Beijing Day 2

I woke up to the most wonderful sound this morning. Careese and Evan laughing and playing peek-a-boo together. I wish I could have video of it. Careese has started doing it herself and Evan was right there to make funny noises at her. Its so much better than waking up to screaming and crying.

We went to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City today. It was just as big and grand as I imagined it would be. I guess I've seen too many movies about the Forbidden City that it didn't really surprise me. Although, the living quarters of the city were a little less grand as I imagined it would be. Most likely because of how movies played it up.
However, it was so amazing to be there and realize that this is where history was made. In Tienanmen Square, I just kept thinking about how as an 8 yr old watching the news about the protests, and seeing it's effects on the people in Hong Kong, where I as living at the time, was so profound to me that I am standing right where it all happened. In the Forbidden City, it was so amazing to think about how China has changed so much in the last few hundred years, and this huge structure has been here for it all.
It is freezing here in Beijing. It gets below freezing at night. So, being in Tienanmen and Forbidden City with two kids, was tough. We just kept going from semi-heated room to semi-heated room to keep the kids warm. We were ok because we were doing all the walking. Poor kids. Glad I over dressed them.
Surprisingly the subway and the Forbidden City is very non-stroller friendly. I thought after the Olympics especially that there would be enough ramps to get around with, but nope. There are lots of stairs in the subway and a lot of levels in the Forbidden City.

We got a lot of attention with our kids and stroller. Some good, some bad. We think it must be an odd sight in a country that has pushed the one child policy to see two kids. People would keep asking us if they were twins. "Ummm yes, Evan was just born 2 years earlier". And also we have a sit and stand type stroller and that's not common to see. And its orange so you don't miss it. SO, to say the least, we felt like a freak show walking around. They'd stare and talk and I'd stare right back and talk about them too.

It was fine, until people started giving their opinions about our kids. That's where it crosses a line with me. I understand that its just the Chinese thing to do. Actually, its the Asian thing to do. But they obviously don't know the situation, and to have them tell me how to raise my kids, is condescending. Its not a matter of respecting my elders, because I do. But its because a lot of them making the judgements to me were probably my age, not even married, or with kids. Things like pointing out that part of Careese's leg was exposed while I was trying to wrestle her to stay wrapped up in her blanket is just annoying. Another lady, kept showing up and telling us that kids shouldn't be out in this weather at all. Why doesn't she go bother the other parents of kids who are there too? It really got to me and by the end of the trip, I took my frustrations out on Mark. I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. I'm grateful I have a forgiving husband that puts up with me in my bad moods.

While I enjoyed our trip to the Forbidden City, I could do without the heckling. Fortunately, we did meet some very helpful people at the Forbidden City that helped us get around with our stroller, and returned Evan's dropped hat to us, and that restored my faith in Chinese people.

I think, though, after all that, We're going to skip on going to the Great Wall. Its going be cold and windy and its out of our way and its not going to be much fun for the kids. We'll probably be back here again, so we'll save that for the next trip. So now I gotta find some indoor type stuff to do. hmmm and all I can come up with is shopping...

Beijing Day1

I made it. After a long day of travel, I made it with two kids to Beijing. I spent the whole morning tring to get so much done that I almost missed the bus to the airport. I was pullling the luggage to the bus, when it started to pull away. I dropped the bags, and chased after the bus. The bus driver looked peeved that I was holding him up. Until, he saw me run back to the car and pull out two kids and a stroller and carry on bags.

Two hours on the bus feels like an eternity with a 1 yr old. Careese doesn't sit well or sleep well. She finally slept for me for just 30 mins. Better than nothing.

We hung around in the kids play area of Narita for an hour, which really helped with tiring out the kids for the flight. Careese got SO much attention at the gate, She was waddling around the gate with her bottle in her mouth, and walking right up to strangers. She has no fears of strangers, and that worries me that she could get snatched easily.

The flight was almost 4 hours long. Evan was tired, but didn't sleep, so it made dinner time tough. He played more than ate. But overall he did ok and didn't cause too much of a disturbance till 20 mins before landing. There was another 3 yr old girl on the plane that would mimick his outbursts, that would just get Evan to say more and louder.

Careese slept for an hour, that gave me time to finish watching Mama Mia. hehehe.

As soon as I got off the plane a lady cleaning the bathrooms already gave me her optinons about something to do with the kids and my stroller. I couldn't quite understand her cause of her strong Beijing accent, but I understand unsolicited advice when I hear it. I just pretended to not understand and left. I understand that this is just how the Chinese are, and I've grown up with it. But come on! I haven't even left the airport yet! anyway, I knew that it was gonna be in for a culture shock going from Japan and China.

My cousin Faye met me at the airport, and a little later, Mark showed up too.. He just came in from Korea an hour before me and headed to the hotel first to drop off his stuff.

It was a good thing he did too, because with my two bags and stroller, we couldn't all fit in the cab. The cab people told us to take a van, but it was going to cost four times as much as taking a cab. Why not take two cabs then? But we decided to take the train. The airport express. It was a little tough getting around with a sit and stand type stroller and the elevators all over the place being out of order. My opinion, I think the Chinese just did enough to fix up the place for the Olympics, but not to last. While we were waiting for someone to come turn on the elevator for us, Mark decided to lean on the railing when it suddenly fell off the wall. It looked like the only thing holding it was a couple gobs of epoxy. hehehe. They never came to turn on the elevetor for us, and two of the people that work there helped us carry the luggage and stroller up and down in the tunnels of the subway. At lease they helped carry.

We finally made it to the hotel, and the room we got was well worth it. The bathroom is huge! It's what I want my dream bathroom to be like. Part of the hotel package is they will draw a bath for you every night, with bath oils, flower petals, and candles. Niiiice. And they included a foot massage machine in the room too. Niiiiice.

No internet access in the hotel room without paying WAY too much. There is free WIFI in the lobby. So it will be a little tough keeping my goal of posting once a day. But I will do it.

Sorry no pictures yet. I have to find where I packed the USB cord.

An afternoon in Yokohama's Chinatown

I wouldn't have gone to Yokohama if it wasn't for my friend Megumi from church. I'm so deathly afraid of getting lost by myself, in Japan. The roads are so confusing, and they aren't all named, or two roads share the same route number. Its gonna be a while before I venture outside my 10km radius on my own. hehehe. I used to make fun of people that never left the beltway outside DC. And here I am.
So, here's some pics from the afternoon.

Nov 08 Yokohama Chinatown

I was surprised at how pushy the Chinese will get to get the Japanese to buy stuff. Weird to see that contrast in cultures here. I thought it was funny that my friend Megumi said the Japanese know how different Chinese restaurant service and salesmen are, almost rude in the Japanese eyes. After being in Japan for a few months now, I can totally see it!
I'm heading off to Beijing today, and I'm preparing myself for a total culture 360.

NaBloPoMo

National Blog Posting Month. One post, every day, for 30 days. Can I do it? I've already done 3 days worth... I'll take that challange on! At the end of the month (Dec 11th) I will celebrate with a drawing, here on this blog, for a package of goodies from Japan! To win, you have to comment at least once between now and Dec 11th to be entered in the drawing.
And if I don't do it... hmmm, you all have to send me a package! ahahah jk. I don't know what I'll do if I don't. Comments anyone?

New Umpaloompa Species

I was putting together Mark's visa picture for his business trip to Vietnam, and somehow when Photoshop did a save as, it came out like a Warhol!
I think Vietnam would reconsider giving Mark that visa. No purple people eaters allowed!
Is there a new feature in Photoshop I didn't know about?

Another thing to love about IKEA

I'm already an Ikea fanatic. I'd like to live there if I could. But this makes me LOVE Ikea even more!

Buy a REAL Christmas tree from Ikea and when the holidays are over, take it back and they will BUY it back from you! You receive store credit for the exact amount you paid for it. Wowzer.

Looks like the trees aren't that tall. About 3-4 feet tall. So they would make for a cute table top tree to showcase your nicer ornaments you don't want your "elves" getting into.

*postscript: Sorry, looks like its a promotion only in Japan. :(Probably because the population that actually celebrates Christmas here is small. And only a part of that group can even afford that much space in their tiny living rooms for a tree and even have a car to get it home.

*post postscript: Ikea in Japan is a great place to find deals in the AS-IS section for bedding in King and Queen sizes. This is because most people sleep on single occupancy type futons, not anything like the American image of futons, heavy and bulky. So, that means that there's not a huge need for Q/K sized duvet covers, sheets, and comforters. That's fine with me! I found a large bin filled with Q/K sized duvet and sham sets in this design in brown, originally priced at $75 USD, on sale for $9 USD!! "You can't even buy the fabric for that price!" (My fav excuse for these types of purchases.) I should have bought more just for the fabric... oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back and shop some more. ;)

Baby Crafts Tutorials

I was doing a google images search for a particular leaf shaped Martha Stewart craft punch, and came across this site instead... This always happens to me when I'm online looking for something, I get distracted by pretty pictures. I still haven't found that picture I was looking for.
Anyway, a couple of people have asked me about how to make the hair clips I sell. And honestly, I didn't know how to explain it, so I didn't really answer them. I'm self taught when it comes to crafts, so to see instructions so beautifully laid out makes me wish I had that skill for presentation.

So Paperseed has rounded up a bunch of baby crafts tutorials, one of which is similar to how I make hair clips, that are super cute!
Makes me wish Careese wouldn't grow up so fast that I would have enough time to make these things for her!