HOT, with a chance of sweaty bitter foreigners

The week was marked by a few F*** China kind of days (sorry, please excuse my language). Days where daily tasks proved more difficult and challenging than anticipated, and when most everything that’s different here was really annoying. I’m slowly learning, that at least for right now and probably for the next two years, there will be days like this. 

Monday was the day I decided to tackle the grocery store. We have finally acquired enough kitchen goods to start cooking at home. I miss cooking and have started perusing a few Chinese cooking expat blogs in an effort to learn more about the cuisine and to avoid overpriced Western groceries, so I had a small list of essential local ingredients to find. Well, navigating that grocery store became quite the challenge. There are multiple versions of everything and of course many items are unrecognizable. Every time I asked for something specific I was brought to the items I did not want. “Do you have pressure cookers that are NOT nonstick?” “Yes, here are pressure cookers with nonstick liners.” “How about soy sauce without MSG?” “Sure, here are about 100 different kinds of soy sauce with Chinese labels – by the way the majority of these do have MSG.” It took some perseverance, a lot of translating (which by the way isn’t always helpful – a ”no romping” sign at the pool and the “cowboy” setting on our washing machine are just two memorable translation fails), and abandoning a couple items on my list, but eventually we made it out. 

So after way too long and with a very tired Julia and three heavy tote bags in tow, I summoned a Didi. It’s a ten minute wait. That doesn’t sound like a long time, but when you’re used to a 3 minute wait max, it’s 90 degrees (feels like 110), and you only have two arms, it might as well be an hour. Well the Didi came, but it was on the other side of the road, a busy road that we couldn’t cross (which I couldn’t anyway because again I only have two arms). So I canceled and we waited ten minutes for the next one. It comes, on the other side of the road. Thankfully, the driver made a u-turn. 

Now looking back it wasn’t so bad, but in the moment I was bitter. And over the last week or so more of those moments where I’ve found myself irritable and impatient have come and gone. In addition to daily tasks being a bit more difficult, it’s oppressively hot and humid. In situations that may already be frustrating or time consuming, the heat doesn’t help. Too many times than I care to admit, I’ve become this visibly angry, sweaty foreigner walking down the street swearing under my breath, shooting daggers at anyone who dares to blatantly stare for what most in America would consider rude and far too long. 9 times out of 10 this embarrassing and ugly transformation occurs when I’m lugging Julia, the stroller, and whatever else up and over one of the many detestable pedestrian bridges to cross the street.  

All this is to say that I’ve come to the conclusion we will be staying indoors more often for the next month or two. Back home if it’s 0 degrees with a windchill of -30, I typically don’t venture out unless I have to. Well that’s my new approach to 90 degrees and over 60% humidity and while it has only been a few days, so far this shift has made life much more enjoyable. 

Now if I haven’t lost you yet (I wouldn’t blame you, that was a lengthy rant) and for the sake of acknowledging how grateful and ultimately happy we are to be in Xiamen, here are a few positive highlights from the week: 

LAMB! – Gabe’s school treated the entire staff to dinner out at a Middle Eastern restaurant (yeah, not a perk you’ll find in the public schools back home). Each table was served a massive platter of leg of lamb and rice. I’m salivating just thinking about it…

Julia’s new school – we found a Chinese Montessori school for Julia to attend in the mornings. If her full on sprint to the other kids when we walked through door is any indication, she’s going to be quite happy there.

New Chinese friends – Li Wenhao, the convenience store clerk who has taken to spoiling Julia, and his girlfriend Amy (American name) took us out to dinner this weekend to a hot pot restaurant. We communicated via Google translator, while cooking different meats and veggies in simmering broth that sat in the middle of our table. They were beyond generous and despite the language barrier, we had a great time.

Booking our first trip – One of the big reasons we are here is to take advantage of the travel opportunities so we are psyched for our first trip and escape from the city to Yangshuo (beautiful scenery with karst peaks and the Li River) come October. 

Mangoes – Our new obsession. They are so juicy, good and plentiful.

Much love.