Our House

Today we looked at the house we are hopefully going to rent. I say hopefully because you never know until you sign on the dotted line.

The house is in a compound called Golden Harbor. Most of the other foreigners live here and some of the teachers that teach at the girl’s school also live in the compound.

Our house backs on at a canal. (I guess that is what you call it) That leads into a large lake behind the compound.

The house is an open style house with four bedrooms. (Yes one for our guests, it is small, but you will not come to sleep, but to visit our wonderful family). The house is two stories. The girl’s and our rooms are upstairs with a sitting area and a place for Me to set up my scrap booking station. (My goal is to get caught up. I have three years. The only problem is, I seem to be taking a lot more photos). Down stairs is an open plan with a lovely sitting area to watch TV and dining area and a small kitchen. Those of you which saw my kitchen in Kansas will understand that this kitchen is about ¼ of that size. I am not planning to be in it much anyway. The thing to do is to have an Ay do all that sort of stuff. (An Ay is a house cleaner and cook. I know it is a hard life I lead. I am willing to make a big sacrifice to help someone else have a job.) The garden is something else. It is small but breath taking. The gardener will take care of it so I can enjoy its beauty everyday. There are two sitting areas. One under a veranda and another one made out of stone. I can become one with the garden. The landlord proudly claimed that the selection of trees and shrubs will have some flowers for all four seasons. There is a pond in the garden with fish and a magnificent intricately sculptured Stone that has a water fall that flows into the pond. This can be seen from our breakfast table. There are large panoramic windows that surround the garden. I can’t wait to wake up in the morning, eat breakfast and enjoy this masterpiece and be thankful that I don’t need to attend to it. I can really appreciate someone else’s hard work.

We are hoping to be in the house by the end of this coming week. There are a few things that need to be done. Sheridan’s room needs a bed as well as our guest room. These are just small details. Oh yeah we also need to have Daniels work approve of the house and I still need to go shopping to get bed linen and kitchen supplies. If shopping is something I have to do then I will have to shop and shop and shop. 

Crossing the road

Today I went for lovely walk while Dan was at work and the girls where at school. (I know I know it is a hard life) I come across a few things I would love to sure with you.

My walk took me across a few intersections. Now let me just tell you that walking across the road to get to the other side is taking your life into your own hands. I even found guidelines on how to cross the road in Wuhan. If you ask me the first one should be don’t. Try to avoid this at all cost. Your life is on the line. It does not matter that the cute little green man is green. Car, buses, tracks, motor bikes, pedestrians and bicycles. Come at you form all directions. Yes I mean all directions.

So here are the suggestions about crossing the road.
1. Wait for a local. Cross the road when they do. Walking right beside them, I mean right beside them. Most of them have being doing this all there lives so they have a clue on how to make it safely across the road. Dan’s assistant Jessica said “They have no sense”.
2. I am told that most drivers are very skilled at missing pedestrians. (Although today on the way to pick up the girls from school (While I was being driven) I saw 3 car accidents. (OK none of them involved pedestrians). It helps if you remember this when you are crossing the road. It also helps if you don’t remember any of the road rules you where taught as a child.
3. When a driver flashes his lights at you he is not saying Hi it is safe to cross the road. He is saying get out of the way NOW. They used to just honk the horn but noise was over bearing so now it is against the law. There are signs up everywhere that have a picture of a horn on it with it crossed out.
4. Most of the Wuhanians do not like the traffic and often complain about themselves.
5. It is said that it takes about 6 to 8 weeks to get used to crossing the road. (Great I am actually going to get used to this)
6. Above all use common sense. The Chinese have a saying that describes it best. It is better to wait three minutes than to rush out recklessly. This is so comforting to know. I just hope I have common sense??

I arrived back from my walk in one piece. I did come across an interesting land mark, sculpture thing. This is a picture of a thumb print. But when I took a picture from the other side it looked more like a big toe. You can pick what you think it looks like.

Lunch

The other day we went looking at houses and we stopped for lunch at a little restaurant not far from the compound.

The three of us went to lunch.

This is a picture of the beautiful food we enjoyed. The food on little squares of bread is peking duck (now known as Beijing Duck). It was sweet tasting. You need to be very talented with the chop sticks to eat it. I still managed to eat my share. The dish on the left is eggplant. It just melted in your mouth. The seasoning they used for it was perfect you could not tell you were eating egg plant at all. Behind the egg plant dish is cool cucumber with a teriyaki like dipping sauce. On the right is a beef dish. I believe it was a stir fry dish. The food was fabulous. We really enjoyed it. We did not seem to be able to get thought it all but we sure did try. We drink Chinese tea to complement or meal.

We were getting ready to leave when the local we were with told us about the peking duck. She told us that they only use the skin of the duck and then at the end of the meal they proceeded to bring us the rest of the duck so we could take it home. This would be great if we where going straight back to the hotel but we went DVD shopping again. (We do not seem to have enough.) Then we waited for 2 hours for school to get out. (We helped out in the office for a while) So I’m not quite sure I really want to eat the duck now. I am sure it has been in the boot/trunk of the car for far too long. 

The Weather

I just can’t imagine why so many foreigners get a little sick here. When you can buy food on the side of the street and it sits in your warm, OK hot car for a few hours. The temp out side our car was 42 Celsius (with 80% humidity) or 107.6 Fahrenheit. It’s a little bit hot here. 

Swimming

Today is Sunday and we were planning to go to a swimming park. But Dan went into work instead. Lucky for him I knew this yesterday.

Yesterday, we went to our first fellowship meeting aka home church. This is a place where anyone who holds a foreign passport can attend church. We met in someone else’s home. We meet Saturday night. It was great to meet all these foreigners. Most are from America, one form Australia (now there’s 5 of us we are growing in numbers) and a few from Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. They welcomed us with open arms. I mean who wouldn’t, we are fabulous people to be around.

At the fellowship I met Kim. Her family is from America she as 2 children 7 and 9 both girls. Her husband works at the school as a science teacher for the high school students. They have just moved into the compound themselves. Josie (7 years old) invited Delenn to sleep over that night. (We declined as Delenn did not have her beloved rumple bear with her. She can’t sleep without him.) Kim asked if we wanted to go swimming tomorrow. Of course we said yes and made arrangements to meet and swim on Sunday. Sunday came and one thing lead to another and we ended up at the hotel pool. The kids had a great time swimming and playing together. There were six kids and Kim and I. Kim and I just laid back and talked and watched the kids swim and play. Thankfully we had the pool to ourselves. Six girls can get very loud in an indoor swimming pool. (We had a great time and didn’t really have time to miss Dad who was at work on a Sunday)

We can’t wait to move into the compound now we have some friends already. Although Kim said she could not be my friend because I don’t drink coffee and I scrapbook. Oh well I guess I will just have to rely on my winning personality. It was just great to talk to someone going through the same thing I am.

FYI The picture is of Delenn and Sheridan playing around in the pool the other day with Daniel. 

Sun-rise

Wow today is a good day.

I woke up this morning at 5:50am and decide to check my emails.
I can’t get on the internet so I open the curtains (actually I throw back the curtains) and to my surprise there is blue sky and a beautiful sunrise.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

I am watching the sun come up and it is beautiful. In fact that word can not explain it or give it justice. You cannot imagine how big a smile is on my face right now. I have a little joke with some of you about the sky and how it is always grey. It is either a light grey (meaning it is day time) or a dark grey for night. But today, well today I can see blue sky and light clouds whispering across the sky. And the sun? The sun is doing it’s best to show me that God is alive and warming my heart.

I just have to stop and watch the rest of it.


Bye.

A favorite pastime in China is to look at signs and image what they are trying to say. This one is advertising for shoes. A colleague from Melbourne calls this Chinglish. A cross between English and Chinese.

For a silk Shop - "Silk Sells Particularlly" 

traffic around Wuhan

The photo is typical of what can be seen as we travel around Wuhan. The guy on the motobike is waiting at the stop light and decided to have a smoke while he's waiting.
I have not started work yet but because the plant had a week of summer shutdown I was given a week to get adjusted and help Fi and the girls settle in. (I will start officially in the office on Monday.) Although I think Fi has adjusted already.
We took the girls to school this week and picked them up together just to help with the change but Delenn is really enjoying herself. She is still a bit apprehensive about going out to the shops, probably due to the large numbers of people. The trip to school from the hotel takes about 45 to 50 minutes so we have to leave pretty early in the mornings.
The funny thing is the trip would take 20min if the traffic flowed.
Road rules are the same here as most places in the world however the taxi drivers and some locals do decide to do the strangest things. Like a taxi driver stopping across two lanes to let someone out after he got halfway around a U turn, and then the passenger decides to take their time paying for the fare. OR Like when a ox drawn cart slowly ambles across the road. This means all the cars try and get around as well. They don't just wait but decide to try and get through causing more of a stoppage.
I think someone once said that traffic in Wuhan is like a living organism.

Dan

A New School

Today was the first day of school for Sheridan and the first day of school for Delenn in an international school. There are so many nationalities at the school I can’t keep up with them all. We are the very first Australians at the school. Australians with American accents. So the teachers can understand the girls.

The girl’s schedules have the usual school stuff like, reading, writing, math, science, art library, art, music and PE. The Girls also have two extra subjects. Bible and Chinese. They have these everyday. Hopefully they will be able to teach their Mother some Chinese.

Delenn has DEAR everyday as an added bonus. DEAR is Drop Everything and Read. This is a program Delenn also had in Kansas. The purpose of this program is to encourage a life long love of reading.

Sheridan’s schedule has a nap everyday from 2pm to 3:15pm. Sheridan has not had a nap since she was 18mths old. The tradition here in China is to have an early afternoon nap. They stop everything for and hour after lunch to wind down.


The first day went off very well. The girls seem to have enjoyed themselves. Sheridan has 8 kids in her class and her biggest problem is she is the only one who speaks English as a first language. (apart from her teacher) Delenn’s class room has 8 but only 6 turned up today. For 5 of them this was their very first day at the school. She fits in well.

First day of school

Not many people can say that they started their first day of school from a hotel. There are no nice garden photos. Just a photo near the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. 

Habits

I am trying to change one of my bad habits. So we moved countries what a great time to change your habits. I admit it I watch far too much television. Being in a non English specking country I thought this would be easy to break. Wrong. Our family went on a little outing the other day. We walked into a shop and because of us been foreigners we received special treatment. We ended up buying 30 DVD's. I think I need to go to a DVD anonymous. So do the kids. Half of them are theirs. You know we got a bargain for them. Jealous? 

The Whincop Family

For all our Aussie friends this what we look now. Delenn aged 7 and Sheridan aged 5.

The Whincop family

Street life in Wuhan

This is the other side of the hotel. Street life is amazing to see. Men gather around to sit in the shade. Most of them have their tops off or shirts rolled up to their necks. They just sit there and watch traffic go by. Clothes are hanging out windows to dry. The sky seems to always be over cast. Is it cloud cover? Smog? Or mist? Work men leave what they don’t want from a job site on the side of the road. While they are pulling down the building people are still living there. There does not seem to be anything called a safety code here. They just work with no shoes, no shirts and no safety helmets and then leave piles of debris around.
Traffic is another story all together. One lane means how many cars, buses, bikes, motor bikes and predestines can we fit into it. Drivers seem to go where every they want to. Motor bikes are often on side walks. As far as crossing the road, you take life into your own hands there. We seem to find a local (there is a few of them around in a city of 8 million) and cross the road when they cross. That does not mean you will not come across a bike or car in your way it just means you need to look in every direction all the time. We are not in Kansas any more. 

Street life

Looks like any other place? Daddy walking down the street with his two girls.
This is one side of the hotel. 

Disneyland

We went through Disneyland in LA on our way to China. The kids absolutely loved seeing the charaters and getting their autographs. We now have some major scrapbooking to do.

We arrived at the hotel at about 11:00pm and LA time and went straight to bed (1:00am KC time). The kids did not know where we were going so it was a pleasant surprise to tell them we were going to Disney (although sheridan was more interested going to the hotel pool for a swim).

We got up at about 9am and set out for Disney.

The most interest was the Princesses but we managed to get them on a few rides. However when we were on the Pinoccio ride it broke down. Delenn was cool but Sheridan was starting to get a bit worried while waiting for the attendant to come and rescue us. Then for the rest of the day we had the inevitable why did the ride stop question. She wouldn't let it go.

It was a busy and tiring day. We finished around 6pm and went back to the hotel only to check out at 8:30pm and travel back to the airport. Where we got in line after line to get through all the security checks and finally boarded the flight bound for Hong Kong at 2am.

This worked out pretty good as the kids slept the first 6hrs and that left only the last 8hrs to keep them occupied. WE had personal tvs so it wasn't too bad. Delenn watched "over the hedge" about 4 times I think.

Hong Kong airport is amazing and landing is unique. You feel like you are landing on water as the runway juts out into the ocean.

Arrival in Wuhan

Well we have arrived. Yes we are here in Wuhan China.

We arrived kicking and screaming and I mean kicking and screaming.

Sheridan being Sheridan fell asleep on the last plane. Our flight left Hong Kong at 4pm and as soon as we got on the plane her eyes could not stay open any more. Well to be fair, we all had trouble keeping our eyes open and we all had a little nap on our flight to Wuhan which was only 1 hour and half long.
So we arrived at Wuhan International Airport and had to wake up our children. This is where the trouble begins.
Delenn woke up a bit grumpy but ok she just wanted to get to the hotel and go to bed. Sheridan woke up rather loud - actual kicking and screaming. We had to wake her because we could not carry her. We each had a carry on suit case and Dan and I both had our laptops as well. So you can see why we had to wake her.

Sheridan is a very unique 5 year old. We have a saying for her - “She likes what she likes and she get what she wants”. So being Sheridan she did not want to wake up or walk off the plane. She wanted to be carried and she was rather in a desperate need for the bathroom.

So Sheridan is screaming because she was woken up and now needs a bathroom. Try explaining to a 5 year old Sheridan that we need to walk off the plane and we will go the bathroom as soon as we see one in the airport. Sheridan didn’t want to go to the airport she wanted to go to China. She forgot that we got on the plane in Hong Kong and now we are in China. She did not want to walk and she needed the bathroom. Wait for it. It is going to get better.

Sheridan is screaming (When distressed she has more of a scream, you know the one that gets right in your ears and you want to scream yourself). Now Delenn is upset because Sheridan is screaming and it really gets into her ears. Dan and I are just trying to get us all off the plane in one piece.

We are now off the plane a lovely person is helping us with our carry on bags (Thankful they are all on wheels). We are on the hunt for the nearest bathroom because the last thing I need is to be wet. (Yes I am carrying Sheridan because she will stop screaming and all or ears will be fine.) We find a bathroom - relief at last. By now I am in need of a bathroom and so is Delenn. We walk into the bathroom. Yes. Welcome to China! There are four cubical and all in use. But in order to do our business Sheridan needs to be put down. We finally get into a cubical Delenn is staring at me like "Mum No way" I look and there is a beautiful ceramic hole in the floor it was long as one and half DVD players in length and about as wide as a DVD player. Sheridan looks and starts to scream again “I’m not going there I want a real toilet”. She is a mess and won't stop screaming (yes every one can hear - even those who have left the airport.) I told her how easy it would be to use and proceeded to show her. I could not wait I really needed to go. I relived my self by squatting over this very nice toilet hole thing in the ground; it even had an automatic flash on it. Sheridan is still screaming "I want a real toilet". OK OK OK. Believe it or not I am trying very hard not to laugh, now it was very amusing to see my 5 year old refuse to use the bathroom. She said she will wait until we arrive at the hotel.

So we are here we are all well apart from arriving kicking and screaming and yes Sheridan went to the bathroom when we got to the hotel and yes she slept all the way there. It was only about an hour drive I was worried we would arrive wet but we did not. We got to our rooms (yes we have two) put all of our 13 pieces of luggage in and then Dan and I picked up Sheridan from her bed and sat her on the toilet while she was still asleep and she kindly did what she was supposed to do and they went back to bed. She did wake up at 4am ready to go but all I can say is thanks for DVD she watched a move and we all started our days at a reasonable time 6am.

Thank you to all of you for your help and prayers we have arrived.

Stay tuned for more Whincop adventures coming to you soon from me

Fi