I hope you are well! JP, I loved your e-mail from a couple of weeks ago. You had written on a quiet Sunday afternoon, which I confess made me a little homesick. In three months I’d love to join you for brunch and a bloody mary.
Sorry it has been a while since I’ve written! We haven’t done anything too exotic, but there are a few things to report:
Our ayi (housekeeper) started last week. She is very young (23), but seems capable and has a kind disposition. The language barrier is difficult to work around, so we do a lot of pantomime. (I challenge anyone to a game of charades when we get back to the US!) Jenny, the ayi, works for us 20 hours a week and for the French family across the hall in our building for 20 hours. The whole situation will take a little getting used to, but I think it will be good.
Two weekends ago I went on a shopping tour with some teachers from WAB (Western Academy of Beijing - Madeline’s school) who live in our compound. Wow! What a crazy experience! Everything here is negotiable. I got a crash course at the clothing/shoe/handbag market. There is a whole exchange that you have to go through which can be very entertaining if the vendor is fun, but not if they are too aggressive. I was too intimidated to really buy much, but I bought a cute pair of shoes for 100 yuan ($12.00). The next day, David, Madeline and I took the shuttle in to the shopping area so that I could show David what I had learned. We got some DVDs for about $2.00 each and a cool weather wind jacket for $10.00. I found a “Burberry” coat with the asking price of 450 yuan. I ended up paying 200. I also found some “Gucci” shoes for 80 yuan down from 250. Not bad for a gringo.
The crummy news is that we found out that the owner of the town house we were hoping to rent is going to sell rather than rent it. I can’t say that I blame him. His wife is pregnant with twins and he is starting a new job. I wouldn’t want the headache of being a landlord to foreigners with all that going on. We are pretty disappointed, but I’m confident that we’ll find something else. We are meeting with a new broker and the hunt goes on…
Madeline has joined a Brownie troop which I have agreed to co-lead. The existing troop at WAB is full, so we are starting from scratch. Thankfully one of the other co-leaders speaks fluent Chinese and I think it will prove to be extremely helpful in setting up activities. Madeline is looking forward to “getting some really cool patches”. Little does she know that she’ll have to work very hard to earn them!
David and I have been taking Chinese language “lessons” from Mr. Lu, our driver. He has agreed to help us with a few phrases in exchange for us helping him with his English. No disrespect to Mr Lu, but I hope this is not like taking elocution lessons from someone from the sticks of Georgia!
We have been very fortunate to have net some nice people here. We’ve had dinner at someone’s house or gone out every weekend since ore arrival. It is truly fascinating listening to other people’s storied of how they came to be in Beijing. One friend is with US Homeland Security (good to know!), others have been teachers in many places all over the world and some, like us, just want their kids to have different experiences and see the world.
To the point of seeing the world, we can hardly wait for the October break, or as the Chinese call it, National Day. (9/29 - 10/9) We are heading to Bali where we will spend a few days at the beach, climb a volcano and possibly ride an elephant. Next we will go to Singapore for a few days. From what I understand, most people speak english there which will be a welcomed break! They have a Barnes & Noble bookstore, which I am very excited about because I am nearly finished with my current book. There are many western stores in Singapore, so we are looking forward to stocking up on some basic items.
Last weekend was the beginning of the Mid Autumn Festival, which is similar in feeling to our Thanksgiving. There is a great feast with mooncakes for dessert. The exchange of mooncakes with friends symbolizes gratitude, admiration and respect. After dinner, everyone shares the mooncakes, leaving one piece uneaten for friends and family who are not present. Needless to say, we had many pieces uneaten. We enjoyed a Tex-Mex feast, complete with chips & guacamole, tortilla soup and enchiladas. All things considered, it turned out pretty well!
Every day there is some crazy thing that I see, smell, or hear and I just think “How freaky is that?” The main thing I can’t get used to is the fact that men & boys will drop their pants anywhere and take a pee. When I say anywhere, I am not exaggerating. A kid took a pee in the middle of a shopping area and his parents only laughed. David saw a guy take a crap on the side of the road. The “how freaky is that” winner for last week is the dead guy we saw on the side of a road. People were riding their bikes by him without a second thought. It was later explained to me that the Chinese see the body as temporary. Once you die, you are no longer there, so what does it matter? I suppose I can agree with that. I would rather see more kindness and respect given toward the living. That being said, I still don’t want to end up on the side of a road.
I guess that’s all for now. Keep in touch!
Kisskiss!
Lisa
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