Santa Visits Guangzhou

Is it just me, or is Santa cuter this year?


Is that for ME???

Hey! Where did everybody go?

Two Front Teeth....

Angelica cut her first two teeth on Friday. I can already see two little pearly whites poking through her bottom gums, and she is not afraid to use them! She likes to test out their "strength" during feeding time....I bet she spends her napping HOURS sharpening them! OUCH! As always, she continues to drool, gnaw, and lick anything and everything ....even arms of complete strangers. Here is her story:


On Wednesdays I have my ladies' bible study group in the afternoon and my Home Group in the evening. Of course, Angelica comes with me to both. At my ladies' bible study she usually sits beside me on the couch, and plays quietly with her toys.

Shelley, another lady in my group, sat beside us this past week and Angelica was very playful with her. She thoroughly enjoyed all the attention she received. Halfway through the study, however, Angelica's centre of gravity eventually started to work against her. That's right! My leaning pillar of baby started inching her way, closer and closer toward her new companion. So what did she do? She gently put her hand on Shelley's arm, braced herself, and then proceeded to lick her! Overcome by shock, I apologized and gave Angelica her teething ring to gnaw away on, yet in that same moment I had to laugh. Talk about acceptance! It's not everyday a baby thinks you're good enough to eat! That's her way of saying, "Savoury, but sweet. Yes....I think you're OK!".


The other ladies enjoy having a "younger" member in the group, and I am so thankful for that. Angelica loves being in the spot light, and I enjoy being able to share her with them.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - International Movers!

It was SUPPOSED to be Christmas in October. We had waited 3 whole months for our shipment to arrive from Suwon, South Korea to Guangzhou, China. When the day finally arrived, we were beside ourselves with excitement (Well, mostly just me!)! Finally!! After months of waiting, I would be reunited with my ceramics! My cookbooks! And toys for Angelica to play with!

Well . . . it certainly WASN'T Christmas when I opened up our boxes and found this:


My heart was broken when I unwrapped this one. I had to put it down and walk away. I know it is just a "thing" and things are not important, people are . . . but I was livid! Let's just say, it's a good thing I don't believe in, or practice, voodoo . . . or there would be A LOT of movers with pins sticking out of them!


Tong-In International Movers was the company we used in Korea. I was shocked and appalled by the level of incompetence. I expected more! If you are living in Korea and looking for a moving company, please be wary of this name. I have moved within Asia before, the only difference was that I packed everything MYSELF and nothing broke. Why? Because I didn't just throw things in a box and hope for the best! I took the time and effort to ensure that things were packed carefully - ESPECIALLY IF IT WAS FRAGILE! Since Glenn and I did not have our stuff insured, they will not reimburse us for the things that were broken. So . . . I have taken it upon myself to advertise on their behalf.

This WAS an unbreakable plastic frame. "It will not brrrrrrreak (knock, knock) . . . it brrroke."

Fortunately, I can glue this one back together.

This one is so intricate that I CANNOT glue it back together.

This was a bamboo bowl. The foot of the bowl was shoved up through the middle.



One of my favorite pieces of Korean pottery purchased in Icheon. It WAS a work of art . . .

Again . . . the evil moving company! SCOUNDRELS!

Glenn's Nativity Stable purchased this past Christmas as a gift. The result of shoving all the items down so the box would close (I actually watched them do this . . . and prayed for a miracle that didn't happen).

Fortunately, I was able to put it back together.

The morning they came, I drank out of the mug belonging to this tea strainer. They had the audacity to tell us WE broke it and just taped it back together. First of all, NOTHING on my countertop was broken by ME THAT morning. Second of all, I would NEVER "tape" ANYTHING back together.

And the list of breakables continues to grow with each box I unpack. They even ripped the covers of some of my school books. The level of incompetence is rising at an alarming speed!

Yide Lu Market

Last weekend Glenn, Angelica, and I ventured over to Yide Lu Market to explore a little bit. Actually, we were really in search of the Ultimate CHEESE Block, but we couldn't find it. We took in some interesting sights along the way, however, so I considered it a wonderful outing (even if we didn't bring home any cheese).

In Guangzhou, you can expect to see people biking with loads even bigger and heavier than this one. They are truly hardworking people.


If you are willing to suspend your disbelief, then I can tell you this is NOT a motorized vehicle. It is man-powered.

Of course, no post is complete without a picture of our little beauty.

Sacred Heart Church

I quickly snapped this shot through the window of our speeding taxi (sorry for the glare). This is the Chinese version of Hercules! How many of YOU are able to do THIS on a daily basis? WOW!


Glenn and I had some SPICY Korean food the night before....so we decided to "stock up" (ahem).

Recipe for Laughter

This is what you will need:

A very well-fed, and I mean JUST FED, little baby, with perfectly proportioned rolls and chub in all the right places

An eager and playful father

A pair of shoulders

A freshly washed head of hair (just enough to grab onto)

Okay Dad, place your little skwirmy-wormy on top of your shoulders and dance around the house. The more movement, the better the outcome! Be sure to stop periodically in front of shiny objects and reflective surfaces for best results. Lastly, tell your wife, "I hope (insert baby's name here) doesn't throw up on me!" And presto-whamo! Your wish will NOT be granted.....but it's guaranteed to send your wife to the floor, rolling with laughter!

Let me just conclude by saying that once you've introduced your little one to the world of solid food, the following changes will take place:

1) Poop will smell and look like poop
2) Vomit will look and smell like vomit

Have fun!

Early Morning Giggles

Slide Show

Angelica's New Toy

Gallant Guangzhou - 10 Great Things About Living Here!

1) Mangoes!!! The mangoes here are bigger than ANY I've ever seen (not all of us grew up in Africa, you know)! I can make a mango lassi anytime I want - and I DO! Besides, it's totally healthy - no sugar added! The marvelous mangoes do it all!

2) Oatmeal is available in LARGE bags and it is cheap!

3) Cheese exists here! Albeit, it's a bit expensive, but STILL! It's a nice treat from time to time. (If you don't share my love for cheese....then I am sorry....we can no longer be friends.)

4) STARBUCKS! Before moving to Guangzhou, I almost never bought things from Starbucks....but it sure was nice to visit this familiar place in the beginning when we were living from day to day and still without pots, plates, and food! For 5 days, I think I lived on yogurt drinks, water, cherries, bananas, dumplings, and the occasional treat from SB (very yummy!).

5) We live in a great area (and I am discovering more and more things everyday)! We are very close to quite a few wet markets (which sell produce and meat). These are wonderful places to buy your fruits and vegetables (still can't....and don't expect to be able to ..... handle the meat section, though). The prices are very cheap - even if they charge foreigners more.

6) Angelica and I often take refuge at IKEA when we are out strolling! Air conditioned buildings are my friend...and IKEA is AMAZING!! Surely, it is every home owners dream store!

7) We are moving to a new apartment in September (see our new address in CONTACT US section)!! It is cleaner, brighter, prettier, and Angelica will have her very own picture window that ACTUALLY looks OUTSIDE into SUNLIGHT! Score!

8) There is a playgroup that meets twice a week for expat women. I have joined that group and GWIC (Guangzhou Women's Int'l Club), and now I am meeting people from all over the world.

9) We found an AMAZING pediatrician and International Medical Clinic. It takes a very highly skilled and special individual to be able to administer a set of vaccinations WITHOUT making the baby cry.

10) Since we've moved here, Angelica has become a movie star! Everyone ogles over her, takes pictures, plays with her, and she graciously flirts back. Sometimes this makes shopping a real chore (since I can barely move an inch without everyone wanting to touch her chub or try to sell me something at the same time!), other times, I don't mind because people tend to be friendlier when she is with me.

All in all, I am trying to keep my sense of humour about me.

Funny Moments in Guangzhou

Life in Guangzhou is certainly not without its quirks, but instead of focusing on my frustrations about living in a new country and the challenges its culture brings, I’ve decided to write down the funny stories that happen on a daily basis within our home. Here are my stories!

Asian Snacks:

So I was in the grocery store yesterday picking up a few things and I decided to get some dried fruit.....trying to snack healthy. Today, I ripped open the bag of what I thought was dried mango.....turns out to dried yam. Yup. I thought it would be disappointing, but it is shockingly tasty. Asia is wearing down my taste buds.....

Midnight Concussions:

Glenn and I have a King-sized bed and even with all the extra room we've acquired, he still sleeps right next to me and my pillows.....not in the middle, mind you.....closer to my edge of the bed (his story will be different....you should believe mine) . Anyway, I was dreaming and I had my hands up above my head.....as I am bringing them back down under the covers, I sock Glenn in the eye with my elbow. Startled awake by a rather loud, "Yeeow!" I tried to comfort him, but I somehow managed to poke him in the eye instead, which only encouraged another series of cries.

"What are you doing?! I'm going to have a black eye!" Was his exasperated response.
"I'm sorry. I was dreaming."
"What were you dreaming about?"
Silence....and stiffled snickering.
"What were you dreaming about?!"
"Putting my arms down."

I know. It takes an unusually cruel wife to laugh at her husband's pain....but in my defense, our room was REALLY dark....and what's he doing sticking his eye so close to my elbow anyway!

Shave and a Haircut:

Has your husband ever asked you to trim the hair on back of his neck? Mine does…repeatedly!! And the funny thing is, he trusts me EVERY time. Unfortunately, for him, my job descriptions do not include “Hair Designer”. Instead, I come equipped with the following assets:

Early Childhood Educator & Nurturer
Culinary Artist
Interior Decorator
Household Manager & Maintenance Personnel
Financial Manager
"Budgeteer"

...And so the list continues on with a variety of other feats, which do not include hair dressing. So…it should not have come as any great surprise that the following dialogue took place…and if you’ve ever seen that episode of Mr. Bean at the Barbers…you’d understand Glenn's dilemma.

“Oops!”
“Oops???! What do you mean ‘oops’?” his panic-strickened voice resonated throughout the room.
“It’s okay…I’ll just even it up!” I reassured him.
Meanwhile, my "steady hand" began to falter as my whole body convulsed under waves of stiffled laughter.
“There…no one should be able to tell. What do you think?” (snicker, snicker)
“If I could see back there, I’d tell you.” Came the sarcastic reply.

So let this be a lesson to all you men-folk, out there. If you want your hair trimmed…ask a professional.

"Curry"

Glenn and I were in a taxi on our way to METRO, a German company similar to Costco. I noticed that I had curry sauce on the back of my hand.

“Better get rid of it,” I thought, getting my tongue ready.....but as I was in mid-lick, I suddenly realized something.

“Wait a minute! I didn’t have CURRY for supper! What IS that?!”

FLASH BACK
Setting: Bathroom

Part of Angelica’s bedtime routine includes a bath every evening before bed. Just as I was lifting her out of the water and about to dry her off on her towel…she decides it’s time to “go”. And so she does what babies do best – she poops on her nice, white towel, but fortunately “misses” mommy. Right. So…into the bath water she goes again…and into the bath water my hands are dunked…but I must have missed a spot.

Moral: When you think your hands have been scrubbed and rinsed clean – wash them again and CHECK THOROUGHLY! Or you may end up “licking” something that you should not be licking in the first place! Bleh!

Okay, that's all the silly moments I have for today. This batch of silliness was brought to you by the letter "K".

All joking aside, I have an unusual craving for rice and kimchi......I must be missing Korea!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

What IS this stuff???

Angelica's First Taste of Food

"I'll feed her!" volunteered the overly eager father, "I mean, how hard can it be?"

Clearly, it's a lot harder than it looks! When I left, Angelica only had a little rice cereal leaking from the recesses of her mouth. Upon my return…well…it looked like she had gotten sucked into the bowl.

An Olympic star is born!

Reflections on Motherhood

In my month of motherhood, I have gained weeks of wisdom: cleanliness is overrated and laundry.....is the gift that keeps on giving!

Yesterday, Angelica spit up on me 6 or 7 times (and I don't mean a little dribble here and there - we're talking "clear-the-room-or-I'll-take -you-all-out" spitting power! She spit up more milk than I believed she was capable of sucking back.....down my shirt and into my BRA every time!! Now that's aim!! And it's shocking how such such a pretty, itty-bitty baby can produce such obsene noises....in a waiting room where all eyes automatically turn to mommy.....she puts the gasiest man in the world to shame!.......On the bright side, next time I have intestinal discomfort......"Oh my, Angelica!!" [snicker, snicker])!!

Ah well....it's a good job she's so cute. Makes me wanna keep her ('cause I wouldn't put up with that from just anyone).

Hope I brought a smile to your day!

Angelica Graces the World!