Friday, June 27, 2008

In Exactly One Month, I Will Be In Oklahoma

How crazy is that? We'll actually be leaving Shanghai a few days before then to stay in Vancouver, but it is one month to the day that we'll be home. I'm excited, and sad, and a little nervous.

Anybody got a job for me?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I'm Too Young for this...

We went to Beijing this weekend and while there are many stories to tell and pictures to share, I wanted to say this now, as I am terribly busy this week and those other things won't see light for a while.

Not once, not twice, but three times I was asked if Sara, our friend and companion on the trip who is in her mid-twenties, was my daughter! I would have had to have her when I was like 6!

And she doesn't look that young either. I mean she looks like she's in her twenties, not in her early teens like some girls. Twice these horrid, terrible things happenned in taxi cabs. Normally cab drivers don't speak english, but for whatever reason this weekend we found two who spoke fairly well and both times they pointed to my wife and Sara asking if they were family. Then the specifically pointed out Sara and asked if she was my daughter.

I know I'm balding. I know my beard has lots of gray. I know I am not young anymore. But that....that accusation...that was just painful.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Beijing Bound, Plus our Future Plans

We're headed to Beijing on Thursday and then will return home on Monday night. I'd say please excuse my absence to this blog, but as I write so rarely, I doubt anyone will notice.

We also bought our tickets home. We will be flying out of Shanghai on July 24. We'll actually be staying in Vancouver a couple of days for our anniversary and will be back in Oklahoma on July 28. Yeah.

We still aren't sure where we're going for our last trip. I really wanted to go to Cambodia/Vietnam but I think it will be too hot for us. Right now things are looking like Mongolia and maybe South Korea. But we'll see.

Gross...Just Groww

The other day I walk out of my apartment and into the stairwell. Immediately I can hear a mother and daughter-child talking. That's the thing about our stairwell it is like a giant beacon and that amplified every sound...very obnoxious when you are in the living room, though thank goodness it gets drowned out by the time you reach our bedroom.

Anyway, I slow my walk down as I hate to run into people in the stairwell, especially people with kids as it makes for an awkward movement as I try to pass. I slow down enough that they are outside when I make it to the door. I then open the door and realize I should have hurried up.

The kid, who is maybe 5 years old is just below the stairs, right in the middle of the sidewalk where I'll have to walk, taking a squat...literally.

I don't know how much I've mentioned the Chinese love of the squat, but it is how they tend to use the rest room, and most assuredly how the kids are trained. So there the girl is squatting where I need to walk with a big puddle below her and a stream still flowing.

Dang it.

I know I've been in China for too long because my first thought it not why this little girl didn't go to her apartment where I know she has a real toilet, but why she couldn't just take a squat a few feet over where their is grass and no walking path.

The mom paid no mind, just got her keys out for the car.

This is why I always take my shoes off when I come into my house.