Cuisine

Hong Kong is known around the world for its fabulous cuisine. Its unique blend of Chinese food and Western dishes gives the food a unique niche.

We were able to experience the greatness of the Hong Kong food on several occasions … in our own personal way.

1. Within three hours of landing at the Hong Kong airport, we had sniffed out the nearest Outback Steakhouse and were munching on a Bloomin’ Onion.
2. The third night, we found a local Italian joint called “Fat Angelos” – with a name like that, you know it was good.
3. When we caught a glimpse of “Mrs. Fields Cookies” out of the corner of our eyes one afternoon, they immediately welled up with tears.
4. We had never dined at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company while living on U.S. soil, but gave it a big thumbs up after having dinner there atop Victoria’s Peak.
5. We all just about had heart attacks when we discovered there was a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop at the airport. Getting a dozen donuts through security and home to Shanghai is no small task, but mission accomplished.

Disney Names

One of the more interesting things we noticed at Hong Kong Disneyland was the choice of “English names” for the workers at both the hotel and the park. We have blogged several times about English names, but the names chosen by the Disney staff seemed much more “American” than we’ve seen in our nine months in China.

Some of our favorites:

Vernon
Ricky
Fanny
Larry
Agnes
Dorothy
Kenny
Yolanda
Vincent
Arthur

Joe and its derivatives also seemed to be very common. We saw multiple instances of:

Joe
Jo
Joey
Joanne
Joseph
Josephine

One poor guy, though, must not have been able to make up his mind because he just went with "Man." We hoped to find "Woman" later in the day, but were unsuccessful.

Maybe it’s just part of the charm at “The Happiest Place on Earth”. It sure does bring a smile to your face when you see a native Hong Kong man in his mid-50s named “Ethan.”

Disneyland - Asia Style

We apologize for our brief hiatus from blogging. We have just returned home from our first family trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth." Scott, Annie, and Juliet just concluded four fun-filled days in Hong Kong at the Disneyland Resort.

The park and hotel are a little over two years old and much smaller than the Disney parks in the U.S. However, it was perfect for Juliet and provided plenty of opportunity for hobnobbing with the Disney characters:

Success – Sort Of

Mr. Chen succeeded in getting keys made for our front door … just not how we expected. On Saturday, he was supposed to come pick us up for errands at 2pm. At 1:15 the doorbell (which plays the Star Spangled Banner by the way) rang. Unfortunately, Scott was just exiting the shower and Annie had not yet donned a brazier for the day. Thus, Juliet answered the door.

A minute later, Juliet screamed, “Mom … Dad … Mr. Chen is outside with a Chinese guy” (which narrows it down to about 700 million possible people). Mr. Chen apparently had determined if you can’t bring the key to the keymaker then you should bring the keymaker to the house.

When Scott was finally able to throw on some clothes a few minutes later, he made his way outside. However, due to the rain, he wasn’t able to see exactly what was going on. All he could see was that the hood was up on our van and he could hear a fair amount of scraping and chiseling. We have no earthly idea what was transpiring, but ten minutes later Mr. Chen knocked on the door with the proudest “I did it” grin you can imagine.

Happy Easter

In case any of you were wondering, the Easter Bunny does deliver to China as the girls made out with a nice bunch of loot. Juliet was quite shocked when she awoke to a house full of eggs hidden throughout. She was flabbergasted the Easter Bunny got the memo that we had relocated halfway across the world. She said it was "magic" - just like Santa Claus!

Below are some pics of our "magical" first Easter in China.

Give 'em what they want...

So after numerous e-mails clamoring for pictures, we finally uploaded the last two months worth of pictures off the digital camera...enjoy!

In February, we celebrated Juliet's half-birthday at school...it's a little thing they do for all the summer birthdays. On your special day, you (or rather your mommy) get to cover a bulletin board with pictures and tell your life story to your classmates. We still can't believe we have an almost six year old in our midst!

At the beginning of March, the entire Kindergarten took a field trip to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Can't tell Juliet goes to an international school, huh?

Lillie Maud has quickly learned the art of posing and she and Annie often have numerous photo shoots throughout the day. Here's just a few of our favorites...

She loves wearing sunglasses (even here in smoggy and gray Shanghai), but unfortunately, her nose is too flat to keep them up. Luckily, she quickly realized that if you turn them upside down, they stay on perfectly!

And last, but not least, modeling her bunny ears from GiGi...

Finding the KEY to success

We needed a few new sets of house keys made for the front door this week. Since Ace Hardware (the home of the helpful hardware man) does not exist here in China, we had no idea where to begin. Therefore, on Wednesday, Scott tasked Mr. Chen to have a few house keys made.

When Mr. Chen came to pick up Annie later that day, he gave her the keys. Unfortunately they were about 1/8 inch too think to fit in any lock ever created by mankind.

So Thursday morning, Scott informed Mr. Chen the keys were “bu hao” (no good). By the time Mr. Chen picked Annie up in the afternoon he had a new set of keys. Unfortunately, these keys were “bu hao” as well which prompted him to get another set made on his way to pick Scott up from work. We guess at this point he determined there was a potential for operator error (because we’ve never used keys before in our lives) because when he and Scott arrived home, he leaped out of the van to try them himself. A few seconds later, Annie (from inside the house) heard a loud Chinese voice let out a big “bu hao” followed by what we can only guess was a couple of “f bombs” in Mandarin.

Friday morning arrived with Mr. Chen clinging to a refund from Carrefour as he decided to take a stab at another store. Tonight he was like a kid in a candy store as he tried the fourth set of keys - just sure this would be the set that would end his frustrating endeavor. A few seconds later the defeated man sighed a “bu hao” again as he went home for what we can only guess was a very, very stiff drink.

Signs Your Foster Child is Ready for Potty-training...

After hearing a massive explosion from across the room, you ask said child if she needs a new diaper and her response is, "Huh...yeah."

When you lay the child down to change her dirty diaper, she says in her most reassuring voice, "It’s OK Daddy, it's just yi dian, dian." That translates to "just a little" for all you non-Chinese speakers.

After cleaning up the blowout and prior to taking it outside to the trash (because it was NOT in fact, just yi dian, dian), said child turns to you and ever so politely says, "Thank you Daddy."

Happy Year of the Rat

One the big events we failed to inform you about in our blogging hiatus was our Chinese New Year experience here in Shanghai. We had a very nice holiday filled with fun, family, and most importantly … fireworks.

We naive Americans thought the 4th of July was the pinnacle of fireworks displays. Little did we know that a few nights of Chinese New Year would put the 4th of July to shame. On the “Chinese New Year’s Eve” the 360 degree horizon was so alight in a plethora of multicolored fireworks displays and “sonic booms” that we didn’t know whether to enjoy the beauty or take cover.

So were these displays “official” gatherings of cities, villages, etc? No, these were completely private showings shot off from driveways, apartment balconies and living room windows. Fireworks were all over the place and “everything” was available. I don’t think any of the 1.2 billion people in China missed the opportunity to light a six feet strand of “Black Cats.” It was pretty surprising the day we went out to the store and saw a fireworks stand that provided the opportunity to buy a $75 crate of fireworks the Super Bowl organizers would be envious of.

Here’s a picture of Scott holding the “sparklers” they sell here in China – looks safe for the kids doesn’t it? Scott wanted to roast marshmallows with these things, but Annie thought better of it due to safety concerns (that, and marshmallows cost about $15 of bag).

Sleepless Mornings

Last summer we were told one of the reasons our grass didn’t get mowed was because they weren’t able to mow on the weekends because it “disturbed the residents.” Today and yesterday mornings (Saturday and Sunday) we were awoken by a man sledge hammering walls in the house behind us at 6am. Like a pounding headache the incessant racket drove Scott from his peaceful slumber to a state of sheer frustration. He thought through his options in his head:

1. “I could call the office. Oh wait they’re still at home sleeping just like all the other sane people around here.”
2. “I could go scream obscenities at the man. However, I am not the one wielding a sledge hammer.”
3. “I could pretend to be a building inspector and tell him he’s violating code. However I left my building inspector costume back home in Dallas.”

Defeated, Scott decided he had no other option but to make a pot of coffee and wait until later when he could call the office and petition to get sledge hammering lumped into the same noise category as lawn mowing.

Bu Chou Update

Bu Chou seems to be doing pretty good. Her new shunt appears to be working well and we haven't had any hospital stays for over 6 weeks now (new record since she came to live with us in November).

She's learning English very quickly and as we type this is singing her version of "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of her lungs:

"Jesus lub me the bible. Yea Jesus lub me por the bible tells me son. Little ones me the bible, the is weak and he is strong."

Blogging

Dear Friends and Family,

We sincerely apologize for the unexplainable absence from blogging. We really don’t have a good excuse for not writing other than we have been very busy at home and work, but given that we live by the motto “sleep is rest for the lazy” we probably can’t get away with the busy excuse.

We tried to come up with a good reason, and tossed around the following ideas:

1. “We have spent the past two months trying to keep the kids healthy through cold and flu season.” Since Scott and both girls all sound like they have emphysema we decided that wouldn’t fly.
2. “Scott ate some poisoned Duck Tongue while on a business trip, and lost feeling in his fingertips so has been unable to type.” If this had really happened, he could have dictated to Annie despite the inoperability of his digits, so we once again opted for something else.
3. “Annie was knocked into a coma by falling Styrofoam during her daily jog.” The falling Styrofoam is very believable but Annie jogging? Not so much.
4. “We had dinner at the new Applebee’s in town and all got the runs.” While this did happen, we didn’t think ya’ll would believe that four people could have diarrhea for that long.

So all we can really say is we’re sorry and we promise to keep you abreast of our “going-ons” on a more regular basis from now on.

Love,
The Richardsons

Questions from a Children’s Hospital in China

After spending another two weeks in the children’s hospital with Bu Chou, we have compiled a list of perplexing questions we’ve raised to each other.

1. Are we the only people in the hospital that realize the little jingle that plays at the nurse’s station when someone presses the call button is “Oh Susanna?” It’s a good thing they don’t have the words playing along with it … we’d be bombarded by the nurses asking for clarity … “what’s an Alabama and why does some fella have a banjo stuck to his knee?”
2. Does the whole hospital know Scott has no clue how to read a rectal thermometer? When Bu Chou was in the hospital in December (she was in a different wing than she is now), the nurses always had to read it for him. On Sunday, the nurse from our current wing (who had seen him for the first time on Saturday) came in to check her temp. She took one look at Scott and left. Five minutes later she returned with an digital thermometer for the ear.
3. Why was “Hee Haw” ever popular?
4. When people walk down the hallways at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (or any other children’s hospital in the world) do they see some mother’s panties hanging from a door frame to dry?
5. How much money could we make if we charged admission to our room? We are like animals at the zoo as everyone in the hospital comes for a viewing. It’s exactly like when Americans go to zoo and try to speak “Lion” – you hear every Tom, Dick, and Harry try to say the only “Lion” word they know …“Roar”. It’s just the same for us. People come, look at us curiously and then say the only English word they know … “Hello.”
6. Why can’t Americans pass gas as openly as Chinese? It is really a glorious thing to be able to let one rip without anyone flinching.

Bu Chou Update

Bu Chou was released from the hospital this morning - two weeks after surgery. We will keep her as isolated as possible to try to prevent her from contracting any infections over the next few months. She is doing quite well and was THRILLED to go home today.

Frigid

It is colder than lint in a snowman's belly button here in Shanghai.

We don't know why it's so freakin' cold here because the temperature says it's around 30 degrees fahrenheit, which is cold, but not Icelandic. People say it's the humidity. It might be - who knows, but this is the coldest 30 degrees we have ever felt.

It certainly has us yearning for July when it's 95 degrees with 100% humidity and we all have 100+ mosquito bites.

A Big Fat Liar

Last spring, Annie (who possesses a disdain for winter, and in particular, snow) asked Scott what the weather was like in Shanghai. His response was as follows:

"Well I hear it's similar to Houston - really hot and humid in the summer. People say the winters are pretty cold but they NEVER have snow in Shanghai."

Below is the picture taken of our neighbors front yard this afternoon. Needless to say, even the "Good for Man" won't do him any good tonight.

Airports

Airports are a bit different here in China. The differences are fairly striking and our experience at the Shanghai Airport has us yearning for Southwest’s “Cattle Call” and Chili’s Too.

First, the airport is gigantic – there is no doubt one could see it from space.

Second, the runway is forever and a day from the terminal. Imagine taxiing from Dallas to Houston or Kansas City to St. Louis.

Third, the dining choices are a bit limited. If you’re not interested in the government run noodle diner (where even the waiters smoke) then you’re pretty much S.O.L.

Fourth, the bathrooms are in the basement, with no elevator access, and the stairs are at an angle so steep the guy who climbed Mount Everest wouldn’t even attempt it. Thus, if you have some form of disability or are old, you have two choices … hold it or wet yourself.

Fifth, if you have never been burly enough to participate in American Gladiators or Professional Wrestling, then it’s best if you just wait until everyone else has retrieved their luggage before approaching the bag belt. Never before has Scott wanted to “go postal” until he was upended by a spry 95 year old Chinese woman trying to get to her box of luggage large enough to contain a dead body.

Moral Dilemma

We have written about “English Names” before, but we’ve run into several women recently who have presented us with a moral dilemma. Their names are:

Chocolate
Twinkle
Dolly

All seem to be very nice women, so we can’t decide if we should go on about our business or give them the memo that they chose “Stripper Names” to identify themselves.

An Answer to an Old Question

It’s amazing what sticks with you throughout life. Commercials and tag lines from years and years ago are etched in our brains. Will we ever forget “Where’s the Beef?” What about Max Hedroom? … or Spuds McKenzie? – all absolute greatness.

One old-school commercial that keeps popping up in our heads ever since our move to China is the Dial spot that asked “Aren’t you glad you use Dial … don’t you wish everyone did?”

After riding in elevators, seeing the buses, walking down the street, etc., we have an answer to that question:

“Hell Yes … Hell Yes!”

Bu Chou - Update

Bu Chou’s surgery seemed to go well. The doctor inserted a new shunt to help relieve the pressure in her head. The surgery was last Monday and she will probably be in the hospital for another five days or so. She is in good spirits and appears to be feeling much better. She still has enough fire in her belly to curse at every single nurse who comes into the room. She despises IVs and lets them know it with vigor. Of course, whatever she's saying must be pretty funny because the nurses always laugh and they seem to love her.

Bu Chou - Surgery

Bu Chou is going under the knife again Monday in Shanghai. The doctor will be inserting another shunt to help drain the fluid from her cyst. Bu Chou has been doing well since returning home from the hospital at the end of December, but without the shunt, the pressure in her head has steadily risen. Her headaches and vomitting had gotten a little more frequent recently and, thus, it was decided that she needed another shunt.

New Year’s Treat or Lost in Translation?

In the building Scott works in, there is a Chinese restaurant that serves local Shanghai food. It’s a good restaurant as far as Chinese food goes and he eats lunch there with colleagues on a semi-regular basis.

This week he and several co-workers went down there for lunch to catch-up after the holidays. They had a great meal and when the waiter brought their change, he also brought a desk-top calendar for each of the patrons.

Scott didn’t pay much attention to the calendar until today when he was clearing off his desk before heading home for the weekend. He opened the calendar and thumbed through it – each month had a picture of a dish offered at the restaurant with the name in both Chinese and English. Scott turned the calendar to January and thought it an interesting choice to ring in the New Year – “Fried River Shrimps Balls.”

Now for those of you who don’t know, River Shrimp is a common dish in China, but Scott is not so sure he really wants to sample the balls of said shrimp.

A Good Visit

While Hooters for Christmas dinner was quite exciting, it wasn't the only highlight of H.D. and Jill Reed's visit to Shanghai. Despite Bu Chou's hospital stay occupying a good portion of their visit, we were able to give them a good flavor of our day to day life in China and were also able to do a little sightseeing.

At the end of the visit (which concluded today on Jan 1), they had developed some significant learning's about our life in China:

• Mr. Chen (our driver) and Mae (our housekeeper) rank right up there with Morgan Freeman in "Driving Miss Daisy" and Fraulein Maria.
• No fireworks laws means that every Tom, Dick, and Hong can have a glorious show in his or her backyard or apartment roof. This makes New Year's Eve is REALLY cool - even without the presence of Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest.
• Traffic laws are merely suggestions (unless there is a police car within plain view).
• 15 people really can fit in a 4' by 4' elevator.
• Brett Favre jerseys can be purchased a LONG way from Green Bay, WI from someone who is convinced that football is played by kicking a black and white round ball.
• $10 boxes of cereal do not come with bars of gold as the prize inside. Despite the extraordinary price, they come with alien decoder rings just like in America.
• One bicycle can hold not only a person, but also a water dispenser, a full size refrigerator, and a washing machine.

A Christmas to Remember

About 20 years ago, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recorded a holiday album. One of the songs from that spectacular audio classic was the hit "A Christmas to Remember." This year, we surely had that kind of Christmas and just as Kenny and Dolly promised, it gave us that "springtime feelin' in the middle of December."

Annie's parents, H.D. and Jill Reed, were here in Shanghai to celebrate Christmas with us - Chinese style. With Bu Chou in the hospital until Dec. 27th, our plans just kind of evolved all week. With the help of our housekeeper (who could sit with her at the hospital during the afternoons) we were able to spend some quality time with the Reeds. On Christmas we we had a nice morning here at the house before heading out that afternoon for Christmas dinner.

We had several thoughts on what to do for a perfect Christmas meal. We thought about doing a turkey at home. We also thought about having a large Chinese meal at a restaurant. In the end, however, we decided the best place for a memorable holiday meal was the Shanghai Hooters. We didn't exactly know what to expect, but were definitely not disappointed.

Upon walking into the restaurant we were greeted by 15 Hooters girls shouting at the top of their lungs in unison "Merry Christmas and welcome to Hooters." We were also surprised to see a very large Christmas tree in the foyer (as an FYI, we now know what Charlie Brown's Christmas tree would have looked like if it had been 20 feet tall). About halfway through our meal, 7 waitresses crowded around our table and one of them made an announcement:

"Attention Hooters! We want to extend a special greeting to this lovely family that decided to have their Christmas meal with us here at Hooters. Please give them your applause." The 7 nice ladies then proceeded to serenade us with a version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" that none of us will EVER forget.

After this one hour of fun, we all (especially H.D. and Scott) certainly had that "springtime feelin' in the middle of December!"

Bu Chou - The Latest

Sorry for the delay in updates, but the last few weeks have been quite a whirlwind. After Bu Chou had her shunt removed, it took about 4 days for her fever to go away. It took about another 3-4 days for the vomiting to subside. They did a spinal tap a week after the surgery to determine the status of her infection and they determined it was basically gone.

She seemed to stabilize the weekend before Christmas and we thought she might be able to come home in time for Santa's arrival. However, the doctor decided on the 23rd that she needed to remain in the hospital a while longer. But, after seeing her on Christmas day, he decided she was stable enough to come home on the 27th. Here is the discharge picture with Scott, Bu Chou, and the nurses. The nurses insisted on snapping a photo because quote unquote "they (Scott and Bu Chou) both looked so cute that morning."

Thus, last Thursday Bu Chou returned home. She had a really great weekend and is now walking again and eating like a horse (after over 3 weeks in the hospital, the rice congee at every meal had gotten a bit old.)

Her current medical status is still a bit in-flux though. She now does not have a shunt to help drain the fluid out of the cyst in her head, and still has the hydrocephalus issues that originally brought her to Shanghai. Hopefully she will remain stable and there is a chance the fluid could drain on its own, but we're effectively in "wait and see" mode right now.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers - we very much appreciate it!