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.