Elaine and the Purple Coat

SNOW

2012-02-10T02:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday a low pressure system put everyone into a wonderfully deep nap and when we awoke there was a dusting of perfect powder snow. Not so good for making snow balls or snow men - but great for snow angels, drawing on the sidewalk, and throwing in the air to make more snow. Plus we got out to play before everyone's dog had peed.

Jam Session

2012-02-01T04:09:00.005-06:00

Our upstairs neighbor is learning and playing the Irish tin whistle at all hours - usually when Ben is asleep. Which is disappointing because the one person who would really enjoy such serenading is Ben.

So we invited our neighbor over for a jam session. Sunday morning at 9 am. A time we know he likes to practice. It is very hard to explain a jam session to a upright engineer of a German (much less not laugh when he calls it "the cham"): a jam session is where we play songs and sing and everyone is just going to do the best they can. So we got out our glockenspiel - which we got Ben for Christmas but that mostly George plays - and our other percussion instruments. Ben played the tambourine and the kazoo and I did my best to just keep a steady beat to keep us going together. And we set a specific time limit because there was a two year old involved and because if it is a complete fail you want to be able to know when your escape is coming.

Onkle Tom hat einen Bauernhof/Old MacDonald had a Farm was a big hit complete with farm animals. And we did Frere Jacques in French, German and English. And Scarborough Fair, Sally's Garden and some solo Irish tune were also featured. And we tried to finish with an open music time or free play accompanying a song on CD but our neighbor got nervous with such improvisation.

A worthwhile adventure! Ben got to play music and was facsinated by the tin whistle. Now we just have to explain we like to play music but are not going to attend a 3 day Celtic music celebration next month.

Nope - everyone got sick

2012-02-01T03:56:00.002-06:00

We have recovered! Rarely does one get a stomach bug where the healthy adult needs to stay in the house to take care of the sick one for 12 hours at a time. We ventured out on Friday to restock food, money and to see the sun.

Celery root is declared safe again.

Celery Root?

2012-01-22T04:18:00.004-06:00

Everyone here is suffering from some type of different stomach upset after eating matzo ball soup made with one of those soup combos (parsley, celery root, carrot, and leek in a little box) you can buy at the grocery. Everything was boiled and pealed and bought that day? What the heck?

There was high hopes of going to Trier today (maybe tomorrow?) but instead there will be just little explorations for who ever feel up to it, like the Wildspirale Hundretwasser haus. Here is a picture of the first time we were there:

Happy Birthday to me

2012-01-17T15:17:00.002-06:00

Yay for the many messages on Facebook. (Are the rumors true that you should un-friend anyone who doesn't wish you Happy Birthday?) And yay for a great birthday day filled with walks, visiting friends, a delicious dinner at Zum Grohe, and cake. And finally, yay for 33.

HAIRCUT

2012-01-12T06:57:00.003-06:00

Off to KITA

2012-01-11T01:43:00.002-06:00

Ben is at his first full morning of KITA (this is short for Kindertagesstätte: Children's Day Center) or preschool. He will be going 2 mornings a week. This a great way for all of us to culturally dive into Germany and German.

The first week, everyday he and I went in together and I would stay for a shorter amount of time (from an hour to 5 minutes) and he would stay later (from an hour to 3 hours). This process of acclimation is mandatory and a little rough. I was glad to not have to do it again today, instead sending George who just did a drop off.

Several things about the school that are different at least from when I went to preschool - he is provided with lunch and a 9 am snack and tea, his only responsibility is to play peacefully (and learn German), they have little red toilets (that Ben has successfully used) but he can still be in diapers, and after using the bathroom or eating the child washes his or her hands and wipes them with a provided cloth hand towel. There is 1 teacher for every 3-4 kids, kids of all ages are together in each group and the kids range in age from 2 months to 4 years. The building set up is similar to where my sister went to preschool: Ben will spend most of his time in one room, but there is an outside space next to the building, and there is an inside gym area, an art area and a music area (although the theme is quiet music not bang as many things as hard as you can). Also, the kids are sometimes taken to the park.

What is my worry? Just that Ben is a goofy kid - he makes a lot of word play or little kid puns especially if he is bored with the conversation and will tease you if you are being too serious. And the Germans are stoic and serious, especially about something important like kids' education and if they are adjusting. What cultural miscommunications may occur?

Last week, I suggested to an evening babysitter that if he whined too much ("Where's Mommy?") she could just ask him back teasingly ("Where is Mommy?" Usually he answers correctly and then you can go on, "Where is Ben? Where is Ben's nose?" etc). Not only was she shocked and appalled that I would make light of his suffering but I could tell she was worried about what other terrible tricks I used on Ben.

And finally, this is forcing us to buy Kinder Matschhose! Children's Waterproof pants! It seems like all German little kids have these crazy pants: suspenders attached to waterproof pants with extra knee and butt fabric (like a roofer's pants) and more elastic for under the feet (think '80s dance pants). They look ridiculous but are probably amazing and I cannot wait for ours to show up.

EXPANDING

2012-01-06T11:29:00.002-06:00

We picked our word for the year: Expanding. On the trail of last year's word "exploration", we are becoming imperialists. Expanding vocabularies, expanding horizons (what are we doing after this?), expanding our concepts of home, expanding Ben, (how fat will we get on wurst and potatoes?).

Do you pick a word for the new year? If so, what is it this year?

Bye Bye Christmas Books and Songs

2012-01-05T14:40:00.003-06:00

We just cleaned the whole apartment - almost as satisfying as the New Year's Eve clean that makes us wake up on New Year's Day feeling beyond resolutions - of all the Christmas books and Christmas songs books. I am so ready to say good bye! Ben likes every Christmas song on repeat except Silent Night. Now we just have to figure out how to properly dispose of our perfect tree.

Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah/Bright Solstice

2011-12-28T01:37:00.003-06:00

We have been entertaining family and ourselves with lots of celebrations of light! All the traditional foods have been made - spinach cheese ravioli with a red and white sauce for Christmas, breads for Solstice and latkas for Hannukah. The focus this year has been on experiences instead of presents - we just did stockings and lots of day trips (more pictures later). It has been lovely.

For Christmas day we were worn out of cooking, but not of eating, so we went to Frankenstein's Castle (an inspiration for Mary Shelley's scary story) and had a huge German Christmas feast. Below is our attempt at a family picture - Ben did awesome for the whole dinner (there was lots of playing outside in the castle between courses) - but when the camera came out it was all screams!

romantic fire lit date night

2011-12-12T07:35:00.004-06:00

Feeling brave and Christmas-y, George and I set out for a Christmas market with a vague location that was advertised as just ONE day, in the middle of woods, with the biggest gingerbread cookie in the area, and a genuine St. Nick. We took the tram to the end of the line and with our trusty map set out into the woods as the sunset (16:30).

Our meandering and uphill walk - full of promises to ourselves to come back maybe in the spring, maybe when it is warmer, or maybe when it is light - took us up to lookout tower, a brass band, lots of merry makers, beer and gluwein tents, St. Nick handing out chocolate and the typical German countryside restaurant serving nothing but wurst and salat. The proprietess gave us a talking too about coming to dinner so late (17:30?) and expecting the oven to be on. So, I asked her to suggest my dinner because she knew what was good but she declined saying it was all good because it was local and she did not know what I liked. So, I asked her to suggest my dinner because she was the only one who knew what was actually available. This is why I ended up with a Frankfurter, which is a large hot dog. But our fellow patrons reassured us that the food was "Made in Germany" and therefore the best, as they continued full of holiday beer and cheer and song.

(This is for another time, this "Made in Germany." Usually when I am most frustrated with the price or the options or the situation, someone will chime in and say in English "Made in Germany." It is a phrase that to Germans is about pride and economic security and so on.)

After dinner, we wandered around eating candy covered almonds, admired the view of the cities lights, and being very happy we did not have to keep track of Ben in the dark.

But how were we going to walk back through the now dark woods? Luckily, for sale there were huge fire sticks with a long wick of paraffin dipped muslin and a beer mat to protect your hands from dripping wax. We tentatively followed another group down the hill and, in spite of my fears they would lead us to no-where and we would end up begging for a ride or walking for miles, we actually ended up next to a different tram stop. Germany, is your public transport really that good? And we made it home, but 10 minutes late.

Doch!

2011-12-08T13:45:00.002-06:00

"Who's wearing not pajamas?"
"What?"
"Who's wearing not pajamas? The Elephant is wearing fuzzy pajamas, the Warthog is wearing ugly pajamas. Who is wearing not pajamas?"
"Oh... Sandra Boyton is writing 'Some are fuzzy. Some are not. But we can all pajammy in whatever we've got. It's Pajama Time!' They are not not pajamas, they just are not fuzzy."
"So, who is wearing not pajamas?"
"The moose."

It is not a potato sack

2011-12-07T14:59:00.003-06:00

The only German TV show I could follow (a children's show called Elefantastisch! featuring an elephant and a rabbit and a word of the day and some silly songs) has been replaced by the adventures an old guy and his helpful potato sack. The strange hopping sack and old friend have a timelessness to them - one show everyone was wearing doublets, breeches and ruffs while in the next week the villain was wearing a tight dark Star Trek styled suit.
But it turns out, based on my research for an image so you could see the whole situation, the old guy is probably Weihnactmann (Germany's Santa Claus) and the potato sack is probably filled with toys. So, it is just seasonal TV.
And in retrospect, a equal sized pink rabbit and purple elephant friend pair is weird, too.

Advent

2011-12-01T15:07:00.005-06:00

is a big deal here! There are advent candles and wreathes everywhere (that started last weekend) and advent calendars start today. Chocolate for breakfast every day this month! Below is ours from Hussel Confiserie:

Now we just need to get some snow, some gluehwein in a special edition mug, some lebkuchen (gingerbread) shaped like hearts, and a tree. And all of our Christmas music is in the US - so right now we are doing Norwegian Institute of Sound Recording's Advent Calendar. It is a little scratchy.

First Night of Language Class - German 101

2011-11-28T15:22:00.003-06:00

I showed up early for my first class (as one does) and then ended up wandering around for a while outside and then wandering around for a while inside. Eventually I wandered up stairs to the room, made polite introductions to the others standing outside and then someone came running up the stairs saying, in German, this class has been moved downstairs.

So, down we go and the teacher introduces himself and then asks us to introduce ourselves. And then the student in the front of the room starts to speak, in German, in complete sentences, all about herself. Where she is from, how long she has been in Germany, what she does. And then the next one does, too. And then the next, and then the next. And I am starting to sweat bullets and make some notes cryptic to even me.

And then I stammer out, "I am Elaine. I am American. I live USA. In USA, I am acupuncture. In Germanish, I am a housewife and mother. Two months here." And the teacher listens and tells a story about acupuncture and then says, "You (and Anthony) are not on my list, you should be back upstairs." Or something like that.... Thank goodness. I just started laughing.

And up we went. There the same thing was happening.... but much slower but still no one had any clue what the teacher was saying.

I am in a class of all men, except the lovely teacher, Lucia. Three men from Poland (Bogdan, Milosh (maybe this is his name - what is important is that he is the bright one and sits in the middle) and Jan), 2 men from China (Jacky and Jinn - I sat between them), and Anthony a British dancer who also made the mistake of going down to the more advanced room (but his German is much better than mine). I hope we have fun. The teacher only speaks in German - Das ist prima! Maybe. But when you know nothing - well sometimes it is hard to make something out of nothing.

And when I was asked to read aloud I had to say "Wohlfahrt. Sabine Wohlfahrt." Which is like saying Bond. James Bond. Only the last name sounds like "Wolf fart." Tee Hee.

More Garbage Tales

2011-11-20T07:04:00.004-06:00

Almost every piece of "Welcome to Germany" literature include a part about how you must sort the garbage correctly or someone will come and scold you fiercely. And it is true, there are several closets in front of our apartment (that hold cans) and they are all labeled (in German) to tell you exactly were to put your waste. This is a good summary.

But what if you cannot read or understand (gelber Sack?), well you just take a look inside each can. And then you see a yellow bag (gelber Sack) with more German about what can or what cannot go in it. So then you examine the yellow bag very closely. (Turns out most packaging goes in - but not glass.) And then your new neighbors walk by - so you say "Hello." However, they do not respond. This makes sense, because also in every piece of "Welcome to Germany" literature it says that Germans may walk by people they know even very well without saying anything. (Although for a midwestern not saying hello is so rude - you have to keep repeating to yourself they don't hate me, they are just German.)

On the next occasion we ran into those neighbors I did not say anything. The woman said, "Hello, hello... Do you live below? We saw you and your son and the garbage."

"Oh..."

"Yes, we thought you were someone else. Someone in the garbage?"

Oh, you thought I was some delinquent digging through your garbage. Delightful, what a great first impression.

(Not that we don't dig through the garbage or that we have not seen lots of German dig through the garbage. We saw a bunch of old ladies picking through a pile of furniture on a corner and had to take a look - we found Ben's booster seat there and a German measuring tape. We just would not dig through our own garbage.)

Looking for Oscar

2011-11-16T14:20:00.003-06:00

Oscar the Grouch could be in any trash can - including German trashcans, ashtrays and some backyards. They should all be checked. Above is Ben doing his daily inspection. "Oscar's in 'der."

"But he is sleeping" (just like when Ben wants to skype in the morning with folks in the US).

Ben Jumping in Autumn

2011-11-14T08:10:00.002-06:00

A Sense of Scale

2011-11-13T12:32:00.007-06:00

To encourage you to visit: We live in a town with lovely contemporary architecture, easy public transport, and delicious food. And you can see all of the Darmstadt highlights in a day.

That sounds so small to my Chicago-big-city-ears and so inaccurate to my daily experience of wandering about with Ben. It would take days to visit the best playgrounds (conveniently located near sites of beauty) and snack places and forests we have found combined with the daily rituals of take midday nap, learning some German, reading stories, etc. (In contrast, I diligently struggle to make time to take 1 daytrip outside of Darmstadt per week.)

However, 3 groups of guests later and it is very clear: A day or a day and half of moving at traveler speed and most are ready for some place else to explore. So, for those of you with large wanderlust plans (complete with check lists of amazing European countries and sites to see) we are just 20 minutes away from the Frankfurt airport and a great jumping off point for castle tours, apfelwein and beer tours, rhine tours.

However, this also seems strange to me. The countries (den Låndern) are the size of US states (and the states (die Saaten) are the size of counties) - are there so many countries and things outside of our town so close? Don't we need to travel for hours or days? Our latest guests were mildly disappointed that we casually mentioned nearby Frankenstein's castle as we drove by it on the last day of their visit as the sun was setting after a day of castle storming. There are just so many castles and so little time.

OPENING NIGHT for Lucia di Lammermoor

2011-11-06T06:40:00.004-06:00

First show assistant directed in German for George and he had to run the curtain call. So, I got to sit in the audience by myself with an English synopsis from home, all dressed up in my feathery earrings, and enjoyed myself immensely. I had to pay total attention to the action on stage (no subtitles to read as they were in German, no language to understand as it was in Italian and opera is hard to understand anyway). But the story should be told so well - I, a rube, should know what is going on just from the actions on stage - right? Next to me was with a perfectly in tune companion - an older German man who was a little too arthritic to clap - we laughed, said bravo and almost fell asleep in the same spots. And we agreed it was little slow moving but the music was beautiful.

More importantly, this version (**spoiler alert**) includes the mother as an angel which is totally unprecedented. So the audience gets a standing ovation from me for being open to interpretation, for forgiving but well aware of a couple very awkward moments, and for not booing or walking out. I am not even close to a purist, so if there are new characters or ideas I care little. But those new characters better be fleshed out and interesting or we are left a little flat. Dear Angel, do more.

It has 14 shows scattered over the next couple months while George attends rehearsals for The Merry Widow/Die Lustige Witwe.

Book List

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

(For Megan)
An Uncle is coming soon, and bringing more books, so its a good time to list what made the first cut. Although as I make this list most of these books are memorized (I should also make a list books that are completely memorized that we "read" aloud as we are walking somewhere):

10 Minutes til Bedtime by Peggy Rathman
Few words and the pictures get better with every reading (and she is absolutely my favorite contemporary artist)

Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus both by Mo Willems
George's favorite contemporary artist

Oh, What a Busy Day by Gyo Fujikawa
It doesn't rhyme or have any meter, it is super sentimental, and yet everyday we quote this book for some activity or have a read a page or two

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Classic

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and
Very Classic

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
I have this horrible suspicion I brought this book because Ben is inconsistent in color recognition and I wanted to teach him something (this always goes wrong - currently he tells me that every animal in this book is "a bunch of blue ribbons" except the blue horse which is the "purple cat.")

Strega Nona an old story retold and illustrated by Tomie de Palo
I have yet to meet a toddler that did not love pasta or this book. Also, "It has peacocks in it and bunnies and and and cats in it and pigeons in it!"

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
This books is so perfectly narrated and illustrated

Snow by Uri Shulevitz
I like snow books in the deep winter and for a break in the heat of summer

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Alan Ahlburg
This is Ben's fetus book - the one I read to him in the womb - that still has a soothing effect. And then Ben looked like Baby Bunting for a while.

Jamberry by Bruce Degen
Every single day we read this book - you would, too.

Richard Scarry's Mein Allerschoenstes Woerterbuch
I use this book to make the grocery list and Ben uses it to look at animals

Some favourite English books:
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler
Little did we know that Herr Scheffler is from Germany - and so he gets top billing here.
Do not ask me why, but when reading this from memory - we read it line by line backwards starting with the last line.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
Now that we have Kafe and Kuchen, a teeny fridge, and packets and tins in the cupboard, this book is even more fun to act out. We received several copies of this classic when Ben was born.

Some books go together -
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
If You Give a Mouse a Muffin both by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond

And from this group of Sandra Boyton books (thanks Ruckdaeschel's)
But Not the Hippopotamus
The Going to Bed Book
Moo, Baa, La La La
Opposites

And finally
Nancy Cassidy's Kids Songs: The Sing-Along Songbook
(Thanks Claire) Each song comes in and out of favor but there is always at least one that is active. Currently we sing a lot of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" which to me is rather religious but to Ben is about listing things on this earth (like animals he loves or food we eat regularily)

So yes, we have more children's books in the house then I have shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts and trousers (and yes, books weigh more than clothes).

I packed all my personality quirks, too

2011-11-02T14:20:00.004-06:00

Where ever you go, there you are.

Turns out, I am still me and many of the ditches I get myself into are very familiar. Building a business did not change that. Becoming a mom did not change that. Traveling to a different country did not change that. In fact, each event shifts in just the right way to highlight some particular edge. Although there are subtle sparkling alterations with each inch forward, and transformation available in every second, the act of being human is a physical one. And sometimes physical things fall down even as they are held up by angels.

(Don't worry - George also packed all his personality quirks - we remain a good match.)

More Zebras (we went to the zoo today)

2011-11-01T12:31:00.001-06:00

No Tricker Treaters this Year but

2011-10-31T14:00:00.009-06:00

Presenting our Zebra (Zebra's do not like to stay still for long - so these may be a little blurry)
and please notice the tail. Ben wore his ears all day on the 30th but
refused today - insisting "It doesn't matter." (Who taught him this phrase?)

And finally, here are some of the first images from our furnished apartment. Ben calls that painting "scenery" and is always trying to paint on it. To me, it is one of the many accents that call up my Grandma Luba and her style. Happy Halloween.

Camille Saint-Saens

2011-10-26T13:03:00.002-06:00

Spent the evening (Guten Abend!) dancing with the animals in Der Karneval der Tiere. (It was one of classical music experiences of "What commercial is this from?".)

"Stampf, swei, drei" with the elephants.

BIKING

2011-10-25T14:19:00.002-06:00

Not only did I fix the handlebars of my bike so they no longer collapsing under my weight, but then Ben and I could take a wonderful ride in town. He loves his helmet and riding. And there are hills here - We coasted all the way home. I forgot about how lovely coasting is.

And it was the perfect antidote to walking at the rate of one building every 5 minutes or using a slotted spoon (we have turned into a sand toy) to herd Ben along. It is like one of those theater hooks you can use to pull a bad act off stage:

"No, you do not play orangutang on cars' door handles!"
"No, those buttons are someone's doorbell and they will come down and yell at us in German."
"That is a cigarette machine... So no, I will not turn it on."

and to end,
a typical 2 year old joke by Ben

"What's that?"
"That is a sundial."
"It's a crocodile."

Laundry

2011-10-21T02:01:00.003-06:00

Perhaps it is the start of potty training therefore pee everywhere, or the smallness of the washer, or our lack of clothes but I have done at least one load of laundry every day since we arrived in Darmstadt. And it has been officially a month. A month of laundry. Another step into becoming like my mother in habit.

sick day

2011-10-17T13:14:00.004-06:00

We spent the day recovering from a little tummy bug - complete with lots of books on the couch under blankets and chicken noodle soup (homemade - the v. thought of shopping put me under the covers) and long naps. Do sick days feel the same every where?

One Month In

2011-10-13T05:55:00.003-06:00

We have been in Germany for a month - well tomorrow, the 13th, but we started traveling on the 12th. I remember from friends that traveled abroad for 6 months - it was all go go go and see as much as possible and do do do. But those that were going for a year or more .... the beginning was slower - there is so much more to set up, routines to establish, nesting to make a home. And that is us ... especially now that we only walk as fast as a two year old.

Ben's feet and attention make for a slower getting to know you time, but perhaps a more deep experience. We know every gate, every little dip in the walk, every extra step to jump up on or down on our (side of the) street; we make bouquets of leaves - different colors everyday; and we are slowly tasting our way through the meat counter (they give out samples of meat to little kids). (And yes, I found the meat in the shape of a teddy bear).

And if I get too impatient with Ben or with myself, I just need to remember - this is enough - THIS that we are doing right now is perfect.

Sleep

2011-09-30T12:58:00.003-06:00

We landed in Darmstadt .... about a week ago.

Having been to a new playground every day, I can safely say that Germans love sandboxes for little ones. Even playgrounds in the middle of forests have sandpits. So we have ransacked the rental house for appropriate toys - funnel, coffee scoops, measuring cups, big flat spoon with little holes all in a bag that is carried on the stroller.

There is much say, but I have taken the same nap as Ben everyday this week - could it be recovering from single motherhood (albeit I had a ton of help), jet lag, culture shock, or adjusting to being a Haus Frau? (Oh, I miss my helpers and so does Ben.) And now on to more sleep zzzz

Haus Frau und Mutter

2011-09-16T07:08:00.004-06:00

Safe and sound in Berlin. And making that shift into House Wife and Mother - spent today down loading manuals for and translating the German off the washer and drier, buying the food for the weekend (as I have been told repeatedly there is nothing open on Sundays), feeling grateful for the small kitchen things I packed (measuring cups, pot holders, child proof plates) and playing in the park.

Ben has discovered a favorite statue - a leopard covered in neon graffiti dedicated to peace!
(Picture added 16 Nov 2011)

Count Down

2011-09-12T07:45:00.001-06:00

I finished packing and sorting (turns out it is hard to get a suitcase down to 50lbs). I now have "take me if you have room in your suitcase" bag all ready - let me know if you have room in your suitcase!

Now it is last minute errands (important documents to the storage unit and quick run to the grocery) as we savor our last morning in Ann Arbor and then on the airplane spend the night and on to Germany. "Like Knuffle Bunny and Trixie? With books?" Yes, Ben we are bringing books.

We are so close!

Strawberries

2007-06-17T18:45:00.000-06:00

Hello Hello,

I am back -- I had to take a break and regroup and stop getting nervous everytime I entered a store or restuarant or any new place to make sure I had all the right vocabulary like when I was in Asia.

Today the topic is 'berry' good -- 10 lbs of strawberries that are filling our apartment with the most delicious perfume.

A fantastic group went to JenErh Family Farm in Wisconsin and we ate our way down a row of organic goodness to 30 lbs of stawberries and one bird's nest with 3 eggs and a newly hatched pile of wet feathers and beak.

These are the (nose) pickers rules: 1. stay in your row, 2. all berries are created equal so ripe ones all must be picked, 3. eat as many as you can.

It was perfectly overcast and cool on the farm where we also had a picnic. Then off to Madison for beer by the lake. What a beautiful summer day. I cannot wait for the solstice on Thursday to really celebrate being alive at the peak of season.

For more awesome pictures, Claire will help us soon.

And hello again, I am back. Elaine

packing take 2

2007-04-10T17:04:00.000-06:00

Things from the original list that were not used:
2 Daoist books by Livia Kohn
1 Terazol 3
1 10cc syringe
dental floss (there were toothpicks at every meal)

Things I wish I had packed:
q tips
CD/MP3 player
nail file

Things that were added from US:
1 set white long underwear
2 cliff bars
1 sweater
1 pair of jeans

Bye China

2007-04-10T10:15:00.000-06:00

Last look of China -- here is me at a TCM Museum surrounded by herbs.

We're not breaking out of a jamba juice and other things I will miss about China

2007-04-08T18:55:00.000-06:00

Dear All,

Its the last day! And I share some of my favorite moments and things about China with you:

1. Little cute tissue packs

2. Steaming hot water in big thermoses everywhere you go

3. Grandparents taking good care of their grandchild -- making sure they are covered up in many layers and that their low back and neck are very covered by pulling up and down layers of long underwear and shirts.

4. Qi moving moments -- like when we were in clinic and this very proper 75 year old woman in a mauve sweater and perfectly painted on eye brows gave a perfectly loud smelly burp and then smiled demurely.

5. Great bike lanes and bike ponchos

6. Chinese Fashion! From businessmen dressed in three piece suits having their second cigarette of the morning squatting while waiting for the bus to ladies wearing flamenco skirts with leopard wraps in two inch high heels with nylons on the Great Wall -- it was always awesome.

7. An abundance of cheap delicious street food. Some favorites include veggie or red bean buns, Muslim cucumber noodles, soups, and donuts.

8. The kindness of our everyday interactions as the Chinese people patiently help us even though we can hardly speak and when we do they often have to guess the meaning and make great gestures.

9. Prison Break the second season is out on DVD here -- and it is really good. See title quote.

10. My traveling companion -- Amy is awesome. She is easy going and good natured and friendly. I could never have made it without her.

See you soon my friends. E

How to Stay Warm in Beijing

2007-04-06T18:19:00.000-06:00

Dear All Who Had a Surprise Return to Winter,

I heard that you had a light dusting of snow while we were in Beijing. Beijing is a 12 hour fast train ride north from Shanghai -- and they were exactly in the same place in spring were we had started with in Shanghai in the beginning of March. Now of course we were prepared with our quilted Chinese jackets and glass tea holders that you can carry around with you -- we are old pros and we just yawn when huge magnolias trees transform from quiet fuzzy grey potential into gorgeous pink flower over a day.

Beijing has its own answers to the cold which I discovered. By the youth hostel in the hutong (small streets that run east-west were courtyard's red entrance face into and little shops sell salty bread and alcohol and men play cards and a type of checkers and dispute items big and small and grandparents walk the kids) are public toilets as people do not have them in their homes and public baths. And in the public bath by our hutong was a sauna. What a wonderful way throw off that bone chilling winter wind! I declined to have the soap rub down by one of the 5 women that worked at the public shower where they lay you out naked on a table and they only wear underwear bottoms, as I had already been clucked at enough for not knowing that my shoes go at the bottom of the locker and that the shower turns on by pulling a piece of metal sticking directly out of the pipes.

The other answer is to drink very hot very high quality tea all day (we had a tea ceremony which had 12 servings) and cool it off by slurping it and letting it roll of your tongue as you drink. The lady instructing us looked like a ballet teacher and she was just as strict -- correcting my tea drinking position (thumb and forefinger to hold the rim, middle finger to stabilize, ring and pinkie tucked under) and making us continue to the last course in spite of buying tea midway through. She insisted that her good physique came from drinking pu er and oolong tea all day long as she had not a drop of fat on her, but she did not drink green tea because it is cooling and she was easily cold.

Oh and the final answer is to adorn all your clothes with fur.

We are now taking part in another important Chinese activity -- watching Prision Break. All the Chinese we have met who speak English want to know if we know more then them. And neither of us had ever seen the show. We started last night with episode one: little did we know that it takes place in Illinois and parts in Chicago and we could have said that is where we are from. Thank goodness that show is about the evil government and the good people -- we just should have invested in some tattoos before we came.

We are back in Shanghai and the MU DAN PI (Chinese spring peonies) are blooming. They are beautiful open peonies with bigger, but less, petals. See you soon, Elaine

Presenting

2007-04-04T02:55:00.000-06:00

To Those Who Want to Know about the Big Ticket Item.

Amy and I went to the Great Wall of China yesterday and it had the bluest sky of anywhere we have been so far in China and everyone got wind and sun burned. Just imagine a cool but clear morning and a huge wall snaking on the top of the mountain ridges surrounding you and also imagine watching where you stepped because every couple stairs are a different height from the previous stairs to stop the invading Mongols and tourists from getting far.

We left Beijing super early in the morning by long distance bus to avoid the crowds (which worked), walked up to the wall dodging wall paraphanelia in the beginning and being dogged by the steep stairs at the end, walked til we could see an area that has not been reconstructed and took a ski lift down. Then, we returned by local "bus;" a large van that picked people up and dropped them off along the way taking the bus route but cheaper. Our route was half the amount charged by the touring companies and we had a wonderful time. It looks the same as in the pictures except it is so hard to believe you are actually on the wall.

It is hard to believe there are only five more days of China. Love to all, Elaine

hao de, hao de, hao de

2007-04-01T00:43:00.000-06:00

Wei Ni Hao!

Let us start with some corrections that I cannot make in the last post.

1. The last posts name 49.Just everything produced in your home town is "very famous in China" is from is the list of : You know you've been in China too long when..... given to us by some friends.

2. The man took our picture on his camera phone to send to his friend.

3. The post should be called "what a pity." This is the response with the exact same inflection and conviction we get every time we say that we are leaving on Sunday. What is amazing is that we are convinced that each speaker truly believes it is a pity that we are leaving. It sounds the similar to the way a piano player at the Traveler's bar last Sunday sang "Let it Be" emphasis on the "Be" and "Pi TY."

4. You all missed out on a hilarious party last night -- Amy and I now have many new boyfriends at two different clubs that would be super happy to stand around you. We ate in the Korean part of town and then went down a walkway because we heard live music and it was this series of rooms with a red honey comb motif with a stage at the front surrounded by couches (note: if you are on a couch expect the menu will not have pictures and the food will be twice as much as on the street) and women performers singing popular songs (including Pink's Can't get you out of my mind -- na na na song sung as la la la) with men who were working the crowd pitching in on the chorus or not helping at all, runway walkoffs, and dance routines. We were escorted to our seats by a woman who's phone I had managed to borrow. Then, a man in uniform pushes away all the other lower ranked men in uniform to be the one to present us with the menu, he opens it to the most expensive page, and waits while we look at the menu. Here there were about 10 men standing around waiting for us to order. And we just burst out laughing, the menus are always completely in Chinese and you cannot just order a whiskey and coke. And we tried really hard to get a mix drink without having to buy a whole fifth of Johnny Walker Black Label but in the end we had to go up to the bar and it was beer for us. Then we went to a different bar and danced the night away, learned a dice/drinking game, and Amy got some awesome pictures of me intensely rocking out -- forthcoming when the internet is less of a bitch.

5. Does anyone know where the soymilk is in the Chinese grocery store or brandname or something? All we can find is milk/niunai. Thanks,

Keep on Rocking in the Free World, E

49.Just everything produced in your home town is "very famous in China"

2007-03-31T01:29:00.000-06:00

Dear All Who Want Some Tiny Details,

It is our last full day in Hangzhou. Of course we went and bought baozi (tofu & veggie and red bean steamed buns) and tea for breakfast. We had our last class where everyone is getting ready for summer with their fat burning obesity acupuncture treatments where they discourage people from exercising because it makes you fat, and note in the US these women would be considered healthy. And tonight we are going to go dancing at midnight on the West Lake.

But our biggest accomplishment is that we sold with ease the two bikes: One by asking our newly made Wisconsin friend who is studying full time at ZheJiang, Eric, in clinic on Thursday, "how do you sell a bike?" He then yelled out in Chinese "Anyone want to buy a bike" and this 64 year old woman with urinary incontinence said she would look at it after her treatment. Then we arranged to meet on Saturday at 8 am with the help of Eric and of course she was there early in her super cute red velvet jogging suit and we gave her our receipt -- do not ask me why but everyone wanted the receipt. What receipt I do not know for we cannot write a receipt so we just gave them the one we got from the bike shop.

And one bike to a guy who works in the garage below the hotel who ran after me while I was biking away on Friday holding the sign I wrote and posted in English and Chinese saying two bikes for sale. I managed to set up a time and date with him in Chinese for tomorrow noon. Today, we were doing great but then he called someone so he could ask for the receipt and took our picture so he could show the person he was talking to what we looked like. It is great to just get half the money back. Then I went out and spent it on some more local "very famous in China" specialities like HangZhou umbrellas and HangZhou scissors and at our favorite soup spot I went crazy and spent 9 RMB or $1.10 on rice sticks, spinach, cilantro, mushrooms and fishballs wrapping pork soup.

Now it is time for a nap before dancing. Only a week and a day left. Elaine

Bye Bikes

Can you see this?

2007-03-24T21:27:00.000-06:00

Dear All with Tricky Internet Connections,

Can you read this? I can link to Blogger but not my own site.

Yesterday we also had another "What do you think that says" moment when we went to a fast food restaurant and did manage to order the only vegan dish but then after that were faced with a whole board menu of meat dishes for Claire (hey do you want a different and hilarious perspective on China -- Claire keeps a blog too and it is great) and I but no idea what they were. Luckily who should come along but a sweet nine year old whose English name is Bonnie. We asked her to order some things that she likes to eat so she ordered a small plate of cold roast beef and some pork dumplings. Bonnie's mom asked us if we liked what we had ordered and we reassured her that we really liked what Bonnie ordered. We talked to them for the rest of the meal and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Then we went and got some dessert by pointing.

You all must be wanting beautiful pictures by now -- and its true that it is very beautiful here like a misty Chinese painting complete with bamboo and blossoming spring flowers that cover bridges and distant mountains. The small children in layers of different bright fabrics and sweaters and arm bands and many feet layers are super cute (ke ai) although it seems to hard to move with all their layers and with their bright pink cheeks they smile bright. But, I think the culture shock is getting hard right now -- it is hard not to be able to communicate, it is hard to keep guessing at what is happening next, it is hard be to stared at all day -- and it has been a long time being a tourist. This weekend I can feel myself trying to find routine -- in laundry, in walking to certain known places, in daily conversation.

And I only know a limited number of verbs so "see" means read and see and understand and I don't know how to say many verbs.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Elaine

little tidbits

2007-03-22T07:15:00.000-06:00

Dearest Friends,

Not only has school started with lots of moxa and some learning but this week George joined Amy and me for lots of fun under the rain!
On his first night we took him to one of our favorite restaurants -- Rosy Cheeks. You pick out what you want from a long list in Chinese characters in a delicious boiling soup pot that sits in the table or do your best job picking out things and then you order more things after looking at what came out and then you order some more beer in our case. We call it rosy cheeks because all the waitstaff have wonderful rosy cheeks from being around all the steam. Oh and we made him order -- he was very very brave after a good 20 hours of travel and just the tiniest bit of Mandarin.
And it was amazing to hangout here in Hangzhou with him -- he went out and joined our biking brigade and we biked all around West Lake and went on a crazy "Amazing Race" style adventure to and from Moganshan (MoganMountain). Note: If you ever want to get away from all the people in China it turns out that few people are in summer getaway resorts in March and it may be cold but it gives a few hours of quiet andone can walk without any fear of being run over.
Can you believe that we have had two weeks of school -- TCM CORNER ALERT-- and there are some moments of real understanding and growth including a great shift with a cardiology internal medicine (read TCM herbal medicine) doctor and her 4 plus assistants who are students like us taking notes, blood pressure, and learning tons. Gua Lou Xie Bai Ban Xia Tang in action clearing up phlegm as seen in extra water that could be heard in the chest, felt in the throat, or in one case the man was just spitting around him mouth. Another herb combo was Jiang Zhen and Yu Jin.
But George is now off in Tianjin researching family history (some English cousins lived there in the thirties) and we are joined by Claire.

Yeah for back to back guests, Elaine

flow like water

2007-03-13T05:43:00.000-06:00

Dear Extreme Sports Enthusiasts,

I have a new ride -- called THE SHADOW -- its a bicycle. We received some very wonderful lessons on how to ride a bike "Chinese style" from our friend Darryn who has been living here for over a year.

1. Riding a bike in China one needs to flow like water -- a bubbling brook. So you do not always go straight to your destination but take the easiest route flowing in and out feeling your way.

2. Remember everyone else is flowing like water too, but they do it better then you but they do not use peripheral vision.

3. Water flows everywhere there is space. So if you do not fill in a gap just a little smaller then your bicycle, someone carrying a desk will and everyone will just make a little room around them.

3. When you come to a cross street, first look to your right a the near corner to make sure no bike is turning right. Then look to your left to make sure no one is making a left turn. Then look right again as people merge from the right at the far corner. All the while looking in every other direction because water does not really flow straight.

4. Beware buses and black cars, they stop for no one.

5. Beware when people walk out in front of you, instead of continuing on their way and you missing them by inches, they may stop and stare as they are totally surprised by the vision of you on a bike.

6. Honking is another way of saying hello or ni hao or wei or I am behind you or go faster or I am behind you and go faster.

7. Critical mass exists and it is amazing to be a part of a group of bicycles of all shapes and sizes with everyone and their mother jostling, cutting each other off, and hauling around furniture, produce, children, building supplies, dinner or eight 5 gallon jugs of water.

Peace, Love, and Bicycle, Elaine

PS School started and I wanted to include a little TAM (Traditional Asian Medicine) Corner:
We saw awesome acupuncture today and man do they use a lot of (disposable and big) needles
Trigeminal Neuralgia Ear Treatment: Liver, Stomach, shen men, face

Savages

2007-03-09T08:46:00.000-06:00

Dear Everyone Who Sometimes Embarrasses Others in Public

Yesterday, we got a good lesson on how to eat watermelon. We had only ever eaten it the FRUIT SAVAGE way -- with our hands. This was too much for our waiter who came over and helped us. He gave us a tiny tiny cocktail fork and stabbed the huge pieces of watermelon and had us eat off the fork. After that I was to ashamed to tell him that we did not want to eat the meat and onion buns for dessert (Amy would never eat them anyway) so I snuck them into my pockets -- I thought they would be sweet and dessert like. And there are no doggie bags in Asia unless you are actually giving the food to the dog. Our savage ways are always getting us into trouble.

We are fruit savages that cannot talk, and cannot read, and look funny. But today, we navigated our way to the industrial/school park to register for classes by bus using only our Chinese character map and everyone on the bus. There is something wonderful about riding a bus -- it is a great tour of the city and you make some fast friends. Also, riding a bus reminds me of my mom. She loved to ride a bus on vacation or when it snowed rather then lay in the sun or drive. But be warned, on the Chinese long distance bus the seats are assigned -- and even if you cannot read you will get booted out if you just sit anywhere.

Now I am going to complain about the weather and make a list, things I am slowly but surely learning to do in Manderian. It is cold and wet in China (Sally you were so right) and at night it gets down to 0 degrees C. The chill is everywhere and we think that it may be because the windows are open. You savages might have some crazy ideas about how fix this, perhaps close the window, but someone always stops us from this uncouth act by coming over when we enter and opening the window even wider and smiling. So, all my sovereigns from China so far are 1 wool hat, 1 pair cute pig mittens (too cute to be warm), 1 pair thinsulate gloves, 3 pairs socks, 1 wool sweater, and 1 quilted traditional Chinese jacket that I wear inside and out.

But the magnolias are blooming and everything else is trying too and spring is on its way. They say "In spring in HangZhou the weather is like a baby's face, it changes 3 times a day."

May the baby be happy, laughing, and sleeping tomorrow,

Elaine

Above there is heaven

2007-03-05T17:08:00.000-06:00

And below there is Su Zhou and Hang Zhou.

That is if you can trust a 400 year old Chinese poem.

Today we begin exploring by bike.

a little vague and a little sad

2007-03-04T17:40:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends Who Can Give Really Good Hugs,

Sometimes things happen back at home that make a person super sad (and pissed). Nothing that will blow up the world, but it certainly less good is happening every day and that good has been being chipped away for a while. And because I am abroad there is nothing I can do but even if I was in Chicago I would be powerless.

Let us all try to do more good then bad today, and let us value good work over petty egos,
Elaine

Please don't comment to this one (the instructions are in Chinese again and I do not remember which one turns off comments).

but the instructions are in Chinese

2007-03-03T19:05:00.000-06:00

Dear Far Flung Friends,

I am in China! And from the moment we got off the plane there has been a barrage of waiting in lines, being yelled at in Chinese while staring back with a blank face of no comprehension, and celebrating every accomplished task like it is a huge victory.

Amy and I found each other in the airport (picture of Amy being awesome coming soon as she has been riding the crazy Chinese adventure with true style and grace -- side saddle on the back of a bike with no hands -- she is that good) and we found a great dinner on the street of noodles, vegetables and mushrooms and beer. Actually that last line is funny because we have also found streets dedicated to noodles, streets brimming with vegetables and streets where there is nothing to buy but beer.

But we should skip ahead to yesterday when we were unable to get back to where we once belonged all day. It started in the morning when I entered a 5 level mall (filled with food, household goods, and little specialty shops) that is a block large and a block from the hostel only to not be able to figure out how on earth to get down and out -- all the escalators where going up.

Then we went to Zhou Zhiang -- a tourist town that has been dubbed "#1 Water Town in China" and there are gondola like boat rides and curvy confusing streets and lots of calico. Due the confusing streets and our inability to tell time, we were late going back to the bus. And so we ran like crazy to an exit, only Amy saw our bus driving out of town, and then this bicycle rickshaw driver promised to take us to the parking lot but it was so slow that he had to get out to go up the hills and push the bike. But I could not stand it, so Amy and I jumped out to help and then we had to yell about helping and not helping as ran along side the bike buggy and then had to get back in and start up, and ride until we hit another hill, and well, I am never taking a bicycle rickshaw again. I wish we had a picture of the craziness, but I don't, because how could we take a picture of all that. And we had to beg to get on another bus when all I could remember how to do was say "Qing Qing chu Shanghai." (translation "please please to Shanghai" or perhaps I said "please please eat Shanghai" because really my Mandarian is horrible)

There were other mishaps through the day, probably the best was at the end of the night when we where out of extra money (and by this time we had been drinking) and the metro had stopped running (we had wondered about that, but walked a long way to get to the best metro stop anyway) and we caught a cab and had to try to say, we only have 50 RMB money so please, please take us as far as you can. And he tried to reassure us and make pleasant conversation even very slowly and loudly for our benefit, but I was a little drunk and a little insistent and had no idea what he was saying, and he was right it was only 28 RMB money.

Joy to you all at all your daily accomplishments,

Elaine

The Palace in the Sky

2007-02-23T22:41:00.000-06:00

Dear Early Birds,

For Dad's last day in Chiang Mai, we awoke at dawn for one last adventure to the Floating Castle on Doi Suithep (It is really a combination of the winter palace which contains the Queen's gardens and Wat Phrathat on top of Doi Suithep. A Wat is a Thai Buddhist temple.) Our guides were brave, knowledgeable and giggly. Meet Sara and Lydia, the two girls of the family that we are staying with, and The MOM, the beast that guards a gazebo like structure holding lots of gongs and a huge bell.

There were tons of signs that said "Do not push the bells" which turns out does not mean "Do not play the bells." This is best done by softly striking the bell from the inside. Once we figured that out we made lovely music for the rest of the Wat tour.

Then on to the palace itself, which is still beautifully dressed in flowers from the International Flower Expo and in honor of the Queen and King. We even came to a huge fountain whose waterworks were moving in time to the King's Jazz compositions being played through speakers shaped like rocks. Here's a picture of Dad and I enjoying ourselves.

And so good bye to Dad until April. It was an excellent start to a vacation and there was never a more generous traveling companion.

As the monk who blessed us and gave us each a white cotton bracelet for our journey said,

"Be Happy, Be Well," Elaine

Elephant Postcard

2007-02-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

The first thing we did at the Elephant camp (outside Chiang Mai) was to walk straight from the parking lot up a platform. Then we were asked to sit. Then the ground started lumbering away because we had sat down on an elephant. Oh, I was scared and shocked! When I mentioned to Dad through gritted teeth that I was hanging on for dear life, he laughed and reminded me that the 37 year old elephant was not even slightly scared, she did this about 30+ times a day. (Does that sound familiar to some on you?)

The last thing we did with the elephant was get off. This was just as shocking. We were dropped off in a tourists village of people selling handicrafts, ice cream vendor bicycles, and dust, but no sign of our original platform. We stood on the descent platform for 20 minutes wondering if the elephant was going to come back and what exactly we should do. It turns out that you have to ride a cart pulled by oxen to get back (Duh?).

Thank goodness we have a picture or I would never have believed it (our elephant is much cuter now that I am not on her). Next time, I will meet the pachyderm first.

Chinese New Year

2007-02-19T07:52:00.000-06:00

Dear Year of the Pig,

We welcome you!

Chinese New Year has been explained as the best of all our holidays, presents with everything red like Christmas, fireworks like Fourth of July, and the best foods all wrapped up into one. It usually is a month long festival that corresponds with the moon. This year it comes to a head on February 18th.

In Kuala Lampur, we visited a Chinese school where they were making the red posters to put on the wall of the homes and amazing drumming (the drumming is more typical of Malaysia).

In Bangkok, Chinatown was so packed that it was hard to move and the air was full of incense and flowers and fireworks. I went through the a walking street and it took a hour to walk 1/4 a mile and it was impossible for me to buy anything because people we just taking their biggest bill and throwing at the cashier.

In Chiang Mai, the wonderful family we are staying with has been eating delicious treats and we gave the kids red envelopes. And we visited a Lisu tribe who were feasting and dancing for five days and nights straight (you can see in the background the dancers (I got to join in on the circle dance which you do slowly because the dance has to go continuously for 5 days, you can see that some are wearing traditional dress -- bright colors and metal mesh that rings like bells -- and some wear modern dress. Unfortunately this was the best picture).

Fortune and Happiness for you this year,
Elaine

McCormick Mission Hospital in ChiangMai

2007-02-18T21:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Health Care Associates,

This post will contain no pictures I am afraid, because it would be a little impolite to take pictures in the hospital. Although one of the kids we are staying with and I drew pictures of people sitting around us on a newspaper to entertain ourselves. We have arrived in ChiangMai, but over doing it has effected Dad, me and the people we are staying with. And, we have been to McCormick Hospital twice.

Maybe this would be a bad thing on vacation, but it is what you do when you have kids and right now we are just part of the daily life of the family friends that we are staying with. It feels reminiscent of my childhood and after lots of travel everyone can just let their guard down, stop doing and just be. Even if who they are is a little sick.

The hospital is very different from a US hospital. For one thing there are lots of open air courtyards in the center for patients, for another all the nurses wear white hats (the kind that only fit on the front and then are attached with hairpins), and the three people we took were seen in less then 2 hours. The patient rooms are big and the patients' family can sleep in the room with the patient (we just looked at a patient room, no one had to spend the night). There are lots of food sellers outside to sell food and magazines and toys to the family, too. The doctors and the nurses spoke some of the best English we have heard in Thailand. And they have an acupuncture clinic which I had an appointment to tour but then everyone else got sick so we had to take care of them instead.

Everyone is on the mend now, has had acupuncture from me and antibiotics from the hospital, and is being low key. And I felt fine until an hour after the last visit and now I am taking Yin Qiao San and going to sleep.

Good Night All,
Elaine

A slow walk though Thailand

2007-02-16T02:56:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends,

Our usual sight seeing demeanor has been tempered by the weather (it is 100 degrees F in the sun). So, please picture us slowly walking through Thailand and its capitals, trying to see majestic and ornate and amazing buildings in the path that the shade makes. Lazily wondering what kind of fruit we will next eat to be cool (Dad is partial to whole coconuts and the milk, I prefer mangoes) and feeling very ignorant about the history of Thailand.

So, all I can show you is pictures:

Ayutthaya, which served as the capital from the 1300's (with a brief Burmese attack in the late 1500's) to April of 1767. This lavish capital covered in gold was then burned and robbed.

There are tons of Buddha bodies with no heads all over Aytthaya.

I visited Wat Arun or The Light of Dawn, which was the capital before the current capital. The whole thing is covered in Chinese style ceramics.

Here is a detail

King Rama I (1782-1809) moved the capital across the river and built a solid lineage. This is the current King's temple, Wat Phra Kaew (although the current King does not live in the next door grand palace because his predecessor was killed there), which has borrowed from the other capitals. It has three different temples, two of which are only open on special occasions the other holds the emerald (jade) Buddha.

You can see the base of the bell shape behind Dad and the ceramics are mixed with Italian glass. Note Ray Bands.

Most interesting to me is the way these monuments to greatness where built (first of wood, especially teak, which was always burning down in one attempted take over or another) and then are rebuilt (either on the same place or in the new capital) with a base of brick and are then covered in cement and then decorated ornately. What you are not seeing in these pictures is tons of other tourists and Thai people. You know they are Thai because they are wearing yellow shirts with the King's crest on the breast pocket. It is like a hockey whiteout happening in the whole country, that is the kind of spirit that is here.

Long live Thailand's King,

Elaine

PS According to the news there is major snow across the US, so maybe you are also moving slow.

Yesterday was a 3

2007-02-12T05:23:00.001-06:00

That is the way the Chicago horoscopes start out: With a 1 being very challenging and a 10 being very easy. Although Dad and I are having a good time and we are lucky to even go on this trip and a million other things that make it so this post might not be what I send to my pen pal in Baghdad, but everybody has a more challenging day every once in a while. Yesterday was a good challenge for us (and we might have even felt a little homesick at least for a system that we knew). I will sum up in pluses and minuses.

- Awoke full of anxiety (used ear shen men and spleen ear points)
- My face is starting to break out in acne from sneaky citrus in all food
- Dad lost his prescription polarized sunglasses in a mini bus
- I do not know where the hotel is so we go too far and have to take a taxi back
- Wasps start to come out vent in new hotel bathroom
- Have to talk to management for a long time about "bees"
- Miss the last bus down to the beach
- Have to argue with woman at water taxi booking station to prevent her from riping us off (twice)
- Get lost and hot on Railay Beach
- Get stung by jelly fish in areola
- Woke up this morning with my left outer calf covered in mosquito bites

+ Able to order mild food
+ Met likable Swedish girl
+ Found laundry mat and lovely travel agent
+ Booked excellent tour for Bor Thor
+ Dad bought ray bands
+ Slept deeply

Do not worry, as today was much better and we only had one incident where Dad lost his new ray bands below the restaurant (it is on a dock in a river) and so he has to go in to save them, avoiding poisonous snakes but getting cut by oysters.

Looking forward to Bangkok tomorrow.

Always True,
Elaine

PS Will add picture of Dad in Raybands soon.

Mangroves, Monkeys, and Mangos (and Bananas)

2007-02-10T04:35:00.000-06:00

Dear Eco Tourists,

Today Dad and I went on an eco tour of the Mangrove Forests on the southern tip of Ko Lanta Lai (the island of Lanta big) and the Village of Ko Lanta Noi (the island of Lanta small). We went by long boat -- the same kind of boats from the last post. Included in the ride was a Swedish couple, the wife is working as a kindergarten teacher at the local Swedish school), a Swedish couple with their son who is 7 and their 9 month old daughter, our Guide Mr. Nas and his 7 year old son. As you can imagine it was a meeting of the 7 year old minds, full of play and merriment. Both boys where armed with cameras which they would take pictures of anything that took their fancy, especially each other. (Now Dad and I are even, as he erased the picture of the boys, stating that it had no pictographic value).

Koh Lanta is one of the smaller islands that has recently (in the last twenty years come to tourism) and its community is very unique. Sea Gypsies, Muslims, and Chinese have coexisted in harmony for oer 200 years in this fishing community. Our tour is part of a community based program to both teach tourists about the unique qualities of Ko Lanta and to replant the Mangrove Forests that shelters the island from the sea and provides a buffer between the salt and fresh water. Mangroves also provide wood for building houses, medicine, and used to be used as a coal. (You see the other neighboring islands have really just become tourist party places, and Ko Lanta wants to remain very Thai: independent but extremely generous.

First we went through the mangrove forests and fed the monkeys. These monkeys are called Ma Caw Caws.

Then we visited the village just as Saturday morning religious school was getting out and we were swarmed with Muslim children on bikes all yelling, "HELLO!"

This may be a good time to talk about how much Thai people love children. Every where in the village we went, the Thai people exclaimed over the baby and the two boys. The hotel, Andaman Lanta Resort, we are staying at is full of children and every morning the are greeted, names remembered, given the choice foods. The Thai people, in general, are also as generous and loving with their own children: adults often put their arms around the child's shoulders to guide him or her, they are cooed over, and they run around as the adults work.

Then we went to Mr. Nas's sister's family's house, where we very generously invited into their yard with mangoes (picked right off the tree that was shading us), two kinds of bananas, papaya, and coconuts. Here is Mr. Nas's sister is displaying the food and her husband is feeding the chickens a banana. The family insisted that the baby take a half dozen bananas home.

Finally we ate a provided lunch on a beach (with more bananas and banana sticky rice)surrounded by amazing cliffs and then went to a cave, this area is known for its climbing and you can climb inside and outside of this cave. The whole tour was beautiful and our guide wonderful. And it was just like any good international event, the two boys exchanged shirts at the end of the day!

I wish you all could have come with me on this adventure,
Elaine

Picture Postcard Sunset

2007-02-07T03:06:00.000-06:00

Dear Snow Bunnies,

Here is a picture taken by Dad/Cam of our glorious sunset yesterday in Phuket a town with many European vacationers, a lot of trinkets, and a fair number of prostitutes. Today we are in Ko Lanta, yeah for the beach, and tomorrow I take my first attempt at snorkeling.

Sending warm thoughts your way, Elaine

PS I accidentally erased a different picture off Dad's kodak easy share c743 camera, so if anyone knows how to get it back I would appreciate your assistance (it was saved to the chip).

Lessons and Parables

2007-02-03T08:08:00.000-06:00

As a guest of Dad's teacher Mr Lee, we received some bits of wisdom that I want to share with you. When I asked Mr. Lee if it was okay, he reassured me that there was no copyright on the truth. Here, Mr. Lee is on the left and Mr. Kenny is on the middle right. Mr. Lee works above Mr. Kenny's high quality herb shop. There is also a restaurant with the best traditional healthy food.

* I asked Mr. Lee where did you learn about Chinese herbs. He replied, I studied from the oldest books, Shang Han Lun and others, from case studies, and from the work being done in Japan research as they try to understand the oldest books. If you have a teacher, you are always looking for the answer. But there is no right answer to the answer of truth. So, because I have no teacher I know there is no answer. For example, if you ask me 'Teacher, what does the durian fruit taste like?' Whatever I told you you would then compare every durian to my answer (this is more like a durian, this is less). But if you just eat the durian you will know the durian.

* There is no way to Peace, Peace is the the Way

* A young Mormon missionary came to Mr. Lee's door. The missionary said, "If you believe in my God, he will love you and you will go to Heaven. However, if you do not, then you will go to Hell." Mr. Lee responded, "If you believe in my God, he will love you and if you do not, he will still love you." The missionary asked, "Who is your God?" "Jesus Christ . . . . and Buddha and Krishna, for it does not matter what you call truth, nor if you believe in truth. The truth is still there."

Sending all you gentle love, Elaine

Hit the ground running

2007-02-01T01:27:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends,

From my arrival yesterday (after a pretty good nap in the Singapore "oasis" -- read sleeping room -- (thanks Kathleen's folks for the reassurance and good ideas)) we have been eating very well and our host Mr. Lee has been so very generous with showing us Kuala Lampur. I will post later about his traditional medicine shop and emphasis on the classics and case studies.

Because today, Dad and I had an amazing experience: we went to see the Batu Caves during the festival of Thaipusam. My friends it was crowded! The crowd was full of devotional yelling, the ground covered in shoes, and the action of the devotees incredible. The devotees (after much ritual) pierce their skin with hooks and spears or hold heavy or burning loads and walk through the street and up the temple into the cave -- when the ritual is over the devotees are able to remove their piercings without blood shed. I can only compare this to my own experiences with acupuncture needles which are hair thin and yet sometimes people bleed even from that. Do you see how it looks like some of the men are wearing capes of citrus fruit -- well each of those fruits are connected to a large hook and are stuck into the devotees back and the men that are carrying huge and heavy load on their shoulders dance up the stairs! There were also women carrying pot fulls of milk on their heads but it was harder to get pictures of them. We also saw inside some of the caves which are decorated with painted Hindu statuary and relief all the colors of the rainbow. Most incredible was the crowd that basically carried you up the stairs.

My best to all, E

The last thing falls into place and my heart beats a little faster

2007-01-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

Dear Last Minute Packers,

Yesterday I called my dad while he was packing for our trip and he described this experience perfectly: When your heart is beating just fast enough with excitement that you begin to feel a little anxious. Is that excitement or am I way over my head? George has been very patient with me the last week as I awaken before 5 am just to toss and turn in the bed making sure that it truly is excitement.
I confess that I am not a last minute packer -- I have all that time at 5 am to just sit and stew about exactly what would be best. "I should take a reference book about Traditional Asian Medicine. I will be in school, and I have two bookshelves full of TAM books (but most of them the size of dictionaries, incredibly specific, and travel poorly)."
Luckily something clicked, and so I let out a yip (it would have been a yell but it was early) and a quiet "Thank you Frank" and ran to the book shelf for Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine Revised Edition Paradigm Publications. A paperback that has English, Chinese characters, and pinyin with tones, points, herbs, formulas, theory, etc. It will not fit in my pocket (unlike the Lucky Dog that I never trusted in details and sold) but it is no heavier then a good novel. Although I have not opened this book since my first trimester of school, in last half hour of hanging out I can tell that we are going to be good friends.

There is nothing like traveling with a good friend,
E

Some notes before I go

2007-01-24T16:40:00.000-06:00

Dear Adventurers,

I am off. After much planning (or procrastinating), and some packing, and lots of advice, I am so excited that I am off in just a week. Just some last minute notes:

1. I will try to get to the Internet twice a week. You all will be getting a first person first time told account of the whole experience, hopefully it will be both heart felt and interesting. (Although I fear that there will also be some embarrassing naive paragraphs full of misunderstandings and foolish behavior on my part.) And unlike my first grade journal, I promise to write about more then just what I ate for breakfast.

2. Grammar and spelling will be taken into account for the final grade. However, I will be using public stations and cafes and I am a little worried about if I can find an English keyboard. This on top of my regular misspellings and grammatical errors -- well, I will ask for your patience and forgiveness in advance.

3. There will a Traditional Asian Medicine corner in most of my entries which can be skipped over or skipped to depending on your interests.

4. There was much interest in what I was going to bring on this trip. The next entry is that very important list (with an addendum up and coming of what I forgot).

So finally, I bid you all adieu and happy winter,

Elaine

Packing List

2007-01-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

Here is the list of things that are going into the big blue travel backpack (along with props to who ever demanded that I bring this along or donated it to the big trip)

1 Purple Coat

1 daypack green

2 Collared shirts: White long sleeve collared Coolibar shirt (this was my mom's); Pink long sleeved blouse (picked out by Andrea)

3 T-shirts: Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Blue T-shirt (thanks Patricia and Chico); white sleeveless shell; purple long sleeve (thanks Andrea); (HEY AN EXTRA PURPLE SHORT SLEEVED LINEN SHIRT SNUCK IN)

3 pairs of trousers: LL Bean Ripstop Trail ZO Pants (thanks George); Columbia Sugar Pine Hipster Pants (thanks Meg and Jack); black straightleg sweatpants

1 cotton print skirt (this was Judy's) and 1 black linen sundress

1 pink sweatshirt with hood

1 black sweater wool, acrylic, polyester blend from Brown Elephant

1 swimsuit

2 bras: blue sport, white 14 hour

7 pairs of Marks and Spencer white underwear (thanks Meg)

1 nightgown made of T-shirt material

6 pairs white cotton socks, 1 pair wool

3 pairs shoes: black vegan "solar" Earth brand, blue flipflops, and 574 New Balance sneakers

10 black small hair ties, 5 silver barrettes

1 necklace, 1 pair stud earrings, 1 pair hoop earrings

Cell phone and charger

Camara: Fujifilm A350, transfer cord, extra batteries, extra memory card

1 Nalgene bottle

1 Comb: blue

2 towels: beach striped and 1 tek towel (thanks George)

Books: Lonely Planet Thai phrasebook and Chinese phrasebook (thanks Alyssa Joy); Langenscheidt Chinese Pocket Dictionary; 2 Daoist books by Livia Kohn; Orange Journal with Tiger on it (thanks Shannon); Novels: Life of Pi and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress; date book for 2007 (thanks Dad)

Food Stuffs: 20 pieces trident, 1 ginger Lara bars, 1 Berries GoMega and 1 Peanut Crunch Odwalla Bar

Swiss Army Knife (thanks Goodman), 4 safety pins

1 key chain of Michigan (thanks Elon), both house keys, cta card

1 Travel Belt (thanks Mom)

First Aid Kit: Pepto Bismo 8 fl oz, 25 Advil 200 mg, Triple Antibiotic Ointment 1/2 oz, 24 CVS Alcohol prep pads, 25 500 mg Cipro (exp. 1/07) and 1 Terazol 3 (thanks PP), Quinsana anti-fungal foot powder; 1 pair ear plugs; 15 bandaids; 1/2 roll of medical tape (thanks Neal); 1 10cc syringe; Caladryl cream for kids 0.75 oz (Note: Dad is bringing insect repellent, Imodium, and benedryl)

Sunscreen: Banana Boat Sport spf 30 8 oz; Neutrogea oil free moisture spf 15 2 oz.

Tolietries: Nature's Gate Shampoo 18 oz; Lush Alkabar Soap 0.39 lb; theraneem facial soap 4 oz; theraneem cream; nature's gate eye cream 1 oz; 2 pocket packs kleenex inside LL Bean medium travel bag (thanks to Andrea for all this great stuff)

1 toothbrush, Tom's of Maine spearment tooth paste, dental floss (sample from dentist)

80 Whole Food Baby Wipes (suggested by many, esp. Kathleen)

5 Pens: 3 black ballpoint, 1 pink ballpoint, 1 neon yellow highlighter

Ladies Products: 65 light day pads, 20 always ultrathin flexiwings regular (yellow), 8 condoms (PP)

Traditional Chinese Medicine Travel Kit: 1.5 oz Arnica gel; 100 Seirin J No 5 (0.25)x30mm; 10 Seirin J No 3 (0.20)x30mm; 20 Seirin J No.5 (0.25)x40mm; 50 ear tacs; 24 CVS Alcohol Prep pads; 8 Germicidal Disposable Wipes; 1 tube ching wan hung/burn cream 0.352 oz; cotton balls; 100 nitrile gloves medium; 2 2" sterile gauze; Life Rising's Yin Qiao, HXZQT, and CHZN; Blue Poppy Jade Dew Ointment 1/4 oz.

Photos: George, family, cats (thanks Andrea)

Tape walkman (thanks Claire) with 3 Chinese language tapes and 1 tape of how to pronounce the acupuncture points (thanks Frank and Alexa)

Passport with Chinese visa and 2 copies, 2 passport pictures, 1 international student ID

plane tickets

(is there anything missing?)

And of course, these journal blogs which are inspired by Jonah's awesome travel journals (the zebra and hippo list). This is my panda list and I will be keeping a list of all the books that I read on my journey and plan to post it on my dorm room door when I get back.

More preparation

2007-01-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

In the quiet parts of my day, I can feel myself preparing for long distance. Whether I am buying juice or petting Ms. Bon Bon, things take on a different hue and I try to store the moment in my memory. The same goes for George, not only do I feel myself trying to be more pleasing and accommodating (for example I did not eat all of the very tasty chocolate bar nor did I leave my usual evidence on the sofa) but we are lengthening our moments. I sit on the couch trying to touch him subtly trying to line my legs and arms up to get the most surface area touching together without being overboard and try to memorize every aspect so that when I miss him I can recreate the moment perfectly. And even when I start to get wiggly or its time to leave, I try to just hold it in for another second. I know how it works and does not work from our years of long distance. I can pull up an early parting from my head, its cool and wet and there is almost full moon and we're just holding on for one more second leaning against my car . . .
He was away for the night last night, and in between there has been a phone call, serving up the typical household business and loose ends. And that old memory came back to keep me company and the memory of remembering. Damn, its hard to live in the moment.

If only my Chinese were as awesome as his English

2007-01-15T16:40:00.000-06:00

Dear All,

As George and I are struggling through 30 lessons on CD of Pimsleur's Chinese (so far we can order two beers and ask someone back to our place: let the Chinese seduction begin!) I become reminincent about when I could have started learning Chinese, like back before Christmas or during those 3 semesters of Mandarian I took in college. Especially when I get my signed visa application and our hero, Allan who has been so helpful in Hangzhou, with everything writes us the best note yet:

"Dear Elaine:
Glad to hear that, wish a nice holiday of Christmas!!!
Kindest regards,
Allan"

And I cannot even count past twenty.

Sending you all the kindest regards,
Elaine

An Introduction to My Asian Adventure

2007-01-15T15:53:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends,

I am thrilled that you are stopping by to hear about my Asian adventure. My trusty purple coat and I are going to Malaysia, Thailand, and China. Along the way we'll visit friends, improve in acupuncture skills and dabble in spoken languages.

If you are not "into blogs," do not want to be checking back, or you would rather just receive these as emails. Sign up on the right.

Blessings on your journey,

Elaine