Overdue Ramblings...

We just had a week-long vacation. It was Mid-autumn festival and national day.  There were red lanterns adorning homes everywhere. The city looked so pretty. Everyone was home from school. We went to Shanghai one of the days.  It was pretty cool. We went with friends from work. We got to do a whole day of shopping. It was interesting because the metro left us in the underground market. Pretty cool. By underground, I mean, where the subway leaves you, there’s a market – not illegal stuff. ;) It was a lovely day. We got to have lunch at a Brazilian Churrascaria. I was so pumped. I was the only one who got the Rodizio. That means that they come around with skewers of meat over and over until you flip your little card that says “No Thanks”.  Too bad that the food wasn’t great.  I almost lost my semi new iPad there. Thank goodness I realized it within twenty minutes and they were saving it for us. My heart skipped a beat.

The week before vacation, I got to meet a lovely lady. She’s American and has been living here for a few years. She has two precious daughters. The oldest one joined us at St@rbucks.  This lady gave me her precious time so selflessly to answer any questions I had about adoption and life in Suzhou. It really is great to know that there are such giving people out there. I left that meeting knowing that some of the things I’ve dreamed about my whole life can actually be a reality here.  Thank you sweet Megan.

My little Munchkin is becoming more expressive now. She has been explicit in letting us know that she misses the family. And that she also misses Abu Dhabi and all the people she loves there.  She usually opens up even more as I’m getting her ready for bed.  The other night she told me “Mamae, I ‘lost’ all my family, and they ‘lost’ me.  And I ‘lost’ my baby cousin.” Took us a little bit to realize she means love and probably miss all together. So sweet and so sad. She asks for her baby cousin Stavros and for vovo’ and Tchi Bina (her grandma, and her aunt Sabrina) and sido (her Grandpa); then she goes down a list of uncles: Tchio Dinho, Tchi Staby, Tchio Dex, Tchio Binho… and then Leli and Abu and her cousin Karen… And randomly she comes and tells me she ‘lost’ someone else.  But overall, thank God, she’s very happy and active. Loves, loves, loves going to school. She really needs all the stimulation and activities. She gets home exhausted. I have to bathe and feed her fast in case she just crashes all of a sudden.

Not sure if I’ve mentioned it before but we’re not getting a car here. There are too many of those on the road and not enough parking spaces. Usually, people get ebikes here. And that’s what we did. So Luis takes Mila in it in the mornings to the bus stop. The School’s staff bus picks them up and brings them back, and they ride home. Now, although the ebike was really cute and fun, it was not really intended for two hefty westerners to ride in. So every time I sat on the little back seat, the tires would let out air from the extra weight and from the bumps. And the bumps were felt in a big way on my back-side.  And every. Single. Time. I rode that thing I giggled thinking of this:

 

So, really… for them to go to the bus stop or to anywhere solo, it was a good deal. But to ride as a family, it was not so great.

Sooo… we traded it in. We went from this:

 

 

 

To this:

 

 

 

 

Now my bumbum is much happier. We take long rides and the weather is just perfect!  Autumn here starts early (or when it’s supposed to, actually!) We have conversations while riding, it’s awesome. Couldn’t do that on the other one.

So, we’ve been to the local park twice with our great friends. The first day was a game day. It was cool. They do this every month. And then we went again this Sunday, but this time it was just a picnic. Mila and I went on the ebike and Luis and Chloe went on the skateboard. So much fun. Brides everywhere! Mila thinks they’re princesses. So cute. She’s actually shy around them. Go figure. I guess she’s intimidated. It’s so funny.  This park is just amazing. I felt like it was a dream.  Oh, I almost forgot, the first time we went, there was a goat there. The coolest goat I’ve ever seen.  Mila played with it non-stop. It would even take grass from her hand. It only nibbled her finger once, a little bit.

We also had a bbq at a friend’s house.  They’re the couple we know from Al Ain. Their house is really cool.  Mila’s first Suzhou friend was there, Lester. I had fun with his mommy. She baked THEEE best pumpkin pie. Well, it was really pumpkin cheesecake. To! Die! For!!!! Mila’s teacher was there too. Mila was so happy to see her.

Anyway, I’m rambling. More pix coming soon.