2 Great Days in Beijing

It's been too long since I've written. But we've been settling in this week in Beijing in addition to working full-time. The children come to school starting on Wednesday and we've had workshops and I've been working furiously to turn my classroom into something that will work for me. I just have these high standards for my "prepared environment." And to some people it might seem neurotic, but finding the right baskets, the right papers, and making sure everything is polished clean and presentable is so important to me. This is really hard to do in China mostly because I don't know where to look to find things like bottlebrushes and doilies and construction paper even! It will take some time for me to get my bearings.

I have internet access but only when Chase is not on the computer since I haven't hooked up my laptop to the cable connection we have in our new apartment. Tomorrow we get a phone line, DSL internet- wireless, thank goodness, and hopefully our Satellite TV fixed.

Well, yesterday three great things happened. Chase and I walked to my work because I had to drop off something and there was a Bally's gym that we were looking into for a yearly membership. We are getting out of shape. So this has been a priority. On the way out I spotted a Jenny Lou's! This is great because the day before, we went to a Carrefour. Carrefour is this chain from France similiar to a Target. It has everything from irons, to bicycles, to groceries. I couldn't manage my way around the smells of the grocery section. Seafood was still alive, dried foods smelled putrid, and produce was limited and foreign. No wonder Chinese eat out so much. It's a chore to shop for groceries and cook at home. It was looking bleak for me ever stepping into our kitchen for the rest of the year. But Jenny Lou's is an import grocery store with real bread, salads, produce, and brands that we can recognize- Newman's Own, Barilla pasta, Betty Crocker, etc. So we (mainly, me) are so happy to reclaim the kitchen and be able to cook once in a while.

Secondly, Chase and I bought bikes. We feel like Beijing has opened up to us and it's a new playground to explore. My bike is pink with a black basket in the front and a black rear pannier. I feel like such a Beijinger. I am currently taking suggestions for the name of my bike. Chase's bike is called Gray Thunder and is a road bike that is too small for him. It's 50cm to be exact and he needs one that's 58cm. He's raised seat as far as it can go.

And lastly, the sun came out! I was so happy. Yesterday was a great day.

Today was another good day. A beautiful Sunday. Not too cold, not too hot. We got our bikes out and rode to Ritan Park. It's a beautiful 20 hectares park where in the Northeast corner is an outdoor climbing wall and bouldering area. We met some climbers and taught Fernando how to belay. Then we went to a contemporary Chinese restaurant and had some dimsum and milkshakes. What a great way to round off the day. Now we're going to watch KungFu Panda before dinner.