Not Normal

TIC (This is China)...Trying to buy a vacuum cleaner and finding out you can't buy replacement bags??? I pulled the "vacuum debris" out of my non-replaceable bag in my 50 year old Kirby for too many years. I want bags! For now, I guess I'll just keep having the ayi hand brush the rugs.
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Normal

Why no blog lately? Because China suddenly seems normal...

People peeing on the street...normal.
Donkey carts on the main road...normal.
Cars driving on the wrong side of the highway...normal.
Chicken heads...normal.
The only white person in the store...normal.
Not talking to anyone while shopping...normal.
Playing charades to communicate...normal.
Betty Crocker...normal.
Cold weather...normal.
Fireworks at 6 am...normal.
Ayi...normal.
Things not working out quite the way you planned...normal.
Our home...normal.
Our life...normal.

Don't worry I'm not done blogging...more to come soon.

[Ok, after all that, the word 'normal' looks weird]
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Laundry Fail

This is my bathroom rug hanging over the railing outside...I was hoping the water would evaporate (because it's so dry here) before it froze...guess not.
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Purple Bread?

I bought this purple bread yesterday at BreadTalk, a Singapore based bakery that has an outlet in our local "mall" for about $2.25(US). It was one of those purchases that I thought...."I just can't pass up purple bread...it will either taste good or ???" Kids like it. Me too. Sweet. Kind of like a sweet dinner roll. And, no, I have no idea what makes it purple!


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The Return

Those of you who know me in person know that I try to always look for the good in people and situations. I try hard not to complain about the bad stuff (although a good complaining session now and then is helpful). I try hard to look for the good and concentrate on the happy things.

After 24 hours of traveling (with the kids but without Mike), little sleep, noisy planes, and dragging around too much stuff; the fact that my driver didn't show up at the airport sealed my bad mood. I don't think I had one happy thought on the 80 minute drive home from the airport. The contrast between Orange County and Dalian is stark anyway...but the bad mood just made it bubble and boil. I hated China for that 80 minutes...boy did I hate it.

Now, 2 days later, I've simmered down. We've reconciled with the driver (the communication problem about the time to pick me up was equally our fault). I've had 2 days to decompress in my "bubble" house (the bubble of Campus Village that isn't really "China"). The kids have enjoyed the freedom to wander the neighborhood and play with their friends. And Mike went to the store for me (big smile!).

The 500 pounds (!) of stuff we brought back from the US is put away. Life is back to normal (well, China-normal).

The stuff:

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