Home of the Carrick Family Website
If you want to read about our South Africa trip and see pictures, click
HERE!
It's been a while, but it seems there are some people who are still reading my blog, so I'll continue....
Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Sydney and I left for Chengdu today. Maxine is staying at home so she can take part in her volleyball tournament on Saturday.
Syd and I got to the airport well in time, only to find that our flight was delayed, already. I somewhat expected it as NO domestic flights in China actually run on time. When Rory went to Chengdu just two days earlier his flight was delayed 3 hours. Anyway, we got something to eat and then went to the departure gate, where we stood around for another 45 minutes after the flight was scheduled to leave. It was chaos - three gates close together, all of them with delayed flights, and then the next flights passengers already gathering. It was sooo noisy! No seats to be had, and you definitely don't want to sit on the floor! We ended up standing in line anyway, for the 45 minutes. If you're not one of the first on the plane then there's usually no space left to put your hand luggage. The locals have no concept of one piece, of a certain size or weight. Usually, most passengers will have three carry on items each, most of them shopping bags stuffed to overflowing and a cardboard box or two as well. Being at any Chinese airport is a definite reminder of where you are!
We got to Chengdu close to midnight I think and Rory was there to meet us - thank Heavens! Rory had been there for a few days for a conference. When he explained to reception that he needed an additional bed in the room, they brought in a two-foot long baby crib! Lucky for Syd, it got changed when one of the ladies from Celanese called to explain.
Friday, September 10th, 2010
Up bright and early, breakfast and off to see the pandas! Except the taxi driver didn't know where he was going. It took us way longer to get there than it took to get back. En route, he pulled over at a gas station and ordered us out the car. I wasn't moving. We were in the middle of nowhere and there was no chance of us getting another taxi. So we all stayed put; taxi driver started waving his arms around and talking faster and louder! Next thing, his cell-phone comes out. By this time we were already trying to call Michael so he could translate. It turns out that since the car is gas fueled passengers are not allowed to be on board when re-fueling. So, reluctantly, we got out and stood aside while he raised the bonnet and "apparently" refueled. I commented to Rory that it was strange since the gas tank was in the trunk of the car. It was all a big set-up - the driver was on his phone calling for directions, not filling up. Rory notice when we got back in the car that the fuel gauge hadn't moved at all.
When we eventually got to the panda reserve it was definitely worth the hassle. We wandered around lovely bamboo-lined pathways watching numerous pandas in their habitats. We even saw some tiny babies about the size of a hand. Really cute, and so clumsy looking.
Sydney got to hold a panda! They'd explained that it was a cub she'd be holding so she expected in to be the size of a teddy bear…it was HUGE! They smeared its hands with honey and it just sat on her lap licking away at its paws. Syd was beaming from ear to ear when she came out of the holding pen.
When we finished walking around we went outside to catch a taxi back to the hotel. The one to the Panda reserve had charged us 200RMB. A "rogue taxi" driver came up to us but Rory ushered her away. After ten minutes of fruitless waving for taxi's Rory called her back and she charged us only 60RMB! So we started walking to her car that she'd pointed to, only to walk past it to another car, half the size and much older! Oh well. We got back to the hotel, in record time too!
I met with some of the ladies from the Chengdu Hopeful Hearts group. We chatted a while and discussed various new projects and events that both groups were working on. It was great to meet them after emailing back and forth daily for the whole year!
Saturday, September 11th, 2010
This morning we started the day with muffins and lattes from STARBUCKS. There was a Starbucks right outside our hotel! Beats two-day-old Chinese coffee any day!
Rory had organized for a guide for the day. He touted himself as the "non-touristy" tourist guide. And he was! He took us out of town to a country village where we visited the local market. He said the only Westerners those people ever see are the people he occasionally brings around. So, we caused quite a sensation! We had an amazing time though. The pictures speak for themselves - you simply have to enlarge the pop-ups to appreciate them. The people just had so much character in their faces.
Saturday evening we went to a Tex-Mex restaurant for supper. We almost didn't make it. Once again our driver didn't know where he was going. I'm not sure if it was his mistake or the hotel concierge that gave him the address. Sydney's first choice was out, they had none left, then they were out of guacamole! Poor Syd. She got her fajitas though and they were really good. I had chicken burritos and Rory had chimichangas. It was all very good, probably only because we hadn't had Mexican food since December!
Sunday, September 12th, 2010
We had Starbucks again this morning and then headed to the airport. We stood in line waiting to check in for almost an hour. When we got to the check-in counter the booking agent had entered Syd's and my passport numbers incorrectly. So we had to go the ticketing counter and have them change them, which we did. Then back in line, get to the counter and they still weren't right. So back to the ticketing counter again! We eventually got checked in and made our way to the gate. Since there were no seats at all at our gate we sat in an adjacent lounge about three gates away. Then while we were waiting, an announcement was made saying that our flight was now boarding. We got to our gate, number seventeen, only to find that a different flight was listed. The announcement came on again and listed gate fifteen as our boarding gate, so we walked to gate fifteen, only to find another flight listed there! We walked all the way back to the main announcement board to find that our flight was actually boarding at gate sixteen! I was glad to get on the plane at last!
Maxine had done really well home alone. She did well in her volleyball "tournament". They won one game and lost another. I'm not sure what the correct terminology is, but she scored 10 aces! She also sprained her thumb on one hand and her finger on the other! But, she didn't burn the house down, or forget to feed the dogs, as far as we know. So, all is good. The electricity did go off though, while she was sitting on the loo in the bathroom with no windows! She was a bit freaked out after that!
The koi in this pond would follow you around the edge and when you stopped they would go into a feeding frenzy. We couldn't resist so when no-one was around we dropped some Strawberry flavored yogurt covered granola bar in the pond! They seemed to like it...
The red panda doesn't look like a panda at all, and acts more like a fox, dashing through the bush.
Beautiful butterflies on the lantana bushes.
In the evening we caught a taxi into town, to have a walk around Jinli Street. It's a bit toursity, but fun nonetheless.
Its always amazing to watch how these guys create animals out of caramelized sugar. Here he's working on Syd's butterfly.
Beautifil window screens.
This old man makes his living repairing and re-selling broken umbrellas.
These farmers bring vegetables to the market for other growers to buy and replant.
China is full of contrasts...
Most of the old men were wearing the blue Mao jackets, not seen in the city at all anymore.
Hand-woven baskets made from bamboo or straw. The two tall ones to the right are made for carrying babies. Strapped to the womens back, the child can sit in it for hours while the mother works in the fields.
Waiting in line for a shave and haircut at the local barber.
3rmb for a pair of hand-made straw slippers!
This man was selling bone from the paw of a leopard, used as an aphrodisiac for old Chinese men. He'd even gone so far as to cover the sknned paw with more distinctive leopard print fabric.
Medicinal herbs for sale.
This lady prepared duck eggs for fermenting; commonly know by Westerners as 1000 year old eggs. The fresh eggs are packed with a mud containing a secret recipe of ingredients, rolled in sawdust and then left to ferment for 10 days, not 1000 days! Although by the end of 10 days they probably look, smell and taste like they've been around for 1000 days!
Chinese safety-seat for motorbike!
These giant pots contain alcohol made from rice or wheat.
Another old couple that have been selling herbs and spices their entire lives; probably on the same street corner.
These teenagers were most anxious to practise their English on us!
This couple made 50 kilograms of dough every day, shaped it into small nuggets, rolled and twisted it into pretzel-like twists and deep-fried it. Every single day. We tried some and they were actually quite good.
Country dentist - teeth anyone? Notice the "real" fake teeth on the right of the picture!
Further along we came to the fresh produce section of the market. Here vendors sold fresh fish, mainly carp and eel from the rice paddies. The eels were awful. Slimy little green things about an inch in diameter and about 6-12 inches long, that looked more like snakes than eels. We passed by those pretty quickly!
As fresh as chicken gets...
In China you work till you drop...
Surprisingly, despite all the raw meat hanging about, it didn't smell bad in the market at all. In fact I've been in shops that smell worse!
She's pretty proud of her pig, or what's left of him!
After our walk through the market we drove out into the farmlands where the rice was being harvested.
Everywhere we went, the roads were covered in rice that had been set out to dry.
We stopped in at a few blacksmith's who were busy making knives, or tools for putting logs into the fire.
Once again, nothing goes to waste. Here ladies were sitting at sewing machines making straw hats. The straw had been woven by older ladies, on the farms and then brought to the factory. First the woven strips are washed, bleached and dried. Then it's put through a machine to flatten it out, then bundled, then sewn into hats.
The old couple above was fortunate to have a machine to harvest their rice. The men in the picture below had to thrash their rice paddy by hand.
Once the rice paddies had been harvested, the rice stalks were bunched, tied and cut off at the base. After it's completely dry the farmers will burn it to help fertizie the ground. After this they plant the drained fields with vegetables and then in December they plant wheat.
Corn and chilis set out to dry.
As we neared the end of our day-long countryside tour we came to a pottery. The clay they used for the pots is harvested locally. The pots with the cupped lids are for pickling vegetables. You palce water in teh cupped section to keep the contents cool. The other "urn" type pots are for funerial ashes.
The old man, blind in one eye, makes about 50 pots every day.
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
Felt kind of blah today. Not sure if I'm fighting something or coming down with it. I woke up, had some coffee, saw the kids and Rory off to work, and then went back to bed - till 1 O'clock! Came downstairs, got "breakfast" and fell asleep again on the sofa. Amazingly, I'm still tired. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow; I've got too much to do to stay in bed all day.
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
This morning I went to a meeting at school and then to book club. We had quite a lively discussion! Well, I'm note sure you could call it a discussion. Unfortunately, there was one person who monopolized the entire meeting. And she hadn't even read the book! She constantly asked questions about the story, or the characters, and made out of context comments that were quite embarrassing considering we had a group of people of various religions and ethnic backgrounds in the room. Oh boy. People were NOT happy! Some of us ended up in the kitchen, trying to get a break from her monologue, on the pretense of "making tea". I thought one of the ladies, who was unfortunately sat next to "Mrs Me Me" was going to deck her with the book! She looked positively ill by the time the meeting was over! I think we'll all be hitting the Bailey's tonight! On the way home I received three phone-calls from people pleading with me not to invite her to any Hopeful Hearts meetings! I don't think she'd come anyway...there's no time for any "me me me" in a Hopeful Hearts meeting!
Friday, September 17th, 2010
Last night the tailor came to drop off some stuff. He'd fixed a tote bag for Sydney, made cushion cover for me - for the school's admissions office, and made Rory a TUX!
He made a white dress shirt with French cuffs, and a black tux, with satin collar, for 950RMB - that's $140! For fabric and tailoring! And it looks AWESOME. Or should I say…Rory looks awesome in it. J We've got the Winter Ball coming up and a Chinese event which no doubt will be black tie, so we figured it was time for a true tuxedo. At that price I'm ready to get one made in every color of the rainbow! He does look good in blue….I even found a website…look….. http://www.brightcoloredtuxedos.com/
I like green but in that green he'd look like a leprechaun, in the yellow he'd attract too many bugs, orange he'd look like a construction cone, purple….Barney, red…noooo, excuse me, but I'm supposed to be the center of attraction here! Pale blue and pink is just plain weird, and a brown tux is not a tux, and who do they think they're trying to fool - "Mossy Oak" ??? That's called camouflage people! I'd be riding to the ball on the back of a four-wheeler! Yeeehaw!
Look at the EMPTY flower pot in the background. It's empty for one reason only...you're looking at it!
Toby: Buster, I love you! You're my BEST friend. Please, please, please play with me.
Buster (with pleading eyes): Can't I get a moments peace around here? I just want to lie down in the sun and do what dogs do all day...nothing.
Buster: What the heck did I EVER do to deserve this?
Sunday, September 19th, 2010
Last night we went to a fundraiser at school. It started in the morning when you could sign up to play soccer, badminton, swim team, etc. We decide to skip that part and just went for the social event in the evening! The weather was perfect and they had all the tables set up outside. One of the parents owns a group of restaurants and café's here in Nanjing and he always organizes a barbecue and desserts, so the food was really good. Plus, we had free-flowing beer and sodas! The mosquitoes even stayed away!
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
I can't believe it's Thursday already! The week kind of slipped away from me…
Rory left for Dallas on Sunday. I haven't heard from him much. He's there for a working conference. They've all been put into business teams and spend the entire week working their "faux business".
Let's see, Monday I just did some running around - boring chores. Tuesday morning was PTA meeting, not much happening so that was pretty much a waste of time. Then Sydney had an orthodontist appointment in the afternoon. I'd made it at 1pm so she could miss music! She hates music! So we went to the orthodontist, then McDonalds for lunch, then the printers and by then school was finished and she wanted dropping off so she could hang out with her friends. Wang Yi cooked supper for us. I'm not sure what it's called but it was fried rice with a chicken and peanut dish. Yummy!
Wednesday was a school holiday for Autumn Moon Festival. It was perfect autumn weather, cold and drizzly. Sydney came down with a cold so we dosed her up and sent her back to bed. We stayed in most of the morning and then Maxine and I went to IKEA and Metro. My friend, Katrine, and her daughters came along. It was nice to have a shopping buddy for a change. Maxine wanted storage stuff for her room and desk area. Homework must be getting serious if storage stuff is required!
Today I went to school to hand in some receipts and while I was there the nurse called to say that Sydney wanted to come home. She had tests today and also a swimming assessment for PE, which I'd already asked if she could skip. But by 11 she was pooped and wanted to come home, where she slept on the sofa all afternoon.
She's got a touch rugby tournament in Shanghai this weekend. They leave tomorrow. She has to go as the team must have three girls on it at all times - they only have three girls in the team! So, she'll have to play every game! Poor thing. She seems a little brighter this evening. I'll dose her up with vitamins again and send her off with some med's just in case.
Tomorrow is the Annual General Meeting at the school which I got roped into attending this morning. They'd better have some good coffee to keep me awake!
