Just Random Stuff

It’s a gorgeous day outside today. I can see blue skies with no clouds, not much pollution today! Took the girls to the park earlier. We bought Ashley a bike over the weekend, so she’s been wanting to ride everywhere. It’s got training wheels and a spot on the back that Liz can sit on and ride. So they ride around with me walking next to them, I sure get my exercise if she starts going fast. Hopefully, soon, she’ll be able to learn how to ride without the training wheels. Everyone here has bikes and rides them all around the complex and to nearby stores, along with all the workers that use bikes to get around town.

Ryken hasn’t been sleeping too well and has started spitting up after almost every feeding, when he burps. He also has been having some severe gas pains (at least that’s what I think they are). It was pretty bad last night, enough that if we have a repeat of it, I’ll be taking him in to the doctor. I haven’t really changed my diet much, so I’m not sure what could be the cause of it.

The sun rises here at 5am! ARGH. The girls were getting up that early, but we’ve been able to remedy that by having a clock in their room and they aren’t allowed to come out u until 7am. The past 2 mornings, it’s worked, so that’s good. Ryken wakes up though around 5, which sucks! We have curtains that block out the light, but there are still some places where it comes in.

Our stuff from Taiwan is supposed to arrive tomorrow! I am SO excited, just to have towels and kitchen ware and toys for the kids. We’ve been using plastic kitchenware and it’s getting old. Xiaoshu bought a wok and she’s been using that one pot to cook all our meals. When she was first cooking, she was using a spice they use here all the time called “5 Spice” – I really don’t like it, so I asked her to not use it and since then, I have LOVED all her meals. She made a beef dish with carrots and potatoes the other night, almost like a beef stew, she didn’t know that’s one of my favorite dishes back home – meat and potatoes – it was delicious. I’m not sure what’s in “5 spice” , but it smells like black licorice to me, and I do not like licorice! Just looked it up and there is an ingredient in it called “star anise” which is licorice flavored.

Yesterday was a very icky day, rainy and nasty outside. It doesn’t rain here very often and apparently, when it’s going to rain, they government “seeds” the clouds so that it rains more. There are many articles online about it, if interested, just google China seed rain – here’s one: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-china-fake-rain,1,1562964.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

Anyway, I needed to get a physical done in order to apply for my residency visa here, so Anthony, Ryken and I set off for the Chinese Foreigner Travel Office to get this done. It is a VERY efficient process. I believe we were there for around 45 minutes total. During that time I had a picture taken, a quick physical check, blood drawn, an EKG and a chest Xray. For my physical check, it was just BP, pulse, listening to heart and lungs, weight and height (fully clothed with shoes on, so I’m about 1.5 inches taller here in China). We then went up to Anthony’s office where I got my first glimpse of the city of Beijing, downtown. It looks dirty – gray and ugly. Dirt is everywhere, very little grass. Lots of trees though. Anthony’s work is nice and he has an office rather than a cubicle which is a step up from Taiwan. I met most of the people in the office and then we went and had lunch in the basement of his building at a Japanese place. I had sushi, which I have really been enjoying lately for some reason. It was nice to hang out with him and Ryken and have a peaceful meal (Ryken was asleep) without the girls. I love them, but they can be a handful at mealtimes! They enjoy staying home with Xiaoshu now because she takes them to the park to play.

Many of the restaurants here that cater to the foreign crowd have kids play areas in them. Anthony’s favorite, Annies, which is Italian food and very nearby where we live, has a little playhouse with some toys. Lots of families go there, so there’s always other kids for them to play with. Makes for a good time for parents and kids. You can meet other parents and chat and eat while the kids play. I often wonder why more restaurants don’t do this in the States. I guess in Austin, restaurants are busy enough without having to cater more to families than they do.