GZ Tai-Tai

Dim Sum

Hubby did a nice piece on this so I will give you the link and my job is pretty much done.

Hubby does mention that with the little book that we now have, there is no need to walk around the restaurant and point at dishes on other tables. I actually prefer this method as I can sometimes find a dish that looks new and exciting that we can try. So despite having the little dim sum book I may still be seen wandering the tables in the local dim sum spot and pointing out something new that I want to try!

Hubby also did a nice piece on the Martini too.... Here it is

Happy eating and drinking!

Donna Reed Day

Today is Donna Reed Day. I say this because I am being very domestic, however minus the pearls and the lovely dress. Husband has the hots for Donna Reed as she appeared in The Donna Reed Show and also the Christmas favorite It's A Wonderful Life.

Expat Husband's Tai Tai does dress up on occasion, but not for domestic days, like today. I have donned the apron to protect the sweater and jeans I am wearing. Today I have been doing little miscellaneous things that have not been done for a while. I started the day with hopes of packing the suitcase for our trip. A slight deviation however to find a CD to put on the stereo, I ended up in Teenage daughters room and ended up organizing her Cd's Now they are in the racks that they belong instead of on the floor, on the book shelves, window ledge, desk, under the bed, you name it they were everywhere but where they belong. I never did put one on the stereo to listen to.  After looking around at the rest of the mess and before I got thoroughly pissed, I left that hell hole and decided to at least get out some summer things of my own and did indeed get some of those things packed. A few items are hanging up to dry as I felt the new t-shirts needed to be washed before they were worn. So far I have only taken up half of a suitcase.

My next task is to get together Expat son's summer attire and get his things packed. However procrastination has set in and now I am working on dinner. I have been trying to use up all the fresh ingredients in the house. So I have a couple of small pumpkin type squash and am in the middle of making a Pumpkin Soup for tonight. Expat husband will groan as he is not into soup or veggies. I really wish he would have a more open mind about these things. It is not like the recipe does not include things he doesn't like except for the squash that is.... It has butter,onion, whipping cream, chicken stock, onion, nutmeg salt and pepper. With a nice warm loaf of bread and butter what more could one want to warm you up on a cool windy day anywhere in the world.

I better get back to that squash simmering away.... Then it is off to son's closet before his tennis lesson.

I must be a Sadist...

Well I must love pain that is all there is to it.

Today was my day for Haircut and Waxing. The haircut was painless the waxing was not too bad despite the bikini wax. Actually the bikini is easier for me than around the ankles, that bit really gets me.

However today I think the real pain for me was the shopping that I had to do afterward. I headed to the Carrefoure for the Milk my kids like, and they(the store) were out of it. After dodging my way through all the other shopping carts and shoppers I found this out. Off to the check out though, to purchase my oatmeal, mahjong tiles and fabric softener etc. 

Then I stop into the KFC to get a Chicken breast and corn on the cob and a Milo. In the car and on the way to the Jusco to pick up fresh milk and bananas that are a little bit green still. (I cannot stand overdone bananas) I dig into the chicken breast that is actually just a chicken wing. Too late to head back and make an issue of it, as I eat the appetizer size wing and the rest of my lunchI think I could eat a whole chicken if it was all white meat. ( I hate dark meat on a chicken, it goes back to when I was a kid).

I get into the Jusco and I have to do the same dodging of people there, I finally get to the bananas and even though after several attempts to get to a bunch, I finally park my cart and push my way in, pick my bunch and reclaim my cart. People are even more clueless as to what is going on around them today than usual. I get my fresh milk and some potatoes for dinner tonight, I decided on Swedish potatoes tonight, to go with the rest of the Ham. I am cleaning out the fridge this week since we are evacuating Guangzhou for the holiday with everyone else. The check out counters are full and what a squash it is to getout of the store and find the car.

So I really am a Sadist since on top of the waxing, I put myself through the Chinese New Year shopping rush. When I could have just fixed the family hot-dogs and beans, or beans on toast, or Cup of Noodles, or Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches.

Such is the life of this Sadist.

BTW... The haircut is nice and my legs are nice and smooth now too. I am ready to hang by the pool and have fun in the sun! Now I need to pack the suitcase!

Parties, Lunch and Rats

My friend Christina and I are organizing a party for Saturday night. Last week was shot for organizing so we are getting it done this week. The theme is to come dressed in 60's-70's style. We went out yesterday to Haizhu market and made some purchases to decorate the house for the party. Our friend Sonia also came along as she needed to find some things to finish off her ensemble for the night. After buying some really groovy things like cushions, lamps, and Rhoda beads to hang in doorways. We had a couple of other purchases to make for our costume. Big hoop earrings, sunglasses oh yes and a lamp for the garden that I just could not pass up. After all were piled in the car we headed to the German restaurant around the corner to have a bit of lunch. A real treat for us since we rarely treat ourselves to such a luxury on a shopping day. Usually there is more shopping, then home before the kids get back, and by that time I am ravenous and could eat a horse.

We get seated and order our lovely lunch, and we are discussing the party, all of a sudden I see a rat run down the window and across the sill near a table that is close to ours. The woman sitting there jumped and was quite shaken. The waitress attending came to see what was the matter and she was told. Not much emotion crossed the waitresses face, she looked a bit to see if she could find the "mouse" ( this is what the Chinese here call a rat) but went on her merry way. We exchanged a few rat sighting stories with the shaken woman, then she went back to her coffee and her book, and we to our discussions. As we are eating our appetizer and talking, a scurry goes across the floor, the shaken woman shrieks a bit. This time the manager is on the floor too, and she actually jumps as the Rat passes under her feet and behind the bar. The staff behind the bar try to catch the rat. Things look under control and we make a joke about how the rats in GZ know where to find good food. Then another joke about not cooking the rat for our lunch. The rest of the diners went back to there meals and so did we, however the shaken woman I realized quickly paid her bill and left.

This is not a first experience of a rat in a restaurant for me, and not my last here in China I am sure. However my heart goes out to that poor shaken woman.Perhaps I have lived here too long and have accepted this as the other Chinese diners in the restaurant and the waitress have. In the states I am sure the establishment would have been shut down by the health inspector. Here however, I truly wonder if there are any guides for safe food handling and sanitation. Supposedly there are, I am told, but I would like to see those guidelines, and would also like to know if they are enforced at all.

I still remember my first morning in GZ in 1996. Walking into the World Trade Center in GZ and just outside the  Fairwood restaurant was a woman chopping meat that would go into the Congee and other dishes that day. Running underneath the food she was chopping was the open sewage.

Well perhaps our rat friend did make it into the kitchen yesterday, and hopefully made a nice lunch for the cook and the other kitchen staff. This girl however, will stick to chicken, beef , pork, and lamb thanks!

Hell Week

Last week was hell week for me.

Expat son stayed home on Monday complained of headache and tummy ache. I really did not see much wrong with him but decided to let him have the day off. I figured he just needed the day. Sometimes you just need one even when you are eight years old. No biggie. I set up his island on the sofa in the family room. He had videos to watch and video games to play and a book to read. A comfy blanket and pillow if he felt like napping. As the day progressed he seemed OK but the headache he said just was hanging on. So doctor mom administered a Tylenol and some TLC. As evening came and he was asking about tomorrow. " what if I don't feel good tomorrow" I said lets see how tonight goes and we will see. He pressured and I finally told him if your are not well tomorrow, we will go to the doctor. He settled down and went to sleep.

Next morning same deal, not feeling well so we headed to the doctor. The doctor decides that since Son gets headaches quite often we need some blood tests, then a trip to the hospital in Panyu for an MRI. First the blood.  My son decides it would be easier to squeeze the blood out of his index finger than to give us his arm, so we can take the three vials of blood a bit easier. Well, after much whining and tears a bargain was struck that 2 Leggos would be purchased if he gave us his arm and would not struggle. Deal was made and blood was taken. Then off to Panyu to the hospital for the MRI.  We get to the hospital hand the note to a nice nurse and she leads us to another floor and finds the doctor that we need. We are then taken to the cashier desk and we pay up front the cost of the MRI. Then the doctor leads us to the MRI room and son goes in alone to lay on the table. At the clinic he was told I would be able to be in the room with him. I was not allowed to be in the room, so some positive words of encouragement on my part were said, and he was OK. I told him I would look through the window while they set him up, and I did. Then I had to leave and wait outside in the hall area for the 20 minutes it took for the MRI.  I paced and prayed. The unknown, and a mothers worries of the worst things were with me.

Finally he came out and we had a bit of negotiation and a phone call to the doctor in GZ about how long it would take for us to have the scan to take back with us to the clinic for the doctor to see. Thirty minutes later we were on our way. Back at the clinic in GZ I am told that my sons left sinus is blocked completely. The doctor called a specialist and he mentions flushing the sinus with saline we try and this does not help son. The doctor sees we are just frustrating son and it is 1:30 in the afternoon and time for some food for son. The doctor confers with another specialist later in the day and calls me that evening . I need to take son into a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in Hong Kong. She gives me the name and address so I can make arrangements.

Wednesday morning I make appointment for Thursday and get train tickets arranged for Thursday. Thursday we take the 2 hour train ride into Hong Kong, then a taxi to the Specialists. Here son gets a camera put up his nose not very comfortable and a bit more bargaining is done. This one was easy he picked where to go for lunch, and a couple of DVD's at HMV before we headed back to GZ on the train later in the afternoon.

Son is on 4 different medicines and we are flushing his nose in the evening with warm saline. Lots of Warm steam and liquids to drink too. Later he will have some allergy tests done. If this treatment does not help perhaps general anesthesia and draining it at the specialists in Hong Kong.

We head back home on the train an hour away from home, I get a call that Daughter who was in Hong Kong last week for a school trip was heading home too, on a different train. She had called and was upset because while crossing the border a pick pocket had lifted her MP3 Player. We all got to the train station around the same time had to wait a little bit for daughter then we headed home and went to bed after our Mc Donald's dinner in the car.

Friday, Saturday And Sunday was spent nursing my migraine. Gee I wonder why?

Catching up

Big Apologies to ALL.... As I have been away for a long time. Away from writing this stuff, that I think few, probably read... but a few of you do I know.....And Thanks!

So I saw this on Banana Oil the other day... The throneroom and had to comment here, as this is one of my Pet Peeves in China too.  A similar experience happened to me weekend before last.  We, the family, went out for dinner, on Saturday evening to a local Korean Restaurant. After eating too much I had to use the "throne room" So I will probably give you "too much information" I had to sit on the throne to do the business on that night. Luckily this establishment is in a hotel and they had the nice paper rings to put on the seat and I was able to do this and not have sit like a little eagle. . I digress... While doing the business at hand three little Chinese girls are yelling at each other, not really yelling, it just seems like it, since I think this is the only tone the Chinese use since everything is always so loud. I really think they just love noise. Each of the little girls knocked on the door after they tried pulling and shoving. Then I see one little head look under the door. Then more conversation, then a different head pops up under the door, more conversation, then the the next little girl had to look under the door. More conversation. I say yes I go to the bathroom too, and no I am not standing on the seat. OK they are kids they run around a bit then more peeking under the door. Eventually they all leave. The mood by this time had gone.

My thoughts at this point are....

Here I sit all broken hearted had to shit and only farted...

So I head back into the restaurant and I run into the little spies... They look at me as I pass by and more chattering happens between them. I just laugh, then I retell the story to  the family, who have a good laugh about my stage fright.

My other peeve has been mentioned before, but the last few weeks I have been to a mall and have had to use the toilets. The holes in the floor with the nice stalls as Ian mentions in his article. However every time I have used the facility I am squatting and I have to look at a puddle of spit. I just hate this it is bad enough to have to deal with the stench from the basket of soiled tissue because heaven forbid we actually flush the paper we wipe with or the tampon that we use. But I also get to look at a glob of mucous while I do my business. Then try to avoid it on the way out so I do not slide and fall on my arse. You would think with the hole in the floor, one could at least aim the wad of snot into the hole. Aiyah!!!

Courtesy in China.. What is that??

Been away from this for a while......... but sat down today and looked on a few blogs including husbands GZ Expat and this article... that I read on Banana Oil reminded me of how really discourteous the Chinese can be.

When we moved to China in 1996 the group of us Expats were pretty tight and we all looked out for one another. One of our companies competitors had let go of a employee kicked he and his local Chinese wife who was pregnant with their first baby out of their housing accommodations on the spot. Our company hired him soon after the incident and as news spread of the bad luck that hit this newly married couple we all felt for them.

Soon after the couple moved into our complex my best buddy and I decided to have a "baby shower" for the new mom to be. We had planned and all attendees went shopping most of us went to Hong Kong to purchase gifts as in those days it was hard to find quality baby items. The shower was nice we played games and had cake and coffee and watched the new mom to be open gifts. It was a nice afternoon. However not a single Thank you was said for all the loot that was received by the new mom.

Being an American we are taught to send Thank You notes after a party like that is given. Well no one expected that to happen as that is not in most cultures anyway. However a verbal Thank You at the party could have been shared with everyone and it was not. 

At the time of this incident I just thought that it is not in the Chinese culture to say Thank You for gifts. I still don't know.......... When the second baby came around another shower was given for this Chinese woman and my Indonesian friend too. Again not a single Thank you from the Chinese woman but many Thank You were said and sent by my Indonesian friend.

The same Chinese woman later decided to spread some rumors about me not liking Asian people. This is totally untrue as I have many Asian friends now and back then. I still don't know what her problem is or why she decided to spread this rumor to mutual friends. She and her husband were always invited by blanket email to all of our parties with everyone else that was invited. Not sure why she decided to spread a nasty rumor like that about me. I would and did count her as one of my friends until I found out about the lies she was spreading about me. However she and her husband were always invited to our parties even though she was still spreading rumors about me. We really like her husband and it is too bad that she needs to be a trouble maker.

My feelings were deeply hurt by this persons rumor spreading, but people will believe what they want. The people who know me, know that I am not that way, and if people want to believe in rumors then perhaps they are not lucky enough to know the real me.

So is it lack of courtesy that this Chinese woman exhibits or is it just that she is a trouble maker... Not sure? I do think of her from time to time and hope that someday she will learn from what she has done to me.

On a positive note I have a nice friend Kitty that is from Guangzhou and she does understand courtesy and we share hugs, recipes, stories of our families and even visits to the hospital too. I believe that her child will know how to say thank you when it is appropriate and will try to help others in need when he grows up. So there is a bright side to every story .

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving morning the wheels are spinning, and I am up at 5:00 A.M. I finally decided to get up after tossing and turning for the last hour and a half.

Today is Thanksgiving and I had hoped to get out of all the work that happens for me on this day. However the whining from my family has ceased all my thoughts of a day of ease for me. So yesterday I prepared desserts for today and cheesy potatoes to pop in the oven when the Turkey comes out. Being the sweet person I am I will not disappoint the family.

This week is a busy week and we are squeezing Thanksgiving in between school, (our kids don't go to the American School so no day off) Fun Runs, Soccer and PTA teacher luncheons, that I am making desserts for, for 70 plus people. The family want to know why I was hoping I could get out of fixing Thanksgiving.......Needless to say I decided to not invite a crowd this year.... I will also try and pull out some of the Christmas decoration boxes and perhaps husband can assemble the tree why he is watching his football tape. This way I will be able to decorate it next week sometime. Hmmm....we'll see......

Things I am Thankful for

Being blessed with....

living in a different culture and country than my own

Being able to touch the lives of people that would not have known a westerner or would only have the impression of westerners from what they see on the telly

New Friends

Old Friends

Family

Our Home

Thankful for being blessed with a loving and forgiving Father in Heaven that touches all of us everyday of our lives.

Here is a recipe that is on our table not only at Thanksgiving but most holidays. As expat daughter said yesterday "It just isn't a holiday unless we have Cheesy Potatoes Mom!"

Cheesy Potatoes

6-8 Potatoes  ( I microwave and then cool, peel and shred )

2 cups of Cheddar Cheese, shredded

2 cups Sour Cream

1/4 cup of butter

half of a large onion diced small

Melt the butter and saute the onion, add the Cheese and sour cream melt together on low flame. Pour cheese mixture on shredded potatoes and mix together well. Put in a lightly buttered casserole dish and bake 350 F or 180 C for 45 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

My mother used to make these for our holidays and this recipe has carried over.

Here it comes again...

What is IT you ask?  Well it is the tale of the woman who paid 250 USD  for a cookie recipe.

This story went around when I was in High School I think my Freshman or Sophomore year. I remember my Mom bringing it home and actually making the cookies too. They were pretty good, made  a boat load too.  The story my mom brought home was the Mrs. Fields version. The last couple of years I have received the same recipe that my Mom brought home in the late 70's, with the same story, only this time with Neiman Marcus's name where Mrs. Fields name had been.

Well I had to do it. I had to see if it was a Myth or a Truth. Well I went to Snopes to get the low down and it is a Myth.  It was pretty interesting to read about the Legend and how far back it really had gone.

So if you are interested in the truth on this little Legend read this.....

The recipe is good and worth a try if you like a lot of cookies.

Halloween

Halloween  as I have said before is not my favorite holiday, and I would not miss it much if we got rid of it completely. Having said this, the kids enjoy getting dressed up in costume and parading around as someone or something else for a few hours.

Our compound celebrated Halloween last night. All of the children and parents met at 5:30 in the courtyard and  waited for everyone to arrive. Then they paraded around the courtyard to show off there Halloween finery. Even some of the neighborhood dogs got into the act. The small children were lovely. I dressed up as Mickey in the Sorcerers Apprentice, with my sorcerer hat and cape and full makeup.  The small children immediately knew I was Mickey Mouse and were quite intent on watching me and coming up to talk to me.  Son dressed up as a ghoul, with fake blood all over his face, he could not be persuaded to wear one of the masks that we had bought for him, and would not let me do any makeup Only the fake blood.  He wore a black robe with a hood and carried a scythe.  Most of the 8,9, and 10 year olds were dressed in similar costume. So much so, that we mothers were having a hard time picking out our own child.

After the children were done parading, a parent needed to get back quick to the house to hand out candy to the the children. The other parent was supposed to walk with the children from house to house. My son and his group of friends ended up on there own. Which is fine since we are in a closed compound and everyone knows everyone. They had fun being big for the night too, but they were good. No pranks yet but I am sure those will happen in time.

I handed out the candy and some of the kids were asking me if I was really Amanda and Brendan's mommy when I answered the door, some asked if I was really Mickey Mouse.  It was good to see only children Trick or Treating. It was fun to see the looks on their faces as they tried to figure out if I really was Amanda and Brendan's mommy.  I had many of the adults fooled too, for a minute or two.

After trick or treating we had a party, many of us left early as we all had, had a big day full of Soccer and other events. Once son had showered and I had removed my mouse face. We sat down to a late meal of  scambled egg sandwiches and some Mr. Bean on the telly. Then we headed to our beds for a nice heavy sleep. I slept in until 6:30 son is still sleeping. Gone are those days for me... Rats!

I have to say I enjoyed Halloween this year, but it is much different here, than it is in the states.