Shanghai!

I was sick a lot as a little girl. My doctor was the coolest doctor ever, Dorothy Wyvell. Dr. Wyvell snuck through medical school as a man before women were really accepted in the profession (she was old!) She had giant breasts so I can’t imagine having to hide them, but she did. She was one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met - quite inspiring.

She used to have this very unusual mechanical toy that spun plates. I used to play with it for what seemed like hours, sitting in her office, waiting for her to tell me that yes, once again, I had tonsilitis. Ever since, I’ve had a fascination with plate spinners.

Tonight, we saw a dude spin 21 plates - all on a table. I was kind of hoping for up in the air, but it was still pretty cool.

He was part of Shanghai Acrobat, a show we saw tonight at the Shanghai Centre Theatre. Yup, we left Singapore in our rearview mirror and are now in Shanghai. 

For some reason, I thought the show would be more dramatic - like Cirque du Soleil or the Drum Tao show we saw in Singapore. The set was a very simple screen with images and folks doing good, ol’ acrobatic acts. They were pretty good. Women doing tricks on unicycles, four men jumping through hoops at once, a man AND a woman flying around on the silk scarves, Chinese folks bending in ways people aren’t supposed to bend - nothing too out of the ordinary - but still cool.

The seats in the brand, new theater was packed with foreign tour groups. I kind of think it’s the thing to do if you’re a tourist here, which we certainly are. Our tour guide, EZ Charlie, recommended it. I think the group is some sort of national pride. Truth is, I expected to see something resembling their famous Olympic gymnists - or something like it anyway. If it’d been just me and Tom, we probably would have skipped it to go exploring on our own, but with little ones, it seemed like the right call. It was, too. They LOVED it!! Hudson cracked me up, clapping with such enthusiasm. Maisie learned one very important lesson: never throw knives like the man on stage did! The show ended at 9. By the time they got to bed it was 10:30. Tomorrow will be hell except there will be several napping opportunities throughout the day. Fingers crossed.

Traveling here took all day. We’re on the same time zone which is incredibly helpful. Even so, it was a LOOOONG travel day. After a tearful goodbye on my part (Cheryl was probably jumping for joy!), the van picked us up at 7:30. Our five hour flight didn’t leave til 10:30. Customs was a breeze. Asians do something far better than Americans: there is always an express line for family traveling with little kids. BUT - and here’s the problem - we had EIGHT big bags, plus small carry ons and two carseats. Tom was hacking up a lung and pushing two carts filled with heavy luggage. I had a car seat, the double stroller and another bag. We were quite the sight. Managing all the luggage and our own private bus to handle the luggage, meant that we were running late getting started on our Beijing tour. Driving in from the airport was quite interesting. We passed rice fields, ancient looking buildings, incredibly modern bits of architecture and more neon than I may have ever seen - ever! We went to dinner, then the show, then the hotel.

Now here’s something I found kind of funny: our first dinner in China was at a Japanese steakhouse!! Ha! The kids thought it was absolutely great. Hudson ate his own fried rice, part of mine, Maisie’s and some more the guy made for him PLUS all his chicken! EZ Charlie did an exceptional job planning a trip for kids, even if it means having Japanese food!

Our tour guide here is Claude, though Maisie calls him Cloud. He’s in his early 20s and very sweet. His English is pretty good, but he’s not exactly Mr. Factoid. If I ask him about something, he tells me, but he rarely offers insights as we travel. He did a great job punting when we were running so late, the mark of a really good guide. We’ve taken very few trips with a tour guide, but there really isn’t any other way in China with the language difference so wide. Plus, traveling with toddlers needs some help. EZ Charlie called the hotel room at The Holiday Inn after we got settled, just to make sure all was good. He’s been fabulous!

What I’ll miss about Singapore:

Cheryl’s friendship as much as her help; our already-large network of friends; Asian food; weekend jaunts; daily swims, the wide-acceptance of other cultures; the trash chute; the zero crime rate; the cleanest public bathrooms I’ve ever seen; trustworthy babysitters; indoor playgrounds; splashgrounds; Hudson yelling, “Tacky!” every time he sees a taxi; our incredibly busy social schedule; 

What I’m excited to see back home:

Our family & friends; Digby!; nice weather; square footage; my bed; my “stuff” including a well-stocked kitchen; our yard; American television; my car; our dishwasher; our large washer & drier; Target & the A&P; the ease of running errands; World Cup Nursery School; a good mani/pedi; milk; the gym (believe it or not); the kids’ toys; having email on my cell phone (I had a cheap phone while we were there); inexpensive haircuts; shopping at half the price of Singapore.

There is so much more to write about each place. I could fill a page with the pros and cons of each. 

Maisie cried and cried on the plane as we taxied on the runway. “I don’t want to leave Singapore. I like Singapore. I don’t want to go home.” Of course, the past few days she’s talked a lot about seeing her best friend Matilda and giving Digby a hug. My guess is she has mixed emotions just like we do. There’s a lot to love about each place. How lucky are we that we got to discover that! When we landed in China and she finally realized we weren’t going straight home, she cried and cried again. After the acrobat show she said, “I guess you’re right. I should trust you. This was fun. We can wait to go home.” That’s my girl!