Back in the U.S.A.

I've been unable to Blog from China so it has been awhile since I have posted.  The whole family is back in the U.S. for our summer vacation, and enjoying seeing our family and friends, and eating our favorite foods!  We had to come all the way back to the U.S. so that Jin could go to Korean culture camp with other Korean adoptees!  Go figure.  The reunions between all the kids and their cousins are going great -- everyone is getting along better than ever and enjoying this precious time together.  After one week in Elmwood with Jeff's parents, we are now with my parents at Pine Lake.  The weather has been cool, but after a taste of summer in Shanghai, I am enjoying every cool breeze.  We have already been to the dollar store -- of course.  Still lots of adventures ahead.  We will be up here for just over a week, then back to Elmwood.  So far, living out of a suitcase is fine.  

Liang Dong Hong

After 21 year, I was reunited with my Fudan roommate -- Liang Dong Hong.  Liang, who lives in Hangzhou and is a Deputy Chief for the China Construction Bank (5th largest bank in the world), was in town for a Fudan University reunion.  We met at the Fudan campus, which hasn't changed much.  The entire family spent the day with Liang and her wonderful parents.  We rode the high speed train, had a delicious lunch on the 54th floor of the Jinmao tower, and then spent some time at the Shanghai Science and Technology museum.  

It was a great reunion and I think that now that we have reconnected, Liang and I will be able to stay in close touch.  Her city is only 2 hours away by car, and her parents have invited us to come to their home town of Taiyuan to pick oranges in December!!

Sock Babies

We have revived the art of making dollies from socks!  I have vivid memories of receiving darling sock babies from Mrs. Campbell, and have always wanted to pass on the joy that those little dollies gave me.  Here is the first creation - -it started out as a bear and turned into Ms. Violet, the purple piggy!  It was hard to stop -- we kept accessorizing her.  She is the colloborative effort of Ellen Falck -- our 9 year-old Swedish neighbor, and yours truly.  

We are enjoying  a long three-day weekend here in Shanghai.   We bought a new 4 man tent and the kids and slept out in the backyard on Thursday evening.   Last night we watched the movie BOLT and loved it -- very cute.  

Our Ayi is off visiting her daughter for four days (after holding the fort down for 10 days while I was gone) and so Jeff and I are re-learning housekeeping.  It is over-rated!  

More later.  Hope that you are all doing well.  

Korean American Girl in Swedish T-shirt in China!

Who would have thought we would have learned more about Sweden in China than in Minnesota?  These darling soccer jerseys were birthday gifts from our friends and neighbors -- The Falcks.  Jin is really into playing soccer -- and he likes to play Goalie the best I think.  

We have a long weekend this weekend due to the Tomb Sweeping holiday -- this is the day when the Chinese go to their relatives' graves and pay respects.  

We are hunkering down for a very very busy April.   Jeff will be traveling to Vietnam for two days and then I will be gone for a record 10 days for a work retreat and training -- first in Beijing and then going on to Zhengzhou in Henan Province.  I have to lead the training of about 20 people and come up with all of the content to keep us busy for five days -- so I am quite stressed these days, but trying to keep cool.

Sunny had a Teddy Bear picnic this past week at one of her classmates houses.  She took very first Teddy Bear -- the one Grandma and Grandpa gave her when she was a baby.  Qi Qi also had a field trip this week to a farm where they grow organic vegetables.  Jin is proving to be quite the little fundraiser.  He and I sold 11 stuffed panda bears worth 1050 RMB (about 140 U.S. Dollars) to help his class sponsor a real panda in Sichuan through Panda's International.  

We are off to buy chocolate donuts at the clubhouse.  

We have some more interesting photos to post later.  Stay tuned....

A Visit to Xi'An and the Terracota Warriors

Hello everyone.  I spent last weekend traveling with work to Xi'An.  I travelled with two of my colleagues, Jasmine and Rebecca, who both work with the Big Sister Program (in the photo below).  They are amazing young women.  We spent three full days with the children at the orphanage and played many fierce games of UNo and lots of coloring.  In Xi'an, we have 19 children ages 8-21 or so in our program there, and will add five or so more next quarter.  They all go to school and some are learning things like drawing or dance, and/or getting tutoring in academics through our program. The kids are busy busy with school during the week, but the weekends are mostly spent watching TV, so we are trying to change that, and introduce some more recreation and fun.  Three of the older students who are seniors in high school are getting ready to take the very very important University entrance exam (Bao Kao) and their results will determine which (if any) universities they can attend.  It is a very very stressful time for students in China, and supposedly, once they enter college, studying is much more relaxed.  

The most sobering experience of the visit occurred upon our arrival -- the police were at the gate, and the female officer was holding a newly found baby swaddled in lots and lots of blankets.  This was my first such experience, and is not likely one I will ever forget.  

Jeff and I are both very busy with work.  We are both learning about budgeting.  There is lots of stress in and around Cargill due to the financial crisis, and we are hoping to ride out the storm.  The kids are doing well in school, but Qi Qi is facing some challenges with his behavior so we have him earning chips!  As another parent has reminded me, sometimes it is two steps forward and one step back, and we are definitely in the "one step back" phase with Qi right now, but hopeful he will turn a corner soon.  We remind ourselves of Jin's Terrible Four phase and have hopes that this too shall pass.  Parenting is definitely, hands down, the toughest job I know.  

I will write again tomorrow to share photos of Jin's birthday.  He turned 8 this week!  

ABBA Party -- Yikes!

More from Malaysia

Well, you can tell we are on vacation because blogging becomes a favorite past-time.  It is fun to share the beautiful photos with our friends and family -- and we have been encouraged to do so (although we feel a bit mean given that those of you in Minnesota are freezing your buns off)!  

Today we ventured to another area of Sabah, Malaysia to visit the Orang Utan rehabilitation center.  Like many animals, the Orang Utan are losing their natural environment due to the spread of palm oil plantations.  There is now a national relocation program and orphaned babies are taken in for rehabilitation when they are found.  We saw three of the four 2-4 year old (toddler) Orang Utans today.  The rehabilitation center is affiliated with a Shangri-La hotel, and they take in the little ones and care for them until they are ready to start fending for themselves in the wild.  We saw them come down to a platform in the woods for feeding time.  Once they are OK on their own in that environment, they will be moved to a 2nd step of the program (not like other 12 step programs!)

After monkey-ing around, we came back to the hotel for a swim and some fun in the sun before a thunderstorm struck. We have two more days before we go back to Shanghai and resume our abnormal, normal lives.  

Hope everyone reading along is doing well.  

Crystal Clear Waters of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (by Jin)

Today I (Jin) went on a boat to an island. It was called Manukan Island. It has crystal clear water. I went snorkeling with mom and dad. We saw lots of coral, fish and sea urchins in the water. {Note:  Jeff is co-authoring from this point on} Qi got bit by a jelly "bug" (something like a jelly fish) in a very private area (OUCH!!!).  Jin claims that he was stung in 5 places, but Qi was only one who needed medical attention. Sunny also went snorkeling with Dad and saw plenty of tropical fish.  

We're heading to an Orang-utan preserve tomorrow.  Borneo is the native habitat of orang-utans.  Laura is ecstatic!!!  Mr Zhu, our driver, wants us to bring a orang-utan back to Shanghai so that he can keep it as a pet (I'm only half-kidding).

Beijing Welcomes You

This is Jin's performance of Welcome to Beijing.  Hie is in the front row in a mask and yellow outfit.  He has been singing this song nonstop for weeks!!!!

Lunar New Year Assembly

Happy Year of the Ox (not cow as I had been saying).  Lunar New Year is a HUGE deal in China.  Everyone closes up shop and heads for home.  It is very much like Christmas in the states.  The stores are packed with people buying decorations and buying the ingredients for all of their favorite holiday meals.  

The pictures posted here are from the kids' school assembly.  It was darling, with each of the kids getting a chance to be on stage either dancing or singing a tune.  The faculty dressed up in these cue costumes and the Red Envelopes (Hong Bao) were handed out.  

The girls seated next to Sun are her best buddies -- Maurin and Mary Kelly.  They are her fashion icons and we will be heading to Yu Yuan gardens, tourist land extraordinaire -- to purchase a Chinese dress like them in the New Year.  I am full on board Sun's "want to dress like a girl" band wagon -- just too hard to resist all the dresses, shoes, and hair doodles.  Sun's hair is recovering from her self-styled band trim (i.e. hack), but fortunately she looks good in short hair and is pacified by dolling it up with inexpensive hair accessories which are in great supply over here at the local markets.  More later from Malaysia........