Pink Doors and Tarot Cards Too

On November 20, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, TravelLeave a comment

“This is your card-The Hermit. You must be alone to be happy–there are times you just need to stay away from everyone and enjoy your books. Your partner must be very understanding.” Why, yes he is, dear Tarot Card Lady. Some might say Thom is a saint to put up with me while others say he is the luckiest guy on the planet (depends on the day) but he does certainly know me well enough to ascertain when I need my alone time AND my wine.

After my friend Kurt heard I was going to the Pink Door, a famous watering hole/restaurant near Pike Place Market, he suggested I go early to get a Tarot Reading. I have never had a Tarot card reading but after my palm reading experience on a dark street in Kowloon, Hong Kong just a few months ago, I am open to new adventures so bring it on….

Further interpretation of my card was being alone but not lonely; lighting the way for others; being a wise teacher and being able to communicate with animals–yes, I’m a moose whisperer. Always have been! The Hermit is ruled by Virgo, which of course I am to the tenth degree. While I wouldn’t describe myself as a Hermit, chords of truth rang out as I watched the cards unfold and be interpreted. What fun!

As I shuffled the large deck of cards, Eugenia explained that there were a total of 78 cards with 22 major cards and 56 minor cards. The Major Ariana (arcana means secrets) cards that were turned over for me were: The Fool (new beginnings and a new journey-you don’t say!), The Hanged Man (seeing life from a new perspective-maybe from another country??), The Hermit (soul searching and introspection), Judgment (change and transformation)

The Hanged Man=Contemplation & Inner Harmony

Encouraging that the cards were feeling my HUGE change of new countries, new homes, new furniture, new jobs and the change just keeps coming. How could the cards NOT feel it??? They were practically flipping over by themselves to reinforce what I already know and am living–life is one big opportunity to embrace and experience. Why be boring??? The woman bound with not so tight scarf and ropes (hello, 50 Shades, right?) looking to break free and the dude covered in keys signifying a change of address perhaps?? Yep, that’s me alright–nothing can tie me down and the keys just keep adding up as we move from one cool place to the next but always with a water view.

As we came to the end of the nine cards she was going to share as my reading, the Judgment card was revealed. This signified my rebirth, awakening a part of me that has been dormant but always wanted to come out but never had time. Immediately coming to mind was my soon-to-be venture as an entrepreneur running my own business (in my spare time) which has always been a dream of mine, put off by no time until now. More to come on this later but it will be fun, fun, fun!

After the last card was read, I finally admitted to Eugenia that I had just moved from China, started a new job and found a new apartment this month. She quickly flipped a few more cards as she was getting a strong feeling that I wasn’t done moving yet. Satisfied by what she saw at a glance, she reassured me that I could unpack my bags and stay for a year or two in Seattle before we moved on to a new location, probably international by what she saw. Hmmm…. who knows where we could end up?? May have to come back for another reading to see where our next adventure will take us.

Need to peer into your past or future? Eugenia Van Vliet can be found in the bar at the Pink Door Sundays through Thursday 5 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $30 for 30 minutes of discovery. You can make reservations with her at evanvliet@Comcast.net or just drop by and hope she has an opening. Whether you believe the cards or not, it’s an interesting journey with Eugenia, who is smart and knows her stuff. Enjoy!

The Fool has Keys Galore--perhaps moving? — The Fool has Keys Galore–perhaps moving?

Seattle Underground Tour Educates and Entertains

On November 16, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, TravelLeave a comment

I have always wanted to take the Seattle Underground Tour-it just sounded mysterious and unique. So, FINALLY, after living here for three years (except for our last year in China), we finally acted on a winter special on GroupOn to take to the subterranean underbelly of Seattle and experience it for ourselves.

Getting ready to start the BeneathTheStreets tour in Seattle.

There are four different Underground Tours in Seattle but for this outing we chose the History Tour during the day with Beneath The Streets, http://www.beneath-the-streets.com. There are others including a night ghost tour and less educational ones but hey, when the GroupOn presents a screaming deal, who am I to say “No”. So with our intrepid guide, Emily, educating us and making us laugh along the way, I learned more in one hour about Seattle history than I had ever imagined. Sure, I vaguely knew about the Gold Rush but didn’t realize that it was the reason for Seattle’s birth and existence. History was not my best subject in school and I’m an idiot when it comes to dates and major events in all history, foreign and domestic, but this tour I enjoyed when not dodging rats.

Yes, when you are navigating the underground beneath the streets of Seattle within cavernous spaces that have never been cleaned out from the roaring 1920’s saloon days and prior, you have entered Rat Heaven. Emily warned us in a joking way that we might see “robot” rats and that the huge rat traps we saw were just props but we all knew Emily was preparing us for the real deal. Sure enough, halfway into a large tunnel, the biggest rat (really a small pony) scuttled across the floor in front of our groups and the screaming began. Get out the saddle because Mr. Rat’s tail was as long as our puppy Thor’s entire body. All I can say is that the restaurants in the neighborhood must cook some seriously fattening food because Mr. Rat didn’t have any ribs showing–he was well fed.

But, enough of the rodent diversion and back to the tour–due to all kinds of issues with the water table being where the founding fathers of Seattle wanted to build the port city, they raised their streets, leaving the lower sidewalks intact with ladders to climb down into them until the sidewalks also had to move to higher ground due to more people dying from falling into them than the great fire that leveled the earlier downtown area. Oops–watch where you step! I’m shocked no savvy developer has bought these underground spaces to make them into clubs and trendy cocktail bars but I’m sure they will soon. We did end our tour in the Comedy Underground space, which we will have to check out next. Pioneer Square, where the tunnels are located, is getting gentrified with oh so trendy food choices and loft apartments. We actually thought about moving to this area but it’s not quite living friendly yet with groceries and such. It needs to evolve a little more before I’ll move here. Still, if you want to experience Seattle history and enjoy a truly urban environment, this is the place to be on a sunny Seattle day.

Back in Sleepy Seattle and Off to Chinatown

On November 15, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Food, Seattle, Shanghai, UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s taken a few weeks of settling into a new routine in the U.S. and obsessing over a new job for me to find my Seattle voice. When I found out we would be leaving Shanghai, I wondered what the hell I would write about in boring, sleepy Seattle. China was exciting and odd and wonderful all at the same time. Even reading the Shanghai Daily would produce laughs and a story to share. So, off to Chinatown we went today. Surely I would be inspired there!

WP_20141115_006 — James doing his best job to eat all the dim sum including my favorite–egg tarts.

As we wandered the quiet, deserted streets today on our way to Chinatown for lunch with James (yes, trying to recreate the past!), I noticed not one dude peeing in the street. Weird. In fact, there wasn’t hardly a soul to be seen anywhere in the downtown area. Where was the fruit lady and the shoe guy? Amazing when you go from 25 million people in a city to under 1 million you do feel a distinct difference in the pace and most sane people would appreciate it. Not me—I like the busy streets and hum of a vibrant urban environment. Shanghai! Manhattan!

At lunch, I couldn’t wait to taste and compare the egg tarts, one of my favorite delicacies that didn’t make me sick in Shanghai. Definitely not as good as what we had in China, but the Seattle version was still delicious. James dug into shrimp fried puffs, red bean paste sesame buns, barbeque buns and dumplings. I loved that when I spoke Chinese to the staff that they immediately knew what I was saying. Mydan! Check please! When we asked for “take way”, our waitress chided James to eat more so she could fit everything in one small box. Done. You don’t have to beg a 21Year old boy to eat more.

We walked through Chinatown, Seattle style, and ogled the pastries in the bakery. YUM. Hearing a soulful tune, we stopped to listen to the old guy in the park making beautiful music with his Erhu traditional string instrument while checking out the jumbo size lawn chess set available for all to play but no one was–everyone was too busy stuffing their faces with hot and steamy dim sum on this cold, crisp day with skies so blue and air so clean you could actually take deep breaths, which I couldn’t get enough of. It’s good to be home.

Thor Becomes a US Citizen!

On November 1, 2014November 1, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Dog, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel1 Comment

My cute adorable Thor is flying at my feet for ten F*#king long hours…he’s barely been out of the apartment in his short five months of life. How would he handle a journey that tests even the most journeyed traveller. Bad food, cramped quarters (no business class for us this time) and an airline mandate that he stays in his teeny, tiny softsided carrier at all times. Would he shit and piss the whole way? Would he bark and cry because he couldn’t play fetch with his beloved ragged ass squirrel that he has eaten the face off of? I braced myself for what could be the longest and worst flight of my life but Thor was worth it. Today, Thor would become a US Citizen.

Thor is making sure we don't forget to take him with us — Thor is making sure we don’t forget to take him with us

Prepping for the trip, Thor laid on Thom’s open suitcase while the final packing was being completed. He knew something was up and wanted to make sure he wasn’t left behind. Once we arrived at Pudong Airport, Thom walked him up and down the crowded sidewalk trying to get him to do his business but NOOOOO…..nothing came out. Great, he was saving it all up to dump at 30,000 feet at my feet. Our poor surrounding passengers would probably give us the stink eye all the way to Seattle or worse depending on Thor’s bowels. Armed with multiple pee pads, cleaning wipes and plastic bags, we braced ourselves for shit patrol big time.

So how do you quiet a puppy who loves to run and yap and play? Napping really isn’t in his DNA yet. Well, it seems that the magic collar is all you need. I had visited a doggy designer boutique on Capitol Hill in Seattle on my last trip. They were so helpful when I told them about my concerns for Thor’s upcoming trip. They even recommended I go to another store (since they didn’t carry it) and buy the Sentry calming collar made with who the hell knows what and I don’t care—IT WORKS! It is a miracle product that I will endorse from the roof tops from now on.

Knowing the culture of Seattle, it probably has some medicinal weed woven into it. Knowing this could be a possibility and Thor could get the munchies mid-flight, I also bought some calming doggie treats but we didn’t even have to break those out or the bacon flavored bone that I got as backup. Thom stuck his water bottle to Thor’s lips and he lapped a little up. Of course, Thom knocked back the rest of it. UGHHH! But, Thom also ate street meat in China so nothing surprises me when it comes to what he does. What are puppy germs when you’ve eaten Chinese rat on a stick chargrilled on an open kettle street fire.

Thor taking his last walk on Chinese soil

Thor was so quiet and passive that we had to keep opening up the carrier to check and see if he was still breathing. Upon reflection, we decided that the collar was probably made for a huge 50 pound dog and little 4 pounder Thor was probably overwhelmed by the powers of it’s magic. Soon, Thor will be walking along the Seattle waterfront, enjoying the clean air and easy living in Seattle. From runt of the litter found in a stable by a kind Laowai lady who had just had the shit kicked out of her by her dirtbag husband who had taken all their money and left China with his local girlfriend. She took Thor to the Vet, got him medical treatment and then, having to leave the country because she couldn’t get a job to support herself, found us to take Thor as his foster parents. Our rescue puppy quickly became part of the family. So, from forgotten ailing stable misfit to superstar strutting his awesome self on the Seattle waterfront, Thor will now enjoy his US citizenship to the max and bring joy to all who encounter him. Welcome to the USA, Thor!

Shanghai Farewell Tour-Designing Clothes and Shoes Oh My!

On October 4, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, China, expat, Fashion, Seattle, Shanghai, Shopping, TravelLeave a comment

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!

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 — 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 grey — Thom’s custom boot model is pink but the final product will be ombre grey

Thom is thrilled with the boot he designed

Shanghai Farewell Tour-Newfound Love for Martini’s

On October 3, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, China, expat, Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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.

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.

The Shanghai Farewell Tour Begins

On September 23, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Beijing, China, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai, Uncategorized1 Comment

This the hardest blog post I have ever written and I’ve been avoiding it for days. Because, if I don’t write about it, it won’t be true. But it’s time to face the truth and move on. Last Friday, I found out that we would be leaving China two years earlier than I thought. It was sudden news and unexpected to say the least. While I am lucky to still be employed, I almost feel like a part of me has died. I have so loved this great adventure in China. The unusual, always fascinating world swirling around me daily, as I walk to work and travel with Thom will be ending next month and I am sad.

Big Plus to Repatriate-spending time with Hannah!

Why didn’t we travel more? Why didn’t I work less? I thought the first year here would be the time to dive deeply into the new job and learn and create and work harder than ever. Then, I could enjoy more of this exotic region the next two years with plans to visit Cambodia, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, and other parts of China over the many Chinese holidays we are given. Alas, we have really only seen Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai plus Hong Kong. We so enjoyed our visits to Vietnam that I know that other parts of Asia would be equally cool. DAMN. If only….

So, while I am thankful for what I have and the experiences we enjoyed, it is a life lesson to share with all that should be remembered. Enjoy the moment. Live in the day and don’t wait for anything. Yes, you still have to plan for the future but you just never know. So, the next few weeks while we have our friends, Patti and Larry, staying with us from the U.S., we will conduct the Shanghai Farewell Tour and visit new places as well as say good bye to our favorite haunts around China.

This week, I had already scheduled a work trip to Beijing so despite the news, we are still going and I will get to say good bye to the wonderful folks I hired and trained here. I’ll get to take my childhood friend to the Great Wall (my fourth trip) and we will scream all the way down the toboggan there-one of my favorite things to do in China. We will find a panda somewhere to gaze at and maybe even hold for enough RMB—hoping the Shanghai zoo has a few since Patti really, really wants to see one and we’ll enjoy eating out on our gift certificates to various restaurants that we have acquired and, of course, the VIP massage card. Patti is very willing to help us use up the RMB still left on the massage account. Foot massages galore!

So, I will hold back the tears and appreciate everything I have been given. I will look forward to seeing my awesome family more often and spoiling my granddaughter, the beautiful and smart Mia, who is the inspiration for our new online business, Mama and Mia, that we will launch soon with my Hannah creating fashionable headbands that ALL the cool babies will want to wear and personalizing baby quilts from Vietnam and blankets from Uganda—benefitting the women around the world who make them.

Most of all, I will be grateful that I have had a chance to live in a different culture and understand that the world is a big wonderful place that Thom and I will continue to explore from our Seattle base. While one adventure is ending, many more are just beginning! Watch out world-here we come!

Mornings in Shanghai

On August 16, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, China, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Mornings in Shanghai start slow. I’ll never forget that first time I showed up all perky at 6:30 a.m. at the local Starbucks by the Four Seasons where we were staying on our first trip over to Shanghai. Not open yet? WHAT THE HELL? How is a Starbucks not open by that hour? After a few days of wandering around trying to find an early caffeine fix, I discovered that most coffee places (and there is a café on every corner) open by 8 a.m. but not before. This falls right in line with the start of the typical office work day which is never before 9 a.m. and more likely to be 10 a.m. by the time everyone wanders into work. Not me, of course, but everyone else in China.

I am an anomaly in Shanghai (and really everywhere in every way if I’m being honest) as I usually wake up at 5ish and am ready to walk to work by 8 a.m. at the latest. As I do my new commute to the SWFC offices, I get to see the locals just getting started for their day. This usually consists of a stop at the food cart where you can get scallion pancakes or steamed buns plus the daily fruit buy, which right now is very melon focused. The ayi’s actually deliver fruit to our office desks every afternoon-very refreshing. Melons, grapes, apples, etc. just appear like magic–all juicy and delightful. Love this China tradition–YUM!

The shoemakers and vendors selling their wares are not up yet when I am on my way in–they work late into the evenings. Most of the locals do not have a/c so everyone tends to stay outside in the streets dancing and socializing well into the evening probably to let their apartments cool down after dark. The heat this summer in Shanghai isn’t as brutal as last year. I remember melting in the 100+ degree heat many days after coming over last August, especially in contrast to the coolness I was used to in Seattle.

All by ourselves at Camel Pub, Pudong, watching Seahawks and enjoying breakfast cocktail!

Speaking of Seattle, we were so excited to discover a Friday night Seattle vs. San Diego preseason football game would be played in real time at our local pub but at Saturday morning 10 a.m. our time. Entering the dark pub that early in the morning, we woke up the staff and got them to boot up the TV’s so we could, all by ourselves, watch the game. Screwdriver please! They served me a salad with my scrambled eggs. Sorry-not too early for the screwdriver but way too early for a salad. I still have a Western stomach. Of course, I’ll probably die of food poisoning. I’ve been warned never to eat at an empty establishment because the grill will be cold so the food served will not achieve enough heat to cook the food thoroughly. Time will tell….

Guess there are either no Seahawks fans in Pudong or it’s just too bloody early for most of the blokes around here-yes, most of the expats are Brits that we have met. American Football–what’s that? If it was a big rugby match, the bar would be packed! Plus side to be the only ones here–no smoke. Everyone smokes here and you go home from any bar smelling like a pack of Marlboros. The muzak is heavy into 70’s with Barry Manilow (Thom was once mistaken for him in the 70’s on a NYC subway–worse compliment ever) and Johnny B Good. Ahhh, mornings in Shanghai….eggs/salad/cocktails, bad 70’s muzak and Seahawks Football–no better way to start the weekend!

My Destiny-Manhattan & Me

On May 2, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Dog, New York City, Parks, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai4 Comments

NY Post. Bagel Shops. $1 Pizza. Dog parks. Broadway. Interesting people-EVERYWHERE. Why do I love NYC so much? All that & more. You can never be bored here. I hate being bored. I want to be able to walk for miles and see something new and different, whether it be a store or people or a park, every day I am alive. I’m a walker and NYC is a walking paradise. Even in the downpour last night, we had fun dodging under scaffolding and running across broad avenues to reach the historic and wonderful theater where we saw Kinky Boots.

Broadway Baby-Kinky Boots Amazingly Fabulous!

Enriching my colleague’s life with a night on Broadway, he was even more amazed when I leaned over and told him that those gorgeous ladies doing the high kicks in the skimpy outfits and kinky boots were all men. Priceless. He was still talking about it the next day and really appreciated the story line and talent displayed on stage. But never, ever would you or could you experience something like that in China. I’m glad we could share that with him. And, yes, those were Kinky Cocktails in sippy cups. When I die and the grandkids are going through our crap, they’ll see my collection of sippy cups from all the Broadway plays we have gone to and think their Nai Nai was pretty cool and drank ALOT. Oh, the stories they will tell but hopefully we will inspire them to see our big, wonderful world.

Today, after work we walked around the UN area between 49th and 55th and 2nd Avenue, wandering aimlessly with no destination in mind as we do everywhere we go. Manhattan, we love you! When we stumbled upon the Peter Detmold dog park by the East River and 51st Street we just felt like it was home.

Puppies galore! I miss my Izaak so much!

There were even Vizla’s playing among the many dogs with their owners chatting and enjoying the warm sunny day. Ahhhhhhh….this is where we belong. While there were no coal barges running up and down the river like in Shanghai, an apartment here would be awesome. We favor a river view always, though whether we could afford one here is still to be determined.

Many of the buildings were very historic with beautiful stonework and rich details. Doormen in their uniforms guarding the residences doesn’t bode well for affordability but does speak to feeling secure and pampered. Many restaurants including Il Positino and other international restaurants due to the UN being so close made for a diverse atmosphere. How can we make this happen? Well, I have been known to be a planner and stubborn in my resolve to make things happen–it took me almost 4 years to get an international job, taking on the challenge of many different assignments to get to where we are now, so it’s in my wheelhouse to make this happen in the future for us as well.

We have no intention of cutting our current adventure short but we are restless vagabonds who long to have Manhattan as our base of operation some day, along with a nice abode in Boise, Idaho to visit often with the soon-to-be arriving Mia and her superb parents, Mike & Hannah, along with our son James who will probably stay in the damp, grey Seattle he favors. When he graduates next year, I just may go back and get my MBA in China which could serve me well as a consultant in my future years should I go in that direction. In the meantime, I will dream of living in the Big Apple with Thom and start saving to make the dream become a reality. EVERYONE NEEDS TO DREAM BIG!! That doesn’t mean, of course, that I’m giving up our VIP Membership at Dragonfly Massage in Shanghai. A girl has to have her weekly foot massages. I’m not a savage.

View from the dog park. How do you beat this?

Where’s the Ayi???

On April 26, 2014 By Travels with MelindaIn Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Using the Hyatt gym in Seattle to try and stay healthy on the road, we aren’t feeling the love. At home, we are used to being greeted by an Ayi, who hands you a towel and makes sure the minute you finish your bottled water, another is handed to you while you are on the treadmill. In the US, you are on your own–no greet, no water bottles and get your own damn towel. WHAT?? No pool shoes provided, no bathing suit “squeeze out the water” machine in the locker room and where the HELL is my personal hot tub to relax in after a swim?? Oh yes, you might say we are spoiled rotten by the higher level of service found in hotels in China that we are lucky enough to stay at when travelling. I acknowledge that and feel a great level of appreciation for those perks I have become accustomed to. It makes up for the polluted water, air and food. Small trade offs.

Thom's looking for the Ayi and bottled water...keep looking! — Thom’s looking for the Ayi and bottled water…keep looking!

One other bitch about the gym here–you have to walk by the ballroom through a maze of stairs and hallways to get to it in an attached building. Last night, there was a big shindig going on and since it was from my company, I was afraid to walk by in my gym clothes dare I walk into the CEO or someone I know so we had to find an alternative way to get there by going outside in the rain. Again, first world problems but still….

Being a Diamond level member of Hyatt loyalty program, I get to visit the Regency Club wherever we stay so we can get treats and beverages. The Beijing Grand Hyatt Club is huge and puts on a feast every day for every meal with unlimited adult beverages. Oh Yaaaahhh Baby! The Seattle Hyatt is being very judgmental and must think I don’t need unlimited wine because when we tried to get in around 9 p.m., it was locked and closed for the night. Obviously they don’t understand how hard I work. Room service please!

I will say the room service is better in the US having lived through the Nanjing incident where it took 4 attempts to get milk for my cereal. Being hermits, we love room service so we have feasted on lobster mac & cheese, crab bisque and Cobb salad, and were mighty impressed at the yumminess factor. I almost licked the bowl after finishing the cheesy crab bowl of heaven. After that meal, we need to go back to the gym and work out a little more. On to NYC tomorrow so we’ll be walking all over town from Central Park to Madison Square Park, checking out all our favorite haunts. HELLO MANHATTAN!!! HERE WE COME!!

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