happened about 2-3 times since moving here. One of the times, he had a mild runny nose along with the cough. Nothing serious and, again, he seemed to be over it in a few days. This week, was one of the times he had that cough...and a green snotty nose. He would occasionally cough, but nothing to alert us that it was something more serious. However, Saturday, he very quickly developed a fever of 102 degrees. We gave him some fever reducing medicine which helped a lot and brought the fever down to about 99.1 degrees. By the time the fever came down, he was breathing very rapidly and wheezing...but wanted to keep playing as if nothing was wrong. We watched his breathing for a while and finally decided in the evening that it was time for him to see a doctor. We were worried about his continuously rapid heart rate, with his breathing so labored.

There are three kinds of hospitals in Shanghai. There are local Chinese hospitals, expat hospitals and Chinese hospitals that like to tell you they are for expats. The only TRUE expat hospitals are completely run and operated by expats...and they sometimes share facilities with a Chinese SIDE of the same hospital. There are also hospitals where they will tell you they cater to expats, but they are still run and operated by Chinese people/organizations, etc., and thus follow Chinese standards and procedures.

Expat hospitals have International based doctors and also adhere to more common western philosophy of health care. Also, they generally speak English, both doctors and staff...which of course helps when trying to make an appointment, get prescriptions, etc. The CON to expat facilities is that they charge a lot more for consultations, tests, medicines, etc.

Local Chinese hospitals are a whole different creature. Generally, the place is PACKED full of Chinese people...being triaged for hours on end. The halls are full of gurneys of people who are waiting to be seen. It is not as clean. I, personally, witnessed blood left on the x-ray backdrop of the machine as well as blood on the floor near it. Eck! Many of the people being seen for their preliminary tests can be viewed in the lobby area, with IV's, blood pressure machines, etc. in plain sight. The PRO to Chinese hospitals is that they are CHEAP! Unbelievably so.

TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, is the medicine protocol of choice for the Chinese. This usually includes lots of herbs, roots, bark, etc to help heal different ailments. Also, acupuncture and acupressure...and don't forget [chinese] massage...are also part of TCM. There are a TON of other things TCM includes, but I don't have much of an education in it - yet.

Back to the Hospitals. Our own adventure included...

We ended up going to the Shanghai East Medical Center in Pudong, an expat hospital, on Saturday night. This is housed in a portion of what's called the Shanghai East Hospital which is a local Chinese hospital. We were able to make an appt for a time we thought we could be there. The signs on all the hallways and doors indicated that the "VIP" ward was on the 12th floor. We found out that the Shanghai East Medical Center, itself, is a VIP facility...as it's the "expat" part that makes it so. We were there after the usual clinic hours, so there was absolutely nobody there when we arrived. We were quickly shown to a room with two beds...not a typical examination room. The room had a couch and TV, and all the machinery involved in a long time stay...not a quick exam. The room was very clean and sterile, as was the nurse's desk, etc.

Promptly at 8 pm, the doctor on call walks in to examine Ryan. The doctor ordered some tests and personally escorted us through them on the first floor, along with a nurse. When we got back to the room, that same doctor personally stayed by Ryan's side for the next 2.5 hours, constantly monitoring him. Ok, so far, I'm really liking the personal attention...something which is likely to become extinct in some cities in the US, if not already.

We paid more money for the consultation because it was after regular clinic hours AND in an expat hospital ward. However, we didn't have to deal with any other people AND got the docs personal attention. Ok...not so bad.

However, there is always a catch. When dealing with International doctors who may be able to speak English...you are also dealing with doctors who have as varied an educational background as (like my sister likes to point out) VP candidate, Palin herself. So, you should always exercise your own common sense when it comes to the actual diagnosis.

This doctor insists that Ryan has acute Asthma. I'm not so sure. There is no history of Asthma being prevalent in our family histories, as far as Allen and I both know. Moms...dads...this is the time to step forward and tell us differently, if that's the case. Ryan also has a [minor] bronchitis infection, which the x-ray result indicated. I realize that the symptoms for both of these can be similar. So, could it be something in between? Like a bronchial infection with asthmatic-like symptoms? Could it be a one time attack brought on by a bronchial infection we may not have detected for a couple of months, thus bringing acute symptoms to the surface all at once? Could it be fungal? Or is it truly acute asthma? And if this is the case, is 2.5 months of exposure to increased air pollutants long enough to develop such a thing? We moved from a place where the air was much cleaner.

The doctor, while attentive, is not a pediatrician. He is a General Practitioner. He is absolutely certain of his diagnosis..."It could be nothing else." Again, I'm not a doctor, but it just doesn't add up in my mind and my gut tells me we may have received a misdiagnosis, even if partially. He proceeded to admit Ryan for the whole night. It was a very long night for mom and dad. ;) Ryan, bless fully, slept most of the night without a problem. The doctor monitored his blood oxygen levels and his heart rate, which was very high...because his blood oxygen levels were so low. It took THREE rounds of nebulizer injections (through a ventilator) to get his levels to a more normal rate. Basically, he is being treated for full blown asthma, but the doctor did concede to give him additional medicine that will treat a mild bronchitis infection.

I have absolutely no history or any knowledge (except from what I've read online) about asthma. Should it take 3 or more nebulizer injections to open his passageways in his lungs? I have a hard time understanding that if it IS truly asthma, why it should take so many nebulizers to make things work right? And he is STILL breathing heavy and wheezing! The nebulizers helped...but shouldn't he be completely stabilized by now...after 2 full days??

Again, on the flip side, the doctor still continues to give us his personal attention in the efforts to monitor Ryan. He has given us his personal cell number, has asked us to visit his office at his other hospital job, told us to call him at 10 pm (on his personal time) so we can give him an update, and told us he wants us to call him directly next time we plan on visiting the hospital after regular business hours.

Just a side note...everyone here visits hospitals for basic ailments. There ARE private practices, but they are generally in or next to hospitals and the calls are often directed via the hospital.

It's not so foreign to me to doubt a doctor's diagnosis. After all, they are just as human as we are and nobody knows your body like you do. This theory extends to your child as well. Nobody knows their history or idiosyncrasies like you do, as a parent. And, in this instance, I'm not so much doubting the diagnosis completely...it just doesn't add up, from history, to symptoms, to diagnosis, to Ryan's reaction of his treatment thus far. Some of it makes partial sense. And it may be due to a lack of education on my part. Who knows. But, I'm trying to follow my gut instinct while still trying to adhere to the advice of something I'm uneducated about. We'll see...

This doctor also practices at Renai Hospital International Medical Center on the Puxi side. Wow! We stumbled upon it only because the doctor requested that we follow up with Ryan at this facility. What a difference! This hospital has definitely been flying under the radar for any of the other expats I know and talk to...it has never been mentioned. If we can, we will be going to this hospital in the future. It was SO clean, the admin parts were walled up behind glass, the lobby to the International office was extremely well organized and clean, the doctors speak English, their clinic has good hours during the day, it is MUCH cheaper than Shanghai East and they provide service 24/7...like an urgent care. Again, wow. We loved it. And from where we live, it is about the same distance and time to get to this hospital as the other one, even though it's on the Puxi side. It's only a year old and Shanghai East is 5 years old...but WOW, it's the difference between night and day in cleanliness and overall atmosphere. We're happy to have found it.

How is Ryan?? Better! We are not AS worried, but we are still keeping an eye on him. He will be missing the next few days of school, of course. He is still breathing heavy-ER and the wheezing seems to be much more intermittent. He has gunkiness in his nose and eyes. He is currently taking asthma meds as well as the meds for the bronchial infection. So, I really won't be sure which set of meds truly made him better, thus not really knowing WHAT, exactly, his true diagnosis was. We think he will recover completely and move past this episode. However, we will be keeping a closer eye on him and his symptoms in the future, being sure to look out for a more chronic condition...if it's there.