GZ Tai-Tai

Dinner Dilemma and Pizza

Another dinner dilemma... What to cook? This week has been busy. Monday was spent trying to find a Turkey.... No Thanksgiving is gone. This is a Turkey for our Cooking Club dinner coming up next week. The Turkey was not the problem that source has been worked out. Time was the problem. I never made it to my met man on freezer street. I had to get back to the house to send the driver back in time to pick up Ex-pat husband to bring him home for the evening. I spent too much time in the market buying Christmas lights and looking for an advent calendar for Ex-pat son. I did find one at a nice little shop but they did not have it there only a sample it would be 30 minutes before I could have it...which really meant it would be at one hour in China time. I said forget it and continued my search. I found another shop across the 4 lane road of traffic and this time the shop had more calendars to choose from, the one I really like they said it would take 10 minutes and it would be there... well after 30 minutes it was not.. I said I would come back tomorrow and buy it the woman in the shop said it would be there. ... SO I headed home as it was already 10 past 4:00 and ex-pat son had called and said he did not feel well and was I almost home? I am on my way I said, have a warm shower and put you pajamas on. I got home in time for the driver to get back to the office pick up Ex-pat husband and turn around and come back.

So yesterday I went out with the cooler still in the car and the first stop was the meat man. I bought not one but two turkeys... One small and one big. The small one will be dinner when Ex-pat daughter is visiting over the holiday perhaps for New Years day. Then back to the market to get that advent calendar , Ex-pat son (9) is really wondering if he will have one as we will not be in Hong Kong until the Advent season is well under way..he is a little worried about this... I always buy him one in Hong Kong. When I got there the woman said they did not have it and the sample was also gone... OK I chose one of the others she had on display and she had them in stock, no waiting so I bought two. One for Ex-pat daughter to enjoy when she is here for Christmas too.

Now It is after 12:00 noon and the driver is getting a little bit upset about his lunch time... Cultural thing with the Chinese... They get grumpy if they don't eat at 12:00 and have a nap.

I was off to the local Park n Shop to buy some inexpensive wine for Swedish Glogg which I will serve next week at the Cookie Exchange I am hosting... Coca Cola for husband is next on the list as this is how he gets his caffeine fix, and we are completely out, and he is grumpy! I also stopped at Aji Ichiban for candies to put in the Advent calendar.

Both Park n shop and Aji Ichiban are chains from Hong Kong but they are carrying mostly local items that the Chinese use. Western goods in Park n Shop is quite limited here in China and can be found on shelving on one wall at the back of the store.

Then I was off to the Australian Market that has western goods, to buy something that goes against my grain.... The horror of it all  boxed cake mixes. I had to bake two cakes for delivery today, to the school for a teacher luncheon. Last year I made a gorgeous Carrot Cake and Cheese Cake homemade... but this year  sorry I have no time...So yes I sunk to a new low and I even bought the cans of frosting to put on top of the cakes! When I got home I baked the cakes in between dealing with Ex-pat son and his homework and helping my helper Ling to fix our dinner. The cakes went into the refrigerator before I went to bed for safe keeping and this morning I frosted them with the canned frosting.

After my Spanish class this morning, I delivered the cakes and was trying to get out of the school canteen as quickly as possible.

I was hoping to drop the cakes and run. I felt very bad, even guilty, of passing off these cakes from a box. Not my standard at all!

I was cornered by one of the Moms that was organizing the lunch this year and she asked what I had, and showed me where to put them.

I confided to her that they were just box cakes and they were iced with can frosting. She was so sweet, she said, It's OK they are cakes and they are chocolate too! I could have kissed her!

Now I could just hurry and drop a couple of items off at two friends homes and just get home before Ex-pat son got home, since today was a short day. Which now leads to the Dinner Dilemma, I still don't know what to fix for dinner tonight and it is heading on to 4:00 in the afternoon.

Pizza... I think I will make Pizza..... That will work and here is the recipe, I use for Pizza dough in my Bread machine and my sauce recipe too.

Here are the Advent Calendars that took so long to find and buy. The beauty of these calendars, is I can refill them each year with sweets of my choosing. This year is an assortment of goodies. 

Kissing Bootie

I just read this article Doing deals on the green.

Here are some of my thoughts.....

Now they are teaching you how to kiss the bosses or clients bootie on the golf course!!!!!!

Note to Ex-pat Daughter...... DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! I Refuse to be the mother of a butt kiss!

Really if you are a good ass kiss there is no need to pay for the class in University.. Clearly if you have kissed all your teachers booties all the way through primary, high school and college. We all know who those people are, "the teachers pets". They grow up and we find them in the work place, joined at the hip to the boss,  or is it their nose to the bosses rectum.

I personally have a hard time tolerating that behavior from co-workers and won't tolerate it from employees.. I hate to see the behavior and refuse to accept the behavior.   Well I guess you know, now, how I feel about people walking around with brown on their noses.

What next a course in how to give the boss a good blow in the club after-wards.... They can start the first class off by explaining that blow is just an expression...

It is so sad that it has come to this... What ever happened to the days of, an honest days work and getting an honest days pay.

What happened to mutual respect and honesty?  Have we really sunk this low that we must teach our University students how to kiss bootie, not only in the work place, but also on the golf course?  Has our society really become so shallow that the only way for them to get ahead in life is to bootie kiss, cheat and scheme? 

I have been out of the work place for several years while living overseas, but really, I hope that somewhere out in the job market, there are bosses that aren't won over by bootie kissers. I hope they are actually rewarding their employees for a job well done and not for who kisses bootie the best!

How do bootie kissers look at themselves in the mirror every day before work?

How can bootie kissers stand that stench all the time?

I will never know these answers because I could never stoop that low!

Perhaps this sign would be helpful on the back of a boss not interested in bootie kissers.Apparently these can be found in Bangkok. Will have to look next time I am there. But today I found it here. There are other interesting photos around asia at that site too.

Sorry I guess I just needed to rant....

Next Post will be about food I promise!

Rain Rain Go Away

It is rainy season in Guangzhou China. The last day of school was the 16th of June and we have had one day that we have had no rain. Sunday was the day with no rain. Saturday we had a two hour window that we tried to use the pool because the sun finally came out. The pool was filthy, had algae growing on the sides and little creatures swimming. Needless to say we went back home and I made a phone call to our management office to voice my complaint. Next trip to the pool the test kit will be with me and probably all the other times too.

The Pool guys/ lifeguards are supposed to care for the pool. Interesting instead of actually checking the chlorine level of the pool and putting the information on the board, they just got off the chair they occupied erased the time of the test that was written on the board and wrote the current time of day on the board. My guess is their hasn't been any chlorine in the pool since school has been out.

I was a bit nasty about this situation when I spoke with the management. One of the things I learned growing up was how to care for the swimming pool. Keeping it clean and getting the chemicals correct. I don't like swimming with creatures of any sort, big or small, that includes plant life too.  Thank you very much.

The lifeguards/ pool guys I seriously doubt could save a life. I have never seen one get wet. Never has one of them swam across the pool. They are usually too busy sitting in a chair eating or sleeping.

Thank God,  expat daughter is a lifeguard! If son wants to swim and I cannot go to the pool with him. Our wonderful expat lifeguard daughter goes with him. No need to worry about that this week though, as it is too rainy.

One of these days, I think, I will set off some firecrackers under their chairs. Just to see how fast they can move.  I probably won't really, but I sure would like to...

Hee hee

Life, Love, Happiness, Turmoil, Disaster, Death and Grief

I am writing about a friend. She is a lovely woman from Portugal. She is beautiful inside and out.

When I met her a year ago, she had been through the death of her father earlier that year. We exchanged stories as we had lost my husbands father around the same time. After the death of her father she had a miscarriage.

No matter what anyone says, you still grieve a miscarriage as if it were a part of your family. I know I had one too and went through a grieving process.

Then my friend and her family went on a trip for the Christmas holidays that turned into a nightmare. They were in Thailand and the Tsunami hit. They were lucky compared to most. They had been on an elephant trek inland and all were safe. But emotionally this hit the family very hard.

They should have actually been on the boat trip when the Tsunami hit. The boat never came back. Fate? I look at it as a miracle that God spared the family and he had a purpose for them to be on the Trek in the jungle instead.

So now the new year started my friend was happy to get back to work, running the International school Canteen where our children go to school. This would get her mind off of the Tsunami and the guilt she felt, because she and her family survived when many others did not survive.

Happy news finally my friend is pregnant again. She held off telling people for fear of another miscarriage. I understand this too, as I have been there and had those feelings. Finally now she is showing and has told everyone and the baby is due in October. A Girl this time. She and her husband are very happy they have two lovely boys, and now a girl will be arriving soon.

Last weekend my friends sister came to visit with her 6 year old daughter. They arrived on Saturday. Sunday morning  expat husband and I were out for a walk and ran into the boys with their aunt and cousin. I tried to introduce myself to the aunt but was told she did not understand English only Portuguese. We exchanged smiles and waves and continued on our way.

My friend went to work on the school bus on Monday morning and I waved at her as they passed the bus stop that I was still at, talking with friends.  I went out for the morning and when I came home I received a call from another friend. She called to tell me that my Portuguese friends sister died. What! I cried.

Apparently later that morning the niece was running around outside crying. So one of the neighbors called my friend at work and put the niece on the phone to speak to her aunt. She said she could not wake up mommy.  She said Auntie come home and wake up mommy. My friend came home immediately and went upstairs to wake up her sister. Her sister had died in her sleep.  Natural causes. She was very young 35.

So this week, this small community is in mourning again. The death of another friend. In the 6 total years that we have been here we have lost 4 community members.

A collection has been taken up to cover expenses or to be given to my friends niece.  Her niece is young and death is not understood by the innocent.

She is matter of fact and said to my friend. "Mommy is not here so you and uncle will be my mommy and daddy" Then a day later she said, " I will get my things from mommy's house and we will sell it, and I will live with Grandma" .

The little girl will eventually cry, she has not yet.

They will go home to Portugal on Sunday. Her mothers body will follow. Then there will be a funeral. The little girls father, we are not sure about. My friend says he has no interest in the little girl. His new wife the little girl does not like. So the plan is that the little girl will stay with Grandma. This was normal for her, as she was cared for by Grandma when her mother worked.

There will be emotions running high and deep. When they arrive in Portugal. Things will be said that should have been left unsaid. Mean hurtful things.

Things that should be said, will not be said. Things like I love you, despite what you think of me right now.

Looks of accusation will be sent across a room or a garden. It might be a parent, a brother or sister that makes another family member feel guilt for the death even though they have no control over it.  Only God has that control.

These are things that should not happen, but they do happen.

It is sad and it makes for bad feelings and relationships are strained, that should not be strained. It is Unfortunate.

So I will pray for my friend and her family that they will not have these conflicts and they will be able to celebrate the short life of her sister. I will pray for the niece who has a loving family that will take care of her.

I am struck by awe at how well my beautiful Portuguese friend has coped with one disaster after another over the past two years. She deals with each one very calmly . She is accepting each trial she is dealt with humility and grace. If I could paint like Leonardo Da Vinci I would paint her without a head scarf. She would have children around her smiling and playing. She has beautiful large brown eyes and hair as dark as night that is blowing in the wind. Yet she will smile even as a storm cloud is hovering over her head and the trees in the back ground are bent from the wind. Yet there is a calmness that is portrayed by the glow that surrounds her and the children beneath her, they know that they are safe.

I wish I could be like that, unfortunately, when the tempest rises in my life, I lash back at the tempest with as much fury as the temest has dealt me and more. Sometimes the tempest ends up beaten, or it is I that is beaten, then I rant and rave forever. The bells tolling Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Ding Dong.......

Life, Love, Happiness, Turmoil, Disaster, Death and Grief

Catching Up

Monday started out pretty good, got the kids off to school and I headed to the gym. I have not been, in over a month so I was excited to get back into a routine again. Well we got about 5 minutes away from the gym, in the nasty Monday morning traffic, that for some reason was much heavier than usual. Not sure Why? But Guangzhou's finest traffic police were out in force. We get to the light where we turn left to head to the gym and it is a five minute easy cruise. However one of the cities finest traffic police sends us in the opposite direction and we are unable to turn left but instead right. So we are headed to the next light which is quite a ways away when you are sitting in a parking lot on the boulevard.  We finally make it to said light, and again we are sent in the direction we do not want to go in.  Needless to say we are on the opposite side of town and not anywhere near where the gym is... I wonder is it a full moon? Our driver is taking this all in stride but is quiet and I could tell he was simmering a bit. I laughed and I told him that it was not that big a deal, In hopes of making him feel better. He is much more patient than I.  In fact, I probably would have stopped my car and had a talk with the first guy that sent us in the wrong direction. Needless to say I would probably be sitting in a dank smelly room with a rat for a room mate.  So it is good that our driver is not a hot head like I can be at times.  Well I finally did make it to the gym but an hour and forty-five minutes later than I should have arrived.  Had a good workout and treated myself to an iced decaf skinny latte at the Starbucks next door. I called the driver and we headed to the local wet market for spinach and asparagus. Also to a local gourmet shop that we buy our imported groceries, at grossly inflated prices.  I was after some feta cheese and Fillo pastry. The spinach, Fillo and feta are for spanakopita, the asparagus because I love it. Later that evening after piano lessons the kids and I went out to dinner as husband had a company anniversary party to be at, and I was just being lazy.

I have a suspicion that the traffic police were behind the traffic mess in the city Monday morning. Traffic always seems to flow better when they are not present. Hmmm...

Tuesday... The housing complex was replacing the moldy cupboard in the kitchen and doing some electrical work in the upstairs family room, where there is one outlet. Since I like to move things around a bit I needed more than one outlet also it makes it difficult to plug in the T.V. the sega and they playstation also the lamps and the dehumidifier, also the computer and water cooler. Don't even ask what we do to vacuum up there....

I got started early on the Spanakopita. Chilled the spinach that I cooked and drained and added Salt and pepper, green onions and parsley. After it was well chilled I mixed it with the lovely feta and a slightly beaten egg to bind. Melted butter for brushing the fillo as I assemble the spanakopita. Then I start folding the filling into the fillo and keep checking the clock as I know the management company will be here soon to tear up my kitchen and I want to be done before that happens.

Half way through the process I move everything to the dining room as I am running out of time and want to be out of the kitchen before workers arrive. I just get moved into the dining room and the the door bell rings. The workers are on time and I got moved out of the kitchen in time! Phew!

While I busily work on my Spanakopita folding there is lots of talk in the kitchen. The workers need the cupboards on either side to be emptied. So our helper Hong and I clean them out and put everything in the dining room until the job is finished. Back to my Spanakopita I go, and finally finish it up. Busily I clean up my mess and I go into the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink, and the Spanakopita in the freezer. I will use them later this week for an appetizer at a goodbye lunch for a friend who will leave Guangzhou.

Upon entering the kitchen I am hit with this awful smell part B.O. that I can handle, the other is foot odor and there are two guys standing on my kitchen counter. So I tell my helper Hong when these guys leave she is to bleach the counters down. Then I turn on the fan above the stove and in the utility room to help remove the noxious gases that are being emitted into my once sterile kitchen.

The project took most of the day. Finally when they left and my kitchen was sterilized again, things returned to a peaceful state. However last night before I went to bed as I was closing the curtains, I noticed that a window had been unlocked. I noticed one of the supervisors earlier in the day in the room near the window before he left. So this morning ( Wednesday morning ) I had to talk with the Management office and let them know they may have a potential dishonest supervisor working for them and that from now on I will only have a specific supervisor in my house as I trust him. Unfortunately we have been down this road before with supervisors that open windows in a home and they or a friend of theirs enters the house while the family is asleep or away and they rob the house. This Tai-Tai is wise to them and has a check on all doors and windows every night before retiring to bed. Sounds Paranoid but I would rather be safe than sorry. Yes I do this at home too. Expat husband says I am weird but this girl did not live in a small town that we left our doors unlocked all the time. Unfortunately Expat husbands home town is no longer a place that you can do that anymore either. So perhaps a theft was prevented last night and hopefully none will happen in another tenants home.  News will get round to the other ladies to watch the supervisors in their homes too.

So today Wednesday is going to be spent updating the blog. I have bananas that need to be used they are over-ripe in my eyes, but great for a cake or bread, so I will bake something with those. Sort out dinner, I think something Greek and I will use some of those lovely Spanakopita since there are about 60 or more. Expat daughter was whining that I made them, and the family won't get to have any. I told her not to worry there will be plenty for us too. Then there will be my dance class to attend and Swim lessons for Expat son this afternoon after school. I better get moving....

Amongst the living I think

Well it has been a week since I last posted. In that time expat son and I have been to the doctor a second time and finally put on antibiotics. We have just finished five days of the antibiotics, however,  " I of little faith" think we should be on them a bit longer. So what to do leave it as it is for now, and end up at the clinic again in another week. Or do I just go to the local pharmacy and see if I can get the antibiotic that I was given in the first place and purchase a few more days worth.  I have little faith because the medical book says,about the antibiotic that son was given, that the usual treatment is 6-14 days and not 5 days. In the past when we had to go to the clinic it was not unusual for them to under dosage or not dosage us with antibiotics at all, simply because they either had none in stock or their supply is low. This is why I seem skeptical and have little faith.  I will need to decide soon, since I will be out and about today with wonderful driver. Need to run a few errands go to the bank, grocery store pick up a few fresh things, helper has not quite figured out the buying thing yet.  example low in apples need to buy some more apples.  This doesn't bother me too much as I enjoy a walk through the market now and then so I can see what is in season and I can bargain my little heart out. I missed doing this in the states.

I hated shelling out over two bucks a pound or more for lettuce that was water logged and weighted more because of it. Then I would get home and half of it would be rotten too. Talk about a very unhappy Tai-Tai. On trips to the local Fred Meyer I would complain about this at the veg counter while I am picking through the lettuce looking for a dry head, how expensive it was and the quality sucked. Of course I said it loud enough for the produce guy to hear and daughter would be telling me to be quiet. This only riled me more. I finally would get so t-d off that I refused to buy lettuce and we would eat cabbage and spinach salads. Fortunately later prices on lettuce was a little better or the pre-packaged bagged salads would be on sale at a good price.  Don't even get me started on the Mangoes in the states and how much we were paying for those! But yes I would buy them on the occasion and in February to make Expat husband his favorite dessert for his Birthday. Mango Sticky Rice.  The things we do for love. It was good but the Mangoes just don't have the flavor of the fresh ones here in Asia.  Something happens to them in transport if you can get them from Asia. But usually  I only found the ones from South America and yes there is a difference. 

Driver is here must go to be back in time for  Latin dance lesson. I am feeling a bit better just a little foggy and froggy.

Got back had a quick lunch of rice with veggies, and off to the Dance class I went. I rode Expat daughters bike since the class is on the other side of the compound from where we live. Had a good lesson it is with 5 other ladies. So we had a lot of fun. At 2:45 dance class broke up just as the rain came. The skies literally opened and the rain fell along with the lightning and thunder all around us. We all waited over 30 minutes and it was not showing any signs of letting up. A friend drove by and stopped and we all piled into her van. Her driver dropped us all off at our homes. That was nice.  Around 3:45 expat daughter calls from school and tells me they are holding the buses at the school until the storm lets up a bit. She said she is on a bus but little brother is not yet They "the little kids" are being held in the library or under the covered area until the rain slows down and the thunder and lightning is further away. OK I think good job! But my heart went out to the staff having to deal will all the squealing little kids! I was glad I was home in my quiet house.  Around 4:20 the kids arrived home, the lightning and thunder had gone off in the distance but it was still pouring.

Around 6:00 the rain finally stopped and daughter rescued her bike on the other side of the compound. While expat son went swimming in all the mud puddles. Needless to say his shoes and everything else was soaked and muddy. So he was told to strip where he stood and run to the shower before dinner. So much for the new sneakers he was wearing. We had to have a discussion about proper attire for playing in the mud puddles. Swim trunks and water socks are appropriate attire. Not, new sneakers and school clothes! Next time just wear the proper clothes for playing in the puddles.

As my friend from Sweden always told me. Their is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing. So now when it rains and the kids want to play I say yes.

Could not find the antibiotics so I guess we wait this out and see if we have to go back to the clinic again.  Maybe I should not be so skeptical.. I don't know...

Under the Weather

Well Sunday, Mothers day came and went. First I was rocked out of bed at 4A.M. with the thunder and lightning and the gale force wind and rain pounding the windows. I said a prayer, as husband would be landing in a few hours. Went back to sleep, but not fully. That state, that you are in, that is half asleep and half awake. Finally I get up at 5:40A.M. Shower and get the kids up so we can leave at 6:30 to pick daddy up at the airport. So off to the airport, the visibility is awful on the roads as it has not stopped raining, and we still have some lightning and thunder. Another prayer is said in my head for the husband in plane and for us on the road.

We arrive at the airport about 10 minutes before flight arrives. It is quiet. We watch the arrival channel for daddy to come out of immigration,customs etc. He is the first out since he has no bags to wait for this time. A happy reunion ensues. We are all glad to have daddy back with us even though he was only gone a short time.  If you have ever seen the end of Love Actually. The scene in the airport at the end is amazing and brings tears to my eyes. This is how I feel in airports leaving and arriving. I cannot explain it any better. Unfortunately I could not find a link with the scene in it for you. Good movie if you have not seen it you should. Sentimental I guess.

OK on we went to have breakfast at one of the cities hotels The White Swan it is on Shamian Island a nice place to have a walk round and have a look at the old architecture of the trading company buildings that were their during the colonial times. The rest of the day was spent doing a whole lot of nothing. Expat son comes home in the afternoon from playing with friends with a headache and has a nap. the rest of the day just feels generally miserable.

Monday...So this morning the skies are still dark as night and it rains and thunders around us. Expat son is ill with a fever so he is drinking lots of liquids. I have a sore throat and the sniffles and expat daughter the same. Today would be a good day to crawl under the covers but there is a trip back to Shamian Island to pick up passports at the consulate, and to have haircuts and waxing at the beauty salon at the White Swan for mother and daughter. Son will hang out and watch videos and be kept company by our wonderful helper Hong.  I best go the lightning and thunder are on top of us now. I need to shut everything down.

Looking for clear skies and sunshine!

The storm has past, but it is still showering off and on today. Finally made it home from Shamian Island just before 4:00 P.M.  Took longer in the consulate than it should have. "GROAN"  To make things worse got a call from husband that expat son has called him, son informed Dad, he threw up again and he is really hot.  I tell hubby I am on my way just about 15 minutes from the door. So home again I settle son down after some tylenol and some fluids. He is watching cartoons on his Island in the family room. Drinks next to him on the end table, and remote in his hand.  Must be a guy thing the remote always being in hand.  I see my husband in that position a lot and now our son. What did we ever do without the remote? I remember when I was a kid we only had about 6 channels to watch, and we had to get up and turn the dial to change the channel. Amazing my kids have never had to do that... No wonder daughter looks at me funny when I try to explain this to her. I get the glazed over stare and the "whatever"  comment.  I liked it better that way... getting up and changing the channel. Doesn't matter much anyway I don't get to watch what I want on T.V. much anyway.  Not that there is much to watch on it. So I read.

Making soup for dinner. Doctor Mom has ordered that.. That's my prescription for a rainy day and people that are under the weather.

This Morning's Rag

OK Here it comes the Rag session...

Yesterday morning expat husband headed out on a trip to Europe, very early, he will be back Sunday. It is a short trip. He goes, does his business, stays about 10-12 hours, turns around and comes back. All for the good of the company. I probably should not rag. But being the lovely person I am... and yes it is that time.... I will rag!  The thing that bugs me, is that, his time, with the kids is taken away on the weekend. He gets back, then he has to go in to work on Monday. Not even a full day is given back to him to spend with the kids to relax, after he has spent his whole weekend flying around the world for the company. Alright that is by big Rag... I'll get over it and stop whining about it... But you would think that a multi-billion dollar company could give a guy a day back for his trouble.That is life. End of Rag.

So yesterday the kids and I, get the driver after he drops my honey at the airport. We head out to the Framing and Art street that is about 45 minutes away. I need to pick up some plaster for the kids. They messed up the Volcano kit that Santa brought expat son.  So we are looking for the stuff (plaster) to use. I put what is left of the plaster in a Ziploc and put in my purse. So I have a bag of white powdery stuff in my purse. Oh God I think, then the scene from the Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason (click on link to see trailer) flashes through my mind of being busted with white powder. Thankfully scary knickers are not in my purse. I must shop for bikini nickers, next time in Hong Kong. Grandma nickers are so comfy though... Sorry Too much information. ( Too bad, you get the truth here.)

We get to the art store early, have to wait for it to open. As we wait in the car, in a no parking zone, and wonderful driver, is keeping a look out for the ever watchful police. The kids argue, and I tell them over and over, to stop it, or to shut up!  (Jeez, you think with 9 years between them they would get along. HA! ) There is activity outside the building we want to go in, that tells us it will be open soon. Finally the last employee has run in and the iron gates are pushed open and lights turn on. I see a policeman walking his beat, I tell the kids to hurry and jump out of car with me, and quickly tell the driver I will call him when we are done. Wave and he is gone. We have evaded a ticket once again Whew! We enter the Art Shop which is in the lower bowels of the building. I show the white powder to a store clerk, after scrutinizing it for a few minutes. A light bulb on top of his head appears, he lifts a table cloth, that is draped over a table, and pulls a box out from under the table. I look at the baggies in the box, it looks the same.. I ask teenage daughter if that is the stuff. She says yes, and I tell him, we'll take 6 bags. This way they can make 3 Volcanoes before I have to come back for more.  Multiples again. I know.

I have a list of tings I want to buy. I took a Chinese Painting class over the Winter. I enjoyed the class and have been buying a few things here and there. So I found more paint and brushes, a felt pad to do my masterpieces on. A pretty blue and white cup to put the brushes in and a brush stand to use while I am painting the masterpieces. I look for the paper and find some. I hand these items to the clerk holding on to the white powder.  I decide to look at the art books. I need some to look at, to give me inspiration of course. They are all in Chinese, but no matter the photos of the Chinese Paintings are nice and it will get me inspired.

" I hope the family will be less cruel about these paintings, than they were of my first water color painting of a straw hat with the green bow. They said it looked like a hamburger.  I don't see it though, I see a hat!"

"I really must get them to the Art Museum."

All of these items are dropped off with the others, and I have one more quick look around.  I find a mat to roll my brushes in. It looks like a sushi mat. Then I take this to the counter which is now full of my things. The young man looks at everything, then puts them all in a shopping basket, then takes me to a cashier, so she can ring up the items and bag them. While transaction is taking place, kids are arguing, and I tell them to stand at the bottom of the stairs and to stop bickering. I call the driver tell him we are ready.  Zolaaa... We head up to the street. We wait a few minutes,car stops, I open door of car, we pile in with all our goodies.

Next we are off to the other side of town, another hours drive, to the sporting good store Decathlon. We walk out of there with flippers for both the kids, a few cans of tennis balls, some ping pong balls for expat son. We will be seeing these bouncing around the house the next few weeks. Both the balls and the son. Oh yes and some jazz dance shoes for me.

I started a Latin Dance class this week, and I need some shoes that have leather bottoms. The first class was fun even if I have no rhythm. The instructor was sweet, if not a little feminine, and he is a little awestruck by my big hips and boobs.  I am not the dancer build that is for sure! The instructor kept telling me beautiful, beautiful, wonderful, so I must be doing something right! Or perhaps it is the hips and boobs...

Those purchases made.  The kids are starving, they say and they want Italian.  We head to the Italian Restaurant Milano, that is in the middle of the city. Nothing is ever easy.

We will give it a try again. The last time we were at that restaurant, we had a bad experience. They did not understand that meat ravioli is different than Cheese Ravioli. We ended up with Meat Tortellini which was rejected as we ordered Cheese ravioli.

They are not the same. Despite the fact that they think it is the same.

This visit I tell the kids to order off the lunch menu and keep it simple. Son and I share a Hawaiian pizza and tomato/mozzarella salad. Daughter has bruschetta and spaghetti carbonara .  Lunch is good and I think the secret at this restaurant is to stick to the lunch menu. Or don't order Cheese Ravioli.

It is decided, we have had enough for today and head home. Expat son is dying to get into the flippers at the pool. So the driver is told to come on Sunday early. The kids want to pick daddy up at the airport, and take him for breakfast. Hopefully daddy can keep his eyes open for that, as Breakfast is served late here unless we go to a hotel.

So wonderful driver gets to spend his Saturday with his family.  The kids and I have no plans. Well, I know son has plans to go to the pool.  I guess I need to pack my beach bag with magazines and my book.  Perhaps some cool drinks and a few snacks for the poolside. Will cut up some fresh fruit and raid the cupboard for biscuits (cookies). It is sunny and warm today hopefully that won't change.

Have a Good Weekend!