Well, here is an example of why everything takes soooooo much more time here. This is what my day yesterday consisted of.. Also of note, Chad has been gone since Sunday and will be gone all week...
-Wake up 6:30am and get ready for day
-Get kids up and both ready
-Grab a quick bite to eat
- Receive text from ayi, "I can have day off, OK?" Not really the best way of asking, but fine..
-Mr. Hou picks us up at 7:45
-Drive 15 minutes to drop Rilynn off at school.
-Brady stays in car, I run in with Rilynn- They sanitize our hands and take our temperature (forehead scanner) at the secured entrance.
-It's 8:15, but we're not meeting up until 9:00, so it makes no sense to go home.
-Needed to look at paint, head over to B&Q (China's version of Home Depot) - Closed
-Need some stuff for our Thailand trip, head over to Decatholon (Huge sporting goods store) - Closed- Mind you that I am getting Brady in/out of his carseat each time.. UGGH.
-Then I remember that Pines (good import store) opens at 8:30. Head over there, found some chili and shredded cheese- only came to about $15 for both, crazy! Thankfully remembered to bring my reusable bag or I would have to pay for a bag. Every store here charges for a bag and unfortunately for me I always seems to forget my own..
-It's 9:00, head over to Slice (great kid friendly coffee place)- Every other Tuesday, moms from one of the message boards meet for coffee from 9-11. This was our 3rd time going and today was the most people that I have seen. We probably had ~13 moms with kids there. Met a lot of new people and some people that I've already met. A really cool thing here is that I am getting to meet people from all over the world! Talked with some moms from Germany, India, Canada, UK, New Zealand, and all over the US.. And along with that is that Brady was able to play with all of their kids too :) Give a boy some cars and a DVD player and he has instant friends! LOL
-It's about 11:20, where did that time go?? Needed to go to B&Q again to check out the paint. 3 other moms without drivers were heading in the same direction. We all piled into our van, but then decided to eat lunch first. Ate at Pistolera, MMMMM, Mexican food :) Look at Brady- notice the blank stare and then the stink. Poopy diaper. Great! Absolutely dread changing his diaper when we are out, or for that matter, dread when I have to go. I think I've only seem one changing table here and you never know what kind of toilet you are going to find... Grab a diaper. Nope, nothing in there.. UGGGHH. Do I let him go comando and chance it or pray for turds. LOL. Turds.. Use mommy thinking and empty them in toilet, and voila, clean diaper :) Time to pay.. Our food came to 155RMB. Open wallet, hmmm.. Am I missing some money?!? Pull out all my smalls bills and thankfully had just enough! I was never a cash person so I'm still learning, but I really need to do better as most places only accept cash. Then I remembered that I had given my driver some money to mail auntie Val's birthday card..
- All pile back in car and head over to B&Q store. Say good-bye to friends and Brady and I venture into the store. Get about 10ft and already have people coming up to us, saying something. No idea what, so just smile and keep walking. Walked around store, tons of stares and chatting, but still cannot find the paint. Finally, found it. Employee walks up, I ask, "English?" He says little.. Yay!! Ask about VOC in paint, already lost him... Look around to find those letters somewhere.. Found- say "low".. Blank stare... Back and forth, finally it clicked. Pointed to a can.. OK- now finishes- say "no flat".. Blank stare again.. Walking up and down aisle looking at all the cans, and some even have english, but unfortunately all say flat. UGGH.. About 15 minutes later, finally found an Eggshell one.. WOOHOO!!! Now the price, 440RMB (~$75) for one gallon!!! OK, I just want a little color in the living room, as the flat white walls with light marble flooring is looking just a tad too sterile.. Now on to the color.. Sample sheets are gone.. Great. Do some pointing, have 2 employees with me now, just want to bring something home.. No luck, but pull out a master color key.. No help there. Alright, maybe I could buy a smaller can or buy one to try and see if I could return it if I didn't like it.. Getting no where with the 2 employees. Pull out IPhone translator- look up "return"- still not understanding.. Try a couple other words, then told "Stay here".. Text Mr. Hou to see if he can help me. He comes in and I am trying to explain to him. He speaks some english, but apparently after this, not a lot :) I speak very slowly- Buy paint, gestures- paint a wall, translator- no like, return? The three of them do a lot of chatting and then we start moving. Walk past the service desk.. HMMMM.. Head over to consult desk.. We are told to wait 30 minutes.. Ummm, it's now 1:30 and Brady needs a nap. Now we are joined by the original employee who apparently went to find someone who spoke English. So I have the lady behind the desk, 4 employees, and my driver all speaking in Chinese.. Have no clue what on earth they are talking about. Back and forth, back and forth, end up being handed a business card?!?! Not even going to ask.. Need to leave. So, after all of that I left with what I'm assuming is a painters contact info :) The problem is that even if they don't understand you, they just nod, so you assume they understand.. Hence, our driver, he has never said he doesn't understand, just smiles and says, "OK"..
- Finally, drive back home.. Mr. Hou tells me that my manilla envelope (which contained paper cards the kids made) costed 188RMB ($28!!!!) to mail.. UM, what?!@? Whatever, it's done. So, Val you better cherish those cards :)
- Home- YAY!- Throw Brady into bed, it's now 2:00.. Hear him playing for awhile then finally silence. Ahhhhh.. Oh wait, it's already 2:45. Crap, no ayi to leave him with.. Wake him up and hop in van to get Rilynn.
- Pick her up at 3:15, crazy madhouse with all of the cars waiting outside the gate.
- Brady was good today and they both love the playground in our compound. Off to playground we go. Need to stop at leasing office first. It's time for our monthly allowance to be picked up :)
- Into the hot playground we go. Just last week they gutted it and put in a new setup, which is nice. However, the temperature still needs some work. It's busy and the kids find some new friends to run around with.. Pull out my phone, Sudoku.. Ahh, relax :) It's now getting close to dinnertime so we need to go.. However, now some Americans with 2 little girls walked in, so of course Rilynn begged to stay :) Talked to mom who was from MI and another one was from Ireland.. Great meeting new people, but we needed to leave. Unfortunately for me, Brady was not in the mood to leave yet. So, full temper tantrum emerges, carry him out, kicking and screaming.. LOVELY.. It's now dark outside.. We walk home.
- It's close to 6, decide to have leftover pizza from Pizza Hut :)
- Shower for Rilynn first, then Brady..
- Tuck them into bed and thankfully no fussing..
- 8:15- AHHHHHHH, relax.. Played on computer a bit- Just today was invited to a baby shower next week, playdate on Saturday, and another museum playdate on Monday... There is definitely no shortage of people here to get together with :)
- 10pm, off to bed..
There is no such thing as a 'quick trip' anywhere I'm finding out... No Target runs. No one stop shopping. So, now I can understand what they all did with their days :)
I thought this post would be fitting for some random photos that I've taken.. Hence, the lost in translation title...
MMM.. Jellyfish head.. I took this today at a store called Metro (warehouse type- Sam's Club). I also took one of Donkey Meat, but didn't turn out :)
At museum- Funny thing was there were only about 3 kids in line :)
Chinese version of The Thinker :)
Bookmarks I bought for the kids-Rilynn's name is pronounced Rui-Lynn
Brady's is Boo-rod-ee
LOL.. Close :)
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