My day is uneventful.  I get up around 6:00 am, do my stretches and exercises, and eat breakfast.  I spend a little time writing on the blog before I walk the mile over to Metro for my weekly grocery stop.  When I get back, I spend some prep time for my classes this week, and Judy arrives home a little later.

Her day was less satisfying.  She has a program Friday.  Her choir is singing at a Renaissance Hotel Christmas Tree Lighting.  The choir is prepared and the kids are working hard.  Judy’s frustration is with the bus request system.  She’s been working on it for over a week now, and it’s still not resolved.  As with everything else she does, she reads the instructions, completes the paperwork, turns it in, and waits for verification.  Then she gets the usual: 

Why did you use that form?  That’s the wrong form.

Why did you send it to him/her?

Do you have your account number?

Do you really need 2 buses?

We’ve changed to another form.

The money should come from another budget!

Etc., Etc., Etc.

She’s been in several offices multiple times trying to get it right, and keeps getting the run-around.  None of the written instructions are correct.  No one will take the “bull by the horns”, and solve it.  They just keep sending her in circles.  Then, when the paperwork is completed and awaiting final approval, it sits on someone’s desk for 2 or 3 days?  She’s not a happy camper tonight!  How can such a small school have so much red tape?

Judy’s up and around early.  They have a musical rehearsal this morning from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  They’ve only been able to have one rehearsal per week for an hour after school.  It’s tough to put it all together in that minimal time frame.  They tried every possibility, but because of tournaments, etc., they had to settle on Sunday morning.

The rehearsal goes well. The large block of time allowed them to really solve some of the major choreography and blocking issues.  The performance date in February is creeping up, and the Xmas holiday (3 weeks), and Chinese New Year (10 days) both occur before then.  It’s a race to get it all solved (and remember it after two long breaks).

I get on the train and head over to Maliandao Street (Tea Street), for a lesson in tea.  One of the teachers at BHSFIC worked in the tea business in an earlier life, and is going to help/guide me down the correct road on tea.  It’s a blast.  The culture and customs around drinking tea in China are very old, and full of many traditions.  He gets me taught, and I get loaded up on tea and paraphernalia.  I’m ready for a relaxing night of drinking tea around the radiator.

Thinking about the day wears me out!  It was long, but fun.  We started out traveling over to the “Silk Market”, trying to finish up our Christmas shopping.  We arrive around 9:30am, well ahead of the crowds.  The vendors are scrambling, trying to get us into their shops.  We keep hearing “good deal, first sale today, good price”, and many other variations as we walk by.  You don’t dare stop until you’re serious about looking.  It’s hard to get out of the small vendor stalls without buying.  They do everything but physically block you in.

After we get back to the apartment, we start cooking the fresh green beans we’ve cleaned and snapped.  When they’re done, we dress for the evening, pack up the beans, and head over to the home of Judy’s principal, Kyra Gailis.  We’ve been invited for Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s a huge spread.  She’s cooked a turkey, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes.  She did all of this with a small portable oven, only slightly larger than a toaster oven.  It’s a great meal and fun to talk about everyone’s Thanksgiving experiences in other countries.  Kyra grew up in Florida, but her parents live in Texas now.  Her husband is Latvian, and they lived and taught in Latvia for many years.  Dani, the secondary principal, is Austrialian, and has experienced Thanksgiving in the Phillipines, and Vietnam, as well as China.  Anthony, the Middle Years Program Coordinator, is Greek, and had varied Thanksgiving experiences in Europe.

After dinner, we beg out, and head over to party #2 for the evening.  Mindy, the BISS athletic director is celebrating her 35^th birthday at a Japanese restaurant.  Mindy is from Iowa, and her boyfriend is Australian.  We arrive late, but just in time for the food to arrive.  We’re both stuffed, which works out just fine.  Eel, squid, and sushi are not at the top of my list for a meal.  In fact, they’re not anywhere on our list of foods.  There are a few beef dishes that are served, and we snack a little, enjoying the company.  Several continents are represented with Australians, New Zealanders, a Spaniard, a Brit, some Chinese, and a few Americans.  It makes for a varied view of the world.  As the evening winds down, I get a chance to perform a few of my card tricks.  This is my first attempt in performing these in a long time, so I’m a little shaky, but it eventually works out, with the appropriate amazement from the group.  (Whew, it was close a few times).

THURSDAY, 11/28/13

Today is a workday for both of us.  Judy gets away on time.  I actually get away a little early.  It’s cold (-3 C), but the wind isn’t blowing too much, so it’s a comfortable walk.  I’m even sweating a little as I get to the train station.  Classes go pretty well.  Orchestra class after school is little frustrating.  It’s hard to move forward with only one day a week, and numerous absences each week.  Several of the students have make-up work to do in one of the classes, and two others have an SAT prep for chemistry.  Seven students attend today.  We are able to get work done on our full ensemble piece, helping a couple of the weaker students solve some problems.  I’m glad I don’t have a contest to prepare for.

It’s Thanksgiving Day back in the US, but a workday here in China.  Since I don’t get home until late, Judy and I decided earlier in the week that we’ll save our Thanksgiving meal (and energy) until tomorrow.  There is some awareness in China of Thanksgiving.  We’ve seen ads for Thanksgiving buffets, etc.  The malls have “turkey” decorations.  I didn’t see any turkey in our local grocery, though.

FRIDAY, 11/29/13

School goes well for both of us today.  I get home around 2:30 after visiting with some of the faculty after lunch at my school.  There were 4 of the male Chinese teachers shopping clothing online, taking advantage of “Black Friday” sales.  I thought there might be discussion of the US intrusion into the new Chinese Air ID Zone in the South China Sea, but the subject never comes up.  Only shopping talk today.

When Judy gets home after musical rehearsal, we load into a taxi and ride to the Renaissance Beijing, Capital Hotel.  It takes about an hour in heavy traffic.  Her choir is singing for a Christmas tree lighting next Friday, and she needs to check out the location of the hotel, where the choir will be standing when they perform, and the sound system.  She doesn’t want any surprises.  We meet the hotel staff contact, and verify all the details. 

Now it’s time for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Renaissance Hotels are Marriott properties, so the buffets are pretty elaborate.  Although there is no turkey, there’s plenty of steak and mashed potatoes.  We waddle out when we finish off our meal, ready for a “long winter’s nap”.

MONDAY, 11/25/13

We’re beginning to settle into a routine of sorts.  Monday thru Wednesday, Judy is teaching and planning.  I’m class planning, grocery shopping, and lately, I’ve been exploring Beijing markets.  Judy wants to do a little shopping on the weekends.  We’ve visited several different market areas, but it’s easy to be overwhelmed when there is so much to see.  We’ve been running out of energy before we could get to the end of the shops.  I’m looking for places for Judy to shop where we can be productive with our time.

That was my duty for the day.  I went out to a market we hadn’t visited before.  It was next door to a really upscale mall area (Apple Store, Cartier, etc.)  It had several different buildings and was full of vendors selling the same stuff, row after row.  Had a really cheap noodle lunch in the food court, and did some more looking.  On my way home, I stopped at the National Center for the Performing Arts.  The design is supposed to be “state of the art”, and architecturally unique.  It’s closed on Mondays so I got back on the train and headed home.

TUESDAY, 11/26/13

Judy gets up late.  She just kept pushing the snooze, so it was a frantic departure.  At 6:55 every morning there is a line of taxis waiting on customers.  By 7:00, the taxis are gone, and there is a line of people waiting for one.  She walked out at 7:05, and paid the price with a long wait for a taxi.

I spent the day working on class plans, and looking ahead to our upcoming trips to Sanya, China, the US, and Phuket, Thailand.  I’m just making sure I haven’t forgotten something (visa issues, etc.)  Everything seems to be in place.  I’m also looking for ideas for our April holiday.  We have 5 days we can travel.  Kyoto, Japan, and Hong Kong are at the top of our consideration list.

WEDNESDAY, 11/27/13

Today is a smooth day at BISS, with nothing out of the ordinary.  Since the “Clue” game is completed, everyone is working toward the upcoming holiday.  Judy has a choir rehearsal today, preparing for their concert next week at a hotel tree-lighting ceremony.

The weather is really cold today.  It was 25 degrees when Judy left this morning.  The wind is blowing 20 to 25 mph, so the chill factor is pretty low.  I go out this afternoon looking for a few groceries.  I walked to Carrefour, down the street.  I hadn’t been there in over a month.  I’m looking for “Honey Bunches of Oats” cereal.  It was available at both of our regular grocery markets until the last two weeks, and then it disappeared.  I found it.  Guess I’m going to have to add Carrefour back into my grocery store rotation.

Another fairly relaxed morning, struggling with internet and cable tv issues.  Oh well, I guess this is a TIC (this is China) thing.  I decide to see what’s out in Beijing today, inspired by my taxi ride yesterday.  Since every train station seems to be the center of major activity, I’ll ride to a train station I’m not familiar with, and come above ground and see what I find.

I pick Guomao for today.  It’s a transit station serving two different lines.  When I get off, I start looking for signs of what points of interest there might be.  I see something that says World Trade Center, and it looks like it covers several blocks and has numerous buildings.  IT’S HUGE!  Someone later told me it’s the biggest shopping mall in Beijing.  I usually have a solid sense of direction, and I can read a map, but I GOT LOST in this mall.  Every high-end luxury brand I’d ever heard of has a store in this place.  Where do this many people get this much money?  My only purchase was lunch at Fatburger, a fast-food burger joint out of Las Vegas and California.  Burgers and fries were great!

I must have looked like I was lost because two nicely dressed young Chinese people walked up and started talking to me.  They were very friendly.  Before I knew it, I was being escorted out of the mall and into a nearby building where they were displaying their art.  They were students at a Beijing University and having an art show.  I walked out after purchasing two small pieces.  There must be a sign on my back that says “I’m Buying.”

Judy comes in around 9:45 pm.  She is wound up and excited, talking about all the new experiences in Shanghai.  At the same time, she’s scrambling to get everything put away, and herself into bed so she can teach tomorrow.  I’m getting the weekend stories in small pieces.  To get the real lowdown, we’re all going to have to wait for her to write about it, or talk about it to me in more detail. 

The Girls, Cheryl (now teaching in Guonzhou), Alexis (birthday girl), and Shannon.

We’re where?

When I get lost, look for me under this thingamajigger.

In my own words, she saw some amazing sights and buildings, and ate at some great restaurants.  They walked the “Bund” along Shanghai Harbor.  She spent some fun time in an antiques market, and helped one of her friends shop for a cricket.  Yes, a cricket!  Apparently they went to a really large pet market, looking for a pet cricket.  There are two types, singing crickets, and fighting crickets.  They have little houses, and food, and other “gear”.  Cheryl couldn’t settle on a price, so no cricket is purchased.  I keep remembering the occasional fall football game when crickets would swarm to the lights and I couldn’t give instructions to students without eating a cricket.  Midnight, and Judy finally conks out.

Cricket anyone?

Cricket condos.

Shanghai Harbor from the Bund.

I enjoy a lazy morning.  It’s been a little frustrating as well.  Our cable TV has only 4 channels in English (ESPN Asia, CNN Asia, HBO Asia, and Star Movies).   None of them have been working for the last week. The signal is badly garbled.  No problem!  I’ll just watch HULU or Amazon Prime.  Wrong!  Our internet is really slow also.  That makes for lots of waiting when I’m working on the computer.  Ugh!

I leave in time to taxi over to the South German Bakery and pick-up my cake.  I also get several different loaves of German bread, and grab a taxi for the trip to BHSFIC.  This is the first time I’ve ridden a cab over to my school.  It just seemed too far away and cost prohibitive.  I didn’t want to trust my cake and breads on a crowded train, so the taxi worked great.  It cost about 50rmb ($8.50).  Since I’ve always been below ground in a train on my trips in the past, today’s trip is really interesting.  I saw sections of Beijing I’d only seen in photos.  It was a fun trip.  Rolled by the Tian’anmen Square area.  We haven’t been able to visit here yet, but it’s at the top of our “to do” list.

We have an enjoyable potluck dinner at BHSFIC.  There were 16 in attendance.  Mr. An, our Head of School, brought a couple of homemade Chinese desserts that I’d never tried.  I’m still not sure what was in them, but they were great.  The cake and breads were a hit.  No cake leftovers, but I managed to bring some of the bread home.  I’ll try to leave a little for Judy when she gets home tomorrow.

She checks in around 10:00 pm.  Her roommate isn’t feeling well, so Judy doesn’t have much chance to talk about Shanghai.  I’ll get the lowdown when she gets back late tomorrow night.

Judy, the newly crowned “Clue Queen,” heads off to school fully loaded.  She has her school bags, computer, etc., as well as her suitcase for the trip to Shanghai.  She actually gets away a few minutes earlier than usual.

The trains are really crowded.  Sometimes all you can do is grin.  I’m tall enough that my head is above the fray.  I don’t know how the shorter people do it on these really crowded days.  When the train door opens, there’s a short break from the crush, usually followed by “sardine packing”, as people cram into the doors, not wanting to wait for the next crowded train.  When the doors close, people start jockeying for position so they can exit at the next stop, or they’re moving away from the doors so they don’t get swept out when it opens at the next station.  There’s some really good bumping when you’re near a door and people are trying to get by.

I get back to the apartment around 1:30, and promptly take a nap.  When I wake up, I start planning the weekend and going through some loose ends on my emails.   There’s a new update/upgrade for “iBank,” the software program I use for all our banking, etc.  I’m feeling brave so I “go for it.”  Everything loads smoothly and all the info moves smoothly from my older iBank program.  I close it down, and that’s when the problem starts.  The file won’t save?  Huh?  I try several things, but no luck.  My only option is to wait until 10:00 pm, when the online chat line opens.  Fortunately, the tech help is quick and successful.  The program opens, and closes (also saving) easily. 

Judy calls and checks in.  They arrived and enjoyed a scenic drive from the airport into the city.  The hotel is nice, and she’s looking forward to a relaxing weekend, with no threats from a “Clue” killer.  I believe it’s bedtime!  It’s a big day tomorrow for me with the faculty dinner at BHSFIC.

JUDY IS THE CLUE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD (or at least BISS)!  She “killed” Matt, with a “hole punch,” in the “Secondary Office.”  It took an email from a secretary requesting he come by her office for an attendance inquiry.  Then the counselor reminded him of the secretary’s need to see him when she went by his room with another question.  He walked into the office, oblivious to the plot, and Judy was hidden behind a file cabinet.  She touched him with the hole punch, and it was over.  It was typical Judy…… it was on her list of things to do, so she researched the necessary schedules and planning times, and moved when she was prepared.  He never had a chance!

When I got home after classes around 7:00, Judy was working to get packed for her trip.  There was no time for a “Clue” celebration.  She was struggling to get everything in one of the smaller suitcases.  I can’t believe she got it all in there.  I was beat!  Thursday is long, with a lengthy commute both directions, combined with classes, and the two clubs, one at lunch, and the other after school.  That last half-mile walk home from the train station with my fully loaded back-pack is a “killer” some days.  The trains were packed today, making it even more fun. Thankfully, the nearby McDonalds has ice cream cones for 50 cents (3 rmb).  It has become a regular stop for me when I come out of the train station before I start walking.