"30 Rock" or "Leeds Preserves Her Own Rice Bowl"

I've finally bought the DVDs for 30 Rock, since it's been recommended to me by a number of people. I admit, I really don't know much about it. Thankfully I have the program description on the back of the DVD to help me out. Here it is copied in its entirety:

The chief screenwriter is not good does. Must worry the script to be obsolete, must worry that the viewing ratio is not good. If high-level has the little change, under will look like the donminoes equally to have the consecutive reaction along with it, finally will make a snowman likely is the same, evolves bad and the abomoinable Italian chaotic condition. "I for Comedy Crazy" the leading lady am meeting such life difficult position, although has the magnificent reputation. Is works as red comedy Xiu chief screenwriter. However was old boss to die of illness recently, takes office newly the new boss seems is not too recognizes her style, in addition in the program these size stars are also troublesome very much, all of a sudden let leading lady Leeds be tired out from the press. However regardless of how the worry, the life can also continue, should bow also to bow. Therefore to preserve own rice bowl, also to defend oneself chief screenwriter's dignity, in a metropolis the white-collar may meet frequently the scene started. How to maintain own individuality, and can simultaneously maintain the comfortable livelihood, this is not a gate relaxed curriculum, even if is the body is the chief screenwriter, the work place sways back and forth many year Leeds, must graduate also the non-easy matter.

I'm ready to watch.

(Link to Don's post about Chinese DVDs here)

Am I Angry at China?

I've never written anything really all that negative about China. I've always viewed crazy taxi drivers and other chaos as part of the fun. Sure, there are frustrations and things I don't like, but today was the first day I actually felt angry at China.

Maybe it started with all the websites that have been blocked leading up to the June 4th anniversary of Tiananmen Square. It was mostly just a nuisance, but it's also been a reminder of how far China has to come to enter the modern international community.Then yesterday, Don sent me this blogpost about an expat man who witnessed a suicide attempt. The bottom line is, he tried to help, and none of the Chinese onlookers did.

This led me to follow some links to a blog by a North American couple which had a lot of good information about why this phenomenon exists in China. They explained that in China, helping someone is considered an admission of guilt. I found one story in which an expat man who helped someone in an accident was actually taken to the police station and questioned, because if he was helping he must be at fault. We've been warned by expats more experienced that we, to avoid getting involved for this very reason.

The blog also points out that some people belive that Confucian thought supports this attitude. Confucius said, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." Think about how different this is than the Western Golden Rule version. Telling someone to not do bad is very different than telling someone to do good. Confucius also stressed the importance of the family unit, which when taken to the extreme, may explain the Chinese reluctance to help people who are not in their family, i.e. not their responsibility.

Chinese culture very much values the group, often at the expense of the individual. Individualism can certainly be taken too far, but when the group is valued most, many bad behaviors towards people right next to you can be easily justified. Anyone not "in the group" can be discounted, and the needs of the group can be used to explain away any moral misgivings one might have about the needs of an individual.

While I have fortunately never seen an extreme example of apathy here in China (remember I live in China-lite), I have been baffled by other more mundane examples of the Chinese lack of value for the individual: pushing, reaching in front of my face, pretending I'm not there, staring as though I'm not human, etc. The complete lack of traffic courtesy or rules could be another example of not feeling they need to take others into consideration. We often witness people yelling at each other in public, and saw a man and his friend reduce a store clerk to tears while a crowd looked on, as Don wrote about in his blog back in September.

The amazing thing is, there are so many, many generous and nice Chinese people. When we have been guests in Chinese homes, all the stops are pulled out to be the most gracious of hosts. We have many people smile at us, try to talk to us, pose with us for pictures, etc. While this could be seen as a negative, I really think they are genuinely please and happy to meet us. So the contrast of the behavior I described above is all the more confusing.

And there are so many beautiful things about Chinese culture as well. They very much value art, knowledge and music, and take great pride in the beautiful city I live in. They traditionally take care of their parents, planning for and inviting them to live in their own homes. Imagine that happening in the US, where everyone values their space and privacy.

I could go on. But I guess the lesson to learn is, every culture has warts, my own included. I'm not going to say that it's okay to walk past someone in need in China or anywhere else. I think being compassionate is always a moral obligation. I hope China will absorb some of the West's value of the individual, and with it compassion for others not in their family. And maybe the West can learn from China's example of how to take care of your family.

So, I will hold to my belief that some things are just wrong, whether it is in Chinese culture, American culture or anything else. And just like with family, sometimes you're angry, and sometimes you flat out disagree. But in the end you love them anyway.

(Note: I'm hardly an expert on anything Chinese, I just live here and observe what I can. This post is my attempt to make sense of what I'm seeing around me. For a much better written and researched article about the same topic, please go to the first of three articles entitled The Good Samaritan with Chinese Characteristics located on the blog I paraphrased in paragraphs two and three.)

The Indignities of Learning Chinese

Everyone knows that the best way to learn a language is to live in the country. Immersing yourself in the local language and culture provides opportunities to learn from natives, practice new vocabulary, and pick up natural speech patterns. Compared to learning from a book, cd, or even in a class, there is nothing like living in a foreign country for learning a language quickly and well.

Too bad I don't live in China.

I live in Expat World, a fantasy land that hovers somewhere on the periferal vision of the local Chinese. Occasionally, our worlds collide, often with messy results, but by and large, we coexist in a kind of blissful ignorance of one another.

I get up in the morning and get on the staff bus that takes me to school, along with my family. I work all day with other expat staff, most of whom are native English speakers, teaching an English language curriculum to expat students. On weekends, I go to church with other expats, no Chinese are allowed to worship with us, or us with them.


Do I ever speak Chinese? Sure, I do. Two hours each week with my Chinese tutor. A couple of sentences to taxi drivers, or a few words to store clerks. And I always say "ni hao" to the nice guards at our apartment complex.

I intended to write some posts about how frustrating and humbling it is at times to learn Chinese, and I think I still will. But when I think about how few natural opportunities I have to speak Chinese, it really depresses me. So, I'll keep taking my classes and reading my grammar books. I'll start talking to my kids in Mandarin, or try to strike up conversations with the guy at the corner store. I'll watch some grueling Chinese TV.

And maybe one of these days I'll speak enough Chinese to find China around here.

A Moment at the Great Wall

I'm a dreamer. I'm constantly thinking about what's around the next corner, making plans (or "schemes" as Don calls them) and looking for possibilities. I consider this one of my strengths, and yet it is also a weakness. Sometimes I find that I'm looking too far ahead, not appreciating the present, and undervaluing what I already have. So when I have an experience that grounds me firmly in the present, it makes a big impression on me.

I can only name a few such occasions. One was standing in London's Hyde Park with Don and the kids, our first trip overseas together as a family. We couldn't believe that we were actually there with our three young children. Another would be any time I see the Grand Canyon. It humbles me, makes me feel small, yet amazes me that I'm part of something so large. It puts me in my place.

This trip to the Great Wall was just such an experience. I had been to the wall before; three years ago I went there with another teacher, a friend of mine, for a teacher exchange program in China. The wall was crawling with tourists, and our tour guide was hounding us to keep our visit short. It was great, but I knew I needed to go back to see it differently.

And this trip was entirely different. The few tourists at that part of the wall went east, and we went west. We pitched our tents in an original watch-tower with no roof. We spent almost 24 hours absolutely by ourselves, just the wall, the hills and us. As dusk approached, we watched the sky glow orange behind the next tower. We slept with the tower walls around us and the stars for our roof. We woke as the sun and the wall met at the horizon. The entire time I was in awe of our surroundings and the solitude. And most of all, I was grateful that we were experiencing it together.

It was and entire day of being in the moment, and not wanting the moment to end.

That's So China: Taxi or Formula One?

I'm usually a cheapskate about transportation here and insist on taking buses whenever possible, but we were running late, so we took a taxi to church. You never quite know what you are getting yourself into when you get a taxi here. The drivers range from the rare careful driver, to the more common race-car-driver-wanna-be. Today was one of the latter. He grunted when I told him the directions, which I've found to be a sign of a fast driver, and, sure enough, he sped through red lights most of the way (Moral dilemma: When you're late for church, is it okay to hope the driver runs red lights?). We're so used to this kind of thing that none of us flinch or even notice anymore when breaking the traffic laws. I don't even cringe when driving in the path of an oncoming bus. All to be expected here.

This guy, however, was notable because he had been smoking before he picked us up, and so he thoughtfully held his cigarette out the window with his left hand while he steered and changed gears with his right. It sounds impressive, but the prize for the most skillful taxi driver I've experienced goes to the guy who used his left hand to talk on his cell phone, while his right hand held his wallet, and still managed to steer and shift gears. Imagine the admiration I felt when this same driver shot the gap to pass a long line of cars, and just made it back into the right lane in time to avoid the oncoming traffic.

I do have other favorite rides, though, that are on the other end of the spectrum. There's the chatty woman driver, I've ridden with her twice, who when I tell her directions, repeats them over and over, asks me for confirmation, and thanks me profusely. She says a whole lot of other things to me, while I nod and pretend like I understand her. Another guy I've ridden with more than once played easy-listening music and drove at an even, leisurely pace, obeying all traffic rules. I felt like I'd just had a good 15 minutes of meditation after getting out of his cab. Of course, I must have jinxed it by telling him, "See you again," because I haven't seen him since. Another memorable driver hacked and spit out the window with great gusto for most of the drive. This skill still enables the driver to use both hands to maneuver the car, so all in all I considered it a good ride.

So, whether it's driving with one hand, sqeaking through an intersection by just missing the cross traffic, or hocking a juicy loogie, I have to hand it to the taxi drivers here: they're one talented bunch.

That's So China

Today when I got home from work, I was walking up to my apartment building and heard a chicken squawking. I turned around to see a man in a sports coat and slacks taking a chicken out of his black Peugeot sedan. The chicken was uncooperatively trying to escape from a cardboard box, so he put his black leather briefcase on the box lid.

I went up to my apartment, but few minutes later when I was again getting on my elevator, he was coming out, with the box and the chicken. He put the chicken in his trunk and drove away.
I'm not exactly sure what happened, and why, but a story that involves a chicken, a briefcase and a Peugeot is one that needs to be shared.

I never cease to be amazed by the juxtaposition of things both modern and undeveloped that make up China today.

Hangzhou

Since we had no tombs to sweep for Tomb Sweeping Day, we went to a nearby city, Hangzhou, for the long weekend. Hangzhou is known throughout China as one of the most beautiful cities in China, along with Suzhou. There is actually an old Chinese saying : Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.

Xi Hu, or West Lake, is the main attraction. Decide for yourself if you think it's a little bit of heaven on earth.

Family Portrait

Don't we look great?

Hong Kong vol. 3: Hong Kong at Night

Dusk over the Harbor as seen from Victoria Peak

Also from Vicoria Peak, the view of the city. I like to compare this to seeing the Grand Canyon. They are each views that are magnificent, awe inspiring and humbling. One speaks of God's majesty, the other of Man's ingenuity. Both are incredible.

See, we were actually there. Well, at least there is proof for four of us.

The kids outside the Hong Kong LDS Temple on Christmas Day.

Hong Kong vol. 2: Around the city

A view from Hong Kong Park



A picture of people taking a picture of people taking a picture in Hong Kong Park



In Times Square. It seems like every Chinese city has a Times Square, even Suzhou.



Small shopping street, much steeper than the picture shows



The gate of an old prison



Next up: Hong Kong at Night

Hong Kong vol. 1: The hotel and Soho

I'm finally posting some images from our trip to Hong Kong for Christmas:

This is our itty-bitty hotel room, actually at a guest house (kind of like a hostel). We all stayed for a week in one small room, about the size of John's bedroom at our apartment. There were three bunk beds, you can see the one overhead, the one in the background, and the one to the left in this picture. The bathroom is to the left, actually the size of a shower stall, and in fact, it doubled as the shower stall, with toilet and shower in one small space. With a view right into someone's kitchen if you opened the window. When we got back to Suzhou, we actually felt like our apartment was huge!

The Soho area of Hong Kong has an outdoor escalator to carry people to the higher streets in the neighborhood. I understand it moves down the mountain in the morning to take commuters to their jobs, then switches to up the mountain for the remainder of the day.

Views from the escalator:

Next up: Views from the city

Opting-out

It's supposedly the last night of the Chinese New Year (we thought it was last night, or maybe tomorrow night, who knows?). Maybe you thought it was a one night deal, but it's not. We've had fireworks, ranging from just a couple a day to the full barrage, every day since my last posting. That first night of fireworks remains one of the coolest things we've seen, but after two weeks of fireworks, we're not really feeling the need to experience it again tonight. Plus we have to work tomorrow. So, with the help of earplugs, we're opting out.

The New Year, China-style

It's just after midnight in China, the Year of the Ox, and we just experienced our first Chinese New Year. I know Don is also blogging about this, but I have to say, that was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. We've been seeing fireworks and hearing firecrackers all evening, but as midnight approached, the intensity and frequency increased. We went outside to experience the full sight, sound and taste (from the thick smoke).

People were setting off fireworks in front of our apartment building, in back of our apartment, at the nearby apartments. And not chintzy fireworks, but honest-to-goodness huge professional-looking fireworks. People were lighting firecrackers on their rooftops, and fireworks were coming up out of every apartment complex, lighting the windows of the highrise buildings. Every direction we looked we could see fireworks or see someone setting off fire crackers. It was so loud we couldn't hear each other, and it continued for about 45 minutes. As Don said, it was like being in the fireworks.

The main concentration has died down, but you can still hear popping and booming across the city. Apparently this will continue all week, to some degree, as the New Year celebrations continue. I don't know how much sleep we'll get tonight, if this goes on, but it's worth it.

Foggy Day

We had another foggy day this morning when we were riding the staff bus to school. While it's often foggy in the mornings here, there have been two days in which the fog was so thick we couldn't see anything around us as we drove through the streets of Suzhou. A couple of weeks ago the fog was so dense that the bus driver had to honk at each intersection to make sure he wouldn't run into anyone, or them into us. You might be asking why people continued to drive, ride bikes and scooters, and walk across streets in these conditions, but in China that is like asking, well, like asking "why" about anything around here. It's just the way it is, and why change your habits just for safety's sake? Safety is really not at the forefront of anyone's mind around here. That might explain the worker sweeping in the street today in the fog. When he became visible only a few feet in front of our bus, our driver was skilled enough to swerve. The worker didn't even flinch.

Even in the fog, cars, busses and scooters don't turn on their headlights. I read somewhere that the Chinese believe that turning on car headlights will drain the batteries. The most dangerous time of day to walk around here, in my opinion, is at dusk, when you can barely see the cars, and they surely can't see you at all. I've been in taxis careening through traffic with no headlights at all, when the sun was already past the horizon. If that's how they operate every day, a day of fog is not going to change that. Don and I were on the bus laughing about the lack of headlights, when, lo and behold! we spotted a car with lit headlights. Maybe they thought this was prudent in their case, because they were driving on the wrong side of the road against traffic. In the fog. Safety first!

My first haircut

I finally got up the guts to get my hair cut and colored. I had it done just before we left for China, knowing that I wouldn't want to worry about it for a while, but I never intended to go for four months without a haircut. My hair just got longer and longer. Don finally said, "Uh, Lee, you probably need to get a haircut." Well, when your husband notices that it's too long, it's time.

My friend, Sue, recommended a guy, and her hair looks great, so I took her advice. I've been worried that when I got my hair colored it would end up really dark, and I've seen a number of expats with really dark and obviously dyed hair. My thinking is, the stylists are used to dark hair here, almost exclusively, so that's why all the dark dye-jobs. But Sue's hair is blonde and it looked really nice, so I thought I'd give it a try. She said the guy, Jack (Chinese people often have a second English name they use with us expats) spoke some English, so I figured I would be able to communicate. For a backup I asked my Chinese tutor how to say things like "I want the same color" and "I want the same cut, just shorter". I thought I was ready and so I called and set up the appointment. Jack did indeed speak some English, and I used the two ensuing days to get myself in the right frame of mind.

See, I really hate getting my hair cut. I don't like being fussed over, I don't like having strangers running their fingers through my hair, and I don't like being at someone else's mercy quite so much. So whenever I'm going for a cut or color, I have to get myself prepped mentally for the experience. Also, I really resent the time spent sitting there, and since I've started coloring my hair, the time spent in the salon chair has quadrupled. I try to tell myself it's an opportunity to catch up on my reading.

So when I arrived I was ready, well except I forgot to learn or bring the Chinese phrases I'd asked my teacher about. And I didn't bring a picture like I intended. And I really wasn't in the mood to read for three hours. And I just really didn't want to be there. But I decided to "be a woman" and deal with my fate.

Jack did speak a bit of English, and he seemed to understand me when I explained through hand motions and modified English that I wanted the same color, he even held my hair up to the sample to show me. And I was pretty sure that showing him the "scissors" motion with my fingers and showing him where to cut was communicating just fine.

Well, the scissors thing worked. I really like the length, and he knew how to cut my hair in the layers like I wanted. In fact today when I washed it and let it dry curly, it actually looks better than it ever did curly before. Who would have thought a guy who spends his career cutting straight hair could cut it curly hair that well?

But then there is the color. He told me he would put in highlights, so I thought, okay, well why not. But when the towel came off my head, I was a little shocked. It was light, like really light. I thought to myself, "Okay, it's wet now, it's just gonna be lighter when it's dry" and once he blew it out, it was. I tried not to show the shock on my face, but sat there wondering why I didn't just say something.

I know women everywhere can relate to that moment of truth. You're sitting there in the chair, the hair stylist just did something you totally didn't expect, maybe it even makes you want to cry, but you, ever the stoic woman, sit there smiling as she fusses with your hair, proud of her handywork. The one time I tried to say, "Hey, this isn't what I asked for!" the guy persisted in telling me it looked great on me, so I finally had to give up. And with Jack and me not even speaking the same language and all, I figured it was futile to do anything but tell him the color was great. "Color good?" he asked. "Yes," I said, and smiled.

So, whenever I pass a mirror, I get that, "Who is that?" feeling. And today, with it curly, I've been singing the Cowardly Lion song from the Wizard of Oz to make the kids laugh. But I'm sure, with a little time, I'll get used to it. I always do.

Obama in China

Last night Emma and I went for an ice-cream run to the little grocery store in our apartment complex. When we first moved here the couple that runs the place seemed suspicious of us and rather gruff. But I used my not-so-good Chinese to tell them that we were Americans, and ever since they have been friendly, and giggle, amused, when I carefully pronounce the amount of money I have to pay in an attempt to practice Chinese.

So last night after we paid for our ice-cream bars the husband started to talk to me. I understood only one word, "mei guo", which is "America". I thought he was asking me if we were American, maybe he hadn't understood me the first time, but when I told him we were American again, he kept talking. I stood there with a confused look on my face as I tried to tell him I didn't understand. He persisted, and finally it dawned on me that there was one more word I understood: Obama. My look of confusion changed to one of recognition as I blurted out, "Obama!" "Obama!" he repeated and I gave him two thumbs up as we exchanged smiles. It seems that even a shop keeper in China is interested in the American presidential election.

I don't know exactly what our grocer was saying to me. Maybe he was saying that he can't believe we would elect Obama for president. But one thing is for sure: the entire world watched as our country elected, for the first time, a man with African heritage, for the most conspicuous and powerful job on earth. People from countries which hold no elections saw Americans choose a new kind of president and new party to represent us, illustrating that in a democracy, the country can change direction peacefully and by the will of the people. Even if they don't like the country's choice, the message is still there, that we are a free and inclusive society.

Like it or not, people look at us and often up to us. While it sounds nice to suppose that our election is our own, by Americans and for Americans, we can't ignore the fact that our choice of president is significant to people all over the world. For many, the election of Obama represents change, progress and optimism for the future. Beyond focusing on domestic policies and needs, of which there are obviously many, this election has given us a chance to shine as Americans, a chance to show the world how we really do things. Europeans, Chinese and Africans may not know or understand America's internal issues, and why should they, but they know that our country is not afraid to elect someone who appears different or out of the main stream. This is a powerful message to send to the world, and I'm proud that our nation has done that.

I hope that people from both parties will recognize the significance of this election, even if they don't agree with Obama's policies. That Americans told the world that a candidate like Barack Obama is their choice to represent us is both inspiring and humbling to me. And whatever my Chinese grocer was trying to say to me about it, he obviously knew that it was an important world event. On some level or another, he gets the message, too.

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted, and to be honest, every time I think about the computer it makes me tired. I never know if I can get into Hotmail, if the internet will crash, whatever. It's even been bad at work. So it just depresses me to think about it, and I have about 10 partly written emails in my drafts folder in Hotmail, so if you are someone who has written to me and I haven't responded, I appologize.

Speaking of being tired, Don and I have found it both strange and a relief to be out of the country for this election. I will admit it now: we are non-voters this time. We have what I think is a pretty valid excuse; moving our family across the world, starting new jobs and new schools for the kids has been pretty intense. I tell myself it really wouldn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things if I voted or not, but I've always been a believer that it is a citizen's duty to vote, and, well, I blew it. So I guess I feel guilty, is what I'm trying to say.

The reality of it is, though, that there are things about America I worry about far more than who or what party is in power. I am saddened by the political cynicism that pervades our society, eating away at our trust and diverting energy away from things that matter. When people assume that the "other side" are idiots or fanatics, how can real discussion of issues take place? When the first rule of debate is to call your opponent stupid, where can people go to weigh their options?

At my school right now, our third-grade unit is World Beliefs, including religion. One of the goals is to teach the beginnings of the skill of dialectical thought, or thinking about two or more points of view at the same time. This is a tall order for kids, especially when most adults seem to avoid this exercise in tolerance, and instead regress to labeling the opponent as deluded or unintelligent. As I understand it, dialectical discourse does not necessarily mean that both parties agree, but that each recognizes that the other has valid points to make.

I believe that engaging in political or idealogical name-calling, even on the ground level, does more harm to our country than any politician. When we no longer respect and acknowledge the ideas of our philosophical opposites, we diminish our own ability to reason and to persuade. It undermines the strength of our own opinions and lowers debate to school-yard bullying.

It's tempting to dismiss people with different views, but that is the lazy way out. Actually understanding another person's views is far more difficult, but the benefits are that we have a better framework for verbalizing our own ideas, and we are better able to persuade others, instead of just appealing to people's emotions. I believe that American's are capable of this kind of reasoned, rational debate, and long for a more civilized way of discussing sensitive topics, like politics and religion. My hope is that people learn how to think about more than one point of view at the same time. And they are welcome to join my third-graders as they learn how.

Our kitchen has arrived

Since we got our shipment, the kitchen seems so much more like home. Here are some pictures that show how we're fitting enough for a family of five in a tiny kitchen. Not bad, eh?



We shipped our refrigerator magnets we've collected from travels, just because we could!

We bought the storage rack here, but I'm glad threw the baskets into the shipment.







Kitchens have a drying rack in a drawer for small plates, bowls and chopsticks. Some of them are actually an appliance, with heat or air or something. Ours isn't that fancy. We wish it was a washing machine.

I'm particularly proud of the spice cabinet. I shipped the organizers. Look how great it is!







We moved this cabinet into the dining area to hold dishes. The bottom has our bakeware, cookbooks, and the snacks I buy for my other blog, awaiting review.














This is the first dinner with our newly shipped spices: Couscous with Chicken. Here's how to make it:

Saute some cubed chicken, diced onion and garlic. Add 1 Tbs cumin and 1 tsp paprika, and a dash of turmeric. Stir. Meanwhile cube carrots, bell pepper (any color), zucchini and eggplant, adding each as you cube them (hardest to softest). Stir frequently. Add chicken broth or bullion and water. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are soft. Add tomato wedges (they will just heat through). Serve over couscous or rice.

Not as good as the couscous our friend Nadia made us in France, but it will do. We have to do what we can!

If we haven't used it in four months do we really need it?

This evening we got our shipment from the US delivered. The school provided for up to three cubic meters per teacher to be shipped and we used about four of our six. As I mentioned in a previous post, deciding what to keep, give away, store, or ship was a major and long process. We ended up giving away a large majority of our belongings, whether to friends or to charity. I'm also sorry to say a lot of it ended up in the trash. Well, we tried, and it honestly feels pretty good to be free of that much stuff.

But we were a little nervous about getting our shipment today. We remembered that we shipped kitchen equipment and spices, which we have been noticing the lack of quite a bit. And we've also missed having books in the house. We are continually rereading or using for reference a number of our favorite books. We shipped a few boxes of these, as well as some favorite DVDs (CDs were all stored on a portable hard-drive). But we couldn't remember everything we put in the boxes, and were not sure it would all fit in our three-bedroom apartment. We've been feeling like, for the most part, the apartment fits our needs, but wondered if getting all our things from the US would make it feel packed.

Well, so far, so good. I thankfully shipped some storage shelves and bins for the kitchen, which fit nicely in the cupboards. With the bookshelf'/cupboard we moved from John's room serving as extra space for our baking supplies, the kitchen is entirely put away. We will do some minor readjustments, but it looks like it will fit, and look good to boot. And we actually have a lot of empty space in our hall closet. We thought it would be packed, but it has plenty of room for whatever else we decide to aquire here. We need more bookshelves, but not much more, the kids need some help organizing the personal items they shipped so they aren't in a pile on the bottom of their wardrobes, but other than that, it's looking pretty good. Oh, and we shipped some framed art prints as well, so it's starting to look more like the home we are used to.

The only frustrating thing is, we are missing some things we thought we shipped. Thinking back, we're pretty sure we neglected to put them in the stack for the movers, but we're not entirely certain. The bad thing is, it is a small box of our favorite Christmas decorations we wanted to have here, some irreplacable ceramics that Allyne made, and our picture of the temple. So it's things we really wanted, and would feel badly if they were lost forever. We're hoping Don's family will be able to tell us if they are back in Arizona, but it might not be possible to find out until we go back next summer.

I remember someone saying once, that if you haven't used something in a long time, you don't really need it, and most of this stuff hasn't been seen by us since we moved out of our house four months ago. That idea may fit a lot of situations, but after moving across the world, giving up almost all our things, I can tell you that having a some familiar items around the house again is a comforting thing. A few books and pictures, equipment to bake cookes and pizza, now it's really feeling like home.

Family Food: Curry Chicken

We haven't been doing to badly, eating-wise. We eat a lot more Chinese food, of my own making, plus approximations of our old favorites, minus the Mexican food (that has been sorely lacking, and I plan to rectify that, soon). But the family have been liking the stuff I've been making, well more like inventing, for dinner each night. I can't cook exactly like I did in the US, in part because some ingredients are different, but mostly because I'm lacking my kitchen equipment, which is still sitting in a warehouse in Shanghai. We should get our things on Tuesday. We hope.

One new creation that has become a favorite here is curry chicken. The little convenience store has packages of frozen pre-cubed chicken for cheap, so I stir-fry those with some onion and garlic. When it's about browned, I add cubed potatoes and carrots, then curry paste (powder would work), chicken bullion and a little water. I let it simmer in the wok until the vegetables are tender, then add broccoli and/or cabbage (cauliflower would be good), cover and cook it a minute more, and it's done. If I think the sauce isn't thick enough, I add a little cornstarch and water at the end. We eat it over rice, which is already waiting, thanks to my trusty rice cooker.