{For Your Enjoyment}

Hello!
Things have gone quietly as of late, so we haven't had too much to blog about. We've been spending the last few days relaxing, hanging out and venturing out together when we feel like it. I've half way figured out the postal system, which I count as a personal victory, and those who handed me addresses before I left can expect a postcard soon.... ish.... depending on the reliability of the postal service, which is yet to be determined.

We had a friend from home visit us this past week, which was a welcome sight. Unfortunately I've had a wicked cold and have been pretty low energy as I try to recooperate.

Our visa woes are almost resolved, and we can pretty much travel anywhere now mainland, though we've decided to stay based in Shanghai until the end of the break. This will give us more time to look for a good apartment, enjoy the company of people we've befriended here, and will make things over all easier.
Because it's a slow news week, I thought I'd share a couple pictures over a few posts as I finish them for you to enjoy. Jeff snaps pictures here and there, but I haven't really had enough to string together a narrative.

Happy Year of the Dragon!
-Ashley

{Tie Shopping}

{Adventures in Chinese Medicine }

Today Jeff and I both got a taste of medical care in a foreign country. We both went for different reasons ( no worries, we're both fine), and it was quite an experience, to say the least. Disney provides us a brokerage service that acts as a go between for us to the hospitals and insurance companies, which is an awesome service when you're by yourself in an unfamiliar place. They make the appointments, they file all claims, and they go to the appointments with you and translate and bridge any language barriers with the doctors. We would have been lost without it.

Even with that help, it was still an anxiety ridden experience, and I'm grateful to be home and done with it. In fact, our first stop on the way home was to starbucks for a hot chocolate just so I could feel some normalcy for a few mintues after being poked and prodded by woman asking me a barage of questions in another language.

Jeff's having some problems with his back, and it turns out he has some damaged vertibrae that may be pinching some nerves. He got an x-ray which made it really obvious there were some problems and then as we headed to the MRI we quickly realized that he wasn't going to fit in any machine they'd have. We are currently stuck in a catch-22  because the doctor doesn't want to reccommend any treatment for him until he can get a better look at what's happening with his nerves, but there's no machine in China ( that's right, in the country, apparently this hospital had the most up-to-date one around) that He will fit in. Apparently there are no open mri's in China, so for now we can't do a whole lot with his back other than medication, heat and rest. Jeff is going to try out acupuncture to see if it does anything for him on Saturday, I'll let him report on how that works out.

On that note, I just want to say how proud I am of him. I don't know how well you know Jeff, but he's pretty self concious about his writing. He's written all his posts so far without nagging from me, and has been great about letting me edit them for your enjoyment. I'm grateful for his willingness to do this, because I feel like his outlook on our experiences is so much entertaining than mine, and that he's honestly who you really want to hear from the majority of the time. He's been great about trying new things, exploring new places, and pushing himself to grow in many aspects of his life. He's a great inspiration to me and I'm grateful to have him.

Until next time, hugs from far way.
-Ashley

{Hopes and Wishes - From the mind of Jeff}

Ashley and I went to church last Sunday. It takes an hour to get there, and meets over a BMW showroom. It was nice to meet new people and get to talk to them. Everyone was asking me what I was doing in china and when I told them that I was “being a loving and supportive husband”  they looked at me funny, and as one lady said “that’s different.”  She even let me know that there is a web site and a group of stay at home Dads who get together and hang out. I just want to make it to our city and start to meet people there. For now though I walk the city while Ashley is busy and find new things every day.

The hotel is just down the road from a large city park. The park walkway is paved with stone blocks, and every day or so I walk by and see people painting on the stones with a big brush.  I keep wandering what it was they were doing, as later in the day the writing is always gone, but never wanted to offend any one by just walking up to them and getting in their way so I just keep walking. But on Saturday, there was a big event going on. There was this group dancing and playing there drums.  And then as I walked into the park there was a lot of people watching this old man paint the stones.  It turns out its just water they write on the stones as signs of hope and love and peace, wishes for joy in their life and what they’re hoping for. It was cool, I asked this old man if I could take his photo and he said yes. This is only after standing there for about 4mins, then having the crowd see me and flip out; I don’t think they had ever seen someone as big as me. I must have taken 15-20 photos with people, if I say so I think after the first three people just thought I was a celeb, that’s why they wanted my photo.

A new group of teachers from Ashley’s program just got here this week and I got to help some of them out by taking them to stores to get things they needed, and show them around.  It feels good to be helpful now and then.

Stay tuned as the Chinese New Year is coming up, and I’m sure there will be photos and more posts to read. I will do my best to show you all what joys and Ashley and I get to experience together.
-Jeff

{Food Talk - From the mind of Jeff ( and ever so slight edits by Ashley)}

I want to take my turn to talk about the food here. The dumplings are out of this world, the noodles are great, the rice and … well everything is good. Ok, ok you got me, the American food here is not that good, but when you are having a “I need something from home” moment its ok and will do.

We ate at a place called the Spice Spirit, and let me tell you the name said it all… it certainly set my sprit on fire. Of course it didn’t help that I (ignored my wife) and ate a chili pepper that prevented me from eating all my meal. (In spite of my doing that) it was very good even with the heat.  The real draw back to living in a hotel is how much we can’t cook, so we have to eat out all the time. It does get old, but most places we eat are really cheap and a meal for the two of was run about 30-40 rmb.  When I don’t eat out I enjoy a cup-o-noodle from the local mart.  Let me tell you guys that in America we have been misled, the cup of noodles here blow the ones back home out of the water.

I am pleased to report that I have been trying new things. One night Ashley stopped and got some meat on a stick… it tasted like pork but let’s be real I have no clue what it was and he put some curry stuff on it. In the morning you can stop and get this egg bread thing, and flat bread that make one tasty breakfast.  The other night we were craving some ice cream and something from home, so we got some coldstone. They asked Ashley how long it would take us to get ice cream home, she told them 30-60 minutes and they packed it with dry ice… yes I played with it. Don’t judge.

- Jeff

{Dear Starbucks...}

Thank you for placing tons of stores especially close to where I work and having familiar food and employees that can speak a decent amount of English. It makes days when living in another country seems overwhelming totally bearable.

Much admiration ( and a face full of chocolate muffin),
Ashley

{Middle of the Day Reflections}

I feel a little like ranting, I feel a little like gushing, so I think I'll
do both. However, neither have pictures because I haven't had time to
download them and edit so you'll have to wait a bit on that. :)
Let's start with rants:

1. Fat people, women in particular are NOT meant to tuck in shirts, let a
lone polos. Self-esteem whilst at work plummets an automatic 10 points the
second I change into my "costume." I just continue to reassure myself that
I'm not here to impress anyone with my looks and move on. Though you won't
catch me dead in this gear outside of the center. I get enough looks as is.

2. I underestimated my undeterred biological need for more sleep than
everyone else. Because of the nature of what we do, our hours are set up
around the normal hours of children's core school, and parent's work
schedules. Therefore, I work a lot of late hours during the week, and 12
hour shifts on the weekend. It's nice to have the middle of the week off
because Jeff and I can go do things without [as many] crowds, but I'm still
adjusting. Being a morning person is especially difficult when you worked
to 8:30 the previous night and had an hour commute home. I actually fell
asleep in a taxi this morning. I don't think we've understated the chaos
that is shanghai traffic and driving styles, so you'll understand how tired
I must have been to be able to sleep through it.

3. Visas, vendors, and the hell which is beurocracy. It's just a part of
the way things are, and I'm trying my best to accept and go with the flow.
However, because of the additional person that I have to worry about aside
from myself, balancing dates, interviews, medical checks, and housing
logistics is one big headache of vauge "maybe"s. While our hotel is very
nice and suits it's purpose, I do not deal well with being this unsettled,
and I desperately want to stop literally living out of a suitcase. I don't
remember asking in any prayers for patience, but apparently [someone] felt
that I needed a lesson anyway.

Gushes:

1. I really do love where I work. Even as displaced as I am, I recieve
great support, work with optimistic and enthusiastic ( SO enthusiastic)
people, and get to play with the most.adorable. kids. EVER. These kids are precious. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd steal one and take them home with me.

2. My meetings are better than your meetings. Seriously. My meeting this week consisted of a quiz game and a screening of a Disney movie in a fancy schmancy theater. I could get used to this.

3. I have the best husband in the world. He is the most selfless person I know. Whether it's fresh cut flowers on the window sill to brighten up a sterile hotel room, dinner hot and ready after a long days work, clean and fresh laundry , a silly drawing sent to my email while I'm at work to cheer me up, or a straightened and clean room to fall asleep in at the end of the day, he continually finds ways to suprise on a daily basis. I know he loves me because of all the little thigns. I would certainly be lost without him.