Today I helped my ayi to understand how I wanted my shirts folded and she explained to me the purpose of the Chinese medication that she purchased for my 19 month old daughter. Soon, our driver transported Paisley and I to the doctor for some necessary antibiotics. Of course the clinic was in the 88-story skyskraper, why wouldn't it be? We saw a Chinese internist (because the pediatrician was unavailable) who spoke great English, but subscribed "drinking hot water" as a method for curing her viral infection.
Later in the afternoon a friend and I discovered Old Navy. It was a three story shopping center that I wouldn't have been nearly as excited about if found in the US, but here, it was no problem to spend over 1200 kuai. And they had trick-or-treat bags -- score!
Tonight, I joined a friend for a Shanghai Dolls party. We partook in Wet Bingo... yes, I too, had to ask what the hell that meant! Come to find out, it's a very common English activity, as is drinking during the week. So when I told Jarin I was leaving at 7 p.m. on a Monday night to meet Hannah, there would be no question if I were in the UK. To us American's though, it's like that double-take-what-the-hell-kind-of-glare. Yes, they poured Jose Cuervo out of the bottle and directly into your mouth when you had "the lucky number" and I happened to win on the first go-around. A great time and so many fun girls from all over the world!!
I came home to the older bambinos sleeping, the hubs on the computer, and the baby curled up in the office chair because she'd just awoken. Daddy had to interrupt his business call to help her (bad timing, mom) and was waiting to be rang back. I type this now, with the little one sick on my lap and Jarin taking conference calls until midnight... well, c'mon, it is 11 a.m. central time, right?
He leaves at 5 a.m. for a three-day trip to Beijing, and I'm to be at the school by 8 a.m. for Cade's speech at Chapel. Then onto a Taobao class with a girlfriend to learn how to shop online, in Chinese, with the best of them. Yes, they really do offer classes on how to shop!
Oh, it's the expat life. Crazy and off kilter, but so much more intriguing than home.
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