What a weekend?

It has been a whirlwind weekend filled with activity and tons of fun. The weekend started with the kids and me spending the morning hanging out at home. This is unusual in that normally Saturday is my day to sleep in. However with Richard in Israel, I was on morning duty. Anyone that knows me knows that I do not do mornings. My poor, poor children, they had to deal with cranky, tired mom. Anyway, little did they know that even thought the morning sucked, the afternoon was going to be fun. One of the larger international schools (where my good friend Cathy Sue is a teacher) was holding their Holiday Bazaar. This has become a highlight of the holiday season and it really did not disappoint. I actually believe that every Expat in Shanghai was in attendance – it was packed with people. The funny thing was that even though we have only been here 4 months, I already knew so many of them. It actually felt very comforting and it was hard to believe we are in the middle of China, as carols were being sung and we were surrounded by Christmas spirit.

Everything you could want was there – Christmas wreaths, nativity scenes, handmade gifts of all kinds, candles, stockings, cotton candy, popcorn and tons of yummy food. The kids were in heaven, but little did they know there was even more fun planned. After doing a quick run around to see what was on offer, we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed for the special place.

The special place was a chance to meet Santa and tell him exactly what they wanted this Christmas. With our upcoming trip to the UK this year, I think the kids were a little worried that Santa would mess up and deliver their gifts to the wrong address. I can now report that Santa is fully aware of where they will be and what they need him to bring. We managed to get a nice photo for the scrapbook complete with the mandatory Chinese misspelling in the greeting – It says Mreey X-Mas, it true Chinese style. When I get a chance I will share the official photo - but here are a couple I took from the sidelines.




Cadence did not want her photo taken, but with the promise of cotton candy she will do almost anything - in the official picture she has a big smile. Immediately she returned from Santa’s lap she was heading for the door and that candy stand. We headed home and decided to walk back since there were no taxi’s in sight. We made it half way there before a lone taxi arrived and we were able to catch a ride. Caught up in the spirit of Christmas, I stopped by the dvd store and picked up Christmas in Wonderland for us to watch after dinner. I am mentioning this to for warn anyone who may be thinking of buying or seeing this movie to avoid it like the plaque. It has to be the WORST movie I have ever seen in my entire life. It was terrible; there are just no words to describe it. I paid 10 rmb for it (about $1.50) and I have to say I was robbed. It was not worth one cent of that price.

Sunday started way early- 6.30am when Hansen decided he would wake the whole family with his singing. I stumbled out of bed to find him laying on the couch in the family room singing to himself. No this kid should know by now that 6.30am is not a time to be awake on a Sunday, especially when his Dad is not home. I was less than thrilled, but managed to snooze on and off while he watched a movie and until 8.30am when the girls woke up. The whole day was spent counting down the hours first till Richard was due home, then until Aimee and I headed to the airport to pickup our good friends Mary and her daughter Olivia ‘Livie’, and then finally until 4pm when we were due at Cathy Sue’s home for a good old Thanksgiving Dinner.

Aimee and I headed to the airport around 3pm to meet Mary, and Rich and the kids made their own way to the TG dinner. After a slight hiccup at the airport (where I told our driver we were supposed to be at terminal 1), we made a mad dash to Terminal 2, where Mary and Livie had just landed. Thankfully, they had to wait a while for their bags, so were none the wiser that we had been running around like loonies. It was so wonderful to see them come through the doors. Mary has been an incredible friend to me over the past 4 years and I miss her terribly now we are here in Shanghai. I am so looking forward to our trip together, I know we are going to have a lot of fun. We all jumped in the car and headed straight for Cathy Sue’s. Poor Mary and Livie looked exhausted, but they made it through the dinner and we all had a great time. It really did not feel like we were in China at all. Looking around the room, I felt that I have a lot to be thankful for; great friends from all over the world, an incredible family, an awesome husband and tons of yummy food. What more could a girl want?


The reason he looks so mad is that one of the girls took away his 2nd Barbie doll!!!

THE BEST CAT VIDEO YOU'LL EVER SEE

Okay, I should so be in bed fast asleep, but I am still up watching YouTube!

I doubted this video really could liveup to the title,but I cracked up laughing at so many of these clips. Absolutely priceless.

Roomba Driver

This is way too cute!

Long Overdue

Another thing I wanted to blog about and have just never gotten around to it, is telling everyone how amazing my beloved husband is. In a world filled with uncertainty, he is a steadying rock. I don’t often say much about him that is nice, but I have to say that I am so proud of him, I could burst at times. One such time was a week or so ago. Richard went to work more sharply dressed than usual. Don’t get me wrong, even in the world of business casual, he is the one always wearing dress pants (trousers) a long sleeved shirt and tie, and since the weather has gotten cooler, he often sports a suit jacket too.

Well anyway, he looked particularly dapper this one morning and when I asked why, he reminded me that he was being presented with a long service certificate from General Motors that afternoon (I am such a bad wife I had forgotten all about it). In this crazy, mixed up world of ours there are very few people who are lucky enough to have a job, let alone get a long service notice. I am so proud of Richard. He works so hard for our family and often makes sacrifices to keep both GM and me happy. Although, I am sure I work him harder than GM any day. They are much more sympathetic and understanding than I am.

So how long has he worked for GM, I hear you ask? That is the incredible thing. He started with them in 1983….. Yes, 25 years!!!! I can’t believe he is old enough to have worked for anyone that long. Gosh, I still think we are 25 on a good day, closer to 85 on a bad one.

What an achievement! – 25 years with the same company. Richard works hard and long, but he still loves GM, probably more now than ever. We are so thankful for everything they do for our family, but most of all we are thankful for the opportunities we have through them. We have seen some incredible places, achieved some impossible dreams and have a quality of life that I wish everyone could enjoy. Times are tough for everyone right now, GM included. We know that tough decisions have to be made and belts need to be tightened and I hope that Richard is able to work for GM for many more years to come. Although, of course I am sure that he would like to retire before then next 25 years are over.

Richard, I know you NEVER read this blog (and really why should you, you know what is happening in the World of We5Chois? ), but if you ever do get a chance to take a peak at my midnight ramblings, just know I love you beyond measure. You are one of my true heroes and I am so proud to be your wife and to have you as my best friend. I don’t say it enough, but I love and adore you. Congratulations honey!


This is a great photo of Richard being greeted by General Motors' Chairman, Rick Wagoner. I would love to tell you that Rick is thanking Richard for 25 years of hard work and dedication to GM, but sadly it is not the case. This photo was taken back in September, when Rick was in Shanghai. He is actually saying, Oh you too, are here now!

Only in China....

So I have to write this down before I forget. There are so many little things that make living in China interesting.

One such thing happened this morning at the local grocery store. On arriving at one of the big supermarkets Carrefour, (which is like the Chinese version of Walmart/Asda), I was in desperate need of the restroom (toilet). Anyone that has traveled through China knows all about the squatty potties and you can rest assured that public restrooms in the grocery store are in a league of their own.


This is an example - but note that it is extremely clean and fresh looking. The ones in use around China do not look like this normally.

Anyway, being kinda desperate I headed straight for the bathroom. I was disheartened to see that I was 4th in line waiting, behind two middle aged Chinese ladies and a young twenty-something girl. Oh man! But wait… I see an open stall, with a western style toilet, why are they not using that one? Okay, maybe there is something wrong with it (eeeww! - it’s best not to get too close sometimes). So I continue to wait (after all I am British and we are known for our love of waiting in lines). A minute or two passes and then yay, someone flushes a toilet and a thirty-something exits yet another western style stall. But the ladies in front of me don’t move a muscle. What? Do they need to go? What are they waiting for? Come on, I need to pee! So I wait the polite 10 seconds and then push my way past them to the now open stall. No one bats an eyelid. I do what I need to and I exit, only to find a line of maybe 5 Chinese women waiting, including the original 3. The other western toilet is still free with the door wide open, but no, the 5 ladies are waiting for the squatty potty. How bizarre? They would rather wait in line longer than use a regular, western style toilet. I couldn’t believe it. As I washed my hands in the freezing cold water (there is never any hot), 2 ladies came out of the other stalls and 2 new ladies went in. So I was right, they really did need to go, but would not use the ‘normal’ toilet. Only in China would this happen. I had to call Richard to tell him the news. He seems to think this is perfectly understandable since probably the Chinese are more comfortable using the squatty and probably think we are strange, and unhygienic for actually coming in contact with the toilet seat. I still think it is bizarre, but as Rich says we wait in line for the western toilet, so why wouldn’t the Chinese wait for the Chinese toilet? He is so darn reasonable sometimes. I am sure he does it to annoy me ;-)

Something to remember in these hard times

BY MITCH ALBOM
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
November 16, 2008

Every day I have less

In my bank account.

Every day I grow scared

As my losses mount.

Every day there is less

To the house that I own

And the equity in it

Like the wind, has blown.

Every day I see less

On my bottom line.

Every day something worsens

That used to be fine.

Every day in my family

There's worry and stress.

Where we once dreamed of more

We now do with less.

Every day I hear stories

Of a company's worth

Sinking to levels

From before my birth.

And places I shopped

Are now closing their doors.

Big firms I grew up with

Are big firms no more.

Every day I have less

Of a once strong sensation

That the leaders we choose

Are good for our nation.

Every day I think less

Of a boss I respected

Who parachutes out

With his own butt protected.

Every day I see less

Of the country I knew

Of the dreams we encouraged

Under red, white and blue.

Instead I see signs

Of foreclosure and sale

And people afraid

Of what comes in the mail.

I see layoffs and cutbacks

No help for the needy

As billions are given

To the powered and greedy.

And this news, it is endless

It burrows so deep.

It shadows my waking

It's haunting my sleep.

Yet every day I have less

I cannot ignore it.

Something grows clearer

That wasn't before it.

If I still have a job

I am luckier than some.

If I still have my house

It is better than none.

If I still have my wits

There are mouths I can feed.

If I still have my family

What more do I need?

If I still have my health

I am mercifully blessed.

If I think I have little

Someone has less.

Every day I discover

More mercy in me.

Every day I find out

Who my true friends will be.

Every day that I stumble

Or say, "I can't do it!"

Is a day I discover

With God's grace, I get through it.

So I learn a new lesson

If I keep a new score

That every day I have less

May be a day I have more.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died
from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.

After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms........

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell,
or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.

Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!


The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and
inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them. CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Worth Reading

This is a little long, but so worth reading. I think this Dad speaks for many of us today.

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/I_Didn_t_Vote_For_Obama_Today

(sorry you will need to cut and paste as for some reason, my links don't link!)

A Day For The History Books

I am not often happy to be asked if I am an American, but today is different. Today I would be proud to be mistaken for an American.

I am not going to discuss my politics here, but I will say is that I am so proud of the American people today. They turned out in record numbers to wait in long lines to cast their vote in what has to be one of the most memorable Presidential elections in history. Regardless of which side they voted for, the truly important thing is that the people voted.

This evening I sat and discussed the election with Aimee and tried to explain to her why today was so special and why she should be proud to be an American. I told her in years to come, her children and her children's children will study and learn that on November 4th, 2008, an African American man became President of the United States of America. I remember the excitement when Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won an Oscar. That was great, but Barack Obama; a black man winning the US Presidential Election truly is incredible.

There is still a long way to go in ridding the world of racism, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. As the wife and mother to members of an ethnic minority, I am overjoyed to see the world changing for the better. I am happy that my children are able to see history in the making and hope that their world is more peaceful because of it.

Once the celebrating is over, Obama has a huge job to do. I am sure he will do the American people proud, but he may just need to turn into a Super Hero to get the job done. I just loved this photo, I think he looks almost as good as my favorite SuperHero Batman!

Red Threads

I know I have mentioned this more than once over the past few months, but I LOVE living in China. I sincerely hope it stays that way, but sometimes I think maybe I am still in the honeymoon period. As stressful as it is moving to another country & culture, our move so far has been great. I still pinch myself almost every day because I cannot believe I am actually here. I am sure that the things that bother others about life here in China will eventually begin to get under my skin, but for now I am like a kid in a candy store – my eyes are wide, my chin has hit the floor and I stand frozen in wonder at all that Shanghai and China has to offer me.

One of the greatest joys of being here is finally having some time for me. As I have mentioned before I am involved with the orphan foundation, I have joined the American Women’s Club, I have made some great friends through our local FCC and the kid’s school and I recently started a digital photography class. Anyone that knows me, knows I don’t go anywhere without my trusty camera. Well, I am finally getting some lessons on how to take real pictures – that is out of fully automatic mode and into ‘the creative zone’. I am way out of my depth, but am slowly getting better. Photography is something I thoroughly enjoy and it feels so good to understand my camera a little better. I don’t suppose I will ever take on the masters, but for now I am happy. Actually, I am already looking at getting a new lens (not cheap), so I don’t suppose Richard will be too impressed.

Anyone who knows anything about China adoption knows the legend of the Red Thread.

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances.
The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.

It is widely accepted in the adoption community that our children are connected to us by a red thread and no matter what the hurdles, we will eventually come together. This is also said of the people we meet during our journey to creating our family. We like to believe that what others may often call destiny, fate, coincidence, the six degrees of separation or the work of God; people are brought into our lives for a reason and that we are connected by this invisible red thread. During our adoption to Cadence and then Hansen, many red threads appeared and I have no doubt that the legend is true.

Now we are living in China, these red threads continue to weave a rich tapestry for me. The most recent of which goes back a number of years.

A few years ago (I honestly don’t remember how many), Steve (Richard’s brother) sent him a greeting card (I believe for his birthday) that had a black and white picture of two Chinese boys on it. The two boys were huddled close together, sitting on some steps and were happily laughing with each other. I fell in love with this card and have kept it since it reminded me of Richard & Steve. One of the boys has shorter, spiky hair and is wearing more casual sporty type clothing and shoes, whereas the other boy has flatter hair and is wearing a buttoned up jacket and lace- up type shoes. One looks like ‘Sporty Choi – Steve’ and the other looks like ‘Business Man(or Geeky) Choi – Richard’. I have often seen this picture, but for a long time I did not know who the photographer was.

Fast forward a number of years and you will find me in Shanghai with time on my hands. About six weeks ago, I received a note from the kid’s school to say the Parents Association had arranged a photo shoot for interested families with local Shanghai photographer Wang GangFeng. I couldn’t believe it, as I had previously discovered that GangFeng was the original photographer of the Choi boys look-a-like photo, he had also become my favorite photographer of China life. How cool was that? I could have my Choi kids photographed by the actual guy who had taken the greeting card shot and my own personal hero. Needless to say, I had signed up before even reading the small print, like how much it would cost to do. The photo shoot would take place on November 2nd.

Then a couple of days later I received a request from the orphan foundation to ask if I could help with a couple of fundraising activities. The first of which was the Eco-Design Fashion Show, which I have blogged about previously and the other was for a new photographer –Liam Liang. The new photographer had recently set up on his own and was looking to offer a portion of his fees to the Foundation. He just needed someone to reach out to the community to offer his services. How perfect! I got to help the babies and also make friends with a real photographer. I was thrilled. I immediately drafted an email and sent it to the local expat mama’s and the FCC group. Liam and I have been in email contact since then and hope to actually meet up and go walking and photo-taking around Shanghai together. This red thread was great, but what I also learned was that Liam used to be GangFeng’s assistant (weird!). Then if that wasn’t connection enough, it turned out that unbeknown to both of us, we were both at the Eco Design Fair. Liam was there to capture the fashion show on behalf of the designers and I was there on behalf of Aimee and the Foundation. Unfortunately, Liam and I did not know that we had both been there until the following day when we were both on an email distribution list of thanks –lol.

In the meantime, having joined the American’s Women Club, I also received an email with their happenings for the end of October. Imagine my delight when I saw that there was a walking tour of Shanghai’s old town with none other than Wang GangFeng. Richard and I signed up immediately, since how better to learn about Shanghai than through the eyes of the very man who had captured life here in China through his lens for the past 30 years.

The walking tour took place on Tuesday 28th October and I will blog about it separately later. It was wonderful and meeting GangFeng was a delight. He is such a sweet guy with a softly spoken voice and a wonderful element of mischief about him.

I know the above story took a while to explain, but I still find it incredible how the red threads weaved their way through the different social circles from me to GangFeng. I hope that in the coming months and years I get the opportunity to learn more from Gangfeng, not only about photography, but also about what his life was like growing up in Shanghai. I have seen his work and he has captured such amazing moments in time.

I will share a couple of his images here including the now infamous Choi Boy shot.

Who knew that Halloween could be so much fun in China?

Unfortunately, Richard was not able to be with us to celebrate since he had some high profile meetings with the Chinese Provincial Government in Nanning and would not be home until midnight (like the proverbial pumpkin).

Thankfully, the kids and I had been invited by our new good friends, Miss Cathy Sue and her beautiful daughters, Janna Mei & Jolene Fei (yes, you guess correctly Cathy Sue is from the South!) to spend the evening with them and some friends from our local FCC. At 4.30pm, I helped the kids dress into their costumes. One thing we had to consider this year, that we have never had to think about before, was wearing regular clothes under the costumes to keep warm. Back in Florida, I was always searching for something cool to wear, so no one got too hot, but this year it was all about keeping the kids warm, not easy in a skimpy polyester devil dress. For the past week or so it has been raining on and off, that dreary wet, yucky drizzle type rain that soaks you through, but I guess the kids constant prayers had paid off, because Friday night was perfect.

Once the kids were ‘dressed to thrill’, our driver, Xiao He (who seemed a little bemused by our attire) drove us to a local restaurant for an early dinner. It was quite amusing as we exited the car outside the restaurant. All over Shanghai there are small stalls selling flowers, watches, books and dvds on the street corners. The local dvd vendors outside the restaurant are our favorite and we have been a regular customers since our arrival back in July. As I got out the car, Jenny & friends (the vendors) said their usual ‘Hi!’, but it was when I was swiftly followed by a beautiful pirate, an impish devil girl and Ultraman, that the smiles and cheering broke out. They all thought it was great and told the kids how cool they looked. All this fuss caused the waitresses in the restaurant to be aware of our arrival and again, as we entered they all cheered and clapped and giggled at the crazy expat kids all dressed up. They then pointed us in the direction of our other crazy expat friends who had already arrived. Janna & Jojo were dressed as twin Hannah Montana’s, complete with blonde wigs, there was a butterfly, another pirate, a bunny rabbit, the most serene little Snow White I have ever seen, plus assorted pumpkins and princesses.









I had warned my kids that if they didn’t eat their dinner, there would be NO CANDY! They took me at my word and promptly inhaled their dinners, while the other kids were coaxed into eating or sitting at the table. Once everyone had arrived and eaten, and we could contain them no more, we hit the streets en masse. Again, the wait staff and the street vendors were giggling as we left. I guess we made quite the spectacle. The plan was that we would head to one of the expat compounds across the street, since they have a reputation for having a nice, safe and easy neighborhood for the kids (houses all on one level, short driveways and few cars around), plus they are known as giving out good candy! These are all important criteria when choosing a Trick ‘n’ Treating location for very young kids, who have no thoughts for road safety, but a narrow minded focus on ‘getting free candy’.

It is hard to describe the actual trick ’n’ treating. It was all quite surreal. Here we are in the middle of Shanghai, surrounded by families of varying countries all dressed in an assortment of costumes, knocking on doors answered by various nationalities, including quite a few Chinese ayi’s (maids) and being given US candy! The houses were decorated with pumpkins and ghosts, but on a smaller scale than we were used to in Florida, but still in a very American way. The kids loved it; they really had so much fun. They missed Daddy and more than once told me they wished how he could be here to have some fun too. We walked around for a little under two hours and were all exhausted by the time we found our way back to the compound front gates. I have to say it was a really fun evening, spent with some great new friends, but the words that describe it best are ‘simply surreal'. I should mention here that our Halloween experience in Shanghai is not how it is all over China. I remember last year with Joyce, back in the US - she thought it was incredible and she had never seen anything like it. I know I for one can’t wait until next year. Parenting is often times quite tough and we can get lost in simply living our lives, but it is evenings like tonight where you stop and take a breath. Nights like tonight are the ones that childhood memories should be filled with. There really is nothing more precious that sharing these moments with young children. I know they will soon be too grown up to be out with Mum, so I for one am cherishing these days.









We said a fond farewell to our assortment of friends and headed home tired and cranky. I had the forethought to take the candy booty bags off the kids in the car and told them we could have them back at home. I have been caught out more than once discovering an empty goody bag on arrival home, so I was not taking any chances. Of course, without the candy in their laps, their cranky moods were all the more apparent. However after a quick goodnight and Happy Halloween to our driver Xiao He, the frivolity and camaraderie returned as we headed to the dining table to check out our loot. The official counts were much less than in previous years (thank heavens), but the kids were thrilled with their treasure just the same. After a quick photo and bagging their candies into Ziploc bags with their names on, it was time for bed. Aimee kindly shared her some of her candy with Xiao He and had set aside a 'corn' flavored lollipop for her Dad. Hansen sweetly asked if he could sleep with his bag of candy, but I told him that ‘No! I was not born yesterday and that ALL the candy would be safe with me until the morning.’ He seemed to be okay with this, although Aimee wasn’t so sure (that kid knows how much I crave for Tootsie Rolls). By the time I had read them a story, they were all fast asleep. I headed upstairs too. Trick or treating is fun, but I fear I am getting too old for it. Thankfully, in a few more years the kids will be going alone – lol.