Day 12: Book Club

Jill, the hostess with the mostess!

Friday night was a big treat for me. Jill hosted book club a her house and we had a Chinese theme. We were all to read the book "The Good Woman of China" by Xinran and everyone was to bring some type of Asian appetizer and I made jiaozi (a.k.a gyoza or Chinese dumplings). Everyone showed up a little late and ready to rock n roll.

I think it was an absolute record in the 4 year history of our book club. We didn't even mention the book. I have to say I was a little disappointed, but thanks to Kelly I was thoroughly entertained the entire night. Wink, wink!

Here are a few snapshots of the night.



Jeanette, our single vixen who always has a great stories about her love life.



Annette, not a book club regular, but a longtime friend of mine.



Kathleen, our hot mama! Isn't she a fabulous looking pregnant woman!



Tracy, who was also very in love with something that night. He, he!



Pam, one of the founding members of book club.

Nancy another founder, took a short hiatus from book club, but is now back to join us again.

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly....



Kelly really loved everyone Friday! She kept telling all of us how much! Here is Kelly, Tracy, and Pam in a group hug!

Kelly, Tracy and me having a cuddle.

Lisa trying to cop a feel on Jill.

We had a great time on Friday and it totally made me more homesick than I have been so far. Even though I have been gone for 9 months I feel that we all picked up where we left off. There is something to be said about old friends. Kelly really made me feel good that night, she kept calling me the connector because I have introduced her to many of my friends and they have become friends. I am so happy that I have had the pleasure of introducing so many people to each other and that they have become friends. I hope one day we will return to Arizona and join in all the connections!

Day 8-10: Doctor, Doctor!

We have had a really busy week running around to see all of our doctors while we are in the U.S. Gemma and I went to the Dentist for Gemma's first ever dentist appointment and a cleaning for me. Gemma had a great time at the dentist and was so mature about her visit. I have to say it really didn't have anything to do with me giving her a pep talk before the appointment. We had bought a book earlier in the year called Show Me Your Smile: A Visit to the Dentist and she kept refer to it throughout the appointment without me mentioning the book at all. Gemma has a incredible memory and she just referred to everything that was going on during the visit for example, Dora had pictures of her teeth, Dora got a new toothbrush and stickers, etc. I highly recommend this book if you haven't taken your little one to the dentist yet.

Angus had to go to his Pediatric Urologist to read the results of his tests and the news was good. He doesn't have to be on medication any longer and he has outgrown is kidney reflux. Dr. Bailey, his doctor has two sons who are currently studying in Beijing and we exchanged China stories. He is a great doctor and such a great guy! If you kids ever need a pediatric Urologist, he is your man!

After Angus' appointment we headed to my GP's office for a physical. I learned that because there is not a history of breast cancer in my family, I don't have to have a mammogram for 4 more years. I was pretty happy about that because I don't have much to mammogram and I heard the less you have the more painful it is.

Wednesday we headed to the eye doctors office which is always nice because our eye doctor and his wife are friends of ours. The appointment was a bit stressful because Angus was in to everything and there were so many gadgets for him to get into in the office. My eyes checked out really good and seemed to improved over the past year.

Gemma and Angus had their pediatrician appointment on Wednesday. They both had lots of shots to get since they missed their 4 and 1 year old appointment this past year. Gemma had actually looked forward to her shots because she doesn't think they hurt. She got her first shot and she was fine until Angus bit her in the knee. Poor Gemma screamed for the next 1/2 hour accompanied by Angus' screams after his shots. Talk about a fabulous ride back to the gym.

Wednesday night we had dinner at the Barkat's house and after dinner Tatum opened her gift. Here are the kids checking out one of Tatum's new gifts.





Gemma striking a pose.



Angus' sitting on one of Tatum's gift before it is out of the box.

Thursday was a great day. I had a babysitter for the afternoon and I was able to go to my OB-GYN appointment in peace. I think this is actually the first time I have went to this type of appointment since I have had children without one or both of them. I finished up with the doctor and was able to do a little shopping and enjoyed a little lunch by myself at AJ's.

I also had a babysitter for the evening and was able to go to dinner with my friend Hallie. We were planning on having sushi, but we couldn't find the place that we were looking for and ended up at the Havana Cafe. I had heard from Jill that this was a wonderful place and she wasn't wrong. We had the most incredible mojitos (my most favorite cocktail!), black bean fritters with avocado dip, chicken with a spicy mango sauce and the scrummiest chocolate bread pudding. I would have to say my favorite part of the meal was the mojitos and bread pudding. The bread pudding had cinnamon chips in it which I think made the pudding. I highly recommend this tasty place.



Me and Hallie

Update on Jonny's Summer

We have been away from Chengdu for almost 2 weeks and although we are having a fabulous time with our friends in Arizona, the kids and I really miss Jonny. While we are away Jonny had planned on doing quite a bit of site seeing without us because there are many places to visit that may or may not be so kid friendly. We thought it would be a great idea for Jonny to scope out different places for us to go as a family. He went to a place called Tao Ping Village which is a place where the Qiang minority people live about 4 hours from Chengdu. Here are a few pictures from his exploring.



Tao Ping Village



Nice Bananas!









One evening Jonny spent with the villagers dancing around a fire and drinking their jiu (alcohol). He told me he tried to refuse, but it Chinese fashion they forced on him (or was it just Irish fashion to accept???). He said it was horrible!!!



Here is where he slept. Jonny and our driver paid 100 rmb to stay one night, which is about $12.50 US. He said it was very cave like, but at least they had clean sheets on the bed.







Looking forward to pictures from his travels around Chengdu this week-end.

Day 7: A Spariffic Day

Jill and me having a bite to eat in between our spa treatments.

Today started off not on the best note. I was trying to talk to Jonny on the phone, get two kids ready for a doctors appointment, and check out of a hotel all at the same time. Of course Gemma decides this is the day she is not going to dress herself or be much help to me. I wasn't even quite sure where Angus' doctors appointment was going to be. He has had kidney reflux and went to a Pediatric Urologist before we left for China, but I went to have his test in Mesa last year. I drove to Phoenix Children's Hospital where I thought the appointment was and I was right!

Luckily I have never had to go to this hospital before, but I couldn't believe how great it was. It was such a great place for children and seemed to accommodate families very well. It is kind of a sad place to be, but I can see how comforting it would be for parents with sick or injured children staying there or going there for test. I felt comforted and we were just going on a follow-up visit.

Angus had his test and it appears that his last year of growth has resolved his kidney reflux problem. I was so relieved to hear that because our health care in Chengdu is not up to US standards. It is just one less thing I have to worry about while I am living there. Tomorrow we will confirm with the Pediatric Urologist that he is ok and that I will not have to try to cram yucky pills down his throat anymore.

After the doctor we headed down to Chandler to drop the kids off at their friends Carson and Harrison's house. Hallie graciously offered to watch the kids for the afternoon while I was able to go to the spa with Jill. It was so great to see Hallie and the kids again. I even got to see Shannon Hallie's husband!

Jill and I met at the Aji Spa a little before 1 pm. We had been planning this outing for months! We asked both of our husbands for a gift certificate for Mother's Day for a trip to the spa this summer. We had a lovely day and great conversation! I had a facial, which was so lovely I fell asleep. After my facial we headed to the restaurant for a late lunch and a couple cocktails. After lunch Jill and I had a "Couple's massage" which was very romantic (he, he!). If you ever have a chance to go to this spa I would definitely recommend it. It is a beautiful setting and just a nicely put together spa.

I picked the kids up and took them to dinner at the Chandler Mall. We ate at Wildflower again and I sort of feel guilty about it. Since I only have two more weeks left in AZ, I should be trying to hit all my favorite places, but Wildflower has such a great menu and the kids love it. We did a little shopping and checked out a few new stores in the mall. I was scoping it out for future shopping excursions.

We moved into Casa Barkat tonight. We had a pretty smooth transition and it is always nice to stay with friends.

Day 6: More fun with friends

Gemma and Landon

We fully recovered from Tatum's birthday party and we all slept in until about 9 a.m. The Barkats came over for a swim at the resort. We had a hot day and the kids were all very excited to be in the pool, especially since we let them all go down the waterslide with the exception of Angus and Tatum.



Gemma in her goggles



The gang swimming at the Wild Horse



Jill and Angus

After our fun in the pool the Barkats headed home and me and the kids headed to the gym for a snack and work-out. I have been using the gym as not only a work-out facility, but my own personal daycare so I can get a small break from the kiddos! I am finding it hard to cope with the two of them on my own without the help of Jonny. Jonny is such a hands on father that I would be lost without his parenting skills. Angus is quite the handful these days and I could really use the extra set of hands right now.

I was suppose to meet up with Jonny's rugby teammates on Sunday. They called me at 11 am from Rosie McCaffery's and said that they would meet me at one of the other teammates houses for a BBQ. I called them at 3 pm and they were still at Rosie's and they decided not to go to the bar. Of course they called back again at 6 pm and were leaving Rosie's to go to the BBQ. I am sure they were in some shape after spending the previous 7 hours in a bar.

Sunday evening I was able to get my old babysitter Michelle who happens to be the niece of our dear friend Thuong. Thuong works at my husband's company, but his real passion is art. He is an incredible artist who shows frequently in the valley during First Fridays. We are very lucky to own quite a few of his incredible pieces and also have a few of his works stored in our house. Thuong wanted to see the kids, so we hung out with the kids and Michelle watched the kids while we headed out for dinner.

We went to dinner at Picazzo's, a fancy pizza place on Warner and Kyrene. I have been once before, but it is a nice place with great salads. We had great wine, food and conversation. It was great to catch up with Thuong. He is really grounding. I know that Jonny misses his Sunday afternoon visits with Thuong.

After dinner we decided to go to AJ's and pick up a bottle of wine and dessert for Michelle and the kids. I walked into that store and instantly I wanted to lay down on the floor and roll around the aisles. It was such a thrill! I love to cook and the damage I could have done to my credit card that night! We settled for a lovely bottle of New Zealand Sauvigonon Blanc and 5 desserts and went to check out. I said to Thuong I have to walk every aisle in the store, so I drug him along. It was utter bliss for me! Everything was beautiful! I think having lovely grocery stores have been one of the things I have missed more than anything. I can't wait to go to Trader Joe's!

Day 5: Tatum's Birthday Party

Hi Daddy!

This morning I was awoken to a phone call from one of Jonny's co-worker from work in China. It scared the crap out of me because I couldn't imagine why he would be calling me and not Jonny personally. He was calling to let me know that Jonny had called him to ask him to call me and let him know that he is alright. He is just in Tao Ping Village dancing around the fire with a bunch of Tibetans and not to worry. I had told Jonny to do a bunch of traveling on the week-ends while we were gone to scope out the areas for us to take possible trips with the kids. Some of the places we have thought about visiting aren't totally sure they are kid friendly, so Jonny is doing the leg work to see if it is a potential place to visit with the kids.

Today we met Pam and Murray for a nice breakfast at Wonderful Wanda's. If you haven't tried this Chandler greasy spoon you might want to try it the next time you are in Chandler. It is a typical American/Southwestern breakfast joint, but without the wait. We had a nice breakfast and great company. After breakfast we headed to mail a few things and then to the Honda dealership to fix our DVD player.

OK, Jill told me not to tell anyone this, but I have to. I went to have the DVD player fixed in the van because I thought something was wrong with it since we had to change the battery. I waited for someone to help me and I showed the guy what error I was getting on my display. He waited patiently and then said to me "Is that a DVD or a CD your are trying to play? You might want to try putting the DVD in the DVD player." I was so embarrassed. I had been putting the DVD in the CD player! I guess not being in my own van for so long I completely forgot about the DVD and CD players not being one unit! I felt so stupid!

After my embarrassing moment we headed to the gym for a quick work-out before getting ready for Tatum's 1st Birthday Party.

We headed to the mall before the party to have lunch and pick up new shoes for Angus. Angus was in dire need of new sandals and Nordstrom was having their Anniversary Sale, I must go back when I have more time! We also had lunch at one of my favorite eateries Wildflower Bread Company. I had the Caribbean Cobb salad and their tasty Iced Tea.

We arrived at Casa Barkat early to visit with friends who had to go to mass, so they came a bit early. Marion, Daniel and her 3 boys came to visit with us and it was great to see them. People started arriving and the party was getting started. I was so happy to see many of my friends for the first time since we arrived. We had a nice time in the pool and the kids had fun with their old friends. Here are a few snapshots from the evening although I must admit I just took my camera out about an hour before we left.



Pam, Kelly, Tracy, and Jill



The happy couple! Murray and Pam I have to say I have never seen Pam so happy!



Gemma, a picture for her Daddy



Angus, a picture for Daddy

We had a great night, but I must admit I am exhausted! I think I need one day of recovery to get me through this week! I didn't realize how hard it would be to be a single parent, especially with Angus!

One last photo, this is a picture of what is right outside our hotel room. I think it is quite different from most of the places I have been this year, but to me it screams "HOME". I didn't ever think I would here myself say that about Phoenix, Arizona, but to me it is home.

Random ramblings on being an expat

I was thinking of a couple things about living abroad. I am very thankful for the opportunity to live in another country and see life in a way that I may have never seen before. Two things the last couple have days have really made me stop and realize how I may have already changed from my experiences so far.

First I have been quite disturbed by the new about the happening going on in Lebanon. (I swear I am not going to go political in this entry.) I was watching a bit of the coverage on TV and listening to it on NPR. Recently, we met a couple that we have been hanging out with back in Chengdu who are on an expat assignment from a company based in Lebanon. The husband's family is all from Lebanon and went to France during the civil war they had years ago, but returned to Lebanon once it was over. I thought to myself, if I would have never left for China would I have even thought much about this news? Does it affect me more now because I know someone personally from Lebanon? Does living in a foreign country make one open their eyes to more things that go on in the world? I think yes to all of these questions, but what about people who don't get a chance to live any where other than the U.S.?

Now don't get me wrong I love the U.S. and I think it is a great place to live. I just think that living outside of the U.S. has opened my eyes to other things that may not have concerned me much if at all. What do you think? Do you think about things that go on all over the world, or is it just too difficult to keep up? I think before I would have paid as much attention to world news, especially things happening in the Middle East. I just didn't think it affected me in any way. Honestly before I moved to China the most I knew about it was that it is a communist country, now my knowledge is better, but still sub-par.

The second thing I have noticed about myself is that either the customer service has gone out the window in the U.S. or I have a major Chinese accent going on. I swear I have less patience with people now that I am back in the U.S. I feel like I should be able to say something once and people should understand me! I am so used to being patient and repeating my broken Chinese over and over and over again that I think there is no way an English speaking person couldn't understand me in the U.S. Ugh! Please let me know if it is me! I am starting to get paranoid!!!

Day 4: More Friends!

Today was my first night to sleep through the night since landing on Monday. I went to bed late and woke up around 8 am. I am totally exhausted right now, so excuse me if I mistype or don't make much sense.

Today my friends Sandee, Brooke, and Jack made their way down to our resort for some swimming and lunch. The kids had a ball in the pool, but Angus just wanted to keep getting out and run all over the place. It was very hot so we didn't stay out too long, but it sure was nice to be under the beautiful blue sky and hot sun! It was so great to see the Streech/Adams family. I was lucky enough to meet up with them in January when I was back briefly and then again today. Jack has grown into a handsome young boy and is so mild mannered (unlike some boys I know!). It was fun to have the boys together again especially now that they are on their feet and toddling around!

We had a great lunch in the Ko-Sin restaurant at the hotel. I have to say that the service at the hotel lobby bar and Ko-Sin restaurant are not very good at all, but the food is really nice. We have ate breakfast here twice and it was so tasty both times. They add such a great Southwestern flair to their food, something I have really missed! We managed to make it through lunch with only 2 glasses of water being spilled on the table (guess whose kids did that?).

After they left I got a bit organized with something I need to do for the house while I am back and then we headed to Jill's house to return her daughter Peyton. We headed to the gym for a little work-out and the kids were able to play in the childcare. It has been such a nice break to have the gym childcare to give me a 2 hour break from the kids. It has been good being a full time single parent on, but I can see burn out approaching soon!

We finished up at the gym and went to our house to check on our dogs. I made the decision about my beloved 17 year old dog Rodger. He had been sick last month and he now is not making it to the bathroom and going to the bathroom in his bed. I am going to schedule him next week to have him put to sleep. Jonny had encouraged me to do so, but after seeing him I believe it is the best choice for him. He has lived a long life and we may have added 7 years to his life (his previous owner got rid of him at 10 years). I don't know how it is going to go as I have never done something like this before, but I hope is is painless.

After our visit with the dogs we headed to Jill's house for a little NYPD Pizza. We went back to the hotel and I was able to get the kids to bed a little bit ago. I am not far behind them! We are really looking forward to tomorrow because the Barkat's are having a big party for their little girl Tatum's 1st birthday party! Should be fun! They will have Pina Colada machine hired which I plan on manning most of the day (oh yeah, did I tell you that Jill???).

Day 3: Catching up with the girls and happy couple

Last night the kids slept straight through the night uninterrupted. Unfortunately I was up from about 3 am to 6:30 am. I am staying up later tonight to try and make myself sleep through the night tonight. I ended up getting an additional 3 hours sleep until my personal alarm clock a.k.a Jill woke me up at 9 am. I went back to sleep for an additional 1/2 an hour, but forced myself up to be at the gym for another personal trainer appointment.

I met with my trainer Doug again today for a fit test. I was really dreading this because my previous fit test results were really poor. Granted I was 6 months post partum, but my cardio was poor, my body fat was 25% (I was a nursing mother at this point, so I wasn't horribly upset about this result) and poor, and my body age was that of a 39 year old (I was 35 at the time). At the time I was running quite a bit, up to 8 miles at a go, so I couldn't understand how I could have such bad cardio. The trainer who did my original fit test (we will call him Bob for security reasons) said just because I could run that far doesn't mean I am good cardio shape. I was upset for days about this, but it made me resent Bob, so I didn't sign up for training with him.

My results today were much better. My cardio was excellent, my body fat was 14.9 % which was excellent, and my body age was 29. I was very happy about my results, but I started to think that Bob may have not been so honest with my first fit test. Every category came back poor before I sign up for training. If it would have been good, he wouldn't have had a potential client. Hmmmmmm....

Anyway, after the gym we headed to Jill's for lunch. We had a tasty salad and the kids had gourmet sandwiches. Jill graciously took the kids off my hands so I could head to the bank and then to my haircut appointment.

Yesterday I did a very dumb thing. I went to get cash and I left my debit card in the ATM. I was so bummed, but I went to get another one. They will be mailing me a new one in the next 7-10 business days. Hopefully I will get it before I head out of the country again.

I then headed up to my haircut appointment. All of my girlfriends in AZ now get their haircut from the same person. Her name is Michelle and she does a fantastic job. She gave me a new style for my recently chemically straightened hair and I have to say it is a nice change.

I went back to Jill's and Nancy and Jill were waiting for me to take the kids swimming. Angus and Tatum slept through the fun, but it gave us girls time to catch up. There is nothing like old friends!

After swimming we went back to the hotel with Jill's oldest daughter Peyton in tow. Pam and her fabulous boyfriend Murray came out to have dinner and take a dip in the pool with us. We had a great evening and the kids had such a good time the Johnson/Murray couple. They are born parents, so maybe in the next couple years they will have the pleasure of having a few of their own!

We are really having the time of our lives. I wish Jonny was here to enjoy it with us. We spoke to him this evening and he has been playing touch rugby and hanging out with the guys. He is going to Tao Ping Village this week-end, so hopefully he will send me some pictures for me to post. Actually I need to start taking pictures and post a few.

By the way, I filled my tank up with gas for the first time since I have been home. $55 and change! Yikes! I am so glad we haven't had to pay for gas in China. Also, on another vehicle related note on the way back to the hotel a rock hit my windshield and I have a nice half dollar size chip in it. I am not having any luck with the old mini-van! Thank goodness for full coverage for auto glass!

Day 2: Catching up with the Galloways

Yesterday we had a better day. We headed to the most beautiful gym in the whole wide world Lifetime Fitness. I had an appointment with Doug Bailey the personal trainer I have been training with from afar. We also saw many of our friends from Lifetime that worked in the childcare that used to dote on my kids. We had such a warm rewelcome! met my friend Annette and we did a buddy training session, which was awesome! We had a great work-out and it was great to finally meet Doug in person. He taught me how to adapt many of the exercises to my gym in China.

After the work-out we went back to the hotel to have a quick shower and try to get Angus to nap. Unfortunately that didn't work to well, but we were able to make a trip to Target! I would have to say Target was the store I missed most while in China. Everything there was so familiar and I was able to find almost everything I needed. We spent an hour pursuing the aisles and I found all the necessities like diapers, sunscreen, swim diapers, a car seat for Gemma, sippy cups for the kids, wipes, shampoo, hair spray for Angus' new Mohawk, sunglasses for Gemma, etc. I also bought a bottle of nice wine for dinner which is a new addition to Target since we left.

We headed over to our friends the Galloways for dinner. We had a lovely time and a yummy dinner of Talapia with a tomato-olive relish, brown rice, and Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. We also had a nice bottle of wine and great conversation. We decided to take the kids swimming, which was a bit crazy because I forgot my swimsuit. Angus loves to swim and is not a bit afraid of the water. Of course he was jumping and running away from me the entire time and I ended up completely soaked.

We had a lovely evening and great company! We look forward to more visiting and catching up with friends.

Day 1 : How to get a mini-van out of storage in 5 hours!

We all settled into bed around 1 am last night and the kids would have slept most likely until 1 pm this afternoon, but Jill made and "executive decision" and woke us up around 11 am. We got up and got ourselves ready and waited for the Barkat clan to come over and see us. They came to see us and then we had lunch at one of my favorite places Pita Jungle. It was busy as every at 1 pm and we had a pretty nice lunch of hummus, falafel, lentils and pita pizza. After that we decided to get my mini-van out of storage so we wouldn't have to depend on friends to cart us around all day.

We arrived at the office where are vehicle is in storage and I told the lady at the desk I would need the gate code because I didn't have it with me. I didn't even think of brining this code because when I was back in January they gave me the gate code no problem. Anyway, they called their management office and they said not to let me in because it could be a divorce situation. I was livid. They explained to me that my name wasn't on the account and that my husband had to verify some information for me to get back in the facility. I told them that my husband was in Chengdu and that it was the middle of the night there, but if I could call him from their phone I could do this. They wouldn't let me know use the phone and told me I needed to go somewhere else to do this. They also told me that there was another person on the account and that person was a woman. I told them it was my friend Jeanette who had taken us to the airport when we moved to Chengdu and the reason she was on the account was because she parked our car in storage. They wouldn't budge even after I called Jeanette, but luckily she had written the code down in our client file (she is our Allstate agent too!).

I was a still a little upset for them not letting me in to our facility. I do understand that they have their rules, but sometimes you have to look outside of your rules and do the right thing from time to time.

We went to the garage where we keep the mini-van and sure enough it didn't start. I borrowed jumper cables from the office and it wouldn't even turn over. I thought we could just go buy a battery, but Jill reminded me that our van is probably still under warranty. I called the Honda dealership and they said that they would tow the car to their facility and it would be free of charge. They gave me a number of the towing company and I gave them a call to schedule a pick up.

I talked to the guy at the towing company and they said they could have someone there at 4:15 p.m. and not later. I explained to them that I was at a storage facility with 5 kids in the car I was in and that we would take the kids somewhere for the hour we had to wait for the tow truck and would return to let them in the facility. Sure enough, they arrived 15 minutes later and left before we got back. Now I wouldn't have been upset, but I left specific directions. I called the towing company and they said the driver went home for the day. Of course I was angry and let them know it. The woman kept telling me to calm down, but I didn't really feel like she needed to tell me what to do. I was angry and trying to explain to them that I explained to the first person that they told me they wouldn't be there until 4:15 pm and that they were to wait for us because we were trying to entertain 5 kids under the age of 7 for the hour while we waited for the tow truck. The woman on the phone said it would take another hour to get the truck there, but by this time the kids were starting to get fussy and tired. They ended up scheduling the tow, but I called back to cancel and the guy on them phone then hung up on me. I called back for a manager and they put me through to a totally different business. I called back again and they guy who hung up on me told me that I was the meanest person he had ever spoken to and that they didn't want my business. I ask to speak to the manager again and made some comment about the they put me through to "his" voicemail and the guy said in the most condescending tone that manager could be women too. I am sorry, but I didn't understand why a person who was suppose to be helping me acted to belligerent to me on the phone. I know I was angry, but rightly so. I made the effort to explain my situation, but obviously it didn't get communicated to the driver. I don't think that was my fault, but obviously they thought so. I didn't even yell at anyone and yet I am the meanest person in the world after they hung up on my and told me how mean I was. I didn't even swear! I ended up having to call again and spoke to someone in charge. After my account of the events earlier the person hung up the phone without letting me know if someone was coming for my vehicle. Jill told me to not worry about it, they were rude and she said it didn't matter. Very true, so we blew it off.

In the middle of my squabble with the towing company I had called the Honda dealership back to ask them if they would still be there to replace the battery in my car because the towing company would be over to pick up the car until after 5 pm. The guy I originally spoke to was gone for the day, but the other guy in service told me just to buy a new battery and they would reimburse me for it. I couldn't believe he said that. I had a moment of total insanity and explained to him that I had just traveled from China, spent the last 3 hours in a mini-van with 5 kids and that I was about ready to lose it! Poor guy, he was so understanding. He even offered to play with my kids in the play area at the Honda dealership. I just couldn't figure out why the first guy I spoke with didn't tell me to do the same thing. It would have been much easier and less stressful for everyone.

Jill's wonderful husband replaced my battery with a 3 year Costco battery, so if I ever need a new one I can go to Costco to replace it.

A big shout out to Jill for her patience with me yesterday and thank you to her husband for her battery changing skills. Hopefully today will be a better day!!!

Home Sweet Home!

We arrived in from China last night. It was a very smooth flight on all 3 legs and our last leg was great because we were able to catch an earlier flight from LAX. It was especially good because I didn't have to figure out what to do with Gemma and Angus for those 5 hours. Nancy picked us up and had many care packages for us. I tell you Nancy and Jill always take care of us. They had tons of snack for us and toys for the kids. I have really missed my friends and I am glad to be back to spend time with them.

We made a pit stop at In & Out Burger on the way to the hotel. I have to say it was yummy! Of course Gemma asked if she could have rice and then I had to explain why there wouldn't be any rice at this establishment. After our snack we headed to our hotel Sheraton Wild Horse Pass . I have been dying to stay at this resort since I visited their spa last summer and it happened to be on my husband's company's approved hotel list. I wasn't disappointed with the place, it was so tastefully decorated. It is on the Gila River Indian Community and very well done with Indian art and decor. We are really looking forward to checking out all of the facilities today and next week I plan a trip to the Aji spa!

Look forward to catching up with everyone in AZ!

Last Day in the 'Du

Today was our last day in the 'Du for 7 whole weeks. We am so grateful to my fabulous friends and family that has opened up their homes to us.

We had a bit of bad luck today trying to get ready for our trip. It was extremely hot and humid today and our upstairs air conditioning decided to go out for the second time in just over a month. Of course to the Chinese air conditioning isn't that important as most people don't have it so the urgency to fix it is not there. The second thing that happened was our water quit working. I tried talking to my ayi and the guards to our compound about the situation in my broken Chinese, but all it got me was 2 big water cooler tanks of water! I finally decided to call someone who spoke English and Chinese and they told us that someone burst a water main and it wouldn't be fixed for a long time. Now, what is a long time? We decided to take matters into our own hands and checked in to the Kempinski Hotel for our last day. I thought it was fitting because the Kempinski is where we started our journey in China last September. We just got a page and the water should be back on by midnight. I will be sound asleep in my nice cozy hotel room!

I can hardly contain myself!

Only 3 1/2 more days left in the Du. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! The things that I am going to do when I get home: visit friends, see our dogs, got to Trader Joes, swim, have a few cocktails, have Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, go to the grocery store, go to the mall, go to my nice gym, dine out at real Western restaurants, go to Target, go to Changing Hands Book Store, go to my knitting group, and the list goes on! As you can see I really miss the food from home!

This week I learned how to make my ayi's yummy jiaozi (Chinese dumplings). I am going to make them for my book club. I thought it would be fitting we are reading the book "The Good Women of China" by Xinran. The book gives you a good look into the minds of Chinese women who lived through the Cultural Revolution. I would definitely recommend it.

I think Jonny is getting really sad to see us go. He decided to take tomorrow off and hand out with me and the kids. We should have a fun filled week-end with lots of packing and hopefully a little day trip.

Yippppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Our First Visitors!

About a month ago we found out the Meaghan Brady, the daughter of our neighbors from Portland was living in Nanjing in the Jiangsu Province . While Meaghan was home from college the summer we were in Portland, she used to babysit Gemma. Meaghan, her boyfriend Jeff, his uncle and aunt Bob and Darcy came to Sichuan to do a little exploring.



We had a great time with them while they were in Chengdu. They stay with us on their way to explore Emei Shan and Leshan Dafo and stayed with us on their way back to Nanjing. We were able to introduce them to the Sichuan style of cooking by taking them to a traditional Sichuan restaurant and also the Sichuan famous hot pot. We had such a great visit with them and had the pleasure of meeting Jeff, Bob and Darcy.



We also had the pleasure of having a little chiropractory done to our neck and back while they were visiting. Jeff's Uncle Bob is a chiropractor in Hawaii and we were able to be adjusted while they stayed with us. I have never had this done, but I have to say I loved the results! I have been sleeping like a baby ever since my adjustment. Now to find a Chinese equivalent...

11 Days!

In 11 short days Gemma, Angus and I will be on an Air China flight from Chengdu to Phoenix! I can hardly contain myself! I don't even care about the fact that I will be trekking half way around the world with a 4 year old and 2 year old! I just can't wait to see my friends! Whoopeeeee!!!!

Dafo!

Sunday we decided to do a little day trip to Leshan, home of the Dafo. The Dafo is listed in the Rough Guide to China as a must see and is also a UNESCO site. I have to agree I totally agree with that, if not for the Buddha, but for the beautiful park the Buddha sits in.



We did a ton of walking and most of the walking was up and down stairs. We couldn't take the stroller with us so Angus was on Jonny's shoulders most of the time. Gemma was an absolute trooper and probably walked 5 miles! She did fall once and scrape her shin, but she was a star!



Crouching Tiger, Little Dragon?



We were pleasantly surprised by all of the beautiful scenary in the park. They had a little koi pond and sold fish food so we could feed the fish. Here we are trying to get the fish to jump out of the water to get their food.



We unfortunately didn't get a chance to see the entire Buddha, just his head. There was a huge line to get down to his feet, but we thought it would take more than an hour to do so. We knew we would be back, so we just took a few snap shops of his head. Everyone was trying to touch the Buddha's ear for some reason, I decided to give him some lip service!



Gemma and Mommy with the Buddha.



Angus doing his best impression of a Chinese man! Most Chinese people just squat where ever they are when they are tired. I have seen people hope on the escalator at the supermarket and just immediately squat. I find this position quite uncomfortable, but obviously Angus doesn't mind.



Here is a picture of Gemma and Jonny with a statue of the sculptor and monk, Haitong who created the Dafo. Haitong began the project in 713 AD to protect passing boats from danger. The monk lived in a cave behind Dafo's head and when a local official threatened to blind Haitong unless he could take a cut of the funds, the monk gouged his own eyes out to prove his sincerity. The project was only completed in AD 803 after his death.



Here is Jonny and the kids in a traditional Chinese door called a moon gate.



Here are just a few pictures of the beautiful scenary inside the park. I am definitely coming back again!





Notice the look on Jonny's face as Angus pulls his ears!



There was also another Buddha carved in the opposite side of the mountain from Dafo. It is called the Sleeping Buddha and is 170 feet long. When Jonny went to work today he told some of his Chinese co-workers about this and they said that it didn't exsist. I clearly saw it and I think you will be able to see the Buddha's face. Remember he is sleeping, so his head is sideways.



Here was one of the beautiful temples inside the park.



A family shot!

I have to say this was the best site seeing trip I have taken so far in China. I will definitely be bringing friends and family to this place. There are tons of photo opportunities and it feels very Chinese, but without the spitting and smoking!

Happiness is...Familiar Western things with a China flare!

Since we are finally over our jet lag I decided it was time to get in a better routine than we have been since we arrived in Chengdu. We decided to hire another part-time ayi to help Xiao Yang with the cleaning since she doesn't get much done with Angus in tow anymore. Xiao Sun prepares Jonny's breakfast and does most of the cleaning while Xiao Yang watches the kids when I am out running errands and is my personal sous chef. So far it is working out good! Jonny wasn't exactly that keen about the idea, but I think he is more happy now that he has his coffee and breakfast waiting for him when he comes down the stairs.

My Chinese teacher cancelled my lesson on Tuesday, so Angus and I have the morning free since Xiao Yang wasn't coming until 12. We had heard that there was a Gymboree that open here and Chengdu so we hopped in the van and went to find it. For those of you that are not familiar with Gymboree it is a expensive play, music, and art program for kids birth to age 5. Gemma went for a couple years and really enjoyed it. We arrived about 30 minutes later and went up to the 7th floor of one of the many department here in Chengdu. I was so thrilled when I saw the sign in big colorful letters "GYMBOREE". I was so excited I could hardly wait to see Gymbo the Clown (Gymboree's mascot)! We walked in and it was brand new and extremely nice. I quickly signed both Gemma and Angus up for 2 classes a piece. I was thinking that I would be getting China prices to, but no such luck. It was still as expensive if not more than in the US. I figured that it was worth it since there is not much for the kids to do in Chengdu.

So far there are 60 kids enrolled, mostly Chinese and Koreans and I have recruited 3 other North American families to go. Maybe they will give me a marketing job and my kids will get a student discount! Gemma starts her art class this evening with two of her classmates from QSI. We will let you know how it goes.

Another fabulous Western find for the week was a new restaurant called Hot Spot. Hot Spot is a pseudo-Japanese-Chinese fusion restaurant with the big teppan tables. The tables are U-shaped and very funky compared to the plain rectangular tables we have been to previously in the US. They also have a very fab menu which includes everything from goose liver to steak to chicken to prawns. We ordered Thai-styled prawns, steak, chicken, beef roll (enoki mushrooms, red onions, wrapped in a thin slice of steak), bean sprouts, Chinese greens with mushrooms, and fried rice. The only negative thing I have to say about this place was in true Chinese fashion the vegetarian menu was not really vegetarian, which was unfortunate because the woman who arrange to go there was a vegetarian. So when we had our bean sprouts there was a little bit of bacon and also in the Chinese veggies they put a bit of pork.

I have even heard there is an IKEA type store that recently opened, so I will have to go and check that out sometime soon! My new hometown is really shaping up!

Back in Chengdu

We returned from Northern Ireland last Saturday in one piece. We missed our connecting flight in London (Heathrow) and were re-routed through Hong Kong. I would start a rant about Heathrow, but I don't have the energy to type. One suggestion, if you ever go to or through London please talk to me first before you book your tickets, it may save you the headache that we experience almost every time we fly into that joint! It took us an extra 6 hours to get home, but luckily we still got home the same day we were suppose to. I have had a horrible time with jet lag, but Jonny and the kids are doing pretty good. We are trying to get in a better routine here in the Du and I think I have been successful.

Thanks to everyone who sent their kind words, thoughts, and prayers. We really appreciated the support, it meant alot to us. Things are going alright with our family and we look forward to getting back to Northern Ireland again in August.

Gemma, Angus and I will be leaving for the U.S. on July 10th! We are really looking forward to seeing our friends and family!