Evening shindig

We went to an event last night, the four of us. It wasn't terribly fancy, like a white-tie dinner or anything. It was just a meet-and-greet at a nearby hotel. I wore a dress, and so did the girls-- though Penny was wearing cowboy boots with her jeans skirt. It was that kind of fancy.
We got there early enough to talk to the manager briefly and one of his associates came to sit with us. He was the manager of a new mountain resort in Changbaishan-- about 4 hours from here, or only 40 minutes by plan! We got settled in, drank some sodas, and waited for the meeting and greeting to start (translation: we wanted food!). We waited and waited some more, and then they started a presentation about the Changbaishan resort. Honestly, it looks like a cool resort, but if I'd known there was a 20 minute presentation before dinner started, I wouldn't have brought my two hungry kids. We were sitting as far from the exit as you could be in that room, so we couldn't just slip out. At this point we decided to just see how long they would last on nothing but Sprite for dinner.
The girls were slurping down their sodas like they'd just invented straws. When Penny was finishing her second glass, it spilled, dumping the rest of it down her leg and pooling in her boot. She started crying, and we carried both the girls out, weaving between tables and across the entire room, finally getting out the door.
The manager and two associates followed us out-- because as gracious Chinese hosts, they want to make sure everyone has a good time, and they insisted on seeing us out-- as gracious hosts do. Kevin went back in for the presentation and the meet-and-greet. My plan was to go home, but my hosts insisted on taking us to the hotel restaurant. I made excuses and tried to take the girls home, but they insisted. And we HAD come for dinner, and we might as well eat. So that was awkward, but I got over it pretty soon. The two ladies who took us to the restaurant stayed and chatted the whole time, mentioning not very subtly that they'd much rather play with a couple kids than to go attend the presentation. So we hung out, everyone ate, and then eventually Kevin came to join us.
Another lady joined us on our way out, and she talked to Penny a lot. This is usually an entirely one-sided conversation, since Penny is terrified of strangers. But tonight it was a little different.
Lady: "What's her name?"
Me: "This is Penny."
Lady: "Oh? Candy?"
Me: "No, Penny."
Lady: "Oh, okay. Hi, Pandy! How are you, Pandy?"
People talk to her all the time, and usually Penny just ignores them. But this time, Penny looked really concerned, especially when her name was starting to sound like "Panty." She looked straight at the lady and said, "My name is PENNY."
I believe that's the only time she has EVER talked to a stranger.

I'm an artist!

And I prefer it to be pronounced, "ar-TEEST," FYI. 

I started taking a Chinese silk painting class this week. (工笔画) And now I'm pretty much amazing. Just look at my partially-finished painting:

My painting set-up at the dining room table

Just kidding! I'm pretty shaky and terrible, but it's really fun! It's a little bit more paint-by-number than actual art creation, but I'm learning a lot by doing it. In the top picture, you can see the original in a book. I guess it's a collection of paintings by a famous contemporary Chinese artist. My actual painting is on silk, which is transparent. So underneath, there is simply a photocopy of the original painting, and I'm just tracing it and then coloring it. I asked my teacher about it, and she said that this is the way to learn the painting techniques. When she does it, she doesn't use a photocopy of another artist's work, but a pencil sketch of her own creation. Then the technique is the same.
The first step was to trace all the lines on the flower petals and leaves. You use a Chinese paintbrush, and there's a specific technique to it. I'm pretty terrible, and I found the hardest part to be keeping the pressure steady. It's easy to make your lines fat in one place and skinny further down, and then nonexistent. And then when you get more ink on your brush, it makes it glob a bunch of color down when you weren't expecting it. So I have a lot to work on in that regard. My teacher did half the lines for me while I was chasing the girls around.
Then after the lines were done, I just filled in the colors. Now I'm working on the shading, using a darker red in the flower and a bluer green in the leaves. My teacher mixed the colors for me-- so really, it's about as simple as you can get. I love that it's a copy of a masterpiece, though, so when I'm done it will still be a beautiful painting-- just not if you look up close.

A close-up of my masterpiece

A lot of my friends have been taking this painting class for a long time. I was busy with the baby for most of last year, and then I just didn't really think of starting it. I have enough to keep me busy without starting a new hobby. But now that I've started, I'm really glad I did!

Flour girls

I made some rolls this morning for a BBQ at the Consulate. Penny helped me roll up the dough, and while I was mixing and stuff, she dug around in the flour bin, spilling a little bit on the floor. Then while I was finishing up, she and Naomi played in it; specifically, they rubbed it all over their legs. They're pretty funny girls!

And so it begins

I asked Penny to tell me about what she's doing in this picture. And in her own words:
"I'm helping you. I'm just helping you. I'm helping you."
Me: "What are we doing? What am I helping you to do?"
"I'm just doing my haowork, haouwork, haouse work. I'm doing my house work, Mom. I'm doing my house work, Mommy."
Me: "Homework?"
"Homework, yeah."

And so it begins. She had 8 little workbook pages given on Friday to be brought back on Monday. She likes to do the little matching games, although she doesn't really understand the concept of matching the dot in the right-hand column with the corresponding one on the left. She just connects the dots. But she thinks it's fun and I think it's fun. I can only imagine that I'm a little less tiger-mom than a lot of her classmates' moms might be. I have a feeling she'll be the only one turning in her preschool homework with wrong answers. :) But she's 3, and she's learning to enjoy doing schoolwork. I think she's already ahead of the game.

A whole lot of noise

This morning we heard some banging and pounding outside-- a little more than usual-- so we went outside to investigate. Once we got past the jackhammers doing construction, we found a huge drumming troupe banging on their drums and clanging their cymbals. 

No, it's not some unknown or forgotten Chinese holiday, though there are two holidays coming up next week. This celebration is for the 2nd anniversary of the opening of a shopping mall. Wahoo.

But anyway, the drums were cool-- and very loud-- followed by lion dancers. 

Lions chasing each other

Pawing at the audience

We had front- row seats, partially because the girls are short, and partially because no one else wanted to sit on the steps. We just did it anyway (even though they're gross).

Naomi wanted to make sure her sister was enjoying it as much as she was.

The lions love Naomi, too!

Trying her hand at Chinese cymbals. Verdict: Too heavy

Penny decided she wanted to try, and the man was so nice to Naomi he couldn't be THAT scary.

Drumming like a pro

She kept trying to hit the taller drum, so she got some help.

Sisters drumming

Chelsea's Sewing School

Yesterday some of my friends came over for a first-ever sewing class. It was the first one they'd ever taken, and the first one I've ever taught. 

Success: cutting straight lines with a rotary cutter and not losing any fingers!

You might think I asked them to pose for this picture, but they were just smiling away, even without my telling them to. Sewing is fun!

Using a sewing machine!

Ironing a hem

It's hard work to concentrate this hard.

Shanshan modeling the finished product: a new nursing cover!

Criticism

We Americans can be pretty rude about how other people raise their children. We roll our eyes. We mutter things about what we would never let OUR children do. We have mastered the evil glare. Some people even say rude things straight to the parents or even the kids.
So when I point out that some Chinese people are rude about how I raise my children, I'm not saying this is an East/West cultural difference. No, there are rude people and kind people in both places. I just think Chinese people can be rude in a different way than Americans.
Even if you don't understand Chinese, you still know that people are telling you how to raise your children. If there is a single cloud in the sky, old ladies will appear out of nowhere to holler at you that your child is cold! They need to be wearing more clothes! A couple weeks ago (remember, it was AUGUST), we had spent the day out and about. During the taxi ride home, it started sprinkling a light summer rain. As I was opening the taxi door RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT, a lady started pulling on Naomi's shirt and tsk-tsking me that she should be wearing more clothes. Seriously?!
Now, a lot of the time, especially during the winter when it's all I hear when I walk down the street, I just tell myself that it's these old women's way of saying they care about my children. And they do. They want the cute little fingers and the cute chubby cheeks to be warm. But it's also their way of telling you (and everyone within earshot) that you're not a good parent.
An older Chinese woman I know was chatting with me once about our mutual friend, who is my age-ish. She mentioned that my friend didn't know a thing about parenting, and it was because she is so young. In China, grandmas usually take care of the young children, and it's very rare to see a young mother alone with her child. And by "rare" I mean nonexistent. If her mother, husband, or mother-in-law isn't with her, then she has a nanny along. On the one hand, raising kids is a group effort. It can be a good thing in a lot of ways. But on the other hand, it does lead to the mindset that young mothers can't do anything on their own. And we should criticize them.
We rode the train to Beijing this weekend. Kevin, Penny, Naom, and I sat in a little booth with three other people. Our kids were very well-behaved. It was a 5-hour trip, and between the toys, books, iProducts and snacks we'd packed, the trip went relatively smoothly. Naomi made friends with the father and son sitting right outside our booth. They played with her, bouncing her balloon around and making her squeal and laugh. For the last hour or so, she made continuous trips between their seats and ours. They gave her snacks every time she visited, so she kept going back. We gave them some of our nice beef jerky, and then we didn't feel so bad that our daughter was such a mooch.
Anyway, as we were getting off the train, some of the people around us started talking about us. I think they knew we understood Chinese, since we had talked them over the course of the trip. But maybe they forgot.
"Did you see those kids? They are like wild animals! They're all over the place, and their parents aren't even watching!"
"I know! This table is sticking out, and not even once did they worry that their kids would knock their heads on it."
I was a little confused by the table comment, since the table was rounded on all surfaces and our daughters didn't even go near it. But I guess I didn't hover and overprotect as much as this woman apparently would have if these were her children.
And I really think that's the big deal. We don't hover. We let our children play on their own. If our child pinches her finger in her seat tray, it might hurt a little. But she will learn to keep her fingers out of the way. It's a different parenting philosophy. And it's okay.
Now, this post has been really negative. I'm sorry. There were probably 50 people on our train car, and only 2 or 3 of them said anything rude. As with America, most people are very kind.
Case in point: I took the girls through the maze that is the Beijing Subway this morning at 8:00. Could there be any crazier time to go? We squished onto the first subway car, and at the next stop, we had to get off to let people out, then re-squish back onto the car. One lady saw that, and she started telling people to scoot over and let us further into the train, to move over and let us sit down. Then when we finally came to our stop, she actually picked up Penny and carried her off the train so she would be sure to get off with us. At different points of my (crazy) journey, several other people helped me carry the stroller up and down stairs at the transfer stations, and a few people held Penny's hand to help her up or down the stairs.
In general, people in China are very kind. Everywhere I take the girls, I'm surrounded by a chorus of, "They are so cute!" "Look at those big eyes!" "She looks just like a doll!" and, "Wow, what a cool stroller!"
So when people decide to be rude and to criticize, it surprises me, and it stings. And unfortunately, I remember the one critic just as much as the chorus of supporters.

Beijing weekend

We made it to Beijing for the weekend... barely. We live really close to the train station, so we just walked over when it was time to catch our train. There are always people coming and going at the train station, and today was nothing different. Only I guess there weren't as many people (but it's China--there were still tons of people!). Some guys standing around got our attention: "Hey, I recognize you. You come here sometimes with these two kids. I remember you." (I guess he had to give a reason for his reaching out to us. General kindness wouldn't have been reason enough.) "They're remodeling the train station, and you can't catch a train from this side. Hurry and catch a cab, and you'll have to catch your train from the west doors."
Um... I didn't know there even were west doors! And the train station has been under construction for so long it wasn't anything strange to have long closed-off sections and weird detours. But thank you, thank you, thank you, random guy!!
We RAN to catch a cab. Then we PANICKED as we sat in traffic for 10 minutes. We got to the train station 5 minutes before our train left. Never having been there before, we didn't know exactly where to go. But thankfully, there was another guy jumping out of a cab at the same time we were, so we just ran after him. He led us straight through security and up to the train platforms. Thank you, pink-shirted guy! We made our train as the giant throng was just going through the gate onto the train. So we were late, but not late enough to be left in the dust. We ran along the train platform and found our seats. It took us a while to stop panting and sweating-- but the girls thought it was fun.
Naomi boycotted her two daily naps, settling instead for a brief, 30 minute catnap. This made the rest of the day so much fun! Once we were in Beijing, there was a cool Xinjiang restaurant we wanted to visit. Kevin had gone with my mom and our former exchange student while I was in the hospital having Naomi last year, and I really wanted to go this time. I forgot which subway station we should have gone to, and while we were on our way to the Beijing Zoo stop, I saw that we were going through the Olympic Park station. "I think this is the station I was actually looking for but I couldn't find. Let's get off here."
You know when you take a multiple choice test, and you guess the answer is A? But then you carefully reread the question and then talk yourself into changing your answer to C? At the last minute? And then it turns out that you were wrong, the answer was A, and you should have just gone with your first instinct, which was A in the first place? Yes. This was the case with the subway stops. Had we gone to the Beijing Zoo stop, we would have been a 15-minute walk from our restaurant. Stopping at the Olympic Park meant that we didn't get to our restaurant for another 2 1/2 hours, and didn't start eating for 3 1/2. The food was.... pretty bad. I ordered what I thought was traditional Uyghur noodles, but it turned out to be mediocre noodles with mushrooms, tofu, and pickles. It was pretty much disgusting. We got some lamb buns, which were good, but they were out of my favorite pilaf, shou zhua fan.
So the restaurant idea was a complete flop. But the Olympic Park was pretty cool. And Penny loved seeing everyone flying their kites.

Children's songs in Chinese

Penny is learning some Chinese children's songs at preschool. I love this not only because Penny is super cute when she sings them, but also because I love children's songs. I think you learn a lot about people and societies by what songs they sing with their children.
So the first song Penny is singing is called 小兔子乖乖。It means "good little rabbit." I grew up hearing that story of the wolf coming to knock on the sheep's door, saying it was the momma sheep. It put on a sheep suit, put flour on its hands, and then drank something weird to make its voice sound like the momma sheep. But those baby sheep weren't fooled! Basically, this song is that story, except using rabbits instead of wolves.

A little creepy? Perhaps. But at least it's not a cheery little song about the Black Plague.

Here is my beautiful, poetic translation:
(Wolf:)
Good little rabbit, open the door.
Hurry up and open it! I want to come in!
(Rabbit:)
No, no, no, I won't open it.
Momma hasn't come home yet.
I won't open the door for anyone!

(Verse two)
(Momma rabbit:)
Good little rabbit, open the door.
Momma's home, I want to come in!
(Rabbit:)
Hurry up and open the door!
Momma's home!
I'll come open the door!

Here's the video we like:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/X-OlvCV_Q7A/
I don't have a decent video of Penny singing it yet, but when I do, I'll post it. It's pretty funny, because she mixes up the verses to say, "No, no, no, I won't open it. Momma's home!"
Thanks, Penny! Remind me never to lock myself out while you're home. You'll leave me out in the weather!

So now that she's basically learned this song, we're moving on to the second Chinese song. I've heard several friends and nannies sing it, and it's very beautiful. It's about a small swallow finding a beautiful place to go in the springtime.
It goes like this:
Little swallow, clothed in bright colors,
Every year you come here.
I asked the sparrow, "Why do you come?"
Sparrow said, "The springtime here is the most beautiful!"

It kind of ends on a weird note, but I just chalked that up to it being an Asian song with its pentatonic scale. I mean, what we Westerners think of as a "good ending" for a song might not apply in Eastern music. Who am I to judge?

Turns out, there's a second verse. Just no one sings it. But this is how it goes:

Little swallow, let me tell you,
It will be EVEN MORE beautiful here next year.
We built up a big factory,
Installed some new machinery,
and we welcome you to live here long term!
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/HVHGI2cQ7uc/

Um.... I wouldn't sing that verse either! That's so weird!! Turns out, this song was written in 1956, right during the rise of Communism in China. It's all about rural, natural China and how it was going to become a strong, industrial power. And all the new factories would make a GREAT nation for all the humble swallows to live in.
Well, considering the general abandonment of Communist ideals in China these days, it's no wonder that no one sings the second verse anymore. But the first verse is still pretty, even if the last note leaves you hanging.

What I've been doing instead of blogging

I finally finished it yesterday, and I'm really happy with the way this quilt top turned out. It's based on a pattern called Oh My Stars! that I decided to use to showcase my Christmas fabrics. On the pattern, the corner stars look a little more like stars, and on this one, I think they look more like a lattice. Either way, I'm happy about how it turned out. It looks like I actually planned ahead and had enough fabric on hand to finish it. Weird, huh?!
Actually, I'm so happy about it, I've decided to keep it. Originally, it was going to be a Christmas gift. But now it's going to be my Christmas gift to me. I'm so happy!