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!

Goodbye Singapore, Hello China

We leave first thing in the morning for Shanghai and our 12-day China adventure!

I wanted to write a long blog about what I'd miss - big things like Cheryl (not just her help, but her friendship) and little things like our trash chute. I wanted to talk about what I'm most excited to see outside of family and friends and Digby. Things like my bed, my car and, yes, even Target. 

But....I'm running behind on my packing. The kids are feeling better now, but poor Tom has a bad chest cold. We're off to a great start.... wah.

I'll try to update my blog in China. I just have no idea if we'll have Internet connections or not.

Otherwise, we'll be back the 19th. Thanks so much for reading and following this on our great Singapore adventure. Love to you all!

Packing it up

It never fails: the day before we take a big trip with the kids, one of us gets sick. Maisie woke up saying her throat felt funny so after lunch, I took her to the walk-in clinic around the corner. Another four-year-old girl was there obviously quite sad and sick. Maisie? She was flying around the room, bouncing off the furniture like a wild woman. I thought she might be faking it, but sure enough, she has tonsillitis - a very contagious infection. Now here's the cool thing: the doctor has all the medicine right there in his office. No pharmacy needed. And no patient needed either. He gave me meds for ALL of us so we wouldn't get sick in China. Hudson was so cranky today that we decided he was probably sick, too. One dose of antibiotics and they're both feeling much better. Truth is, Maisie was in a fabulous mood all day - yesterday, too. There's nothing better than Maisie happy!

I thought Maisie was faking it because she heard me talking about going to the doctor early this morning. I paid another visit to the Chinese doctor. We still have a hard time communicating, but I think the tea is working so I decided to go back and get a month's supply. I'm defiitely more patient with the kids and that's about what I'm most concerned. Interesting because she had to give me all sorts of paperwork for customs so there wouldn't be any questions about all my packets of herbs. Since Tom got in so much trouble with his stupid apple coming into Philadelphia, I'm a bit leery.

For the most party, I felt like a rat today - scurrying here, scurrying there. Packing is like that, right? I ran to get Tom's birthday shirt, the cleaning, some of this and some of that.

I just happened to walk by a store on the way home that sells weird crap, including these two, very cool, antique wedding hats. I bought them as my trinket from here. It's hard to say where they're from exactly and they probably aren't from the original local people, but could certainly have been used locally. Many of the Asian tribes have these incredibly elaborate wedding headpieces for not only the woman, but the man, too. One of my favorite things about the Peranakans (the locals) is that they have TEN day wedding celebrations. I thought they'd remind of me of that. I'm thinking maybe these wedding headpieces would be kind of a cool thing to collect.

Cheryl was with us today - our last time together - so she helped me a ton doing laundry and getting last minute groceries. It was nice to have her here again. I think maybe she was a little sad saying goodbye to the kids, but she's hard to read so I'm not sure. I know we'll all miss her terribly. Maisie wanted Cheryl to read to her tonight and not me. 

We'd hoped to ride the giant ferris wheel here - the Singapore Flyer - but it was hazy and rainy all day so no Flyer. Bummer. 

 

Tonight, however, we got a pretty good look at it from above. Tom and I went to Ku De Ta, the restaurant at the top of the Marina Bay Sands. We figured we'd splurge for our last night out here. The food was fabulous and the view second to none. We had a long meal with an even longer conversation weighing the pros and cons of living here permanently. It's time to make a decision, eh? It was a lovely way to discuss our future - and say goodbye for now to the city.

Wrapping Up

Maisie is sad today, the last day of class here for both her and Hudson. She cried and cried as we left. Vanessa - who has been her shadow teacher - also really broke down when she hugged Maisie goodbye. Seeing somebody love my daughter that much made me cry, too. We were a river of tears. Hudson saved the day. He said, “Don’t cry, Maisie,” and gave her a big hug which made us all smile. Vanessa is an intern so my guess is that she will always remember Maisie because she was one of her first students. I know I'll always remember Vanessa.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen their connection. I even got a glimpse of it in a photo the school sent me. In the photo, I could see Vanessa watching Maisie with love, concern and pride - all rolled into one.

We went to WeeCare because two friends told me they had kids there and liked it. Since it was just four weeks, I figured it’d be fine. We saw the place and it seemed pretty darn great, but who cared what it was like? I mean - it was just four weeks, right? 

I had no idea how lucky we were.

Hudson’s first ever school experience was at this school. As only a true mama’s boy could, he clung to me like Saran Wrap the first couple of days. By the second week, he was standing by the front door at home wearing his backpack, screaming, ‘Tacky!" (his word for taxi) and  "School! Let's go!” a full 20 minutes before it was time to leave. That says everything.

The school turned out to be a great fit for Maisie, too. The woman who runs WeeCare understands sensory issues and has a lot of knowledge about autism. She totally got Maisie’s needs. As you know, that’s a rare thing in Singapore. She assigned Vanessa to shadow her and I think the improvement in Maisie has been amazing.

WeeCare is one of the most creative environments I’ve ever seen. The main room changes every week. The lessons are unusual and tie into an overall lesson plan. I have never, ever seen more creative updates from the staff either. They come in a comic book-type letter with all sorts of photos and captions. The teacher to student ratio is very high and the teachers really seem to care and work as a team. When is the last time you saw an American teacher care enough about your kid that she cried when you left?

But I’m still me. I was a reporter for 15+ years and a producer before that. I needed to research what’s here. I needed to explore every avenue. Heck, at home, we sold our house and moved to the school district with the very best therapy in the county - all because we wanted Maisie to get what she needed. That’s just who I am and I am lucky enough to have a husband who supports my craziness.

I’m not sure if we’re coming back or not, but my gut is that if we do, the kids go to WeeCare again in the Winter - if they’ll have them. It’d be nice for them to reconnect with friends and teachers which would also make the transition back here easier. After this semester, we may move them to an international school or a bigger preschool that has stronger connections with the Singapore American School. As an American, I just can’t get over the feeling that school shouldn’t be in a mall - even if there is an outdoor space. Maybe I’d get over that in time. I don’t know. I feel badly because the school discovered my blog yesterday and my research into other schools - before I could chat with them about my thoughts. They've been so good to us and we think so highly of them. The whole thing has made me quite ill today.

I have heard from some of the local moms there who have children that their kids were far ahead of other kids when they moved to the higher grades. However, an education consultant also told me that WeeCare is considered a special needs school (first I heard of it) and that going there can make transitioning to an international school next to impossible. That would be the biggest concern.

Time will tell, but for now, I’m just so very grateful that we ended up there. The universe really came through on this one.

Since today was their last day of school, I spent my morning doing something I knew I couldn’t really do with them: I went to Tekka Market, the wet market in Little India. Wow, talk about fresh food!!! I mean - the fish is practically swimming on the table. 

I saw all sorts of things I haven’t seen before - vendors grinding fresh coconut into flakes, baby sharks ready for eating and piles and piles of eggs, each with a different label and price. I've never seen many of the vegetables and fruits for purchase. I really wish I'd had my telephoto lens to get photos of folks who worked there. Next time!

I was a little worried about going because I went to something similar in China years ago and came back a vegetarian which stuck for four years. I was more prepared this time though I must say I have no desire for meat or fish just now. Some booths definitely had a smell I didn’t like. Other areas were knee-deep in jasmine flowers so they had a fabulous odor.

Little India is getting ready for Deepavali, also known as The Festival of Lights, the most important of all Hindu celebrations. It celebrates good over evil, light over darkness. Little India is already decked out even though the holiday isn’t til the end of the month. I went in the morning because that’s when Tekka Market is cranking, but I’d be interested to go at night to see all the lights lit up. We may have to do that before we leave.

I also went into Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (you better believe I had to check that spelling a few times!) which was simply gorgeous. Unlike a mosque, I didn’t need to be covered, but I did have to take my shoes off which always kind of wigs me out walking barefoot with a million other bare feet. The outside is similar to other temples in the area. Inside, there were bare-chested, partially-painted, hair-in-buns men delivering fruit from worshippers to the various idols in individual rooms. It was fascinating. I was welcomed by all. 

Tonight, we’re resting up and starting to pack for China - and home. Tom has finished what he’s come here to do. Now we need to decide what the future holds. I am so ready to have an answer. Limbo is not easy - though it’s been pretty fun! Ha!

 One not so fun thing? The AC went out today! I spent almost five hours inside without AC waiting for it to be fixed. Maisie had another great day and was pretty funny. At one point, she said, "Mommy, I'm all sweaty and it's kind of gross. Can't somebody just come fix this thing already?" 

Being Social

Ugh. When we woke up, it was POURING - not just cats and dogs. Nope, I'm pretty sure I saw an elephant fall from the sky. I started calling for taxis the minutes I rolled out of bed at 5:30 to no avail. Amazingly, Tom found one right outside the complex! We got to school on time!

I dreaded trying to figure out how to get back home and then lo and behold...one of the moms from Maisie's class invited me to join her and some other moms for breakfast downstairs. There are certain advantages to having a school in a mall! I'm so glad it rained! I got to meet some really lovely women. None of them were American which made me as happy as a lark. It was so nice to meet people with different perspectives. That's kind of the reason I want the kids to go to a local preschool. All of them raved about WeeCare making me all the happier that I found this school.

Then I booked it out to Dempsey Hill, once again looking for trinket to take home - something from here. That's a tall order since hardly anything is made here. Singapore is a conglomeration of Asia with very little original stuff. I finally found something that I like - something LOCAL. It's a pair of decorative archways from an antique shophouse here. Now I just have to decide if I like 'em enough to make the schlep home with them.

I always get to school a little early for pick up. I adore watching the kids come out to find their mothers or helpers. Hudson is usually the happiest to see his mommy, by far - but not today. Turns out, he had a bumpy day at school. He was so wound up that he was hitting the teacher and others. He got a time out - as he well should have. He had to stay 15 minutes late and then moped his way out to me and then just sat their sniveling over and over. It was pretty cute. When he got home, he took a 2.5 hour nap! Maisie had a fabulous day - which means I also had a fabulous day.

Tonight, Tom went to a reception that basically included everybody in the coal business in Singapore - a perfect way to wrap things up. Me? Fred and Typhaine invited me to join a dinner party they gave for their neighbors and another friend who might be moving here. We obviously had a great time because we didn't make it home til 1:30! Holy cow! Cheryl made a fabulous sweet & sour fish. It's nice to entertain with a helper. She does all the work so Fred and Typhaine could actually interact with their guests. How lovely! I really do like those two.

Their friend Christina works in advertising and explained something cool to me: the reason Asians like skin whitening products is because a tan means they work in the fields. We're the opposite. A tan means we have the money to hang by the pool.  Fascinating!