Shelved Stories: 2019 Summer ABCs

Once upon a time there was a holiday called summer. It was all things typically associated with its name - warm, vibrant, full, scrumptious, carefree. It was a time of savored moments with friends, new experiences, and reunions around the globe. Now, halfway between then and the winter holiday, I am not sure we have even comprehended all that we saw and did during the summer two months.

From point to point, we traveled 56,302km/34,984.4 miles. Zach added 2606km/1619.2 miles on a solo venture.

We set foot in eight airports.

We were in five train stations.

I flew with five different airlines, Zach flew with six.

One of us was either in the air or on a train every Tuesday in the month of July.

Zach revisited one country, added two new ones, whereas I added three new countries to my passport.

We taste tested frites, baguettes, and chocolates.

We watched four Women World Cup matches.

We did not live two days in July.

I lost one fingernail.

We tackled one Harry Potter puzzle.

As per tradition, here is a glimpse into our whirlwind summer life.

Altarpiece at Ghent

As a historical story junkie as well as an art lover, the Ghent Altarpiece is one that has been on my to do list for a long time. It was the main reason why I wanted to visit Belgium, so since we were in the area, we went.

Sadly, the joy of seeing this piece was diminished for several reasons. First, the keepers of the piece stuck it in a broom closet-sized room in an annex of the church. Obviously it is for the collection of money, not for the flow management of people. Secondly,  the ambiance to admire and appreciate is killed due to the hordes of tourists hugging obnoxiously loud media devices to their ears in an effort to glean a fact or two in their respective language, all while a guy yells "be quiet", and an illegal tour guide shoves her way through the masses with her group. Third, in an effort to refurbish, the keepers remove panels and replace with printouts. I felt that was a gaudy practice, a great way to cheapen the actual value of the artwork. In my mind, I heard the pitch: "a priceless work of art that can be printed so well that we do not even need to tell people that it is a fake." It actually made me think that perhaps what was on display was probably completely fabricated from a factory in the wilds of China.

Yet, as with most things, I embraced the moment and savored the fact that I was standing in front of an amazing piece of art, one which has survived wars and is notoriously famous for being part of a great (unsolved) art heist. Upon exiting the church, Josiah used his stomach compass to remind us what is truly important and that was devouring a Belgian waffle. 

Bridge Pedal

Every year our summer bucket list looks different thanks to the morphing interests of the kids in our life. To great surprise and delight, Kaden wanted to participate in Bridge Pedal. It is an event Zach and I have done a handful of times and absolutely love. Thus, early on a Sunday morning, Kaden and I joined the sea of cyclist and pedaled our way over, under, and around the majestic bridges of downtown Portland. The goal was to go as far as Kaden wanted, which turned out to be the entirety of the route.

His bragging right for the day was beating me to the top of the Fremont Bridge; mine was being able to say that he was an absolute fantastic biking partner. I was so proud that he faced an unknown and turned on his bravery, thus allowing us to forge a great memory together.

Champoeg Camping

For the second year, we joined the annual Missio camping extravaganza. Instead of a quick overnight like last year, we went a day early to enjoy some solitude before the masses arrived. It was a couple of days spent reading, playing games, walking, laughing, chatting, and biking (for Kaden and I were in Bridge Pedal training mode.)

Disney

We could not pass up the opportunity to mark off Euro Disney from our (accidental quest to) visit all Disney locations. It is home to the prettiest of castles, the least amount of public water fountains, and wonderfully classic rides (hello, Pirates of the Caribbean). Four adults running amok in a kids fantasy world is just a great way to spend a day.

Elephant Ears

Kaden wanted to taste an elephant ear. No one complained as we stuffed sugary goodness into our mouths beside the Elephant Lands at the Oregon Zoo.

Farm Life

My time in Kentucky is usually spent piddling about the farm with a few trips to the True Value store. I love having things to do, so I was really excited to have two large to-do items: build culverts and stain the back deck. According to Dad, by the end of the task, we had moved six and a half tons of rock with a lot of muscle and some tractor scooping. The lone casualty was my right middle fingernail thanks to a good smashing (even as I type this, it is still regrowing!). Staining something has become an annual undertaking for Dad and I, alternating between the front porch and back deck. This year, we spent a day tackling the back deck and all of its wooden nooks and crannies.

Geneva, Switzerland

Fully expecting a slew of briefcase-toting, suit clad individuals briskly walking to and fro in Geneva, the laid back vibe was a pleasant surprise. Suits were minimal, brisk walking was more sauntering in the sun, and banks were identified by very small plaques beside doors. Geneva was a town that quickly won our adoration due to its fantastic tourist infrastructure and stunning sites. We tasted the chocolate, gazed into the heights of its cathedrals, and saw where so many of the world's policies are implemented. We hope to return to see more of this beautiful country. 

Harry Potter World

Zach went to the Florida Harry Potter World. I am jealous. He loved it.

IKEA

We keep winning the Noon Tunes IKEA gift card, thus we spent an evening playing in one of our favorite stores and eating ice cream.

Jaunt Through the Roses

No summer in Portland is complete unless we can stroll among the roses. This year's jaunt involved a great deal of silly shenanigans and a bit of wrestling in the Shakespeare Garden. Our quest to find the top roses of the year was sidetracked by some silly kids, yet their adults were completely satisfied to sit in the shade and chat.

Kentucky Lake

The first weekend of our Kentucky visit was spent with all family members lounging beside Kentucky Lake. Boating, eating, tanning, laughing - it was a beautiful reunion.

Louisville Slugger Museum

I owe a lot of my travel mojo to my parents, for they were instrumental in my formative years of learning of the art of travel where one may be. Though money may be tight, one can still find interesting and engaging things to do in an area that may be free or involve a minimal charge. Over the years, Zach and I have honed skills in just exploring - whether it be strolling one area of town or undertaking the quest to visit a different festival every weekend. Luckily, my parents still enjoy finding something to do when I am in town, so this year we went to the Louisville Slugger Museum (with a side jaunt to Schmipff's Confectionary.)

Home to a million bats and one very large bat leaning against the building's entrance, the Louisville Slugger Museum was informative and interesting. Mom and I had never been, Dad had been many years ago when the bats were still made by hand. Obviously, automation has taken over most of the process, but it was fascinating to see how a machine can so precisely carve a bat in a mere five seconds. Being able to walk the actual manufacturing process (between the yellow lines) was fantastic - I am a sucker for a good manufacturing tour and this one did not disappoint.

Music on Main - Noon Tunes

We continue to seek out and revel in the free music of summer. Living in a country devoid of artistic expression, our souls crave it when out and about in the world. A summer staple is Music on Main and Noon Tunes - it was another year of great bands and fun with friends who joined us.

Neverending Books

It was a summer of great book finds - especially for Zach. Our packs were extra full with a year of reads for him. We have a lot of readers in our sphere, so it is never a surprise when a day involves a book store.

On the Water

Gerty and her crew were eager for summer paddles. We explored some new territory, as well as spent many hours on our favorite stretch of the Willamette. Bald eagles were in full force this year, providing ample viewing and photography opportunities.

Gerty's crew is morphing a bit as well. This year, Kaden learned how to solo paddle, which meant Addysen and I were stranded on shore a few times or endured a few zig zag paths as he learned to power with two other people in the boat. Addysen was not to be outdone, so she practiced her paddling closer to shore and with ample lookouts.

A sad aspect our paddling fun was that our absolute favorite skipper, Robert, was unable to join the fleet this year. His annual swapping of boats involved selling but forgetting to obtain another one, plus he was wrangling a cantankerous knee. We contemplated rolling him onto a raft and pulling him behind Gerty, but wet exiting did not sound fun to him though it sounded like a really exciting adventure to Kaden and Addysen. We so hope he will join next summer.

Paris, France

The hype of Paris is grand, which is why I was completely amazed that I fell so in love with it. I think it is because there is something for everyone in this city. From majestic architecture to the endearing way a woman studied sheet music on the metro, I was hoodwinked into the cozy culture in which it provides for all who want to immerse themselves. Art, music, baguettes - it was overwhelmingly wonderful. Zach says the moment when Tony and I walked into the Louvre courtyard is his favorite moment - we could not contain our absolute delight of seeing it with our own eyes.

Quaint Bookstore

Tucked within a side street of Annamasse, France, we stumbled across a gem of a bookstore. First editions of classics, quirky French art, cartoons of a bygone era - this was a haven that needed hours of exploration that we sadly could not give it.

Reunions

People are very much a part of why we travel and our summer was filled with reunions, expected and unexpected.

The power of Facebook is discovering friends from afar just happen to be in the same town at the same time. This was the case with Gabe and Megan, who were on a trip with their two boys through Europe. Our first full day in Paris, we had lunch with them. It was a great lunch and a great way to start the journey. Plus, the boys gave us the lowdown on the good and bad of Euro Disney.

In Brussels, we caught up with Sara and her daughter over drinks. We actually caught Sara in her final weeks as an expat in Belgium, which was a lot of conversation for us - how does one adjust to the US?

As we were finishing our visit, Sara was buying frites for her daughter, when we heard a very loud, very southern-accented "Zach Banker" being yelled. Wide eyed and bewildered, we watched a high school classmate of Zach's walk up and give him a hug. Worlds collide on a Belgium sidewalk.

In Lyon, we met with another high school friend of Zach's - Daniel. Our time with Daniel and his family was fantastic, a highlight for us on the trip. I have heard many stories involving Daniel, so it was really fun to meet the one who was involved in many of Zach's high school shenanigans. Our time in Lyon was so rich with conversations, sight seeing, and yummy food since Daniel and his family are expats in the city.

Also, in Lyon, we met up with Colin and Nicole. We knew this reunion would happen far in advance when Nicole messaged us that she had bought the tickets as a surprise for Colin's birthday.

I must also mention, though while not technically a reunion, traveling with Tony and Josiah was delightful. It was Tony's first jaunt outside of China which made for a lot of interesting conversations. Josiah was on the end of a month long Europe trek and his stomach never steered us wrong - until he caught a nasty cough/cold. Then we ate delicious food without him and told him that it was horrid stuff.

Splish Splash

Wilson Pool and summer go hand in hand - though we were all sad for the loss of the water slide this year due to vandalism.

Taste Testing Mochi and Cheese

Over the past couple of years, we have incorporated taste testing something into the summer activites. This year, we chose cheese, yet added mochi ice cream because we could. As for the cheese taste test, we took it to the Shriners Hospital dining room one afternoon so Lisa and a co-worker could join the fun. We definitely learned that Addysen is a cheddar loving girl.

Unsanctioned Bridge Pedal

With the actual Bridge Pedal completed, Addysen decided she wanted to begin training for next year's ride. One beautiful afternoon, we traversed the Tillikum and Hawthorne (one that Kaden and I actually did not get to ride over due to congestion during the actual event.) Zach tried one of the rent-a-bikes, with both of us gasping over the cost. His journey was one way by wheels, the return by foot.

Visitor - Clark

Earlier this year, cousin Clark moved to Bend and has settled into the Oregonian way of life. She spent a weekend with us, which involved Multnomah Days and a football game. It was awesome to spend a lengthy amount of time with her - laughing, eating, and chatting about life and all the family memories between she and Zach.

Women's World Cup

Four years ago, after the final whistle and the confetti had flown, the announcer declared, "See you in France!" Zach and I turned to each other and said, "We are going." It was a travel dream - that came true. Our summer adventures were scheduled around the Women's World Cup and it was epic. The game between France and USA was electric - the best game of the tournament. The finale was surreal - we never thought we would see a back to back win. There were multiple times where Zach and I would look to each other and say, "Are we actually here!?!"

Xploding Kittens and Other Games

The joy of games invaded the summer hutong - which meant we learned a lot of new games and played a lot of classics. From Sleeping Queens to Sushi Go, it was not uncommon to stumble across a game in play.

Yelling for Timbers and Thorns

The schedule was greatly in our favor this year thanks to the late opening of the newly renovated stadium. Practically every weekend (with a few week days), we were yelling ourselves hoarse for our beloved Timbers and Thorns.

Zoo Day

For months I had been receiving messages from our Portland peeps about the newest addition at the Oregon Zoo: Mei Mei, the red panda. Therefore, it was a must to spend a day at the zoo with the best crew so that a Mei Mei could meet another Mei Mei face to furry face.

Sole Superstition

During one of our many days of workers invading the hutong, I escaped to the front porch for a moment and was met with these shoes. Taking shoes off at the door is a common practice in Asia; cross stitched insoles in shoes is not so common. I could have easily taken a full sole picture for translation purposes, but I was swept away by the questions and reasons for such adornment percolating within my mind.  

Did a wife make them? A daughter?

Were they bought? 

Did the cobbler, upon finishing a repair job, add the bonus protection for a mere five yuan more? 

Does the man smile every time he dons his shoes? 

Is he a clumsy fellow and in need of some extra luck?

Are the soles for protection? Luck? Happiness? 

Is there a time limit on such insoles? 

There are a variety of ways this mysterious shoe story could unfold. For now, though, I am quite content in being delightfully charmed that one of the workers in my house strolls around with happy, colorful insoles.

Shelved Stories: Tos in China

During my first journey to China, I remember asking our expat hosts what the hardest thing about living overseas was to them. In my naivety, I expected an answer involving certain foods or household products. Instead, the answer was: the lack of understanding. Mentally prepared to laugh about missing good spaghetti sauce, I was not ready for something so intangible. So deep. Something I could not fully grasp.

"No one will ever truly understand what it is like to be here, no matter how many stories you tell or how many pictures you show," was the further explanation.

In the years to follow, whether stateside or jaunting abroad, that sentiment would appear every so often within conversations. As a result, I always took note and found myself asking deeper, more probing questions about a person's story.

Now to be the one living as an expat - loving it and thriving - I can honestly say, in agreement, the hardest thing of living overseas is: No one understands.

I remember the first journey stateside - so excited to share what we had seen and done in our adopted motherland and the handful of countries we had traversed - to be met with statements like, "Can you sum China up in about two minutes," or "Is it good or bad?" or "There really is no need to talk about China so much," and (even a few), "I don't really care hearing about it."

It was in those moments, I understood. The voice of my expat hosts from so many years ago sprung to my mind and I realized that the path of an expat can be a very lonely path.

This is not cause for bitterness nor an instigation for malice, just a lesson learned in an expat journey (along with the lessons of quick friendships, food swapping, and saying farewell often.) Obviously, we have many who continue to be our closest confidantes and will listen to our ramblings and struggles in this wild world. For them, we are beyond grateful. Nonetheless, even they do not truly know our life. They have not walked our campus or jostled their way through our market.

Because of this life lesson, Zach and I have made a point to use our holidays to go see people (within budget) and our home will always be open to travelers. We have done well to connect with friends across the globe from Melbourne, Australia to Amman, Jordan. We love those moments because we can walk alongside them for a short time and understand their context. We meet kids. We laugh about cultural mistakes. We eat the best falafal around town. We are able to understand.

Though we do not wallow in the loneliness, it would be neglectful to say that it does not pop up in moments. It is the moments we wish could share with others: I want Melissa to lay beside me on a beach in Thailand. I want my mom and dad to sit in my kitchen, chatting, while I make cinnamon rolls. Carol really needs to see the bajillion of looms on this side of the globe. It is not uncommon for either Zach or I to say, "Oh, if so-and-so came to visit, we could take them to do this or see that." Of course, we dream and wonder what life would be for such moments - and we have had a couple. By some bizarre yet wonderful stroke of something, we have become the walkabout destination for graduating seniors. Some of our greatest Chinese memories to date include having Kiki and Josiah with us - Kiki sleeping through everything and a typhoon to Josiah eating a $10 - 250 gram block of cheese in one sitting.

During this spring semester, we got to add another story - the Tos came to China.

The scheming began last summer with our beloved friend, Trong. As a fellow long distance traveler, he understands the value of experiences, so he wanted to help show Kaden and Addysen a part of the world. The scheming became plotting which turned into planning. Thus, on an evening at the end of March, Zach and I stood in the Hong Kong airport arrivals to welcome the Tos to our part of the world.

In the weeks leading up to their arrival, Zach and I had a lot of discussions - What would jet lag be for them? What were the best restaurants to show the variety of grub around here? How would our students handle 'actual' Americans? What would be the best sleeping arrangement in our hutong? How can we best prepare them for the journey? How many mangoes did I need to have in the hutong with so many mango lovers? We even did a series of short videos for them to teach skills from packing a carry on bag to how to use a squatty potty.

Within their first twenty four hours, they experienced very cold showers (thanks to the hot water heater going kaput in our HK guesthouse), experienced three modes of transportation (double decker bus, ferry, car), joined our afternoon class, and ate Lanzhou noodles. Addysen ate a slew of wontons, then nearly dunked her face into the soup as she zonked.

The days to follow were filled to capacity.

Zach and Kaden had the opportunity to play football together - a dream come true for Zach and a chance for Kaden to experience humidity. Kaden's performance on the football pitch was a conversation for weeks after their departure.

 While the boys played football, the girls went on photography adventures around campus.

They joined some of our classes where our students either embraced the chance to speak with real Americans or completely froze and forgot all English ability.

If they did not go to class, they were the magical cleaning force in our hutong. Addysen told me how much she loved our hanging rods on the front balcony.

We explored the streets around our town, a time for Addysen to begin her quest to photograph every visible animal.

There were no less than 53 pictures of random street animals on my camera - enough that I considered drafting a wildlife of Zhongshan picture book.

We took an afternoon trip to visit our local soy sauce factory.

We celebrated birthdays.

We ate a lot, especially fruit and fruity dishes.

The grand finale was a day spent enjoying the delights of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Though we did have a bonus day to stroll a market, eat dim sum, and stroll a very windy waterfront to pay homage to Bruce Lee's statue.

It was a whirlwind of a trip; we packed so much in so little time. Though we knew the time between seeing each other again was short, tears still flowed in the departures hall of the Hong Kong airport. We said farewell with an abundance of gratitude. The kids got their first glimpse into a bigger world, and our beloved Tos gained a deeper understanding of our life on this side of the globe.

The Rest of the Story:

It took me months to draft this post. It was so much - so much story, so much emotion. Each time I would start to write, I would start crying or get sucked into looking at the pictures. When I thought I could emotionally attempt to complete it, the internet went kaput and spring semester life swept us quickly into the summer, which meant a reunion with this clan. During our weeks stateside, I was vividly reminded of how wonderful this week had been for all of us. The pictures hanging in Addysen's room. Kaden asking questions about a place or person. When telling a story, Joel or Lisa would comment, "Is that where...." Even the reminiscing of things we did or ate with other friends around was so fun. It was these shared moments from a place far away that made the trip even more endearing.

Zach and I hoped that even though it was short, the trip would spark a desire to better understand the bigger world and the stories it holds for Kaden and Addysen. I felt there may have been some success when during a conversation with Kaden, he responded with, "Ah, that is soooo American."

I smiled.

Yes, kid, the world is big and there is much to see and learn.

Ah, Life

We have reached a point in our China journey where we have a lot of markers for comparison - not as bad as losing all our windows to a super typhoon or not as good as a free trip to be in a Chinese TV show. I think it is in these comparisons that we find solace for the rough patches that most likely should feel a bit more burdensome but just do not because, well, there are not cockroaches crawling out of our mattress today. 

Yet, it must be noted that our first month has been a bit rocky. The electricity snafu was disruptive and messy.

I lost my camera between the classroom and the hutong.

We stepped into the Chinese medical system and was forcefully rejected which caused in a lot of anger, disappointment, bewilderment, and hopelessness. It is not lost on me that we are citizens of the richest country in the world and residents of the second richest, and in neither can we access healthcare.

We are having issues being reimbursed for our flight tickets and even getting paid this month. Updating electronic equipment in this country means certain death,  especially in a financial department.

Internet access has been absolute shit. I do not care what suit-clad bureacratic buffoons declare about China's technology, the truth is that it is horrific. Zach has been amazing in cobbling together meager systems for us to stay in touch with those outside this closed circuit. Yet, in our moments of severe seclusion, we have strolled to Starbucks for a beverage and wifi. (Fun note, Pumpkin Spice Lattes have arrived on the mainland.) Nonetheless, the blog is behind because most nights I cannot access it.

And yet, life is good. We had a dear friend stand with us with the medical debacle (to say all the bad Chinese words we were yelling in English.) We enjoyed celebrating Mid-Autumn with Hins and his family. Emma and Tiger crashed our hutong for their birthday celebration. The fruit in season right now is so, so good. I am on a quest to create a minature succulent garden. Zach is playing a lot of football. We are putting together an Avengers puzzle.

Granted, it is not as exciting as being invited to the opening of a new bakery, but we are not having to trek to the cafeteria to fill buckets to take a shower. Ah, life. 

Shelved Stories: The Pyros

One afternoon early in the spring semester, we faintly heard the familiar swish-swish-swish of the Chinese long bristled brooms. It is a sound so intrinsic to our Chinese life soundtrack that at first we thought nothing of it. Yet, after a few minutes, it caused us to pause because on our current campus it is not the norm for street cleaning as the usual deep hum of a yellow-clown-ish-leaf-sucker car that bebops around leaving a wake of quivering leaves in its wake the king of campus cleaning. The change of sound instigated some sleuthing.

I made the rounds of the hutong windows, discovering the source to be two older men attempting to deal with the barrage of fallen leaves around the football field. I smiled. I was happy to see a couple of local residents take an interest in the upkeep of the area since, during school holidays, ground workers disappear and are slow to return once the semester begins.

I should have known better.

Fifteen minutes later, our hutong was filled with billows of noxious smoke. We rushed to the back windows to discover that a calm cleanup had turned into a horrific bonfire. Quickly attempting to close windows to stop the black clouds from continuing to engulf our hutong, we also screamed a few cuss words in multiple languages. The Chinese definitely resulted in a casual glance from the pyromaniacs.

In a sea of dry brush and leaves, the men thought it smart to start a fire in an effort to burn the leaves. Obviously they had grown tired of the work of actually sweeping - their task was daunting. Nonetheless, billows of black, nasty smoke continued to permeate our hutong and our entire building. Zach ran to the guard house by the gate to raise the alarm.

Within minutes, the comrades had been summoned and the men were ambushed with bureaucratic figures. Our yells and curses had been noted, for as the men tried to explain their fire ways, gestures and pointing was directed towards our hutong. (I was watching from the balcony to see how this would end.) During the heated exchange, a groundskeeper appeared to join the fray.

The groundskeeper seemed to be miffed that they were encroaching on her job.

The men were aghast that their quest to eradicate the stairs of leaves was thwarted.

The bureaucratic comrades were upset to have been disturbed from their afternoon slumbers.

It was a grumpy lot all around.

With slumped shoulders and hung heads, the fire was stamped out and a bucket was fetched.

As we worked to de-smoke our hutong, I commented that the mundane always tends to turn into mayhem in this country. Though, a piece of me felt for the gentlemen. I feel they were lulled into a memory of days long gone when the campus was mere farmland and they could burn anything and everything. In their quest of helping, they were swept away by the way things used to be done and eagerly pursued that path. I wonder upon hearing our yells were they yanked to the present and stunned to see buildings hovering around them.

However, I also feel that these two would have made an excellent showing on the evening news - eyebrows singed, smoking clothes, and a blazing football pitch behind them - spouting phrases such as: "we don't know what happened", "...and with a big whoosh it all went up in flames", and "we just wanted to clean up the leaves." 

First Week

Under the cover of darkness on a day we did not live, we landed in our adopted motherland. Engulfed in a haze of jetlag, we resumed life on this side of the globe. Of course, it has been eventful because that is just how our life seems to roll. Thus, in the words of John Oliver: Let's recap the events of the past week.

Costco became the new MMA fighting arena for Chinese. Nothing shows one's prowess like hand chopping and kung fu fighting over pieces of pork, detergent, an cheap moutai.

The current events in our port of entry caused us to find a new route to the mainland. The gathering of people at the airport was not mayhem, but did cause disruptions in transportation which meant we could not get to the ferry port. Therefore, last year we saw the massive HK to Zhuhai bridge from the sea; our first day in country, we sat comfortably in a van as we rode across it.

Our happy dance on the front porch quickly turned to verbal cussing upon opening the front door and flicking a light switch. We were without power. The multiple attempts at our breaker box were futile. Our fridge and freezer reeked of what was lost. In the week that our plant sitter had gone on holiday, tragedy had struck and left a stink.

A few hour later, a logistics worker showed up quite confident that he would push one button and resolve the issue. His efforts were as successful as ours had been. He paced the hutong. He rewired, lights flickered on, but he cautioned us to be careful.

At 4am, pop went the box and the electrical hum fell silent. Zach was able to get electricity to return to our bedroom so we could finish our slumber with the air con. Hours later, two logistic guys returned (one from the night before, the other new to the puzzle.) After more pacing, lots of gesturing, and a handful of phone calls, the electrician from the start translated this message: You have a big problem.

Over the course of the week, we have had around seven different guys show up in a quest to solve the electrical mystery. Each stepped across our threshold with an overzealous confidence only to depart dejected and baffled.

The bright side is that we are at a half-functioning status. Currently, our front room, bedroom, and kitchen are with power; the bathroom, office and balcony are without it. Unfortunately, we have lost a couple more outlets in the front room. We do fear that we will end up frying all circuits since we are having to plug electrical devices into such a select few outlets. The extension cord draped through our kitchen, passed through the window, and wrapped around the building into our balcony is a comical sight and a reminder that things could be much worse. On Thursday, Zach devised the system so we could shower with warm water (because bucket bathing is such a great reminder that flowing showers are a gift from heaven!) Plus, laundry is important.

For the record, no resolution for power has been presented and we have not seen a logistics person in a couple of days. We think it will be an all semester endeavor.

It must also be noted that thrown into this electrical snafu is the discovery of termites. While we were gallivanting the world, they moved in and began chomping their way through our door frames and (our suspicion) electrical wires in the walls. I have always had a suspicion that we had a few, but in our absence, the few seemed to have invited every termite within a 100 kilometer radius.

A Chinese version of pest control showed up Wednesday afternoon. Wearing a flimsy surgical mask, he hand puffed powder into the holes he created with a screwdriver. His overseer constantly told me to not touch the poison, but I questioned the validity of such statements since pest control man had the stuff smeared all over him and the flimsy surgical mask seemed not the best choice against life endangering poison. Nonetheless, our doors and door frames appear to host some weird pox thanks to the many holes and gashes left in the wake of termite killing and I stayed well clear of the powder. 

While I was entertaining Chinese pest control, Zach was battling the bank. In a stroke of unfortunate luck, the US Bank ATM in America ate Zach's Chinese bank card in mid-August. Their policy is immediate shredding of the card, which instigates a massive headache for us. Getting a replacement bank card in America is a luxurious process - just call and order a new one. In China, it means many hours at the bank. Which is why when termites were dying in the hutong, Zach was on his second time at the local bank. It was every debacle imagined, but he did walk away with a new bank account and a new card after a total of five hours spanning two days.

This coming week is my turn for a bank visit because my pin number is not working. I am so excited.

Amidst the chaos of hutong life, we started school on Tuesday morning. Our semester schedule is delightful (no Monday classes - yeah!) and our students seem to not be axe murderers. Week one is always interesting because everyone is trying to navigate the unfamiliar rhythms of school and break the fun habits of summer. Plus, we are jet lagged which always adds a weird mind messiness. 

Our department heads decided to have a meeting Thursday afternoon - held in the room well adorned with sickle and hammer paraphernalia - to inform us that we were not to mention nor discuss anything happening on the small southern island. It seems that every effort to say that HK is a part of the mainland has been aborted and the crazy child is now being shunned. Whatever the stance, we were told that if we were found to be in discussion of it, immediate deportation would most likely occur. The spies will be working overtime this semester.

Intermingled within the big moments are the small - returning to our favorite markets and shops and being greeted with excitement, menu planning, exploring a new street, cleaning, reading, catching up with Chinese friends, celebrating our sixteenth wedding anniversary, and becoming cat sitters for the next ten days.

Though parts of life are a bit hectic (because that is our normal), we are still happy to be back and starting another semester in this amazing life we get to live. 

A Very Full Life

As expected, our spring semester has zoomed past with us overwhelmed at the amount of life it has held. While there are still a handful of travel stories to tell, I wanted to pause a moment to reflect on a very full twelve weeks, post holiday.

Our return to Zhongshan was met with grand fanfare. The morning after our return, we joined the annual Lantern Festival parade. It is a huge affair, the culmination of a large donation drive by the local Red Cross. Hundreds of schools, organizations, government offices, and businesses brandish their banner and walk the main road in town. Some wear suits while others don traditional clothes. Some are the lions, others are the old sages of local opera. It was a wonderful event, which immediately captivated us. We took a lot of pictures and had a lot of pictures taken of us. After the parade, we enjoyed brunch with the leaders of the immigration and foreign affairs offices, as well as fellow expats. We made a couple of connections that have sparked new friendships for us. We realized that this event is akin to the annual mayor's banquet in Zhanjiang, thus we hope to return for it every year we are here.

The next day, we took a day trip to Guangzhou to see Nicole. This girl is integral to our story in China - she who walked up to us during our first days of GDOU and declared that she would be our friend. She did become our friend and we have loved seeing her grow, thrive, and achieve her dream of living in Canada. It was a quick day, but reunions of this kind are rare and precious.

A few days later, Loy came to spend a day with us in Zhongshan. Our day consisted of museum hopping, eating, and catching up on holiday adventures. This was to be our last meeting for a while as he has jaunted to Mexico for work.

School began the following week, a couple days later, so did March - my birthday month. This would be the month that began our hutong's journey as an inn, a revolving door of guests either for a night, a weekend, or a week. I cannot recall a time when I have washed our meager amount of sheets and blankets in such quick succession.

I had surprise visitors for my actual birthday weekend.

My students were sneaky, yet amazing. From a secret rendezvous on the football field for cake to handwritten birthday notes, from being gifted with no less than 70 mangoes to a class crowding into the hutong to bring cake and treats, it was a spectacular week.

My birthday month ended with the greatest gift - the Tos in China. This is a tale that will have its own post, but it must be mentioned here for it was and has been such a big part of our life this semester. It was epic and I am still stunned that it actually happened.

Four days after we bid farewell to the Tos and had wiped away our tears, Roger and Ada came to adventure in Zhongshan. Slow mornings, village meanderings, and great conversations - they are our kind of people. 

Sprinkled throughout April were dinners with friends, class, football, and Tony showing up to eat my cooking and play football with Zach.

Our five-day May Day holiday began with a day trip to Guangzhou to see a group of friends we endearingly call the Kingdom Girls and watch Avengers: Endgame.

On day three of holiday, Jojo (who we have not seen for three years) came for a day; day four, Tony showed up to eat more food and play so many rounds of Dutch Blitz.

May has been a never ending monsoon, which has curbed our activity. Nonetheless, this past week, we (oh, so gratefully) signed contracts for the 2019-2020 school year. We are rejoicing in not having to pack the hutong for a third time.

While I am not a fan of compilation blog posts, the need for them are great at times. Our adopted motherland has and continues to cause havoc with internet connections this semester. It has been a great source of frustration, as it limits so much of life. Even accessing this blog has been futile most of the semester. Starbucks runs have been our technology sanctuary; a place to spend hours sipping our beverage and hurriedly doing all that must be done in a modern technological world. Thus, a post such as this is necessary. These moments were accumulating in abundance within my mind and I realized that to give each an individual post would bury me. There are so many small moments - the new temple found, the Chinglish objects I find endearing, the campus graduation antics - that I hope to share one day, but for now I will focus on finishing our travel tales and the week that involved our beloved family from Portland. Life is so good and so full, too bad our internet will not let me write about it as much as I want to now.