 |
| Stan at SeaWorld Shekou |
Rough Riders
Saturday morning chillaxing
Balcony Ball
The Fiercesome Threesome
 |
| Cool Cats |
Coley
The Burtons
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Chinese New Year - Part 1
It's Chinese New Year - biggest holiday of the year here. Stan's office held a company celebration dinner. It was at a really big restaurant in a hotel - once we started to our seats it seriously felt like we walked 400 meters (the length of a lap at the track) to our private room.
We had a traditional Chinese meal with sixteen different menu items.
Stan and his boss in from the USA made speeches and the office staff made there way around the room toasting and drinking with everyone - I could tell early on that it would be a long crazy night for some at the rate they were polishing off the wine!
The food was pretty good - a few strange items, but nothing my palate completely rejected.
It was the first night out Stan and I had without the boys here (in almost 2 months!). Ahwa watched the kids which was comforting since they know her and she knows how things go.
Probably the highlight of the night was the background music playing throughout the room - Contemporary R&B Jazz music - haha. It was a bit strange, but enjoyable!
We had a traditional Chinese meal with sixteen different menu items.
Stan and his boss in from the USA made speeches and the office staff made there way around the room toasting and drinking with everyone - I could tell early on that it would be a long crazy night for some at the rate they were polishing off the wine!
The food was pretty good - a few strange items, but nothing my palate completely rejected.
It was the first night out Stan and I had without the boys here (in almost 2 months!). Ahwa watched the kids which was comforting since they know her and she knows how things go.
Probably the highlight of the night was the background music playing throughout the room - Contemporary R&B Jazz music - haha. It was a bit strange, but enjoyable!
Bike Riding
During the New Year holiday time we went for a family bike ride. I rode my sweet new bike I got for Christmas and Stan rode the foldable bike he purchased early on here. My bike has a baby carrier, but the foldable bike didn't. We had to get a bit creative so we could all go...
Cole rode on Stan's back in the Piggy Back Rider (Kenney demonstrating below). It's a bar the kids stand on while strapped on to your back - very handy for outings. We just extended it's use range...
Cole rode on Stan's back in the Piggy Back Rider (Kenney demonstrating below). It's a bar the kids stand on while strapped on to your back - very handy for outings. We just extended it's use range...
Kenney got tired...
So I got some snuggles...
While the other guys played at the beach...
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Right Place, Right Time
Yesterday I decided to skip my normal long run after dropping Cole at school because I'm getting over a cold. I walked along the waterfront and ran into Kenney and our ayi hanging out with a bunch of other little kids and ayis. Kenney was playing with a little white girl about his age on the upper tier or the boardwalk. The boardwalk has clear plexiglass protecting from the ledge to the level below.
As the kids were playing I stood about 10 ft away with the little girls ayi. All of the sudden the ayi shrieked and starting running toward the kids. There was one section of plexiglass missing and the little girl fell through! The drop to the lower level was about five feet onto concrete below.
I ran to help as the ayi scooped up the little girl in a panic. A crowd was gathering - all poking at the little girl. Her ayi was panicking saying "we've got to go to hospital!" There was so much chaos that I felt I needed to take over.
I told the ayi to be still and stop moving the girl around so I could have a look. She had a little blood under her nose and had obviously hit her nose and head. She was crying and alert so that was good. I told the ayi the first thing she needed to do was call the little girl's parents before rushing her to some Chinese hospital. She said ok and began to dial, but was basically hysterical. I told her I'd talk to the parents - hoping since she was white that they spoke English even if not their native language. As the phone rang the name "Dustin" came up so I was hopeful.
The father answered and I asked if it was Aurora's father. I explained what had happened and told him that I thought she was okay, but if he didn't mind I'd take her up to my apartment to put some ice on her head, do a quick assessment out of the chaos and call him back in 10 min. He said yes please and I snapped a few photos to send to him.
We got up to the apartment and got her settled down. The dad texted and said he'd be to my building in 10 minutes if someone would meet him. I told the ayi I was going to get the dad and waited outside. He showed up - they are Canadian - and we went up to my place. When we got there the ayi and little girl were gone! I asked my maid and she pointed downstairs. The dad was mad and called the ayi. She said she had called the police in a panic. We hustled downstairs to try to find them.
They had gone back to the accident site. The police and a large crowd were there. I showed the dad the fall site as an older Chinese man walked up and said "I doctor" and proceeded to look at the girl. He did a quick check and said "she ok". The ayi was still very upset begging to take her to the hospital (apparently culturally the Chinese are quick to see a doctor for little things so she was sure it was necessary). The dad said he'd take her to the international health clinic to get checked and thanked me. I told him that I didn't think the ayi had been neglegent - it was kind of a freak accident that the pane was missing.
I got a message later in the day from him that the doctors think she is fine. We believe she landed on her hands and front/ face - thankfully not the back of her head! This morning I happened to run into the ayi and little girl on the street. The girl looked more bruised, but ok. The ayi hugged and thanked me for helping her.
I was glad that I followed that inspiration to be where I was and not in my normal routine. No one else spoke English and I think it could have been much worse if no one was able to communicate. In the end it was probably good that the police were called so that the glass will be replaced. Right after it happened I took my eyes off Kenney to check on the girl and Kenney went to the same spot and someone grabbed him. Crazy morning!
As the kids were playing I stood about 10 ft away with the little girls ayi. All of the sudden the ayi shrieked and starting running toward the kids. There was one section of plexiglass missing and the little girl fell through! The drop to the lower level was about five feet onto concrete below.
I ran to help as the ayi scooped up the little girl in a panic. A crowd was gathering - all poking at the little girl. Her ayi was panicking saying "we've got to go to hospital!" There was so much chaos that I felt I needed to take over.
I told the ayi to be still and stop moving the girl around so I could have a look. She had a little blood under her nose and had obviously hit her nose and head. She was crying and alert so that was good. I told the ayi the first thing she needed to do was call the little girl's parents before rushing her to some Chinese hospital. She said ok and began to dial, but was basically hysterical. I told her I'd talk to the parents - hoping since she was white that they spoke English even if not their native language. As the phone rang the name "Dustin" came up so I was hopeful.
We got up to the apartment and got her settled down. The dad texted and said he'd be to my building in 10 minutes if someone would meet him. I told the ayi I was going to get the dad and waited outside. He showed up - they are Canadian - and we went up to my place. When we got there the ayi and little girl were gone! I asked my maid and she pointed downstairs. The dad was mad and called the ayi. She said she had called the police in a panic. We hustled downstairs to try to find them.
They had gone back to the accident site. The police and a large crowd were there. I showed the dad the fall site as an older Chinese man walked up and said "I doctor" and proceeded to look at the girl. He did a quick check and said "she ok". The ayi was still very upset begging to take her to the hospital (apparently culturally the Chinese are quick to see a doctor for little things so she was sure it was necessary). The dad said he'd take her to the international health clinic to get checked and thanked me. I told him that I didn't think the ayi had been neglegent - it was kind of a freak accident that the pane was missing.
I got a message later in the day from him that the doctors think she is fine. We believe she landed on her hands and front/ face - thankfully not the back of her head! This morning I happened to run into the ayi and little girl on the street. The girl looked more bruised, but ok. The ayi hugged and thanked me for helping her.
I was glad that I followed that inspiration to be where I was and not in my normal routine. No one else spoke English and I think it could have been much worse if no one was able to communicate. In the end it was probably good that the police were called so that the glass will be replaced. Right after it happened I took my eyes off Kenney to check on the girl and Kenney went to the same spot and someone grabbed him. Crazy morning!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
School Daze
Cole has started school at the International Montessori school near our apartment!
The decision on where to send Cole for preschool was a bit of a process - thanks to all who offered input. I checked out a few different options and in the end we felt strongly that this was the right thing. The school is right across from our apartment (about a 10 min walk from door to door factoring in slow walking children) and seemed to offer the most from our choices.
Cole was super excited on his first day! He had been asking me every night since we got here if he had school tomorrow. It's nice to finally say yes.
The school
 |
| Approaching the school - it's in a gated/guarded complex |
 |
| Kenney in the walkway outside the front |
 |
| Kenney climbing a tree in front of the school |
 |
| Private playground |
This is my first experience with a Montessori so I'm not sure how much of what they do procedurally is China vs. the philosophy.
Each day when we come, Cole's teacher meets us at the front door. They walk the kids to class two at a time as they arrive and then come back for the next batch of kids. They don't allow parents to go into the school very much - I was told parents bring germs (not kids?). When we arrive the first thing they do is a quick health check of each child in the lobby - take their temperature with a fancy gun dohickey, give them hand sanitizer and look in the kid's mouth with a flashlight (looking for Hand, Foot and Mouth disease maybe?)
 | |
| Health check station. Cole's teacher is on the right |
Cole's class has 23 kids made up of kids from various countries around the world. My guess is half are Chinese, the other are international. There are three teachers in the class - one lead English speaking and two Chinese speaking. There is also an ayi to help clean up / take kids to the bathroom, etc. Depending on who is working with the kid or guiding them decides what language they hear. The school provides all the meals and snacks during the day. The kids actually help make the food as well. It's a mixture of some western and Chinese dishes. The lead teacher reports to me each day how Cole did with eating - he's going through a bit of a picky phase (age related) but has been pretty good eating at school.
The class has 3-6 year olds. After lunch the younger kids have the option to take a nap. The school day is 8:30-4, so they younger kids do get a break if they need. There is a nap room that is set up with each child's individual mattress, pillow, and blankets. On the weekends the bedding some home for cleaning. They also have 3 extra sets of clothes that stay at the school, a toothbrush and cup for brushing after meals and a pair of indoor classroom shoes so that the dirt outside doesn't come in.
 |
| Cole's bed set |
So far Cole seems to be enjoying himself and is participating well. They do individual activities, circle time, PE and get some language instruction in English and Chinese. In addition once a week they do flower arranging, have a special art class twice a week and Cole will start individual piano lessons in February twice a week as part of the curriculum.
When school is over, Kenney and I go pick up Cole. The parents or ayis wait outside the lobby to pick up the kids. The guards radio to the classroom who's escort home has arrived.
 | |
| Parents waiting for pick up |
After school a lot of families with play in a quad area in front of the school. It's a fun social time.
 |
| Cole in middle holding hands with his friend London |
 |
| Hanging out with friends |
 |
| The montessori's "Black Student Union" - haha. Cole's friend London is in his class and also from California. |
 | ||
| Cole's Chinese friend Edison happened to have the same bike that's in our shipment on it's way. Edison kindly let Cole ride to Cole's delight. |
 |
| The boys riding home. |
Fun Zone!
Garden City Mall
All City Mall
Garden City Mall
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)