My what a difference a year makes! Last year on Christmas Eve, we attended one of the few church services offered in Shanghai after a lovely dinner at Lost Heaven with our son James while our daughter Hannah was pregnant and oh so far away in Boise enjoying a quiet holiday with her husband Mike. Fast forward to 2014 and a baby has been born changing all our lives forever. Welcome Mia to your first Christmas Eve with your Nai Nai!
So happy to be with Hannah and Mia and Mike in Boise this year!
Hannah graciously shared Mia with us this week so we could get to know our girl. We also enjoyed staying in the house we bought in Boise but had rarely used. It’s filled with all our stuff and since we have been waiting for two months for our China accumulated belongs to arrive from literally a slow boat from China, it was really nice and comforting to see the Broadway posters from our NYC life and the Black Keys/One Republic posters from our Seattle life hanging on the walls. While I try to not care about material things, living out of a suitcase for months on end does grow old at times….. at least until the next adventure comes around!
Nail Nai and Mia enjoying play time
Back to Christmas! This year we are in Boise, it’s snowing hard and we have started new traditions. When the kids were growing up, I normally worked Christmas Eve, being in retail, and the kids would join me at work to hand out candy canes to everyone and then we would eat out and go to church services, coming home to the new pj’s that the elves had laid out carefully on the their beds. Now that I have a different type of job, we were able to enjoy volunteering today at Mike’s job, the Idaho Food Bank. Stuffing frozen green beans into bags so they could be distributed, it was a gentle reminder to once again count our blessings and make sure we find time in our hectic schedule to help others not so fortunate as we are. Indeed, we are blessed.
James and Thom enjoying new family tradition volunteering at the Idaho Food Bank
After quickly wrapping a few gifts, we headed out to dinner (all the meat you can eat!) and then a neighborhood church where the pastor quoted David Brooks from the NY Times so, of course, we loved her. Home to elf-provided pj’s (tradition lives on in Boise!) and a trip through the snow to our lovely cottage while Hannah and Mike continued the Christmas Eve wrapping of presents tradition that we did for so many years for the kids, I’m enjoying a glass of wine and not feeling too sad that all our gifts are already wrapped. Sorry kids!
No doubt we miss China and the adventures we had there and the wonderful people we met. But new adventures await and, while there will be gifts exchanged tomorrow, the biggest gift of all is being all together as a family after a separation last year and celebrating the birth of babies–one many, many years ago and more recently, the smartest most beautiful girl in the world, our Mia. Merry, merry Christmas to all!
For nearly two hours, John Oliver entertained us at Seattle’s Paramount Theater, performing two sets for the liberal Seattlites who packed his sold out shows. We scored good seats but a freakishly tall couple sat in front of us, not only very effectively blocking my view of the stage but, as they proceeded to feel compelled to hug each other, they formed a wall of attractive heads for me to look at instead of John Oliver. I needed a freaking booster seat. Hello, freakishly tall people, munchkin lady sitting directly behind you can’t see a damn thing!! Break off that unnecessary hugging crap and give me an opening to peer through. Please.
My view obstructed by gorgeous haired Seattleites hugging it out at the Paramount
I had expected John to be more politically focused but he really just told stories. Good ones that were thoughtful and funny. But first, he mocked the opulence of the Paramount theater with it’s over the top crystal sparkly chandeliers, purple velvet draping on the stage and gold leaf ceilings. I had never been there before but was impressed with it’s Broadway theater-like ambience. Yes, John, in your plaid flannel shirt and Levi’s, you looked comfortable but out of place. Very. As he put it, the fancy theater screamed OPERA! Vs. Comedy Central. Actually, John, you looked more in tune with a Boise vibe than a Paramount vibe. Take that you Brit Twit!
Yes, core to his routine was Boise Bashing by John Oliver…WTF! He couldn’t find any other city to mock unmercifully? Seriously?? There are some really ugly, nasty places in the U.S.–take Gary, Indiana or Buffalo, NY (please), cities where I can’t believe anyone would actually choose to live. Sorry-just my opinion. Boise is a lovely town that hasn’t done anything to John Oliver and he probably has never even been there. So, Mr. Oliver, Boise does indeed have a downtown library with a large “Library!” sign. I think the exclamation point added to the sign is quirky and clearly conveys excitement for reading. John saw it differently—he thinks Boise residents are thrilled to even have a book in their teeny tiny hick town. Of course, Boise residents have heard of his stand up antics bashing Boise and are complaining loudly…good for you Boiseites—keep up the noise and invite John to visit. I can just see him now peddling the mobile beer bar around downtown-one loop and several brews later, John would be singing the praises of Boise from the gorgeous foothills that surround it.
I forgive John for his Boise bashing because, damn he CAN do a mean pigeon walk…instead of twerking, he was all over the stage beaking as John likes to act out his stories. Bird going rogue at the Newark Airport….breaking news…makes travelers who normally ignore each other become besties as they laughed at the pigeon strutting his stuff at the boarding gate. Oddities like that bring people together in strange ways. Taking it one step further, he suggested that negotiators should throw a pigeon in with Netanyahu and Abbas and maybe they would laugh and make peace once they bonded over the fowl antics. Hmmm…..worth a shot, right?
One story especially tugged at Thom and I’s heart strings. Sitting at the airport, John observed an old couple interacting. The wife wanted the husband to find her glasses in his jacket pocket. As he searched his pockets, he slowly withdrew his hand, middle finger extended and flipped her off, prompting fits of geriatric giggles. Thom and I just looked at each other and cracked up….we behave like that now and certainly won’t stop as we get older. I hope we can bring humor to those who see us interact, now and in the future. I only wish everyone could have as much fun as we do just finding humor in everyday life and certainly watching John Oliver’s antics–even with his Boise Bashing!
We’ve only been gone a little over a year but it seems like much longer as we settle back into our life in Seattle. Leaving Shanghai with only a few suitcases, we are hoping that the Seattle port slowdown will end soon so our sea container will arrive in time to move into our new apartment. I sympathize with whatever they are trying to protest but please RESOLVE YOUR ISSUES and get back to work quickly. I miss my pillow collection and need my pots and pans. First world problems, right?
The air shipment arrived-now for the sea container!
Having lived in Lower Queen Anne in downtown last time we passed through Seattle, we naturally gravitated back to our old neighborhood that has a quaint little movie theater, a Mud Bay store now for all our dogs needs, which are plenty, and a plethora of bars and restaurants for when it stops raining and we finally venture outside.
Our temporary housing is actually quite nice and next to the Seattle Center and Key Arena. We looked at an apartment here to move into but we didn’t pull the trigger fast enough and lost out when someone else jumped on it before we did–lesson learned. After seeing lots of places that didn’t get me excited, I finally found a condo for rent on Craigslist and we made haste to see it before anyone else could. Walking in, I took one look at the water view and winked at Thom. This was it! HOT DAMN! Big enough to accommodate our son too should he choose to move back in while he goes on with his education and with the needed outdoor deck (we’re on top floor) overlooking not only Elliott Bay but the Space Needle too, it was a no brainer to just write out the check and lock it in. While it is a private condo building lacking the amenities of an apartment building with no gym, rooftop deck, etc., it’s a block from our temporary housing, close to my work commuter bus and I know it will feel like home when we get to move in soon. It looked like a single guy had it before us because all he had in the living room was a big screen TV and a leather couch. Can’t wait to decorate!
The “Before” picture of our new living room-single guy who had it didn’t believe in any decorating. Can’t wait to hang our art onto those walls!
Now, of course, silly us moved all our furniture to our new house in Boise but that has worked out well as we have rented the place most of the time but now we will get to enjoy being there for the holidays with our family. Score! Thom and I have scoured Seattle for unique furniture (love you Ikea but am ready to move on) and found some great pieces. Today we got a great deal at a resale shop on a mid-century cherry dresser with leather tab draw pulls-sounds weird but it’s cool. We bought some furniture in China but not nearly enough so we ended up buying quite a few items at Kasala Outlet. Nice quality and fair prices in south Seattle by the stadiums.
I’ve never owned yellow furniture..until now!
We were thrilled with Kasala’s customer service and would highly recommend them. We went wild with color and may be the coolest of them all with our bright yellow chair and ottoman. Combo that up with our red chaise from China, the Tin Tin prints and all those bright pillows I collected and it will be a riot of color in our new pad.
Thom actually negotiated down the price (I taught him well), on a cool old Chinese wood chair at a consignment place for less than $100-a steal. Yes, we could have gotten it for far less actually in China but not knowing how big our apartment would be, I was hesitant to buy a lot there. Now, I’m kicking myself. After we order a memory foam mattress online, I think we will finally have what we need and will get it all in next week after the holiday. I’m seriously looking forward to recreating the look and feel of our beautiful Shanghai apartment but instead of watching the coal boats drift by on the Huangpu River, we’ll be watching and waiting for our sea container to follow us to Seattle. Luckily, as much as we move around, home is wherever we lay down our heads at night.
View from our patio deckView from the living room looking out onto Elliott BayWherever Thor is happy is home..hope he likes his big brother Izaak!
As my days are numbered here in Shanghai, I thought it would be brilliant to do a “What I will miss and not miss list” to remember our adventures here. On my final day before going to the U.S. for a business trip, I ran by my hairdresser Michael first for a touch up to look as good as I can for the new job. First impressions and all. He was sad to lose his steady client and I was sad that I wasn’t going to be around to see his new salon open up eventually, a project he has been working on for as long as I have known him. It’s China, of course, so it is taking forever. Afterward I walked a few miles to a final dinner with our friends, Patti and Larry, who are staying for a week after I have to leave. It has been a joy to share China with them.
My town-I will miss it especially on a clear day.
Of course I couldn’t find a taxi at rush hour but enjoyed the long walk to Lost Heaven on The Bund through the former French Concession all by my lonesome. It was dark yet I felt safe and the locals were enjoying their walks home too and starting to source dinner from the many street vendors. The tiny shops were all still open trying to lure commuters in to buy their goods.
I soaked it all in knowing this would be my last long walk alone in China. Then it dawned on me. I WILL MISS IT ALL–the good, the bad and the crazy that is China. Just as there is no place like NYC, there is no place like China and I have been lucky enough to live in both wonderful places.
I’ll miss the smile from the taxi driver as I try to practice my Mandarin and agree that the scooter he almost hit deserved it by getting in his way. We laughed so hard in the taxi coming home from dinner when, we heard the taxi driver’s friend which he was talking with on his mobile as he drove the busy streets hawk a loogie with a force so huge that it came through the speaker loud and clear. ARRRRRGH but that’s China and if you breathed in all that pollution every day, you would hawk up a lung too.
I’ll miss playing the “What’s the AQI?” game daily with Thom as we wake up and check out the “fog” in the early morning light. If you can see the bridge in the distance, it’s a good day. Can’t see across the river? It’s a 250+ AQI day so wear that air mask! Pollution bad? Good day to buy more $2 DVD’s and have movie day/night/week and order in food delivered by Sherpa’s.
The TV’s not working again in the bedroom for the fifth straight day? Yep-time to read a book. Instagram blocked now? Astril VPN being targeted and slowed down by the you know who? Yep-time to read a book. Be courageous and drink a cold beverage with ice made from local tap water and end up being crazy sick. Yep-time to spend some quality bathroom time reading a good book. Needless to say, my Amazon Kindle bill has gone up in China and many books have been read.
Now, just as we had to move on from our NYC adventure, now it is our time to leave China. As we repatriate to Seattle, I will challenge myself to keep on writing and observing life with the new lens I have acquired from my China cultural immersion. Yes, I will appreciate the blue skies more but I will also seek out the new and different cultural experiences that are everywhere not just China to keep the adventure alive. We are only on this planet a limited number of days. Why waste one moment being boring when you can make every day special and new?
Everyone likes a good list–especially me, so here’s mine so I won’t forget the fun times in Shanghai:
WHAT I WILL MISS
*a sense of security that I feel in China–no one is going to hurt me, steal from me, rape me, etc. It could happen but rarely ever does here vs. on the streets of Seattle downtown, you never feel safe. There are drugs deals going down (never in China) and people beating each other in broad daylight. I will carry a whistle, mace and running shoes to get away fast when I move to Seattle.
*rat motif items–I am born in the Year of the Rat and have started my own little rodent collection of tasteful and colorful rats to celebrate the year of my birth. Who knew the vermin could be so cute?
*Vietnam–a country full of super nice, smiling people and interesting places. I must go back.
Crooked, sloping, uneven, and totally awesome-steps at the Great Wall
*foot massage, foot massage, foot massage–how could I have gone my whole life prior to China without this necessity to keep my body whole and healthy and, yes, 90 minutes is not enough…not nearly…
*going to the local shoe repair guy who works on the street by my house 7 days a week – $2 to stitch up my bag that ripped and no waiting. Smile he gives me because he appreciates me supporting a local craftsman=priceless.
*beautiful flowers and colored lights to prettify the highways that are choked with traffic.
*the Great Wall-got to go 4x and loved every trip especially the toboggan to go down
*warm egg tarts from KFC–yum,yum,yum!
*various colors light up Pearl Tower depending on the holiday aka Empire State Building but with more gov’t. control
*$2 DVD’s-you get used to seeing movies in the comfort of your own home while they are in the theaters and the subtitles go unnoticed after awhile
*unexpected bursts of loud bangs as businesses attract the gods of good fortune with firecrackers
*Our ayi, Pink, smiling and wearing my NYC taxi apron while taking care of us and our gorgeous apartment
*large rooms and square footage–Seattle teeny tiny spaces with no closet space not so much
*Strictly Cookies, English muffins, Taiwan crackers-carbs galore
*surprises around every corner at every moment
*bargaining like a mule at the fake markets and getting bargains
*collecting pillow covers of every type and color–it has become an obsession
*my plants-they made our apartment beautiful and they lived despite me and my plant guy who would deliver even the heaviest banana tree right to the exact spot I wanted it..glad that Fiona’s friend took them all
*sense of delight when I found food I could eat that wouldn’t make me sick-thanks Fresh Elements
*our support team-Fiona who tried hard to teach us Chinese and bought stuff for us on Taobao, watched Thor, and did everything we needed to make life possible here; Robert and Billy who ensured we had car service fast and reliable; smiling fruit lady on the corner adding extra fruit in our bag because we always overpaid
*neon lights, flashing lights on every thing for any reason
*watching the ferries dodge the coal boats-reflexes extraordinaire
I will miss the Pearl Tower on a rare blue sky Shanghai day.
WHAT I WON’T MISS…all that much but maybe a little
*killer elevator in our building with doors that would either maim or kill you–I got some serious bruises from being stupid and not realizing that the doors would close on my flesh vs. the U.S. version that had safety features
*spotty at best internet, TV that doesn’t work most of the time though it’s good to live without it
*those damn bumps on the sidewalks making it difficult to walk–for the blind? Really?
*avoiding sitting directly behind the taxi driver so I won’t get hit with backwash from him hocking his lungs out the window and bracing for impact because there are never seat belts that work
*worrying that I’ll get sick or crack a tooth and have to submit myself to the China medical system, which is scary even at the best ex-pat places. Got great insurance but don’t want to use it.
*gov’t. Control of all media including blocking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to keep the peace. It’s just scary not really knowing what the hell is going on in your city.
*public pissing. nuf said
*toxic water, no food safety, chunky air that makes me cough, cough, cough…lungs can heal, right?
*cars, buses, bikes, scooters all trying to kill me daily…thus, the mottos below
SHANGHAI MOTTOS
*I’d really like to not die today–repeat daily
*you can die fast or you can die slow–a Fionaism
*it’s China (as answers to almost everything, i.e. why is this happening??)
THE BIG DUCK HAS ARRIVED! Back in Shanghai after furiously working for two weeks at the new job in the U.S., Thom and I didn’t waste time getting out and about on a beautiful sunny blue sky day on Saturday. Destination–the big Duck. Yes, the famous Duck had arrived to sit on the pond in Century Park and be admired by millions of selfie happy locals. Twenty deep in some spots close to the big dude, we weaved our way up close to take our photos as well. If there were more ducks on display, the world would be a happier place.
My, what a big duck you are
The duck has special meaning to me as one of the courses I taught had a “Be The Duck” theme and I decorated with plastic yellow duckies everywhere for ambience. I will probably be forever known as the duck lady to my classes but, as long as they remember to be calm like the duck on the outside when presenting material while paddling furiously unbeknownst to the seeing eye, I’m okay with that. I still carry my own little duck in my briefcase to remind me daily–kind of like a “never let them see you sweat” mantra. It works. It also makes me smile every time my bag hits my leg and quacks a little.
Be The Duck
After the duck encounter, and really, who doesn’t love a duck, we headed over to the AP market to make someone’s day. You see, we’ve decided to do a little import/export business selling accessories back home. We’ve made some great connections here and when someone compliments you on the $4 necklace you bought and asked if you got it at Anthropologie and did it cost $88, well, you know you’ve got a business just begging to be created. My friend Patti and I will work with Fiona, our language teacher here, to buy, ship and sell lovely scarves and necklaces. We’ll use our profits to fund more travel adventures and possibly have James assist so he can earn money to pay for law school. More to come as we transition to Seattle and get it up and running!
Walking miles back to the apartment, ’cause that’s what we do, we soaked up every detail and smell on the streets. Oh how I have loved living here and, yes, it feels like home.
When in China, right? I had been here a whole year and never gotten custom tailored clothes but with less than 10 days left for me here, I threw caution (and a few hundred RMB) to the wind and decided I would always regret not doing it so off to the South Bund Fabric Market we went! HOT DAMN AND HOLD ME BACK-It’s time to design some fashion to remember my stay in China!
Patti getting measured for her new coatSizing me up for a French cuff shirt
Planning ahead with my favorite shirt in tow as a sample, we hit the market after negotiating for yet more jewelry from the street vendors. 10 RMB ($1.50US) for earrings! Thom made a new friend with the sales lady from Tibet and I got some cool Christmas presents. The market here is three floors consisting mostly of tailors hawking Chinese dresses, suits, outerwear, dresses, etc. so it can be very overwhelming with aggressive hawkers, “LADY, YOU NEED A SUIT???” We had gotten some tailor recommendations from our expat group but, of course, forgot the info so we wandered around. Before you start selecting fabrics and start to negotiate for “best and final friend price”, decide what you are willing to spend and then let the fun begin.
I originally went to just get a French cuff business shirt and a knock off of my favorite knit shirt from Kenneth Cole. We got all the way to the third floor before I found a knit vendor and a friendly merchant named May. She and I picked out fabrics, colors and went over the design to replicate my sample shirt with long sleeves instead of short. For only 150 RMB, I’ll be getting two knit shirts custom tailored to my specs and designed by me in the colors and fabric I picked out. I’m thinking these will quickly become my most flattering and favorite shirts-pics to come.
Thrilled to be designing again (back in the day I was a clothing buyer), I asked her to guide me to a vendor to create my cotton French cuff shirt next, knowing she would get guanxi (good will) from this referral. The next tailor was not so conversant but together we managed to design a special shirt with a different pattern for the inner collar and cuffs to spice up the classic white shirt. Picking out the collar design and the cuff style, we were done and I parted with 120 RMB($20 US) for my shirt that hopefully will fit better than any I can get off the rack at Zara.
I redesigned this dress in dark grey with long sleeves, lower neckline and longer length.
By then, Patti had gotten the designing fever and decided she just had to join in and started trying on coats with my new tailor friend, May. Opting for a classic car coat style in brown with a lining to be picked out by May, who by know we trusted explicitly, I started to try on dresses. I had been a dress buyer a long, long time ago and designed lines myself of dresses so I had a great time picking out fabrics and taking one of their sample dress as a template to lengthen, change the sleeve length, lower the neckline in a dark grey heavy knit fabric. The fact that I could shimmy my way into their sample size dress at all was a minor miracle. Can’t wait to see the finished dress!
Thom’s getting a new leather coat for Christmas
Now it was Thom’s turn to get the cool biker leather jacket he has been dreaming of with zipped gusset sleeves and soft leather that was the “good stuff”, which meant more RMB. While I shopped for dragon cuff links to go with my new shirt, he was measured by two tailors who appreciated that he was one of the few expats able to actually fit into their samples, being the tall thin dude that he is. Let’s face it, most expats here have drank a few too many steins of beer and are carrying 50+ extra pounds. Not my fit and trim hubby-he loves fashion and isn’t afraid of some style in his wardrobe. As you can see by the picture, he also isn’t afraid to make a fashion statement, rocking his Hong Kong shirt in support of the protestors.
Thom will be styling’ in Seattle with his custom made boots and custom tailored leather jacket. We went for his initial boot fitting last week and the ombre grey side stitched boots with red trim will be done before we head home. Yes, the boot model for his first fitting is pink but the final result will be a work of art, designed from several styles to incorporate an inner zipper, side accent laces (red) with toe stitching in red as well. We love our shoes and will also fondly remember our adventures in China as we stroll the streets of Seattle sipping our Americano’s from Stumptown.
Thom’s custom boot model is pink but the final product will be ombre greyThom is thrilled with the boot he designed
With my best buddy Patti along for the martini tour, we have been sampling Shanghaitini’s as often as possible. Believe it or not, Patti had NEVER EVER tasted a martini before in her whole entire life. WHAT??? I am so honored to be able to be the one to initiate this martini virgin into the ways of the tini.
Appletini and Me
Of course, first stop was Morton’s who has an incredible Happy Hour with a variety of martini’s with unlimited steak sandwiches too for only 45 RMB. What a bargain for strong alcohol and bloody meat that won’t kill you. SCORE! That being said, don’t ever eat off the menu at Morton’s cause it will cost you a fortune. Still smarting from that $350 US dinner bill we had this year after I failed to realize just how expensive steak is in China. Never again, Thom! I don’t care how good that filet mignon was, it’s not made of gold.
But back to the alcohol….While I used to avoid any drinks with ice and any drinks that even touched ice to cool down the alcohol due to the water toxicity in the ice, I have since gotten over it and embraced cold cocktails in China. Bring on the margarita’s and martini’s–I am fearless AND stupid now.
Patti enjoying the second martini of her life at Blue Marlin
With a cinnamon sugar rim and a nice pour, Patti enjoyed her first sip and that was it. A martini fan was born. Though I still drink martini’s too fast vs. sipping wine, I feel a need to mix up my alcohol choices. A woman doesn’t live by wine alone but, I guess you could.
At the Blue Marlin (where we have been eating free for months due to winning a 2500 RMB gift certificate at the Irish Ball), we decided a martini tasting was in order. While the rim was only sugar, the taste was still there–sweet and sour and green all over-yum. Looking forward to tasting more martini’s in Seattle when I return. I’m betting Patti finds a martini bar in Indiana to continue tasting Appletini’s Midwest Style.
I know it’s cliché but we just had to go to one of the tourist shows they put on in Beijing. I had a recommendation from a local that The Legend of Kungfu at the Red Theatre was one to experience. So, off we went to check it out.
Thom, Patti & Larry pose in front of the Kung Fu boy at Red Theater in Beijing
Arriving early (you never know with Beijing traffic so you leave early and hope to get there on time), we wandered the gift shops and took photos of the young boy sitting on the throne outside the entrance. Finding a place to relax on a balcony, Thom and Patti quickly took off their shoes and let the massage chairs get to work on their tired feet after walking all day. Ahhhh…..never mind who else had their feet in their recently, all hygiene was forgotten and pulsating commenced until the show began.
This is the “Thom walked my ass all over China” look on Patti’s face
We had paid about $55 US for our Row 16 middle seats and, as the primarily Western tour group population filed in, we were quickly surrounded by a full theater. With a pulsating beat on the wood blocks by multiple bald Kung Fu dudes placed around the sides of the theater, the show began with lots of strobe lights, fog and action. The loose story was about a boy being tested by hard challenges and bewitched by a beautiful fairy (why are women always the troublemakers??) before he could practice Kungfu and Zen to become a master and ascend to the sacred goal of enlightenment with the obligatory old dude with super long goatee to champion his efforts and teach him the wise ways of the world.
The best parts for me were the incredible acrobatic action between the couple twirling high above the stage by holding only fabric panels and then when he did the feats of various incredibly sharp objects being jammed onto his body. Who knows how they withstand that pressure but perhaps abs of steel??? Looked painful to me but made for good theater and probably some bruises.
The Young Man is tested by many challenges in his Kung Fu journey
At the end, you were allowed onstage with the actors to take photos if you bought some outrageously overpriced gifts in the shop. We made haste and just took some photos of the group by the stage and then walked the dark streets begging for a cab to take us home. Amazingly, Thom flagged one down who, of course, had turned off the meter and charged us double for the ride. When in Beijing and it’s dark, you do not argue. You just hand over the RMB and be happy you found a ride.
Cast members at end of show pose for pictures..if you buy something from their gift shop
Dancing is part of the fabric of Asian culture. I love seeing the ladies dancing every night in pretty much any available space on our neighborhood sidewalks. You go girls! In the parks, couples glide gracefully around the pavement on weekends showing off their moves. From Hanoi to Beijing to Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh City, we have thoroughly enjoyed watching the action but never actively participating until this weekend. FINALLY! Amazing what our impending move back to the U.S. will do to create a sense of urgency.
I felt the draw of the music and, along with my best friend Patti, who is visiting from the US, we jumped right in and joined the couples at Beihai Park in Beijing on a beautiful sunny Saturday. Thom never got the dancing gene so he took videos while Patti and I took a turn around the pavement. To think that once we danced as children in our garage back in Indiana when we were growing up and now have the opportunity to waltz together around a Beijing park. HOT DAMN LIFE IS GOOD!
Despite having a ball, we were obviously the worst ballroom dancers on the pavement. Practice makes perfect and I’m betting these folks are out weekly if not daily to get their groove on. We got lots of stares, grins and the universal thumbs up but when we paused, one couple immediately approached us, pantomiming that the gentleman wanted to dance with Patti or I. OF COURSE KIND SIR!
Smelling of tobacco and light on his feet, he guided me through the classic moves and off we twirled. I couldn’t help but watch his feet constantly so as to try and follow his lead but he firmly took hold of my hand and waist to guide me as well. As anyone who knows me can attest, I don’t follow well or at all in any situation. So, it was a miracle that I didn’t maim him as we moved around the park to the music. Luckily I had on my trusty lightweight TOMS so I was relatively light on my feet and couldn’t hurt him too bad with my clumsiness. Thom, Patti and Larry cheered us on and took lots of picture and video.
As I ended our dance and gave him back to his much more talented partner, I gave him a huge thumbs up and thanked him for sharing this experience in Beihai Park, finally fulfilling a desire to dance like the locals. Next step, jumping in with the ladies who dance nightly on the corner by my apartment. I hope I can keep with them and that they are as welcoming to let us take part in their lovely dancing ritual. Video to come–WHAT FUN!
Travels with Melinda 