Charlie's 3rd Birthday!

I know its cliche but, where has the time gone?  It's hard believe that my baby is already 3! We had a wonderful weekend, starting with a family bike ride on Saturday morning and some final prep work for Sunday's big party.  Sunday just flew by!  Thank God for Ayi, with her cleaning up breakfast and making beds, I was able to focus on getting everything set up for Charlie's Thomas the Tank Engine themed party.  It seemed like I had trains everywhere, coloring pages, books, decorations, toys, balloons, and of course Thomas on the TV!  Charlie seemed to be in his element!  He was very much aware that it was his birthday, and his friends coming over to play.

We kept it short and sweet, just two hours.  I don't think I could handle 7 toddlers much longer than that... Charlie and his friends bounced back and forth between his room and the family room with a pit stop for train shaped ham and cheese sandwiches, fruit, and even some train shaped macaroni salad, with Thomas cupcakes and train shaped cookies for dessert.  He ripped into his presents before I could even get the camera, and I've gotta say, he got some really great gifts.  From mommy and daddy he got a balance bike and a couple of books, and big sister Lily, got him Belle, and really useful engine!  There were other gifts from family, and Charlie says thank you very much.  Being a mom is amazing, and by far the best thing I've done besides marrying my best friend.  Charlie is such an amazing little boy, funny, sweet, and so smart.  I could not ask for more, just watching my kids grow up and learn about the world is amazing, and I'm thankful that I get to be here with them everyday!

Hong Kong

We finally made it to Hong Kong, well, Lucas has been several times, but for Mom, the kids and I, it was a new and exciting trip!  We got in around lunch time, and after a quick bite to eat at McDonalds, which we seem to eat at a lot more when traveling, we got settled in at our hotel and relaxed for a bit before our evening tour.  To start off our HK trip we took a guided tour that brought us to the famous Temple Street night market for some souvenir shopping, and drove us around on a open-top bus to see the hustle and bustle, not to mention the many shopping opportunities HK has to offer.  Then it was off to a harbor tour on the Bauhinia with a dinner buffet and dancing.  We were also supposed to see the Symphony of Lights show, which is in the Guinness World Records, from the boat, but the weather did not cooperate.  The kids really loved the harbor tour, especially the music and dancing.  It was not easy to pull Lily off the dance floor once she decided to get her groove thang on!

Day two in HK started with another guided tour which took us up Victoria Peak on the Peak Tram, which is over 100 years old!  It was pretty obvious as we climbed that we weren't going to get much of a view with all the clouds and fog.  Our mantra for the trip was, "at least it's not raining!"  After saying goodbye to the clouds we headed to the Aberdeen fishing village, which turned out to be a bit of a misnomer.  The "village" was a collection of fishing boats tied together, and while many do live on the boats, it was not exactly the village we had expected.  Still, it was a nice boat ride, and the kids loved it.  Next we headed to the Tse Sui Luen Jewelry factory, but with it being the weekend we mostly saw empty work stations.  Still, the tour did end in a huge shop, big surprise there!  Mom found a gorgeous ruby and diamond ring and with some persuasion on my part and a few back and forth texts with Dad she bought herself the ring to celebrate her upcoming 40th wedding anniversary.  I figure I saved Dad from having to go shopping!  I too came away with some bling, a Chinese zodiac charm, which is something I've been wanting to get.  Our final stop on the tour was the Stanley Market, which is a lot like the markets in Shanghai, we didn't expect to find much, after all, if I can get it in Shanghai for less money, why would I buy it in HK?  While we didn't buy souvenirs at the market I did find and fall in love with a painting of a HK street scene, we actually ended up getting two.  A large on that will eventually go over our fireplace in NJ, and a smaller one for our bedroom.  We paid just over $100 for both and had them both framed here in Shanghai for about $60.  Finally back at the hotel, the adults relaxed while the kids napped.  Mom and I took the kids to the pool for about 30 minutes after the nap, it was an outdoor pool, and although heated, it was NOT warm!  Lucas and I ended the day with dinner and Iron Man 3, thank you mom for watching the kids!

Day 3 we headed out to see an old and much loved friend, Mickey!  The kids were super excited to see Disney and I have to admit, so were we.  We took the metro, which goes straight to the park.  You get off at the end of the line and transfer to a Disney train which brings you to the park's very own train station.  We got lucky with the weather, it was overcast and not too hot, and since it was a Monday, the park wasn't too crowded either.  Since we only had the one day at the park we decided to pass on meeting characters and the shows and head straight for the rides.  It was fun to see many of our favorites and compare notes on the differences. In HK, they have Tarzan's tree house instead of the Swiss Family Robinson's, the Jungle Boat is the Jungle River Cruise and is offered in 3 languages.  Fantasyland had the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, Dumbo, Cinderella's Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, and of course It's a Small World.  I loved It's a Small World in HK.  First, the boats were bigger and much more comfortable to sit in, and second, they had Disney characters placed throughout the ride.  It became a game to see how many we could find.  We all had such a good time, even the "mainlanders" couldn't ruin it with their line cutting and out right gawking and picture taking of the the kids.  Disney has and always will be a "magical" place for us.  I am so glad we went.

Our final day in HK we headed to the Po Lin Monastery which is home to the world's largest outdoor bronze Buddha.  Unfortunately, the fog and clouds made seeing the Buddha a bit like a game of peek-a-boo.  We only got a few glimpses of the giant Buddha and with poor weather we decided it wouldn't be worth climbing to the top to say "hi".  Instead we grabbed a bus and headed back down the mountain to catch our flight home.  Little did I know that our flight was going to be delayed endlessly due to weather.  Our original flight arrival in Shanghai was 9:00pm.  Our actual flight arrival was 2:00am.  And, just to make it more fun, we got to go through security twice when we changed to an "earlier" flight and sit on the plane at the gate for two and a half hours.  Thank you China Eastern, you suck!  The worst part is, the employees all speak English, I use that phrase very loosely, but always look at me like I have two heads whenever I ask a question.  So frustrating when you have two tired kids and three tires adults who just want to get home!  It was not exactly the way I wanted to end our trip, but, it didn't rain, and we did make it home in one piece.

Mom & Mrs. Schreck visit!

My mom and Mrs. Schreck finally made it to Shanghai last Thursday, and we have been on the go since they got here!  Wiped out, but excited to have finally made it we treated them to dinner at one of our favorites, The Blue Frog.  We got started early friday after dropping Lily off at school.  Our first stop, Shanghai's iconic, Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai History Museum.  After we finished the tower and surprisingly large museum we headed across the street for lunch at Southern Beauty and enjoyed a wonderful Sichuan lunch while taking in the Huangpu river.  With rain forecasted for Saturday we decided to absorb some culture and visit the Shanghai Museum.  Having had our fill of culture we headed home to drop the kids off with Lucas and indulge in some retail therapy!  Both mom and Mrs. Schreck had a grand time bargaining for the best price and spending their "Monopoly money".

With clear sunny skies on Sunday, we decided to enjoy a day in Puxi, starting with Nanjing Pedestrian Street.  Filled with shops and restaurants, this street is a must see, and I don't think mom or Mrs. Schreck were disappointed.  We even took a short detour down a few side streets and got to watch a man make noodles for the days lunch. We made our way up the Nanjing Street to the Bund.  Known for its beautiful, and eclectic architecture, we took our time strolling along the river walk and even peeked inside the Peace Hotel to check out its marble lobby.   Not wanting to get lost on our way to the Yu Yuan Garden and Market, like we did when mom and dad visited, we had our driver drop us off instead of walking it.  With the kids complaining of empty bellies we made a pit stop at McD's for some Happy Meals before heading to the famous Nanxiang Steamed Buns for xiao long bao.  Reenergized, we headed off for the walled gardens, which Lucas and I had never had the pleasure of seeing.  It certainly lived up to its hype.  With tons of ponds, rock gardens, and traditional Chinese buildings throughout it was peaceful and you could almost forget you are in the middle of a city of 23 million people.
Monday we got to enjoy Lucas's company since he had an afternoon plane to catch to Tokyo and wasn't planning on going to the office that morning.  We started the day at the Jing'an Buddhist Temple which was originally built in 247AD!  We switched gears and left the peace and tranquility of the temple behind, and headed to trendy Xintiandi.  Originally a neighborhood filled with the Chinese version of brownstones, it had been neglected and was restored and turned into a busy and popular spot for shopping and grabbing a tasty meal.  It was after our tasty meal that we headed to the small museum  which brings you back in time to see what life was like in old Xintiandi for a typical family.   Unfortunately, we had to head home after so Lucas could make his flight, the kids were wiped out from all the walking too.  However, it was not the end of our day!  Mom, Mrs. Schreck and I enjoyed an amazing dinner at The Peninsula Hotel where we had not only a fabulous dinner, but and equally fabulous view of the Bund and downtown Pudong all lit up for the night.  Thank you mom, and Mrs. Schreck for the wonderful dinner!

With time flying by and more rain forecasted, we decided to press our luck and see the remains of Shanghai's old city wall.  Unfortunately most of it was torn down for construction but a small 50 meter section remains.  It was a nice piece of history that until today I was not even aware of.  With Mrs. Schreck love of small out of the way streets we wondered a bit and came across a plant and pet market where you could by crickets for competing.  The Chinese LOVE to gamble and will gamble on almost anything, even crickets.  We also found a local produce market which was filled with meats and veggies for sale.  Not surprisingly there was no poultry around.  After calling my driver we headed back to the Bund to check out a local shoe maker, and although we were a bit disappointed by the shoes, they did have beautiful silk purses, which Mrs. Schreck bought for me as a totally unnecessary thank you.  With a bit of time, we decided to poke our heads into the one of the banks along the Bund to see the amazing marble foyer and breathtaking ceilings.  We grabbed lunch on Nanjing Street and headed home for Charlie's nap.  Tomorrow we head to Tongli a local water town!  

To eat or not to eat...

With the recent cases of H7N9, or bird flu in the news it makes me stop and wonder just how safe the chicken I buy really is.  Although, it is considered safe to eat chicken so long as it is properly cooked according to WHO and the CDC.  Now, with the thousands of pigs found in the Huangpu River, pork is coming into question.  As an American, I am used to being able to count on both local, and national news to keep me informed on food safety.  In China however, it is very different.  The government does their best to cover up or play down any negative news  While I find that to be a huge disservice most Chinese will just shrug their shoulders and just go on about their day, considering it just a part of life.

After talking with both my Ayi and Eric, I've decided to continue to buy chicken from Carrefour, a large French chain in Shanghai, and for the time to pass on the pork.

On a lighter note, my little girl lost her first tooth!  She told us about her loose tooth a couple of weeks ago and has been diligently working it loose.  This weekend she could wiggle it so much that it would actually lay horizontal.  With a bit of coaxing I managed to convince her that letting me pull it out would not only hurt, but was a good idea.  So, with a tissue and a little tug, her first tooth came out.  She was super excited to put it under her pillow so the tooth fairy could come and take it.  Unfortunately, her tooth pillow won't get here until the end of the week so we made due with a tissue.  But, when the tooth fairy went to remove the tissue the tooth fell out, which made for a tense moment until the errant tooth was found.  Can't have a visit from the tooth fairy and leave the tooth! For her first tooth she got 20RMB, or about $3.  We explained that her first tooth was special so she got a bit more than usual and that her other teeth would only get her 10RMB.

Vietnam

Vietnam is an amazing country that is filled with a difficult and violent past, but is a big part of what makes their culture so rich.  I think my favorite part of our trip was a cruise on the Mekong.  The highlight of which was a trip through the Can Tho floating market where locals buy most of their produce and even a meal if they want.  We met a Norwegian family with kids the same age as our two and for the cruise they had playmates which was great.  We also got a guided tour through a local village where we got to see the local flora and fauna and even sample some at a local cafe run out of a woman's home.

Back in Ho Chi Minh City we got a whirlwind tour of Notre Dame Cathedral, a reminder of the French occupation, the War Remnants Museum, where we got a skewed version of the facts of the Vietnam War, a local market where we picked up some souvenirs, learned about traditional Vietnamese medicine, and saw the Reunification Palace, which was the equivalent of the White House when it was in use.  Whew!  Plus it was unseasonably hot and muggy which left everyone a bit tired and crabby.  We did manage to fit in some much needed pool time to cool down.

After saying goodbye to the heat of Ho Chi Minh City we took a short 45 min flight to Nha Trang, a beach town on the cost of Vietnam.  We had an amazing view of the water from our hotel and a nice breeze, something that was missing in HCMC.  We spent a day out on the water going from one stop to the next by boat.  Our first stop was the aquarium, which the kids loved, especially feeding the turtles. Then it was on to a local beach where we took a short glass bottom boat ride so we could see the coral reef before taking a dip in the crystal clear waters.  We had such a good time swimming and were sorry to leave but lunch was calling.  Back on our boat we took a 45 min cruise to a resort for a very tasty and absurdly huge lunch over looking the water.  Hot sticky and tired we headed back to the hotel for a shower and nap. We ended our day with a nice dinner at a local restaurant and a stroll through the town's night market, which is a great place to work on your negotiation skills and shop for souvenirs.  The kids and I came home with traditional Vietnamese hats and Lucas picked up a Vietnamese unicorn, a mythical beast made up of many animals.

From Nha Trang we headed up into the mountains to Dalat.  The three and half hour drive was amazing.  The views were breathtaking and with all the pines, if I ignored all the motorbikes, it was almost like driving through the White Mountains in NH.  The best thing about Dalat though was the comfortable temperatures and low humidity.  The resort we stayed at didn't even have AC, and with a ceiling fan running our room was quiet comfy.  In our tour through Dalat we saw a beautiful cathedral, although most of the Vietnamese practice Confucianism, the French influence has left behind a healthy Catholic population.  We also saw the local train station, Charlie's favorite part of the trip hands down, and a Chinese pagoda.  We also learned how they make rice paper and rice noodles, something that can only be done during the dry seasons since it takes about 3 weeks for the rice paper to dry in the sun.  We ended our day with a late lunch and then some fun in the pool.  From Dalat we took a 30 min flight back to HCMC and spent the rest of our day relaxing at the hotel before our 7:45 am flight to Shanghai the next morning.  It was an amazing week and I think despite the heat and a few meltdowns, we all had a good time.   The only souvenir I wish we could take back is Charlie's ear infection.  Poor guy never complained, but after taking him to the doctor Monday morning she confirmed that he had a pretty bad ear infection.  I can only guess its from all the time we spent in the water in Vietnam.  Ear plugs next time!

Happy Easter

Friday Lily's school had their annual Easter Party.  The kids had decorated eggs and made Easter baskets and played games all of which ended in the big egg hunt!  The kids had so much fun running around the playground searching for eggs.  They brought them all back to the teachers and then sat and waited for their share of the booty.  Lily came home with a basket of candy, eggs, and other goodies.

We celebrated Easter a day early since tomorrow we will be in Vietnam!  Last night we had a family favorite of tuna casserole for dinner with our special bunny plates, and this morning it was bunny shaped pancakes!  The Easter bunny was an obliging kind of guy and hid our eggs a day early.  The kids found them in record time.  I think next year the Easter bunny is going to have to try harder!  Happy Easter to everyone!  My next blog will be all about our trip to Vietnam!

Shopping & Date night!

This week a friend took me to a couple of very cool furniture store not too far from my apartment.  Both were in huge warehouse style buildings that were filled with all kinds of unique pieces.  It was not cheap, but when compared to the cost of similar pieces in the States it's more than a fair price.  There was a great mix of both Western and Asian styles.  I've been hoping to pick up a few things for our house that are distinctly Chinese but wasn't sure where to go until now.  I look forward to going back to pick up a few smaller pieces for the apartment and to the day when I can buy some larger pieces to bring back with us to the States.

After the furniture shops we headed over to what my friend calls the lamp lady.  The shop was on a very narrow street in the middle of a traditional and very poor Chinese neighborhood.  I honestly didn't know what to expect, looking at it from the outside, but Hanna assured me that it was worth the trip.  Inside, the shop is a big open space filled with all kinds of unique lamps, including one resembling the SWFC, or bottle opener building.  Not only does the lamp lady make her own lamps, she will also turn anything you bring to her into a lamp.   While the lamps were amazing I hesitate to buy one knowing in a few years I'll have to have it rewired if I want to use it back in the States.  To assuage my inner child I did buy three wire and cloth lamps that are meant to hold candles and can either be hung from the ceiling or sit on a table.  I may still go back for a special lamp to bring home though.  Even with the cost of rewiring it, it would still cost a whole lot less than buying something similar in the States.  I almost feel obligated to buy one... :-)

With Lucas traveling so much this month we were thrilled when he came home two days early from Jakarta.  Even better, we got to have a date night, and try out a new restaurant called The Brew, which makes its own beers.  Lucas tried the beer paddle which comes with six samples of their beers, while I decided to go with the IPA.  We shared a very yummy sausage platter and nachos and didn't even touch the Indian butter chicken.  Since The Brew is in the Kerry Parkside mall we walked our dinner and beers off and even found some new Chinglish at the grocery store.  We ended the night with a fabulous relaxing couples massage.  With Lucas traveling so much this month it was a perfect was to reconnect!  Lucky for us Lucas will be back from Hong Kong Wednesday night and then Saturday we all head to Vietnam for a family vacation, can't wait!