City Envy

I am totally jealous of everyone who lives in Shanghai!  TOTALLY!!!!!!!!!  Yes, I think Monday was one of the more perfect days out there.  And yes, it was quite miserable when we went there over Christmas (rain and cold no fun), but Monday was gorgeous clear blue skies and everything.  But that's not the only reason that I'm jealous.  I stayed with a friend in Shanghai and she had this view:

They have grocery stores that sell things like Vanilla.  When we were trying to decide what to do for dinner, she listed the cuisines; Sushi, Schrwama, Indian, Thai, Brazilian barbecue, Russian.... I'm sure I'm missing something, but I can't think of what it is--compare this to "do you want Hubei or Sichuan?" that you get in Wuhan.  THEN on the way home we dropped by the organic bakery to pick up a loaf of bread made with spelt, and some cheese!  And if you still don't see why I'm jealous, here's a picture of a fresh squeezed juice machine!  That's right, a vending machine that sell fresh squeezed juice!!

Luckily, it's only 5 hours away by train, so we really can escape if we have to.

Hong Kong

I love Hong Kong, I have loved Hong Kong since my first trip 8 years ago.  I love the bustle of the crowds, the tall and skinny buses, the travelator (I love that name travel + escalator = travelator!), the restaurants, and the people.  I think it's one of the coolest cities on earth.  BUT, like NY, I always have trouble when I go there thinking of things to do.  Maybe I've just lived with DH too long... I used to just go and be content to wander around and soak up the atmosphere, but now I feel like I'm somehow wasting the day if I don't DO something.  But I think HK and NY are places that just lend themselves to hanging out (if you don't live there, if you live there you're too busy working to hang out).
The coolness of HK is even more apparent having lived for so long on the mainland.  In HK the subways are clean, efficient and quiet.  (I did not once see a fight in HK, while I see one at least once a week on the mainland) The city also seemed to be trying to make itself more eco-friendly in ways US cities are not.  There are recycling containers everywhere, public transportation seems to be the way most people get around (although no bicycles, too many hills, not enough street space), and you can use your subway card to swipe your way through just about anything (Disneyland, taxis, the skytram, ferries, 7-11, etc) reducing the need for ticketing in those places.
I also saw so many different types of people there, living, touring, working, running/owning businesses.  It was especially apparent after Wuhan where the sight of another foreigner was rare, much less so many different types of people.  Yes, the majority of the people are Asian, but not necessarily Han-Chinese.  Which made the food so good.  2nd tier mainland Chinese cities are NOT cosmopolitan.  Wuhan is better than Chengdu because at least you can get Sichuan and Cantonese food here, as well as Hubei food (in Chengdu, people felt that it wasn't worth it to eat anything other than Sichuan food).  But generally speaking, it's still going to serve the main parts of whatever region you're in, because there aren't enough people here willing to brave eating something that's not familiar to them (I'm not saying that this is unique to China, if you go into the heartland in America good luck trying to find something that's not Italian, Mexican, or American).  I know we looked like those tourists who come to China and only eat Hamburgers, but gosh darnit I haven't had a good hamburger in months!  We ate Asian food, but the only Chinese food we ate was Dim Sum (YUM!!!!!!!!).  People can think what they like about us, but I don't regret eating pizza twice, in fact I wish we had eaten it more, and I definitely should have had another hamburger. 

Gratuitous Disney shots

Hi, here are some more pics from our time in Disney.  (Sorry there are so many, but we had so much fun)

Thanksgiving in the "Happiest Place on Earth"

We are now trapped on the school schedule since Babes has officially started school (I know it's only kindergarten, but she started really late so I'm trying to keep her in school as much as possible) so when I looked at Babes' school calendar and discovered that she had 6 days off for Thanksgiving I told DH "we've got to get out of here!" And away we went to Hong Kong.
 Hong Kong is always nice, but this is the first time that I've gone to Hong Kong with a kid.  A 5yr old might put up with walking until your feet fall off the first day, but on the second she's gonna complain (actually on the first she'll complain, on the second she'll cry). Don't get me wrong Babes is a pretty good traveler (actually she's a great traveler-so easy going), she loves to sight-see, and try new foods, and go to exotic locations, but she's not up for just wandering about, which is what we usually do in HK.  BUT!  We had a surprise for her-HK Disneyland.

As you all know, I am not a Disney hater.  As a child I loved Disney, and as an adult I like it even more.  Is Disney a huge soulless corporation built to suck money out of your pocket? Yes!  Am I willing to put up with it? YES!  Because lets face the facts, folks, they are good at what they do.  Are their movies perfect? No, I wish their girls had a bit more backbone, their boys a little more personality,  and who gets married after three dates anyway?  BUT, as with anything Babes watches we make sure to talk about what we're watching and try to balance out Disney's message with our own.

But I appreciate Disney on a whole new level as an adult.  When I was a teenager I used to live near Disneyland CA.  I loved it because it was a place safe enough that my parents would let me go there by myself without asking a million and two questions.  However, taking Babes there for the first time was amazing.  She was all smiles and starry eyes.  Because we went during the week there were virtually no lines, I don't think we waited longer than half an hour for anything.  She was always front and center for every parade, and we have pictures of her dancing in the parades with the cast members. We walked into every show and got seats whenever we wanted.  The food was good, and kid centric, as well as a selection wide enough that the adults were able to enjoy it as well (it was expensive, but not ridiculously so).

From the moment we stepped onto the Disneyland express train the experience was a positive one.  There were tons of  D-employees walking around making sure you weren't lost.  They were happy to answer questions in English or Chinese.  They made an effort to keep the lines running smoothly without line cutters.  The park was sparkling spotless clean.  And as simple as it was, all the D-employees had stickers in their pockets to hand out to little kids (and adults) whenever they felt like it. 

And anyplace that gives Babes big smiles and shiny eyes, AND causes her to say "this is the best day of my life" is ok in my book. 

Back Home

Well we are back home again.  And as usual I think I'm going to spend the next two or three days trying to get back in the groove of things.  It is always good to get away, the 10 days in the sunshine did wonders for my moral.  I think I was starting to sink again--even though it had only been 2 months since I got back from my last vacation... although is visiting family really a vacation?  Especially when you are visiting in-laws? I'm not saying it's not enjoyable, but it IS work....
I definitely like Thailand more than I liked Bali.  Bali was nice, but...  I don't know it was somehow less.  At least on Koh Phangan the beaches were prettier than Bali's.  I can't say much about Thailand though, we literally spent 7 days at the beach, and did little more than eat, sleep, and swim (ok I knit too, but I did that while soaking up the sun and watching the little one swim).  I will say that I did not find the Thais to be overly friendly.  They were polite, and professional, but not the overwhelming friendliness that everyone always talks about.  I actually think Malaysians are nicer (or maybe more laid back?). 
But it was beautiful, clear blue skies, clear blue waters, green green jungle, and a string of rosy sunsets to fortify the spirit..... 

Anniversary

Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary.  10 Years!  Can you believe it?  No, neither can I. 
I have done a lot of thinking recently, wondering if I knew then what I know now if I would still go through with it, and yes I definitely would.   I can't say it's been easy. Marriage is hard.  Not hard in the way that I thought it would be.  The hardness creeps up on you, almost in cycles.  There are good times, and they are so very good, and then slowly, very slowly, almost like a mist difficulties begin to seep in through the cracks.  At least for me, I don't always recognize that things are hard right away, you are living your life, in your routine and the days get longer, you're a little more tired at night, a little more irritated during the day, and suddenly you realize that the good days are gone, and the hard times are here.  But the hard times leave in the same way.  You realize that times are hard, and you put in a little more effort, a smile here, a touch there, a special dessert with some wine after dinner.  Little by little you are able to inch your way out of that hole and stand in the sunshine again. 
I can say with certainty though, the success of our marriage has everything to do with my partner. I know I don't tell him often enough, but he is a good man.  I know we women like to complain about our husbands, but I try not to.  Because really, what do I have to complain about, he's a good father, a thoughtful husband, ambitious but not at the expense of his family, a careful planner, and a great travel companion.  He loves to eat what I cook and listens patiently when I ramble on about knitting.  I have found the one in whom my heart delights.  

Hello from Thailand

Hello from Thailand. I can't believe that I've finally made it here. After spending twelve years on and out of Asia I was starting to think that Thailand was going to be that one place that I'd never get to that everyone else had been to. And I have to say that it is as beautiful as everyone says it is. Right now I'm sitting in the "lobby" of our hotel listening to the waves as the surf rolls in to our little cove. I'd forgotten how many shades of blue that you can see staring at the sky and water. I could go on but I think I'll go down to the beach instead.

On the plane with Babes

My child is a professional traveler.  No, she's not on the plane every week, or even every month, but at least several times a year we are flying somewhere, and at least once a year the flight is over 8 hours.  I'm sure I've said this before, Mr. Business Man, but my child and I are NOT going to hold you up for your flight, so no cuts!  At 4 1/2 my child can get off her own shoes, and coat and put them in those stupid plastic bins for x-ray.  I have been doing these flights often enough that I have packed our carry-ons strategically so that I can pull out the liquids (of which we usually only have the minimal amount, I carry an empty water bottle until we get through security, but there's sanitizer, lotion, chapstick...) the computer, AND get my own shoes off and through security faster than Mr. Business Man and his stupid laptop and expensive shoes. 
But that's besides the point (sorry for the rant).  Tips for flying on the plane with a 3-5 year old girl (I imagine these tips will work for a boy too, but the toys will be VASTLY different). 

From Blogger Pictures

I ALWAYS pack Babes her own carry on bag.  She has a back pack with wheels, that's just the right height for her to pull.  This makes her feel grown up, because she's got a bag like mommy's AND it's got most of her toys in it.  This way it's separate from my stuff and she's got it in her control.  It's usually a surprise what's in it.  When she was younger it was always new toys and books, but now we have a closet shelf of toys that are only brought out for plane rides. 
In the picture are: a magnetic dress up set (about the size of a book), a coloring book and color set from target, play doh, woodkins (another dress up but with actual cloth), a read along book, sansa shaker (an MP3 player that she can operate by herself loaded up with books, and her music), child sized head phones (this is important even if you don't bring an MP3 player because the plane headphones will just fall off), coloring books, books to read, colors, stickers, strawberry shortcake and my little pony.  I also made her a notebook, with coloring pages, and letter practice pages, and places for her to put stickers, and a few games that we could do together.  Not pictured but also useful is a playmat which gives the ponies and Strawberry a place to live.  We've also had a lot of use out of magnetic paper dolls, but as you can see my child REALLY likes dress up. 

At the airport, don't let your child sit down.  The temptation is there, you're waiting with a bunch of other adults, everyone is sitting and quiet, you want your kid sitting and quiet too.  DON'T DO IT.  Get up and walk, make your child walk, if you need to sit try to send your kid on quiet, but purposeful runs (ie throw this out, or hey what's that on the wall over there, Oh can you see the plane out that window) or try the mommy says game (it's like Simon says, but easier if your child is not there yet-"Mommy says, touch the ground, Mommy says jump").  Your kid is going to be strapped down on the plane for at least the first hour of the trip so you want to get as much wiggle out as humanly possible (I know for some kids this is not possible but it will make the beginning of the plane ride at least a tiny bit easier, and every little bit counts).

Pack a few snacks, we almost never use them, but they are good for unexpected delays and if their ears get stopped up on take off and landing.  I usually also carry extra toys and books in my carry on in case the surprise toys are not cutting it.
Pack extra clothes-it's always better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.  Kids are messy, and things happen. 
A pillow and a blanket can also be useful but I haven't packed one in awhile, we've just been using the ones on the plane.  

You can also adapt some of the kids games for plane travel. We have a dice game and a couple of card games that travel really well.  And I made a travel spinner for our silly faces game and put the rest of it in a folder and that traveled well too.

Out with Babes

So Babes and I walked up to (what I feel to be) one of the better dumpling shops in our area.  We had a nice walk there, and then a nice lunch and a nice walk back.  While we were there it crossed my mind that I have not done a "useful things to have when traveling with a child" post.  And while none of this is earth shattering, if you've got a toddler or preschooler and you travel you might like to have some (or all) of this stuff with you. 

1. Umbrella (in a lot of places rain pops up unexpectedly and it's always nice to have a tiny umbrella to keep dry)
2. Travel fork and spoon in carrying case.  (I have been many places overseas and in the US where a child sized fork and spoon made all the difference between me feeding my child and my child feeding herself)
3.  Scissors with protective case (CANNOT BE CARRIED ON A PLANE) these are awesome, I saw some Taiwanese mom chopping up noodles with a pair of scissors and I've been carrying them ever since.  They make quick work of noodles, dumplings, large pieces of meat, vegetables and fruit.  Much easier than trying to carry a knife, and easier to lean over and cut something too. 
4.  Hand Sanitizer. 
5.  Liquid soap in a travel sized hand sanitizer container.  Can I tell you how many times I've gone into a public restroom and not had soap.  Call me fastidious, but my hands feel yucky for the rest of the day if I have gone to a bathroom and only had water to scrub with. 
6.  Wet ones (I used to carry a lot more, but now this is just for emergencies)
7.  Travel sized bug spray.
8.  Travel packs of tissues.  These can be lifesavers, not only for blowing your nose, but also makes excellent replacement toilet paper.
9.  Water bottle (how many times have you gone somewhere and the only drinks they have are cokes?) 
There are other very useful travel items, but these are things I carry in my purse.  Because I go into public bathrooms too. ;)
If you can think of anything that I've missed, or that you've found really helpful let me know.  I'm always looking to make my life simpler. 

The end

We have reached the end of our vacation.  Surprisingly, we did not tour any temples, or visit farms, or do a lot of shopping, but we had fun.  Our vacation routine was simple but relaxing.  In the morning Babes would wake us up and we'd watch an hour or so of cartoons, this was followed by breakfast at the hotel and then off to the pool.  After the pool we'd hit the town for lunch, then back to the room for quiet time and then back to the pool.  We'd end the day with dinner then off to bed to repeat the next day.  I thought I'd get bored with this routine, after all we were on vacation for two weeks, but it was relaxing and nice.  I didn't even feel the need to get a massage or a pedicure (even though I really did need a pedicure). 
Some thoughts on Bali....  First of all, the weather was GORGEOUS!  Big blue skies, just the slightest touch of humidity to soften the breezes, and the temperature hovering right on the edge of hot.  I think part of the reason we were reluctant to do anything was that we just wanted to soak up those blue skies.  Coming from the grey days of Chengdu, blue skies are worth just sitting around in. 
Second, the Balinese seem very friendly.  They have that old fashioned customer service with a smile that you don't see very much anymore.  I saw very few people with evil scowls.  I wondered if the smile was the default expression of the Balinese and they were really happy at all.  But i decided that I didn't care.  I can't stop you from thinking bad thoughts about me, at least this way everyone looks pleasant. 
Third, like Taiwan, religion in bali was part of their daily life.  In front of every business, in the entrances to restaurants, every so often on sidewalks there were these little baskets of fruit, flowers, and rice that I assume were offerings to a God (are Hindu Gods Gods or gods?).  There were tons of little mini temples or mini shrines everywhere.  Driving from place to place you could see larger temples with people attending services in the neighborhoods we passed.  Bali reminded me that Islam and Hindu are two religions that I know very little about. 
Despite the touristy nature of Bali I really enjoyed myself.  It is very nice to have the infrastructure there and not have to worry about little things, for instance everyone that we encountered spoke enough English to make transactions.  I had drinks with ice in them (something I generally don't do when I travel) and didn't have tummy troubles. 
Bali October 24, 2011