Roughing it at Little Vumbura

After our camera fiasco, we reached the camp and were greeted with welcome drinks to soothe away the worries. Then we were taken to our fabulous honeymoon suite. It was the last of six tented rooms down a long deck pathway. Totally secluded and with a great private deck area, Chase and I were in heaven.

Here's the entrance.

The room had mosquito netting everywhere from the windows to the bed. Luckily, we weren't really bothered by them. But it was fun to sleep with the netting surrounding us. Felt like we were really out in nature, but not really.

A little celebratory champagne on our private deck looking out on to the reserve. We would hear animals especially in the early morning hours. We had a hippo visit us every morning chomping down on grub under our tent. Other times, as we were walking back from dinner or something, we would spot kudu, lizards, and various birds. In fact, we had to be escorted back and forth, for our safety, by the staff.

The lounge area with bathroom, writing desk, and reading nook.

The deck led out to a private outdoor bath that also looked out on to the park. Totally romantic.

Alright, so more to come soon on what we actually did and saw while at the Delta.

Day 4- Going to the Delta

The next morning we were off to the Okavango Delta. We were dropped off at the Kasane airport again and took this lovely six-seater to our next camp. Notice the ominous clouds in the background.

I was doing ok and wasn't getting any motion sickness. But it didn't help when Chase dozed off for a nap and I was left to my own devices a couple of thousand feet up in the air. The thunderstorms were far off so I was able to get a good shot of what it looked like from up there.

This is one of two runways we landed on before we reached our camp. The couple in the seats in front of us were dropped off and we continued on our way to the northeastern border of the delta. Both times, there were animals on the runway. The first time, the pick-up car ran the zebras off the track. The second time, our pilot made a low swoop to scare off the giraffes.

Here you can see how the landscape is changing. More marshy, more water, and definitely green and stunning.

This one is pre-nap for Chase.

Most of the roads in the delta were getting completely water-logged. We had a fun ride to our camp. And here's the view from where we were sitting. I can't say enough about the guides throughout our trip. These men and women (yes!) were experts in driving, in hospitality, humor, knowledge about the land, tracking, and storytellers. Growing up in the bush gives them such a different perspective than what we have. Oh, and they have hawk eyes. They can see the bush in such a different way and can spot animals, birds, and plant life like it's in their own backyard. And it is!

After the drive, which took about 45 minutes because we were literally driving in water most of the time, we hopped on a boat and were taken to a tiny island which housed just our camp, Little Vumbura. The entire camp has just 6 rooms, a dining area, lounge, library, bar, plunge pools, and gift shop! And then of course there's a whole back section which is out of sight for guests which is dedicated to the staff, guides, and management of the camp. It was really well run. I would highly recommend Little Vumbura. It was our little oasis for three nights. Here's the last picture taken on our wonderful Canon G11. We were greeting by the staff singing African folk songs and as we disembarked I handed the camera to Chase warning him that the strap was faulty. And as I was introducing myself to the staff I looked over my shoulder to see Chase lurching for a falling camera. Down it went into the delta. And one poor staff lady had to reach down in there while the other staff members were holding her body from falling off the deck and retrieved our camera. We tried our best to air everything out and give it time. It still works electronically, but the lens has water on it and so we suffered the rest of our trip without a real camera. Just our Iphones and a small point-and-shoot we brought as a back up. Needless to say I am finally glad that one of our cameras did not die on my watch (as the other two have). HA!

And Now This...

Chase and I just returned home from a wine tasting event at the local French restaurant. We were intrigued by many of the wines... from a muscat I really didn't like, way too sour... yes, muscats aren't sour, they are usually sweet, but this one was too tart for my liking.... to a chinon that was absolutely diving.

I was one of 15 people when I first arrived. One person was smoking. By the time Chase arrived 15 minutes later, we were the only two people besides the two barmen who weren't lighting up. The place was a chimney and we did everything from sitting at a table in the corner to opening windows, to finally moving to the 2nd floor, to get rid of the smoke smell.

And now, as we return home, this is what has been reported on the BBC.

Chase and I had a good laugh.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12844671

And now I must go take a shower to wash off the 2nd and 3rd hand smoke from my body and clothes.

Honeymoon Part 3 - Chobe

You can't have a Chobe National Park safari without seeing oodles of elephants.

Two elephants in love. Maybe they were on their honeymoon too.

This young adult, we watched from a boat while cruising on the Chobe River. He was busy munching on the mud in search of mineral salts. The elephants really enjoy eating this particular salt only found along the Chobe River this time of year. He would use his front foot to push the dirt into the tip of his snout and then stick it in his mouth. He was so relaxed just spending the afternoon getting some good grub. After he was done, he slowly walked over to our boat which was fully on the shore and stared at us for almost a minute before slowly walking away. I was so petrified and wanted to hold Chase's hand so badly (the elephant was closest to me) but the guide told us not to move or the elephant might get spooked. The animals don't think anything of the boats and jeeps but if they see movement within the vehicle, they get scared. Anyways...

We enjoyed the occasional downpour on our trip, but I think the elephants enjoyed it more. They became more frisky as they cooled off from the rain. They would roll around on the ground, run through puddles, and generally enjoyed getting rinsed off. It's a good life, if you're an elephant!

Man our camera can take good pictures. I love the tufts of cotton white clouds and the way the sun shines on this elephant. I think this one is worth publishing!

The elephants really don't seem to notice the vehicles and they come up and greet you. We watched this one munched on the grass for a few minutes.

Three adolescent giraffes. They are so gangly and I love their beady eyes with the most perfect eyelashes.

These are Sable Antelope and a giraffe.

The jackal became the official mascot of our trip. More on that later...

Chase really got a kick out of warthog families. They have cute snorts and are easily frightened. They stick their tail up in the air when they are scared and that helps them find each other when the threat is gone.

Again another great picture because of the way the sunshine is hitting this impala.

Here I am checking out the hippos on the Chobe. We had the best binoculars thanks to Kirk and Allyson who gave them to us for Christmas.

Hippos make the coolest sounds when they chomp on their food. Chobe is one of the very few places that you can find hippos come out onto the land because they do not feel threatened. I think that says a lot about the park, rangers, and courtesy of people coming their on safari that they do their best to let the animals be and not get too close. We were warned that getting too close to hippos is never a good thing as they can easily topple boats and if that happens the likelihood of a crocodile attack is severe and life threatening.

So that sums up our days at Chobe. We really underestimated how good the birdwatching would be. I took many pictures of bird life but unfortunately they just don't do the birds justice. You have to see them in person. We saw the most amazing, colorful bee eaters, kingfishers, hawks, and other birds of prey. I was so enamoured by them all, that I now have a new nickname from Chase: Bird Nerd.

Honeymoon Part 2- Muchenje

So the first few nights we spent at Muchenje Safari Lodge which is situated right outside of the Chobe National Park in the Game Reserve itself. So it was convenient to all the driving areas without having to stay in the park. Every staff member welcomed us and made our stay very cozy.

Here's Chase on our front deck to our lodge. Every room has a view of the Caprivi Strip which is the narrow strip of Namibia that is on Bostwana's northern border. There were game that came into the lodge, especially a particular bull elephant almost every evening.

This is where we ate our meals and I thought it was a nice added touch that the staff members ate with us family style.

One of the pathways to the common areas. Look how green and lush everything is. We really miss the sunshine in China.

Another view of the main areas.

The swimming pool. We didn't have much time for leisure as we were more interested in going on drives but if we would have stayed a few days more, I think we could have made good use and worked on our tans. We did manage to fit in a yoga session one morning while we were still a bit jet lagged.

More to come with the game drives at Chobe.

Honeymoon Part 1

Our honeymoon was amazing. It was the best, most relaxing, romantic, adventurous, just plain and simple, most superb honeymoon that anyone has ever been on. And I know it was because I just on cloud 9 the entire time. Everything that we had planned for went smoothly and even though we went during the rainy season and expected to be drenched, the occasional thunderstorm just, literally and figuratively, rolled off our raincoats. We were treated with such great hospitality, friendly fellow tourists, and excellent guides the entire time. We spent just enough time at each location to get an idea of the different regions of Botswana and in South Africa, wined and dined till we were in food comas. South African wine country has a lot going for it and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants to be around mountain scenery, fine dining, and an up-and-coming wine industry.

So that's the recap. Here are some pictures for you:

After our international flight to Johannesburg, we had a tiny layover for our flight to Kasane. Here we are flying over the Madgadikadi Salt Pans which are located in southeastern Botswana.

Here we are on the plane. The plane had room for about 50 passengers but there only about 12 of us on there.

Welcome to the tiniest airport ever. Here's Kasane's immigration counter. Oh, and baggage claim, well they just bring the bags right over to you in the waiting lounge.

We were picked up by our a staff member from lodge, Muchenje Safari Lodge, and on the road to the lodge we passed through the Chobe Game Reserve and even before we were on our first safari drive we were welcomed by the giraffes!

More to come...

Honeymoon, Spring Festival, and More

Well, I know you are anxious to hear about our trip to Africa and everything that's been going on the past month. So there are going to be many parts to this story. First off, our honeymoon was just amazing on so many levels...

I am going to try and break down everything in a few days ay a time.

So here goes....

Day One-

Chase and I made a trip on Saturday morning to drop Milo off at the premier kennel in Shanghai. It's called Paradise Kennel in a little suburb of Shanghai. We decided to rent a car so that we would be back on time to catch our flight the next morning. We had the opportunity to ride in an Audi A6 which was lovely. Milo also enjoyed it until we showed up at the kennel... and then he became antsy. We were showed to his heated room (more like a glass cubicle) and gave last minute instructions to the staff at the facility. In our efforts to deflect his attention from our departure, Chase and I took him to the play area which included an obstacle course that is used in agility training. Milo still had his cone on his head due to his recent toe infection and here's what happened....

Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival

The world outside is blowing up. Literally. Fireworks in every direction. We have two balconies in our apartment, north and south, and we can see blazes of fire from each one. It's a whole fireworks show that's been going on for the past hour and should intensify as the night goes on.

Milo is about to have a nervous breakdown. He's pacing back and forth, on the couch, on the windowsill, out to the front door. He can see the lights but then there are certain sounds that he just doesn't know where they are coming from. He's getting a good work out at least.

Today is the 15th day of the lunar calendar in China and it's the last night of Chinese New Year Celebrations. (Can I get a What...What?!). It's the Lunar Festival where they light tons of red lanterns along the streets and light fireworks because it's the last night to celebrate. I mean power to the Chinese people and all that and congratulations that they seem to be the 2nd largest economy and yay for the Year of the Rabbit but I've been thinking....

You know how in the US, every year animal rights groups urge people not overdo it and impulsively buy a cute bunny for their child on Easter? Every year thousands of rabbits die because about two weeks later, the kid doesn't want it anymore... and Bop! on the head of a little Bunny Foo-Foo somewhere... and we have rabbit stew...

Ok, I am exaggerating a little...

But just imagine how many MILLIONS of rabbits were bought this year in China to fulfill the desires of little Chinese children everywhere this New Year.

Just food for thought... or is it thought for food?

Back from Africa

Well, it's been almost two days since we returned. We quickly unpacked on the evening of our return. Yesterday morning we headed to the train station to pick up Milo in Shanghai but we missed the train by literally seconds. The next train was two hours away so I reluctantly asked Chase to go by himself while I stayed in Hangzhou to get a few last-minute things done before I go back to work.

I went grocery shopping, answered a bunch of emails, and did some Spring cleaning. Boy, that felt good.

Chase returned with Milo in one piece after a big ordeal of sneaking him through security to get on the high-speed train. He was told several times by people that he was very lucky to have not been caught. And several police officers and guards were really cautioning him not to do that again. Milo will not be traveling by train in the future.

Now, we're back on the routine and Milo and I went on our weekly walk around the Westlake this morning. I have some work in my classroom this afternoon and besides that will be just enjoying my last day before school starts tomorrow.

By the way, Africa was great. I don't have any pictures yet because on the third day of our trip, Chase dropped our camera into the Okavango Delta and, well, .... at least we had a backup camera, but no pictures of the great wildlife we saw. He says the memory card is somewhere but I am weary of this. Hopefully we can find the memory card and retrieve what's on there because we saw amazing scenery, wildlife, and had many great memories.

Milo's Big Week

Recently, Milo's been in a string of mishaps. First his foot was stepped on, then he got a bad haircut again. Well, it was a good cut, but just a little too short for the winter snow we had recently. And so he's been freezing and refuses to come out of bed each morning dreading the cold living room. He's like his Dad and prefers sleep-ins. I literally have to drag him out, carry him, hold him for a few minutes while he shivers on my lap and I'm putting some clothes on him. But when we're outside he's fine. I think he just likes to be dramatic. HA!

Here's a pictures of how most Chinese people prefer to hold their dogs, especially poodles like Milo that look almost like teddy bears. There's literally no support under their hips and the dogs are just dangling. I've also seen people pick up their bunny rabbits by their ears.... I have no idea if this is good or not, but it seems to me that behind the neck would be the best. Anyways...

And then this happened..... Buddy's wearing the CONE OF SHAME! I kid. He really doesn't mind it all. It only bothers him when he has to make turns and bumps into furniture he can't see. It's quite funny really to hear him bonk around in the other room. So the reason why he's wearing the cone is because he has a a foot infection on one of his toes. Some sort of bacteria got to his skin and the vet said.... through my mediocre understanding of the chinese language... that it's a kind of bacteria. So I assume he meant fungus and so Milo has to wear this cone to keep him from licking his entire foot off... which he was attempting to do over the course of two days. He's on day seven of the medication and cone and has three more days left. I must say he's healed up very nicely and I'm glad we caught it before it spread to any other toes.

And finally today, we embark on a trip with Milo to Shanghai where we will drop him off at a boarding facility for the next two weeks while we are in Botswana and S. Africa for our honeymoon. (That was a long sentence). I have never boarded any of my pets and I really have been in denial that we are actually leaving him at a kennel. But I found what I have been told is the best kennel in Shanghai. You might be asking why didn't I find one in Hangzhou. Well, they don't exist. Chinese people who have dogs tend to be the older generation and if they go somewhere they have a large network of family and friends that could care for their pets. Expats who have pets, don't have such a great network tend to live in Shanghai anyways, so that's where the kennel is. Expats also tend to go on longer trips that need this kind of service. That being said, last night at the vet in Hangzhou, we did see their boarding facility, which is just a room full of cages, but they also have another empty room that they said they could board Milo in. We might consider it since we will travel a bit this spring for shorter trips.

The boarding place in Shanghai is in the countryside on a big piece of land so the dogs can be let out, run around, use the obstacle course, etc. They have different kinds of kennels. Some with an indoor/outdoor run and some just indoors with aircon/heating. Milo will of course be in a heated room. (See first paragraph of blog entry for clarification).

So in order to deal with my anxieties, it struck me this morning that I should just think of it as Milo's just going to Doggy Chinese New Year Camp! He'll have his own room (not just a cage), he'll get to play each day, use the obstacle course, eat with his buddies, be outdoors, etc. I even heard that there's a webcam of the play yard and you can go and see how your dog is doing. We won't have internet for the first 5 days of our trip but maybe I'll have to check up on him after that.

If this trial run goes well, we might think about sending Milo to Doggy Summer Camp this July when we are in the US. So that's Milo's big week. He's growing up, that little buddy of ours.

And.... We're Back!!!

It's been months! Finally I sat myself down, re-downloaded VPN software, read tutorials, went into places in my computer hard drive I didn't know existed and got back online into the real world of online... where there's freedom. This new service should be faster so I hope I won't lag behind on blogging.

So a big shout out and hello! to everyone.... if there is anyone who's out there reading my blog.

WOW

I just found out today that I was accepted into the AMI Training of Trainers program! That means.... well, what does that mean? I guess you could say that it's the opportunity for me to take another step into refining my understanding of the beauty of Montessori.

Yoga philosophy also emphasizes that the number one reason we practice yoga (or insert practice Montessori) is so that we can have a Revelation/to see the Universal/and further Align ourselves with the Divine. And in the terms of Montessori theory, that Divine is seen in the child and is the miracle of the child. The second reason why we practice is so that we can be more skillful, artistic, and fruitful in our celebration of life. We are here to enjoy it, so why not hone our skills and make more beauty come alive within us and within others?

For when we cultivate more wisdom we deepen our experience leading to a more rich and delightful time. So yay! I am getting the opportunity to grow more beauty and have an even more meaningful experience with children (and maybe as a future trainer, with adults!).

Nope, Nothing to Report, Nada

You'll just have to wait longer. I know you're dying to see pics from Zach and Jackie's visit over here, but there's absolutely no way I can download the pics from the camera to my laptop.

So we wait. Until Chase gets back that is. He's the only one who can solve this mystery of where the pluggy thing went (the USB thing that you need to connect the camera to the laptop, yeah, that one). In fact, he still might even have it packed away and whisked away to Paris on his business trip.

Who knows.

At least the anticipation will build and you'll be even more amazed with my amateur photography skills when you do get to see the pictures.... of us drinking way too many glasses of champagne, at least that's all I felt we drank for almost two weeks....

Cheers!

Milo, the Sensorial Ambassador

Milo weighs approximately 12 pounds and most that is his poofy hair. Which by the way, he's got a new haircut and is looking more manly than his bad haircut of '10 which left him looking more like a princess than a rock star that Chase and I are grooming (pun intended, HA) to be.

But really, he's a little poodle with a big heart and loves everyone he's met. So it's baffling that when walking him on the streets and trails in Hangzhou, we get shrieks, halts in traffic, and people skidding across the pavement to avoid a confrontation with our more manly looking pooch. Girls are literally climbing over each other and act like you laid a dead rat on their open toed heels.

I love my dog. So being a good mother, I naturally give them dirty looks and tell them to relax in my mediocre Chinese. He's just a dog. He doesn't bite. And remember the 12 pounds? Almost 5 times smaller than the average Chinese girl!

The situation worsens when parents are with their children. They are naturally protective of their babies (sometimes even up to 12 years old, but the parents still treat them like 3 year olds.... another rant for later). Parents usually create a fear in the children when Milo and I are about 30 yards out and the children are often sent scampering behind the adult. This really gets to me, because it's a cultural fear. They just tell the children to stay away from dogs either because they are dangerous or because they are considered dirty.

So I've gone out of my way to stop, talk with them, especially directly to the child and introduce Milo to them. I even had a 10 year old tell me that I was lying to him that and that if he listened to me and petted Milo, it would still bite him. Outrageous.

Now I understand that Honeymuffer, extraordinary dog that she is, would not be as predictable around little ones because from a young age, I never had the chance to socialize her. She thinks little children look more and more like squirrels each day and would be good for herding and chasing. Well, Milo on the other hand grew up in a household of three children. So he's definitely primed for being what I call the Sensorial Ambassador.

Let me explain, I believe that each time I allow a child to pet Milo (maybe he's even their first dog to pet), that they experience something Sensorially that his/her parents aren't allowing them to experience. They rub his tail, maybe even grab and tug on it lightly. They feel the warmth of his body and the wetness of his tongue. These are all sensorial experiences that children in China are being robbed of.

Rarely do you see children here playing and looking for tadpoles. Even the grass here is off limits because parents think it will get them dirty or that there are too many chemicals sprayed all over. So when do children ever get to feel grass under their feet? Or when do they play in sandboxes? When do they experience having a pet in their household?

The way that animals are viewed is that they are merely a food source. Even in zoos, right here in Hangzhou, for example, children visiting throw rocks, sticks, trash at the caged animals. When they see a fish, they think of how good it is to eat. So Milo and I continue to break the barriers of ignorance, prejudice, and try to show children how wonderful it is to have a relationship with an animal.

Hopefully this will cause a shift in the way that parents allow children to interact with the world around them. The more experiences children have with nature, the more sensorially aware they are.

Montessori in China- Part 2

Oh, I forgot to mention....

So I live on a pretty busy one-way street in Hangzhou. Every Friday, my friend, Conrad, cooks dinner and hosts a yoga session before hand. I was the only one in attendance this week and I was taking Milo as usual. He's is the honored guest you know... Funny joke... So he's a poodle, but the translation for poodle in Chinese, gui bin, means "honored guest". How fitting for poodles. But he's such a relaxed guy. Not so prim and proper like a poodle.

So, across the street from my apartment complex is a strip of little shops- eateries, clothing, accessories, bakeries, etc. This Friday I noticed a group of young women opening up a new shop and it was in fact a Montessori Materials shop! I was timid upon entering for fear that they would recognize who I was (I am in magazines in Hangzhou advertising our school). But they didn't catch that and I spoke to them about their setup, intentions, and anything that they had to say. It was interesting and they mentioned that they had a school not too far from the shop.

It struck me so much about how Montessori is such a "catch phrase" in China at the moment and businessmen are doing just about anything they can to jump on the bandwagon. I can't believe how much in the two years I've been in China that Montessori has grown.

Chinese parents have one opportunity to raise a child and they are willing to do anything to get them a head start, a better chance of success, and an edge on other children. It's cut-throat even at the tender age of 3.

The materials themselves seemed on par to Nienhuis, or other AMI-approved suppliers. There were lots of "parts of ..." puzzles, basic math materials, and items like Dressing Frames, highlighted in the store. I didn't get a catalog but asked them to contact me in the future for any Open Houses for their school around the corner.

I can't be sure who's the manufacturer of these goods, but it's evident that Montessori in China is just "growing like a weed" in China.

I hope I can be a part of the good gardeners who groom and take care of this transformation in Chinese society for the future.

Montessori in China

So, some of you may know that I was teetering on the edge of quitting my job here in Hangzhou this Spring. The politics and the business side of things in Montessori in China are just really so much to deal with. I am idealistic, kind-hearted, and work with integrity, sincere, dedicated, and did I mention, Idealistic? Well, what you get in China is not the ideal situation. So I was consumed for the latter part of the school year about what to do. Well, I stayed: for me, for the children, for the families, and for the bond that I had already created with the community here in Hangzhou.

So we started school three days ago and I must say it's nice to have "returning children". It's been two years since I had that and I love the fact that I can see the relationship we have created. They know me, there's a foundation, and there's a mutual understanding. Beyond that, I can't believe how much English they have retained! Most of them are under 4 years (as is the case when you start a Montessori classroom from scratch) and they communicate with me in Chinese and I respond in English. I am so impressed. Since being in China, I have questioned the bilingual set-up. Talk to me more in detail and you will understand why I believe that bilingual settings in school are better reserved for the Elementary years. I just think that children from 3 to 6 have so much to cope with.... so why further complicate things? Nevertheless, I have been hired to teach English and I will do my best.

My parents in my classroom are so supportive, enthusiastic, and in-touch with their child's needs! What great Montessori parents! It also helps that for most of them they only get to have ONE. So they can make that dedicated focus.

The administration moved me to a new space which has more natural light, windows, and is a more "home-like" feel. I am grateful for that. It's a contrived space, but I am working with it. I've got a hard-working assistant and even more hard-working "ayi" or housemaid. Neither are formally trained but are so ready to learn. Even better! I love that feeling of mentoring someone from the "ground up" and am happy that they are eager. Which brings me to my desire to join the Training of Trainers program. I am looking forward to them approving me to start the program and I will do so whole-heartedly. I love helping and changing minds to think about children in a new way. My training in Montessori was such an eye-opener so I wish to convey that same feeling to anyone I can.

More later. But I am excited to start this new school year. And I hope that I can serve the children in my classroom in the best way that I can.

So Busy

I guess you can tell how busy I have been the last few months. I haven't had a second to really look at my blog or catch up on all the great things happening in my life. I am truly grateful to have a full, social, meaningful life where I am surrounded by those I care about and who love me.

July was great because I was in India with Chase and we were able to spend time with Archie (who's going to UT this fall), Sruthi (who's going to USC this fall) and my parents and grandmother. On June 10th, we celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday in traditional style. It's called a Shastiabdhapoorthi and it's basically where the husband and wife renew their vows. It was an intense few days as the schedule was jam-packed. In the mornings and afternoons for two hours each, 19 priests came to my Aunt and Uncle's home in SriRangam and recited the Vedas. Some where chanting from the Yajur Veda, others from the Sama Veda, Ramayanam, and finally others where chanting in Tamil slokhas and devotional hymns from the 12 Alwars. The energy that it created really purified the house and everyone in it. I definitely fell in love with the Sama Veda as it sounds very trance-like. There's a melody component and it is easy to see how Tibetan chanting and Karnatik music came from this particular Veda. Then on the 10th we had the big celebration. It was good to see so many of my parents' friends and relatives from throughout their lives come to support my parents. Community is such a big part of Indian culture.

The rest of the India trip was amazingly relaxing. I had so much fun eating. Everyday was a feast and I made sure to eat lots of okra, mango (not enough though), coconut, banana stem, and other wonderful veggies that are only found in India. Chase on the other hand was dying from the monotony of Indian cuisine. At least to his taste buds it was monotonous. For me, there were so many flavors that I missed.

As soon as we came back to Hangzhou I went through a series of interviews for the Training of Trainers program which is the next step for me in the process of becoming an AMI trainer. I have to wait a few more weeks to see if I made it in. It's really a 50/50 chance I think. And then I have to figure out how I'm going to get all of the program finished in my five-year plan... if I get in that is. So some major life decisions await in the future if I get in.

Chase celebrated his 30th birthday the next day. I had a surprise party planned for him given that we would go to the Banyan tree for a spa day. But that was unraveled when he said he didn't want to go. So we had friends over anyways, and then went to a bbq in Binjiang by the Sheraton. It was good food. I hope they host another one. I got him kettle bells as a present but apparently they are the wrong size. Oops. I really tried!

Chase went on a business trip for a day to Zhengzhou and it was explained to him that I actually was invited as well and me not showing up would be a major faux pas. So we rushed to get someone to take care of Milo and I hopped on a plane that Friday evening. We explored the Shaolin Temple and some famous grottoes in Longmen. The Buddhist carvings were spectacular and marvelous. Our hosts, were great and Chase and I had fun playing with their 4 year old daughter.

Last weekend, our friends organized a trip to Anji. Anji is famous from the movie, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, because there's a fight scene in the bamboo forest and Anji is where that portion was filmed. We didn't actually go to the bamboo park but there was bamboo everywhere. Our main purpose was to go swimming in the creek. It was Milo's first trip out of the city and he had a great time. We also took him swimming for the first time. I mean, maybe his old family let him swim in their pool, but we felt like it was his first time. He tried and then decided that the water is just not his thing. But ya know, Honeymuffer was like that until she got used to it. So maybe Milo will become accustomed to the water the more we take him. Here are some pics from the weekend. By the way, the watering hole was really great. Can't wait to go back.

Here's the great mountain scenery filled with bamboo everywhere:


Milo taking his first swim:


The swimming hole. The water was the perfect temperature:

Look. I'm famous.

A few days before we left for our trip to India, Chase and I went to Angelo's (a pretty decent NY style eatery) in Hangzhou for the World Cup kick-off party. There are always media photographers for these kinds of events and so my friends, Gillian, Nicole, and I were posing and made it into the local expat magazine, More Hangzhou. How fun. We are right in the middle of the page and I'm in a blue dress.

The Shryocs in China

I have been trying for weeks to get back to my blog but the Firewall of China is built strong and my vpn is friggety fraggety. Let's just be clear, I will not be renewing my subscription this fall, that's for sure. Here are the long overdue pictures from when Chase's parents came to visit.



Here's Kirk and Donna as they put on their rain gear as they would many times that week. It's perpetually rainy in Southern China. We spent the morning getting soaked while touring the Yu Gardens in Shanghai. The next day was beautiful though.


On their first night in Hangzhou we took them to our neighborhood Sichaun restaurant. The staff knows us since we've been there so many times and knows my dietary restrictions, etc. The food was too spicy for Chase's parents but they gave it a good chance.


Milo makes friends easily.


We took them to the famous Longjing Manor organic restaurant with some friends. Donna especially loved the duck soup even though it had locusts in it! There's a great story about why the locusts are in the soup and you'll have to come to China to hear it. Until then, Donna claimed it was the best duck soup she had ever had.


In Beijing, we went to see the Chinese Acrobats show. It was amazing!


Our good friend, Kris, an Executive Chef at the Crowne Plaza organized a full plated seven course (I think) dinner at the Yunnan restaurant. Here's Chase's Dad as he tries tree bark, a Yunnan specialty, for the first time. Great presentation on the plate, huh? It tastes like what you think lichen would taste like.


The last day we had in Beijing, we took them to Tiannanmen and a brunch at Maison Boulud. It was really so much fun to have them visit and for us to see how they reacted to Asia. I can't wait for their return!

While the Big Dog is out....

Mommy goes shopping!!!

Chase went to Shanghai on business this week and I couldn't help myself the other day when I was at Hangzhou Tower buying groceries. There's a little dog store I like to go to for treats and general supplies called, "Mr. Dog". I got Milo a new outfit... a summer outfit... and he just looks fabulous!


He knows how to pose for a photo. Check out the turned out front paw.


Chase said I could buy one outfit every three years. But this one was so cute. It has dinosaurs all over it and it says "dino-finder" on one of the patches. At least we don't have a girl dog that's pint-sized or I'd have to be buying outfits every three days!