Grateful: Day 6: Washing machine & Dryer

The all-in-one machine

 

Even though the beginning of our relationship was rocky, I've come to value this little machine more than I ever thought possible. On an average day, my little washer runs at least 2 loads, if not 3 or 4. She works hard for our family. Sometimes she overheats, so I give her a break...but I'd be lost without a washing machine.

Most expats here have washing machines and dryers, so it isn't that uncommon for me to have one. But my ayi says that most Chinese of laboring class do not have washing machines. They use a basin, water, and a bar of soap. In fact, I wash her towels in my washer after she leaves because she insists on cleaning her towels in the basin with her bar of soap. I don't want to force my ways on her, but I do want her cleaning towels sanitary (: I've offered our washer to her for her use (for the towels), and she was able to charade to me that she didn't want to use our electricity. Sweet, but not necessary.

When I walk down one of our local streets, past a hair salon and pet groomer, it's not unusual to see a woman slaving over a bucket of water, washing towels with her bar of soap and water. Then the towels are hung to dry and re-use on customers (ick, says my spoiled American self).

So yeah, it might not seem like a big deal, but having my washing machine and dryer here make me really thankful when I think of how it could be. I think of washing cloth diapers after a blowout, cleaning up baby puke, or getting blueberry stains out of a onesie ( we now do self feeding sans clothes to save the onesies from deathly stains). I'd be scrubbing all day, and up to my elbows in poop (literally!).


So, washer dryer combo, I am grateful for you.

Please keep up the hard work.

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.

From the 25th floor

Face paint central. View from our home office.

This week we celebrated Halloween in Wuxi. A couple of the more artistic people in our complex had children lined up for face painting as a pre-trick-or-treating treat. For many of the children, this was their first experience with the way Americans celebrate Halloween. Although many countries have a similar holiday celebrating the dead, theirs focuses more on just that-celebrating the dead-not getting candy from strangers.

We got cleaned out of candy and started handing out RMB to the last groups of children that came to our door. The estimated number of kids was 40, and we had 70 pieces of candy...but some Chinese children who were not a part of our organized group saw the foreign kids getting free candy, and they hopped along for the door to door ride, holding as much candy in their bare hands as they possibly could. So, sadly, we got cleaned out, which meant no leftovers for the grown ups.

Pumpkins & Butterflies were popular choices.

Nacho chose a 'stache to complete the look

It was nice to feel the little kids excitement, and to dress my little guy up as Nacho Libre for the evening. He did not go door to door, but instead enjoyed the warmth of  our apartment, and answering the door with his mama when the kids rang.

A huge thank you to the Aittama family for organizing the list of participating apartments, and for those who joined in this silly American tradition.  It was a taste of home that I think all of us expats welcomed with open arms.

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.