Grateful: Day 26: Water Delivery

Yup. Our "sparkletts" is delivered by moped

NZ and I have done our are trying our best to adapt to living less American, and more Chinese the best we can. I shop the local market for everything from bok choy & carrots, to seedless grapes, eggs and live chickens now. We're learning what Chinese flour etc looks like, so that we can stop spending $7 a bag on Gold Medal imported flour. We're learning, and we're trying. Trying being the key word.

It's difficult coming from a country in which everything has to pass a zillion inspections, meat has to be USDA certified, and the level of sanitation is eons beyond where we currently live. It's hard to trust that anything is "clean". When a native Chinese person is telling you that you need to rinse your dish with hot tea before dishing out dumplings at the local jiaozi joint, you know that shht's not sano.

We rinse our produce and eggs with a vinegar and water mix as soon as we get them home. We use bottled water for EVERYTHING.

I don't know what I would do without our Nestle water...or the delivery guys who deliver it with a simple call to let them know we're out. Beats heading to the store every day--at the rate we drink water, I'd be lugging a half dozen cases a week. Whether it's legit or not, who knows. They have a safety seal on each jug--and neither of us have gotten sick, so we'll go with the idea that it is totally legit.

Grateful: Day 24: Stroller(s)

Remember how, before we moved...I was all about living minimally while in China?

Yeah, well, having a kid, somehow makes living as minimally as we would have liked impossible.

For the most part, we're succeeding at keeping the excess and non-necessities down. Clothing (for NZ and myself), kitchen supplies and linens ( I'm a recovering linen addict, remember?) are all things we have been successful in keeping pared down...but when it comes to Sal and his "gear", we have done our best, but sadly, China has made it impossible to allow us to survive with just one stroller.

So, we Zentils now own two.

In a small, storage-less apartment. On the 25th floor.

One for running/walking, and one for grocery and mall shopping.

I am grateful for both of my strollers today. They allow me the freedom to explore our surroundings.

NZ & Sal "off roading" on a walk

I love our Quinny Buzz because it has got tires paired with a high cross bar, allowing for a good stride while walking. The tires and suspension allow for us to take it many places where the streets have potholes, or there are staircases we must climb. Handicapped access ramps are not mandatory here, so we do a lot of stair climbing. There's also a comfy memory foam seat for Sal that reclines and can be turned to face me, or to face the street. With the colder weather setting in, we use a Quinny bunting bag that Sal's great grandma got him for Christmas. It's nice and cozy and he seems quite content even when I'm freezing my booty off.

snug as a bug in his bunting bag

Our Quinny is my most-of-the-time stroller that I take whenever we head out on foot. The extra special thing about this stroller was the cost. I picked up this lime green beast on Craigslist for 10% of its original cost. SCORE!

 I have to admit I ran into some problems when I was somewhere alone with the larger stroller. Here in China, most shopping areas are blocked off by cement or metal barricades. These have been erected to keep the electric bikes out of the stores. But the problem is, they also keep mothers pushing jogging strollers out as well.

on the count of three. yi. er. san
( We've got it down)

Barricades in our own apartment complex

Unless I have a friend with me to help lift his stroller over the barricades, I am unable to get to where I need to go. So, after much deliberation, I walked to our local baby store and bought the cheapest, ugliest umbrella stroller they had. It's narrow footprint, and light weight allow for me to get in between the barricades when out shopping alone. I tend to use this one when traveling by car as well, because I can balance our carseat and diaper bag on it while we take the elevator down to my driver.

the "Happy Dino" stroller loaded with our gear to head downstairs to
meet our driver

This girl can do it all!

So, yeah-I'm thankful today for having two strollers which allow me access to the places we go.

Grateful: Day 13: Born on the 13th

Lucky 13

Everyday Today I am grateful for the luckiest Friday the 13th, ever. I've never been really superstitious, but I know many people are..from skipping 13th floors on buildings, to not scheduling procedures ( I had a few patients who refused to let me schedule their surgery on Friday the 13th--I was like, reaaaaally?) to just plain thinking bad things happen when the number13 is involved.

Speaking for myself, Friday the 13th's have always been good. I can recall first feeling this way as my childhood idol, Kim Zmeskal, took home the all around gold from the 1991 World Championships, on you guessed it, Friday the 13th..and I was there. In person. And it was...wait for it...

1991 World AA Champion, Kim Zmeskal
Friday, September 13, 1991

AWESOME.

So, ever since then, I look forward to Friday the 13th, and pretty much anything to do with the number 13. I guess you could say it's my lucky number.

Last January, I went in on to my OB as my due date was looming. I had two weeks to go. I was nervous as could be. I swore Sal hadn't been as active, and I was having nightly nightmares that he would meet the same demise as our babies that came before him. I was certain that something would go wrong. Because, we were unlucky when it came to babies.

My OB offered to consider an induction. He was an estimated 7 lbs, and I was starting to show signs of labor, so she spoke to her colleagues and due to my history of recurrent loss, my previous uterine surgery and his size, they agreed to schedule an induction.

For...

Friday, the 13th.

And I just knew that this was meant to be. Things HAD to turn out well.

And did they ever.

I am so very thankful for this little boy. Even on the rough days. Even on the days he  pushes all the chairs around the house and re-programs the chinese only remotes TV. Even on the days he spits up all over my favorite shirt. Even on the just-wants-to-be-held-all-day-and-mama-why-aren't-you-stronger-so-you-can-hold-me-all-day, days.

Hard to believe he was ever this small

We waited what seemed an eternity for his arrival into our lives. Four years of trying, waiting, hoping, losing, and trying again. He is the light of our lives, and I am ever so thankful for this gift I was given just 10 short months ago.

Grateful: Day 12: Western Facilities

Today I am grateful for western "facilities", as in, western toilets.

Before you go scratching your head, asking yourself, Western? toilet? Aren't all toilets the same?

Let me take a minute to show you..

Westerners...meet the Chinese "Squatty Potty".


image from itpleasesme.com
I couldn't bare to show you how dirty they really are. This one must be brand spankin new.

 

Yep. This is what I run into when needing to use the facilities while out and about. Some of the western restaurants have "normal" thrones, and believe me, all of us expat women know which places those are, but the majority of what one might end up using, are these squatty potties.

Oh, and bring your own packet of kleenex unless you like to drip dry. Most restrooms don't have toilet paper. And hand sanitizer. If they don't carry toilet paper, you can bet your dollar that hand sanitizer and soap are usually a missing element to the bathroom experience as well.

Maybe this explains why so many Chinese just pee outside in the open? At least they have the audience fresh air going for them.

Thankfully our apartment is outfitted with western toilets, for which, I am ever so grateful. Three years would be an aweful long time to "hold it", don't ya think?



Grateful: Day 10: Innocence

Well, I had pre-written my Day 10 post as a "thankful for internet access", which I am super grateful for..but I had to re-write this post and blog about something else that I am grateful for today. With my internet access, and access to FB, I am able to stay in touch with those back home.

My favorite thing about FB, is keeping in touch with my old gymnastics crew--both from club days ( Girls Inc & UCSB Spirals, holla!) and university days ( Go AGS!). Those girls were my sisters for many many years, and many of us continue to be close to this day. We lived, ate and breathed gymnastics. We were in the same boat. Long hours of practice--  up to 30 hours a week during summer-- and make social sacrifices. I did not attend a single high school dance or fotball game, but as I said before, I didn't and still don't feel cheated out of my teen years. I was with my friends. We had each other & still do.

So, imagine the shock when an old club teammate sent out an email with confirmation that our coach had been arrested on 30 counts of child pornography charges this past week. I'm not sure I want to go into detail and ruin anyone's day--but yeah--THIRTY counts and maybe even more than 70 victims over a course of two decades.

I've spent the last 24 hours processing this information--news--whatever you want to call it. I've been in touch with many of the girls I grew up with. Word is spreading like wildfire, but that is what has to happen, right? Just in case there were any girls or boys in my era who were subjects of this terrible terrible occurance.

I am grateful, beyond grateful, actually, that I was never made uncomfortable by my coach. I looked up to him, and still will say with 100% certainty that he was one of the best technical coaches out there. Any good gymnast knows, you ain't nothing without good technique and basics. My brain is ping ponging between my good memories of him as my coach, the image of his mugshot, and the allegations of misconduct. I can't help but replay different situations and wonder why and if what he is being accused of now, was happening then?

So, today, I am grateful that I made it through my teen years with my innocence.

My heart goes out to those children affected in the current investigation, as well as any other victims over the years.

Grateful: Day 5: Wake Up Call

Our normal weekdays typically start at 6:00 a.m. to,

" Hate New York City,

 It's cold and it's damp.

And all the people dressed like monkeys
Let's leave Chicago to the Eskimos
That town's a little bit too rugged
For you and me you bad girl

Rollin' down the Imperial Highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana winds blowin' hot from the north
And we as born to ride..."

We looove LA. We LOVE IT!

Yep. We wake up to Randy Newman's hit, " I love LA" every single morning.

It puts a smile on my face. Takes me right back to Chavez Ravine, right after a Dodger win. I love how songs can take you back in time. It sounds silly, but I am thankful for the memories this song elicits; my husband's sense of hometown pride; and for having such a happy song as our daily wake up call.

It beats the dreaded buzz for sure!

Grateful: Day 4: Liu

Today, being Sunday, I'm looking at floors that need a good sweep.

This is a task I dread, but thankfully, I only have to do it on the weekends, because  my ayi comes Mondays through Fridays and spoils me with clean floors every day before she leaves.

When NZ initially proposed that we hire an ayi, I thought it was absurd. I do love housework, and even love doing floors at home-but having our cat here as an indoor cat---turned out to be a game changer for me. He's black. He has lots of fur. He sheds. Everywhere. I felt like my attempts to sweep were futile when we arrived. All I was doing was pushing fur balls around the house.

Enter, Liu. Our ayi.

She's got magical floor cleaning powers.

Seriously.

Every single day, she sweeps, dusts and mops our floors.

And they sparkle.

Nobody would know a cat even lives here.



Liu and Sal playing with his cardboard box "car"

But I am thankful for Liu even more so for her sweet disposition, her willingness to teach me vocabulary when I point to something and ask,  and our charading back and forth and laughing at one another. I'm most touched by her love of the boy. She's an extra set of eyes, she's a get-down-on-his-level-and-play kinda woman, and the love she has for him is mutual. Sal loves Liu. She actually gets more of his sloppy open mouth kisses than I do. He can go from screaming basket case to smiling ear to ear when she rings the apartment to be let in. He adores her, and this is important to me.

We have had her working for us for 5 months now, and I can't picture life without her in it. She's really become a part of our daily life here, and I am ever so grateful for her help.

Grateful: Day 3: Home away from home

Today I am grateful for our home here in Wuxi.

Move-in day. Suitcases in tow.

If I have  to live anywhere other than our house in California, then this apartment that we call home in Wuxi is where I want to be. I love that its new construction. I love that we have heating and air conditioning. I love that we have a good amount of square footage, which equates to room to breathe-which in an apartment, isn't always easy. There's enough room here that were not stepping on one a other (unless you're in the kitchen) every time we turn around.



Cooking in our "massive" kitchen

Walking around Wuxi, or even just looking off our balcony, it's clear to see that most people do not get to live the way we are. Out my window, I can see a brick apartment building that looks as if hurricane Sandy peeled its front wall down...it's been this way for months, and I see signs of life within. Seeing people living in those conditions breaks my heart, and makes me especially grateful that I not only have a roof over my head, but a nicely engineered one at that.

Grateful:Day 2: Skype Dates

Day two: I am grateful for Skype dates with our family and friends back home.

Sal & NZ skype with grandpa Dennis

During the week, I usually log on my Skype account mid morning to see who might be on back home. We are fifteen hours ahead of California-- so 11:00 am here on Wednesday is 8:00pm on Tuesday back home. Most mornings, if Sal and I are home between 10:00 and 11:00, I spend the hour skyping with friends and family (mostly my sister or mom). On the weekends, we Skype with My dad and my grandmother.

Living abroad would be much harder not being able to see the faces of those I miss. My sister and I sit and chat (and run for bathroom or "wait a second, my oven timer is buzzing" breaks) while leaving Skype running. We go about our daily routine, just as if the other is sitting in our living room. I LOVE this. I set Sal up in a highchair in front of the iPad like the E-trade baby and I'm certain he is going to think his family and mama's friends all live in the computer.

I learned about Skype when NZ was in India for two months. We would Skype every morning and evening. I still missed him tons, but learned that the distance is made easier when you can see the other person. When we found out we were moving to China, I knew that Skype access was key for making life easier here, and I was oh so right.

Grateful: day 1: SAHM

I'm jumping on the bandwagon and going to do my best to do a "grateful" post every day in November. Most years I probably wouldn't have the time to sit down daily and write a blog post...which leads me to  the first thing I'm grateful for...

At the Park

I am grateful that we have the means necessary to allow for me to be a stay at home mom. All my life growing up, if asked what I wanted to be, my answer was "a mom". I wanted to be just like my mom. I wanted to grow up, have a husband and children, and be able to take care of them. I wanted to send my husband off to work in the morning after a home cooked breakfast, and then spend the mornings going on walks to the park, reading books to my kids, and keeping our home tidy. Then in the evenings, when my husband would get home, I'd cook supper and we would all eat together, give the kids a bath, then curl up on the couch watching tv together after the kids were asleep.

And guess what?

I finally have the life that I've dreamed of.

my little Nacho Libre and me on playgroup day

And nobody knows better than I do, that this life that I've got right now is not owed to me. It could change at any given moment, and this is why I wake up every single day, grateful for the opportunity to be a wife and a mother if just for one more day.