CARRICK CORNER

Home of the Carrick Family Website

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Sorry to start off September in a bad way, but my day went from bad, to bug!

I only slept about 2 hours last night so this morning I felt awful, missed gym, hauled my butt to beading, made the bracelet wrong, undid it, re-made it wrong again, undid it, packed it away and came home. I called in at the bakery on the way home. They make lasagna and sell it in single portion size. So, I thought since Rory had a business dinner tonight that I would give it a try for supper. Rory came home sick at about 3pm - sore throat, etc. Flu, no business dinner. Only 3 lasagnas for 4 people. After spending a long while in the oven heating through I dished out the lasagnas and what should we find - a nicely done, crunchy cockroach reclining in a pool of lasagna sauce! Eeeeck! Luckily none of us had tucked into our meal yet! We ditched the lot and had raspberry jam sandwiches for supper :(

It's 7:30 and I'm going to bed now.

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Andrea and I took another new lady, Lori, also from Texas, shopping today. We had a very full day! We started out at the fruit and veg market - wow! What an awesome place. I'll definitely be getting my produce there from now on. There's a big meat section too but we didn't go there. Lori is vegetarian so we didn't want to put her through that! From there we went to the Aqua City Mall where we went to an Indian restaurant for lunch. Yummy! I ordered iced tea, and got iced milky tea. It was interesting, but still somewhat refreshing. Downstairs in the same mall is the Japanese grocery store, BHG, where we picked up some imported stuff. I found jalapenos in a jar - I'm so happy - it's the little things that count! Over lunch we were chatting and Lori mentioned that their TV was out and it was going to be a while before they could get it fixed. So, of course we had to make a stop at the DVD store where we all came home with a bag full of goodies! From there we went to Wal-mart and then home! Phew! What an exhausting day! And home just in time to make supper - uuuugh. At least I have some super-fresh green peppers and onions to work with!

Thursday, September 03, 2009

I've posted some pictures in the September Gallery and I'll be putting up more, more often now.

Gym again this morning. It's always a funny class with the ball n' all. Too many uncontrolled ab's and rolling around! I suppose if we weren't laughing we'd be panting and grunting and that wouldn't be pretty!

I went shopping at Metro to stock up on sodas, beers, juices, etc. It never fails that Chinese people will stop to look at what you're loading up on! They'll actually stop and have a good stare in your cart, make a comment to their husband/wife/friend, look you up and down, and then walk on. Why go to a bulk grocery place like Sams when you're not going to stock up with things? They stroll around with an item or two in their hands, or perhaps a few more in a cart. I could have filled two carts today…..beer and cereal boxes take up a lot of space in a cart!
By the time I was done shopping it was past lunchtime and I was famished, and as luck would have it, there's a KFC in the parking lot of Metro. I told the driver to go through the drive through. I don't think he'd ever done it before because he expected me to get out walk up to the window to place my order. Eventually after coaxing him to drive-up-to-the-window he placed my order for me. I didn't get what I asked for, but hey, it was KFC and I got fwens-flies too! Yup, those would be Chinese French Fries.

Can you believe, I'm battling to find people to play Bunco! I've got 8 people only and I think half of those feel obligated to come since they're my neighbors! What's up with these people??? They'd rather spend the evening with their husbands because they don't get to see him all day! Uuuuh, helloooooo……wine, chocolate, yummy food, lots of fun and laughs, and prizes too - you never get that with your husband - not without owing him big time! Plus, they don't call Bunco "boinco" for nothing!!! I think I need to get Rory to spread the word with the husbands, to encourage their wives to "go have some fun, and come home when you're drunk"!

Friday, September 4th, 2009

I bought my Bunco prizes this morning - I'm sooo excited - I couldn't wait to get home and set them all out! There's this awesome store at Golden Bridge Shopping Center that sells mostly white dishes. I think everyone who knows me knows what an absolute  sucker I am for white serving dishes! So, that's my theme….
I got a bunch of lovely dishes, bowls and plates….some so lovely that they might not make it to the bunco gift list! They're quite dusty from being stacked in the store and need washing but I just couldn't wait to take a photo of my haul! Altogether they cost the equivalent of only US$58. I made sure I stayed within my $60 bunco prize allowance so I could see just how much I could get here for that amount of money. After I've set them out and grouped them together in prizes I might find that I have to go back for a few more smaller pieces - oh, so sad!

For reference, the square dish in the bottom right corner is 12-inches square.

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Last night we went to a neighborhood restaurant. By neighborhood I mean it's not downtown - still a 15 minute drive though. It's a Chinese restaurant, as in real Chinese, so we got to pick our meal by pointing at the pictures. Our neighbors had been before and loved the food so we figured we were somewhat safe. We had chicken dish with green onions that was good but not quite enough flavor, a beef dish that was questionable - I think it was little bits of liver and kidney. I took one biet and knew it wasn't beef as in "steak"! So, we left that one. We also had some bread-type thingy's that looked a lot like Indian naan bread and actually tasted pretty good. I ordered some Chinese Greens - basically sautéed leafy greens. They were really good. I could have eaten just a plate of those….well, I actually did - Rory and Sydney didn't care for them. We walked around the corner to Skyways bakery hoping to get a cappuccino but it was closed and the closest Starbucks is at least a 30 minute drive L
Maxine didn't come with to supper. She stayed at Andrea's house where the tailor was coming to take orders. She gave him two lots of fabric and a skirt of mine to copy. And, Maxine gave him one of her drawings and he's going to make it for her - a denim dress, I think.

We've been trying to figure out when and where we're going on vacation over the next few years. We need to make the most of the school holidays and breaks they have, as well as the flights we get that are paid for by the company. It was quite something, sitting in front of the computer, looking at Google Earth, thinking where in the whole wide world shall we go…..   It's still not real to me. I just can't believe how incredibly fortunate we are to have these opportunities. I suppose I don't think of it as something for me, but as something for our girls - awesome, life-changing, enriching experiences that I really hope they'll remember and appreciate in the years to come.
Okay, before I get all weepy-eyed…..

In October, when Maxine gets back from Singapore, we're going to Beijing for a long weekend to see the Great Wall, and whatever else there is in Beijing! The kids write exams in late November. Then, in December we'll be going to Dallas for about a month for our Green Card renenwal. Over Chinese New Year, in late February, the kids get two weeks off school. All the expats said we must go somewhere because it's just one looooong celebration of fireworks and crackers 24 hours a day and you get nooooo sleep. So, we're considering going to New Zealand. The flights are considered our R&R trip - one of the company paid perks we're desperately hoping they don't take away from us! It's southern hemisphere so it'll won't be freezing cold and snowing. And anything like Egypt just sounds like a beating! We decided we'd do a month-long Europe tour when we leave China, en-route back to the USA. I've just realized that will be my 40th birthday, I think…..let me count on my fingers…..! Hmmmm, yes, I think that's right. Oh boy, France, Italy, Spain, here we come!

Shanghai is just a 2-hour train ride so I'm hoping we can make some weekend trips - must visit the "fake market" and pearl markets! Hmmmm.

Fortunately, we accumulate frequent flier miles when we travel at the company's expense which we can, for the most part, use for our vacations that are at our own cost. So, don't think we're rolling in the dough here - it's just some very careful planning and trying desperately to squeeze in what we can to make the most of the opportunity that we have here. I'm just happy that Max and Syd are at an age where they will remember it all.

Happy Birthday Nicky!

Monday, September 07, 2009

I sliced my thumb open today. Although I didn't cry, as much as I wanted to, the air was very "blue" for quite a while afterwards!  I'd bought some new knives at IKEA and they came in that crappy packaging that supposed to keep out everything and everyone. Well, it almost did me in! Another couple of inches and I could have been bleeding out all over the floor! Seriously though, they'd used electrical ties as well as this plastic packaging and I unfortunately had to use some brute force to extract my trapped vegetable knife and my poor thumb got caught in the middle of the frantic escape. So, yes, crappy plastic packing is not only dangerous to the environment but also your health! My knives do look very, hmmmmm, impressive, on their magnetic strip though….you can see them from the dining room and it really looks like I might know what to do with each of them! Watch out carrots, potatoes, celery and thumbs…here I come!

I actually went to IKEA to get a bookshelf so I can put away all my Chinese workbooks - yes, there are that many! I'd seen one online, and I was going to get the nice glass doors that go with it, but contrary to what was listed on the web-site, it was OUT-OF-STOCK! Grrr! All the other bits and pieces I'd gathered were to put on or in the bookshelf; so now I have a bunch more crap with nowhere to put it! Aaaaaaaargh!

I bought a garlic press there too as mine is in a box somewhere in Dallas….and you can't get minced garlic here. Tsk, Tsk, you actually have to mince it yourself! Well, I tore that out the crappy packaging as well and the little piece with all the holes flew out and up, bounced once and vanished! I was on the floor, bleeding thumb 'n all, looking under the fridge, the oven, in the trash, and couldn't find the darned thing anywhere! What use is a mincer without the mincer piece! It seemed strange that I'd heard it bounce once only and then it vanished - I didn't hear it bounce again, or roll away and yet it was nowhere to be seen! A few minutes later I found it in the knee pocket of my capris! It had bounced right in there!

This afternoon Sydney got her expander/braces put in at the orthodontist. I'm still not quite sure exactly what the contraption is, but we have to wind it everyday just like the expander she had a few years ago already. She also got little band- like things on each bracket - she chose purple alternating with yellow - because, she says, the yellow will make her teeth look whiter! I think it looks like she's been gnawing on a corn cob, but I'm not about to tell her that!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

My appetizer menu for Bunco on Friday consists of olive-cheese bread, jalapeno pancakes with ranch dip, baked brie, spinach and feta quiches, shrimp skewers, asparagus & bacon skewers, a veggie tray and fresh fruit. As usual, some recipes came from Allrecipes.com while others came from ThePioneerWoman.com - my other favorite site for yummy recipes and fun stuff. I'm going to try her recipe for pie crust since we can't buy the pre-made ones here. Yes, I'm guilty of using those things! Since one of my guests is vegetarian I had to be a bit more aware of what dishes I chose to make, so I'm trying a bunch of things without any meat in them, except the bacon skewers of course. And, I'll make a margarita cake - one of my absolute favorites! What more could you ask for…margarita in the form of a cake! Now I just need to make my own buttermilk since I can't get that here either.

It seems one of the other women in the compound has organized something on the same night as my bunco evening! Does she not know who and what she's dealing with here???????! You NEVER, EVER mess with Bunco! If she does it again I might have to TP her house! Or as Maxine recommended, fork it! Stick those little white plastic forks all over the front lawn! She's definitely my daughter!

Today our "lunch group" went to a "hot-pot" restaurant. It's exactly as it says - a hot-pot of spicy and plain broth in a boiler dish in the center of the table. The waitress brings in dishes of various "ingredients" such as mushrooms, dumplings, potato slices, cauliflower, tofu, bean curd, spinach, lettuce, crab, etc. Since we had a vegetarian with us we stayed away from the beef, lamb and chicken. It was really good! You just dump as much as you want to into the pot and boil it up and scoop out what you want! It was surprisingly filling and very tasty. You've got to be comfortable dining "family style" though!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

This morning I went on a bus tour of Nanjing with a bus-load of other ladies, most of them new to Nanjing. We had a good time. It was quite interesting since the guide showed us where all the places were, but we didn't actually get off the bus to visit. It was more of a "this is what there is, where it is…come back in your own time" type tour which suited me fine.
We stopped at Aqua City Mall for lunch at a Chinese restaurant which was very good;. They had pre-ordered a set menu. We had way too much food because they just kept on bringing out dishes - it was never-ending and of course you have to try a little bit of each! I think there were 15 different dishes in all - including all sort of vegetable dishes, noodles, meat, fish and tofu dishes as well as dumplings! Nothing strange thankfully. I know it makes for interesting blog material, so sooooorry! I think everyone was ready for a nap on the bus on the way home. They let us package up our leftovers so Lori took all the vegetarian stuff, another guy at our table got all the dumplings and I took the buttered sweet corn! Hmmmmmm…..salty, buttery little niblets of golden goodness!
A few of us did stop in at the donut shop on the way home - the kids will be very happy with me tonight! I didn't try any of the funky flavors. I figured, why waste eating a donut on one you don't like, so I got the yummy flavors only - no green tea or red bean paste for me thank you!

The neighborhood ladies are planning a day trip to Yixing next Wednesday. It's about 1½ hours east of Nanjing, towards Shanghai. The whole town is built on, around, and for ceramic and porcelain factories. Andrea suggested taking an "extra" van so we could bring back stuff! I like the way she thinks….I just hope Rory does too!

I still haven't figured out how to wrap my bunco gifts - wrapping paper and tissue paper isn't big enough. I can't find gift bags. Sharrie suggested fabric. If only I could access her stash from here! I think I'm going to have to go back to Golden Bridges tomorrow, try to will myself to stay away from the "white plate" shop, and go to one of the Chinese watercolor painting shops. If I remember correctly, they have mounds of watercolor paper in all shades and they're huge; hopefully not too expensive. I'm thinking that if they're piled haphazardly in heaps on the floor that they're going to be within my non-existent budget. I might get some of those cute little Chinese knot tassles to put on them too. Hmmm. Let's hope this works out otherwise I'm in trouble! Luckily the mall we went to for lunch today has the BHG grocery store in the basement so I was able to get my asparagus there which will save me a trip tomorrow or Friday morning. It looked really fresh so I'm hoping it keeps till Friday! I'm making skewers of stacked pieces of asparagus wrapped in bacon - hmmmm. Somehow, it all comes back to food………………

Thursday, 10th September, 2009

87 days till our Christmas holidays!

Darn it! Sharrie and Randi-Sue keep sending me all these links to awesome looking web-sites that I can't open! There are a LOT of blog sites that we can't open here. Even when I google images the first page opens up all the pictures, the second about 50%, and it diminishes rapidly from there :(

I forgot to mention that we saw a few weddings yesterday while riding around in the bus. The number 9 is considered very lucky, second to number 8, in Chinese culture. So, being the 9th day of the 9th month, in 2009, it was quite an auspicious day! We saw quite a few heavily pregnant women coming out of the hospital too - not looking too happy. No doubt they'd been hoping for bundle of joy to be appearing on the special day!

Today was a heck of a day. I ended up wrapping my gifts in white paper that looks like packaging paper, with different colored ribbons. Uugh! I had problems communicating with the driver, who for some reason couldn't remember the plant nursery that he's taken me to twice before. Sometimes I think he just gets tired of driving around and pretends to not know what I'm talking about! I couldn't find nice cut flowers either - apparently it's Chinese teacher appreciation day today - guess where all those flowers are! I couldn't find sour cream anywhere. I asked for a blind to be made for my living room french door since the sun streams in there in the late afternoon and evening and it's blinding. I asked for it to be made and installed by today so my guests wouldn't be blinded tomorrow night. He hasn't even started making it. The Ayi used a metal scrubbing pad to take the sticky labels off my white bunco prize dishes and scratched them. Then, this evening I turned on the foyer light; it fizzled, flickered, popped and blew out all the lights in the house. So now my entry way will be in complete darkness tomorrow - it's looks like a tomb! I haven't even got a lamp I can turn on because there's no outlet in there. Uuuuuugh! Just give me a huge chocolate bar, a bottle of Baileys and my bed. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day.......

Friday, 11th September, 2009

Rory got back from Shanghai at 8pm last night, came in the door, barely had time to change clothes and grab something to eat and was then on calls till midnight. He was actually booked to be on four different calls, all at the same time or overlapping! It's a 24 hour committment having the Financial H.O. in Dallas.

Sunday, 13th September, 2009

Bunco went well Friday night. We were short two players in the end so we just played with ghosts. The food all turned out okay, except for the shrimp that, even though I only cooked them for 1 minute a side, shriveled up to nothing and ended up looking like boogers on a stick! Oh well, everything else seemed to be okay. Everyone enjoyed the margarita cake! Next month the host, who is from Michigan, is having a Halloween theme. Hmmm -will have to think of something to wear!

Yesterday we spent the day running around getting odds and ends and grocery shopping. We bought some chairs, at last, for the upstairs loft room. Now we have to empty the boxes out of there! We started out the morning going to Zhujiang road, which is just one electronics shop or mall after the other! Rory was in heaven! After that we went to lunch. We'd been to the same restaurant with LG and Andrea back in December when we first came to Nanjing. We had a set lunch, for the equivalent of US$15, which included bread, salad, soup, main course, desert, and a drink! The portions were reasonably sized for lunch so you didn't come away feeling totally stuffed. After that we went to Homelike - a home décor and renovation place, where we bought the chairs for the loft room. Then it was on to Metro and B&Q for groceries and wardrobe rods. By that time it was close on 4 O' clock already! We had "movie and a picnic" for supper, munching on all the leftovers from Bunco!

Monday, September 14, 2009

My Chinese lesson went well this morning. For the first time I actually felt like I was on top of things; that I could converse properly and easily without making any mistakes. I've got another twenty or so new characters to learn though!

My allergies are terrible right now - not sure what's in the air but it's killing me! After a year of no allergies at all this feels really crappy!

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

I got my skirts back from the tailor - they're awesome! I'd given him a flared hem skirt to copy, as well as a few yards of green linen fabric and navy blue linen fabric that I got while in Singapore. It cost only 45rmb per skirt to have them made! That's a whopping $6.60 for each skirt! And the fabric cost me less than $10 per yard too. So I got two custom tailored skirts for less than $20 each. They're made really well too - better than the original skirt actually. Maxine got her denim dress back too - her own design - looks really cute! So, I'm trying to figure out what else I want made now...

Andrea and I went out for lunch today. I was about to dive into a jar full of Dove and Cadbury chocolates when she saved me! We went to Aqua City to Nanuks, an Indian restaurant. I suppose it was better than chocolate for lunch. Naaaah, it was good, but not that good! We also called by a store to get Gatorade - the only place you can get it in Nanjing, as well as the donut store (for the kids of course) and then on to Starbucks, for mom. Because it's been waaaaay too long since I've had a "grande double shot, non-fat, sugar-free, vanilla latte"! Just kidding...how would they ever know what that is???? All I could do was point to the menu board and to the size of the cup and be thankful for what I got! It was goooooood.....I feel so much more relaxed this afternoon now that I've had my fix!

Tomorrow there's a bunch, about fourteen of us I think, going to Yishun? Ischin? Yushing? Lords know where it is and how to spell it, but apparently it's about a 1½ hour drive and you can buy ceramics and porcelain there. We're taking three vans in case anyone wants to load up. I must remember to take my camera. And a bottle of water. Oh, and lunch too! Uh oh! I can feel that caffeine surging through my veins now - I think it's going to be a late night!

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009





We went to the ceramics place - Yixing. I have never seen so many Chinese clay teapots of every shape and size imaginable!  I got a cute popcorn bowl for the kids to take upstairs. I was going to get the dogs some cute bowls but one of the women nabbed them ALL before I could get to them! She leaving soon to go back to the States and her menagerie of dogs. I also got a really pretty striped cake stand, a robins-egg blue platter and cake plate, and a very pretty pale pink bowl and cake plate. Both the cake plates have pretty ruffled edges. And the blue platter has some decoration around the edge. I've come to realize that a white cake plate just does not do justice to a white cake! So, now I have striped, blue or pink options, I'll have to get baking white cakes! Hmmm, fluffy white frosting with luscious red raspberries or a delicious dense carrot cake with cream cheese frosting smothered in coconut. Hmmmm. A deep dark chocolate cake drenched in chocolate ganache would look so good on the pink plate, especially with some yummy cherry filling! Sharrie, I see your pink, marshmallow, cherry, fluffy pudding in my new pink bowl - it's calling my name!!! I'm not sure what I'll put on the blue platter - it was just such a pretty blue - I couldn't leave it behind!
There was also a little shop that sold only little bowls. How appropriate! The bowls were literally from the size of a thimble up to about 2 inches in diameter. I had to tear myself away from there. I didn't get anything. I know I should have. I'm going to regret it forever. I'll dream about all the things I could have used them for tonight. I love small bowls.They're just so small and delicate and take up no space. You can use them for so many things too. I can pretend to be Martha with all my ingredients spread across the countertop in separate little bowls, I can use them for individual dipping sauces, or for candles, or as somewhere to place my ring when I'm washing my hands. I could turn my McBurger into a gourmet meal by squeezing my ketchup sachet into it's own little bowl. I need one next to the washing machine for pocket change I keep finding in jeans. I could place my daily ration of one square of chocolate in a pretty little bowl - it would look so much more special. Or I could float that poor little rose bud that broke off instead of throwing it in the trash, I could sort beads into them, put one next to my computer for when I take my earrings off . Of course I'd have to have different colors for different times of the year, and holidays too. See now, I knew I should have got some.

Look what I found on the net - such appropiate timing!
http://www.nbcdfw.com/around-town/shopping/Retailers-Cutting-Out-Hard-to-Open-Packaging-59292812.html

Thursday, September 17, 2009


Happy Birthday Jeanna!


After a long day at work, yesterday Rory had a business dinner, came home at 8:45 while on a call, then he had another straight after that. I have no idea what time he got to bed. Up again at 6am ready for the next day. I'm telling you it's a 24-hour job! Tonight he'll be on the train to Shanghai, probably on another call at the same time!

Today I've got PTA meeting - we'll see how many screaming, chocolate fingered babies we have toddling around this time. Uuugh! I wore a black skirt, but maybe the exact shade of chocolate brown would have been more appropriate…..

…..later……Back from the PTA meeting - no babies this time! Not sure if it was the torrential rain that kept everyone away, or that they'd gotten the message last time! Either way, it was a relief! I know, I'm so evil - I'm going to get struck down by lightning, or driven over by a baby-toting mother.
I've volunteered to help with the Spiritwear and fundraising. I figured I could at least try and help out there.

I've started getting more Mooncake boxes to add to my collection. The banks started bringing them to Rory last week. The mooncakes are actually totally yucky - I gave them to the Ayi who was very thankful, but I loooove the boxes! I've got quite a collection going! I can't believe people just throw them away!

Friday, September 17th

Another rainy and drizzly day today. I spent the morning reorganizing our bedroom closet - exciting stuff! I was so pleased to get it done actually. Now that we've got two extra rods we can actually hang our clothes! I found a few things that were too big for me and was about to put them in the "give away" pile - that would be next to the summer clothes, winter clothes, too small clothes, fit but don't really like clothes - but then realized I have an awesome tailor at my disposal! So now I have another pile - alterations.

Today I got to meet my new ayi, Wang Yi, which I think means "hopeful one". She'll only start working for me though when her current employer returns to Australia the 1st of October. She seems very sweet and was so upset about her employer leaving. She'd been with them for three years and was almost a surrogate granny to their young kids. She was in tears this morning!
She has a recipe book with pictures of recipes that she can cook for us - she makes delicious spring rolls and Chinese rice I'm told! I can't wait! I really hope I learn something from her. And, of course, I'll teach her some western recipes as well, perhaps some baking, so when she goes to the next expat family she can cook western food for them too.

They seem to be working on the house behind us, banging on metal pipes. It was so loud this morning that I called the driver to take me grocery shopping just so I could get out the house. I hope it's not like this all weekend. The construction workers work 7 days a week here, and start at 7am! Delightful on a weekend morning! We've also had fireworks pretty much every night this week. They let of hundreds of fireworks and crackers at night when they're about to break ground on a new project, or actually open a new shop, etc. Apparently is scares away the evil spirits and bring in good luck. If it's like this now, I can only imagine what it would be like at Chinese New Year.

Sydney has taken Buster for a walk - he's so excited, he didn't want to come back in the gate - so she's gone for a second loop! We can't take Frisco anymore. He has a pooping problem when he goes on a walk. I think he gets all excited and just poops himself - constantly. It's not pretty. Enough said.
Maxine has gone with her crowd to Papa Johns for supper. Syd and I are having warmed up leftover pizza and chicken wings, sitting here like losers on a Friday evening!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

What a wonderfully lazy day! We were woken up bright and early by the banging from the workmen, but enjoyed a cup of coffee and relaxed outside under the trees, making the most of the wonderful weather. Our neighbors shipment arrived this morning so we baby-sat Lauren who is 18 months old. She's as quiet as a mouse!
This afternoon we went to the DVD store, picked up another bunch of DVD's and CD's. Not sure what we've got - will have to sort through it tonight. I know we got at least 10 DVDs and probably 15 CD's for about US$50. It's quite funny watching the DVDs - the anti-piracy blurb is still on there at the begining of the tape and it's a pirated tape!
Tonight we're going out with the rest of the crowd, about 20 people, to a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant for supper. I think the menu is quite exotic so I'll report back tomorrow! Something about snake pancakes! I'm hoping it refers to the shape and not the ingredients - ha ha!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sydney had the strangest and creepiest dream last night. She woke up writing the name of a girl who was killed in a car accident in Coppell a few years ago, on her wall. How creepy is that! We didn't even know the girl, only her name. Luckily Syd wasn't too freaked out about it - I was! It's creepy!

This morning we left the girls at home and Rory and I went shopping. Our driver took a wrong turn on the way home and we ended up driving around for almost an hour trying to get back home. I was livid! As if that wasn't bad enough he drove about 3 miles the wrong way down a one-way.  I told Rory as we turned onto the road that it was a one way but there were no cars coming in the opposite direction so could couldn't really tell, thank God. Anyway, we get to the end and the turning comes straight off the highway, onto the road that we were on, facing the wrong direction! I think that was the last straw! He's not going to be driving for us any longer and I think he knows it now!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Some of the neighborhood ladies, about eight I think, came over this morning to celebrate Lori's birthday. We had Lemon-coconut cake. It was a bit dry - still trying to figure out my oven - but it all got eaten! We chatted about vacations we'd been on, vacations we're planning, recipes, shopping opportunities in Shanghai, and hair removal! It always comes back to hair removal! It's just like BUNCO!!!!!!  Clearly, it is a world-wide problem! Someone, somewhere, needs to sit up and take notice - forget about global warming, cures for disease, famine in Africa, the crappy economy - we women need someone to put painless, permanent, inexpensive hair removal at the top of their agenda!

Speaking of famine - remember when your mother used to tell you to eat all your green beans - to think of all the starving children in China…remember??? It was all a big conspiracy! I have never seen so much food on the dinner table as I have here in China! At each meal, no matter where they're from, their economic or social status - the table is always loaded with dishes. They eat constantly. They eat every single part of the animal ,dead or alive! They eat anything that's green and anything that remotely resembles a vegetable - it all gets thrown into a pot of boiling broth anyway. If it can't be eaten they make tea out of it! That, along with the mind-blowing quantities of rice and noodles that are sold everywhere, it must be virtually impossible to find a starving Chinese child! So to all those mean green bean enforcers all over the world - we're on to you!

We get our new driver today. He apparently speaks fluent English. Whether that's the Chinese version of "fluent English" or the English version, we'll see! It can only be better than what we had. My fingers are curling as I type that because I know, I've learned the hard way, that yes, in China it can get worse, and inevitably it does! But, I'm crossing all fingers and toes, thinking positive, and hoping and praying for a miracle…because that's what it's going to take!

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

A bunch of us were hoping to go to Shanghai next week to get our hair done, stay overnight and perhaps do some shopping at the fake market. It seems the rest of China had the same idea! We can't get train tickets L We'll have to put it off a week or so which is really not good - I'm going to have to start wearing a hat or something my hair looks so bad! Oh well, I suppose it's better than having to wait till Christmastime when we get back to Dallas. Although I'll have to do another Shanghai trip by then! Hmm, perhaps do some Christmas shopping too - everyone's getting "fake" this year

We got our new driver yesterday. It's a world of difference. He can speak English very well, he plays music in the car - current songs too - no Chinese stuff! And we get where we're going - fast. Before he was a driver he worked for DHL, and he grew up in Nanjing so he certainly knows his way around town!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

I had everyone over for birthday cake again this morning, for Kay's birthday. I made Apricot Brandy Pound Cake and I put an apricot glaze on it - to hide the ugly cracks that occurred when it stuck to the pan, as well as a plain white glaze drizzled on top, to hid the ugly shiny glaze that showed every bump, crackle and ripple. Hmmm, sounds like a cereal! Or a dance move! The white glaze just slid right off the shiny glaze so I spooned it back on, crumbs and all. Whipped up some cream to plop ontop of everyone's slice and called it a day. I figured at this point it was only going to go downhill - there was no saving this cake. It tasted good though - how could it not, loaded with jam, sugar and whipped cream!
Cake twice in one week - I'm just glad it's no-ones birthday next week! The next birthday is in November. I'm thinking next time instead of cake we'll do a birthday breakfast - something different. Although if it's Anna's birthday I'll have to make a cake - she loves her cake! And she's as thin as a rake! It's just not fair! I'll make her a cake - she needs fattening up a little. J

Friday, September 25, 2009

It's Friday - Thank God. Really. Our awesome new driver, Michael, took me out shopping this morning. We made it back in record time! Everything done, plus we chatted on the way. Some in English, some in Chinese. I would tell him what to do and where to go - really, not in a mean way - and he would tell me if I was saying it right. I think I got it all right except for leaving out one word. Plus, I managed to buy Rory's elliptical machine (that's a whole new story) speaking only in Chinese. And I understood everything the salesperson said too. I can now shop in multiple languages! And I organized delivery! It sure makes things a whole lot easier. I think I even turned some Chinese heads when they heard me speaking Chinese. Now I just need to be able to understand what the check-out ladies at the grocery store are saying about me.

Speaking of checking out…..I've been checking out evening dresses online. Late November we have the "NIC Ball" - the Christmas party for the Nanjing International Club. It's always been a formal affair so I'd have to get something made by the tailor 'cause there's no way I'm finding an evening dress in China in my size! This is what I found on one website for "plus size" evening gowns. Gimme a break! She a freakin' toothpick! What's plus size about her???? She's got no hips, no waist, small, yet still perky boobs and not a bulge or stretch mark in sight! Oh, and she's also 12 years old! Her ratty hair could do with some work though. 

























I can just see myself in this delightful "little" number! Uuuuuh NOT! It sure wouldn't cost a lot to make though - maybe just a half yard of fabric would do it. Not sure how the "back fat, fat rolls, flab tummy and stretch marks would look like peeking through that sheer panel. Not to mention the arm flab! Dang, I'd have to shave under my arms too! Plus, there's no way I could wear any knickers of any style, let alone my granny panties or Spanx fat-sucker-inner bulge-dispersement-and-redistribution torture undergarment! Not good! Unlike hers, I don't think it would be my belly-button that would be the highlight of this outfit. It might have been the droopy boobs though - peek-a-booing from below the top part!

To clarify - for those who are still uncertain of my intentions.......I do not want this dress, I never did want this dress, I will never want this dress, I will never wear this dress. Neither will my daughters!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

This morning Rory's elliptical machine was delivered, in a thousand pieces, along with a Chinese man to put it together! Phew! It took him almost 3 hours!

We went out to look at bigger washing machines and tumble driers this morning. Tumble driers are not big here - and I mean that in every way possible. There was only one in the store, among the hundreds of washing machines, and the one I have can probably fit 3 towels in if you shove them in, push the door closed with all your might and hold it there till the cycle is finished. Sometimes the laundry hangs on the lines outside for days trying to dry. That's okay now when we get some nice sunny days but in winter it's going to be a problem - iced undies just won't work! We didn't buy anything today - just looked.

After stopping in en-route for an iced latte we made our way to the plant nursery where we got some big spiky plants for the front patio. They're huge and pricky! Just spiky enough to keep Frisco away from them, I'm hoping!

Back home, we set out the plants, tidied up the back patio, sat outside and enjoyed the weather, and then took an afternoon nap - aaaaaah.

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

This morning we all went to Fuzi Miao Confucious Temple for a walk around the market. There's always plenty to see there, and buy! Maxine got some dresses and earrings, Sydney got some shoes and earrings, Rory got CD's and DVD's. We went to Burger King for lunch, and had ice-cream cones for dessert. Everything is cheaper in China, except Haagen Dazs ice-cream which is as expensive as it is everywhere else in the world! We opted for the 20rmb (30c) ice-cream cones next-door from Burger King!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Not a very exciting day…..Chinese lessons, grocery shopping, lunch, dentist for Sydney. Brain was fried during Chinese lessons - I'm sure she thinks I'm a total idiot. She'd tell me something and not even ten seconds later I'd have a blank stare on my face. Uuuuuugh…I need more coffee before I can handle the 8:00am class!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009