February 1, 2013

Darth Andi

Pollution continues to be the big story here in Beijing.  Today the counts were back over 500 for the fourth time in the last month.  It is really gross when it is this high.  As soon as you walk outside, you can smell and taste the "smoke".  I finally bought the ugly mask you see in the picture.  It allows me to run when there is smog.  The hard part is that I get scared when it is hard to breath through the filters.  I get winded more quickly because it is harder to breathe.  

Lately all conversations seem to revolve around the smog.  "what mask do you use?", "what is the air quality today?", "has the air quality changed?", "are you letting your child go to school?", "did you make Reilly wear a mask?", "should we close the school when the pollution index is over 500?", "is the airport closed"  on and on........ 

Really pretty chairs

Chinese New Year (CNY) is a major event.  I just learned yesterday that our Ayi (the woman who cleans, irons, etc...) is leaving for a month.  And this is apparently considered "normal".  I am busy trying to hire a temporary Ayi and at the same time I figured I should look for someone who can cook a few times a week.  Fortunately, I found a woman to cook who will start the week after CNY.  This ought to be really interesting....Reilly and I tend to order western food several times a week.  I believe it is really important to learn more about the local cuisine and try more Chinese food.  Chinese food is very very different by region.  I find at the moment that I a partial to Cantonese food from the south.  Certain areas are really spicy, other areas use heavy sauces, etc.  My favorite things tend to be dumplings, entrees involving chicken and noodle type dishes.  There are so many types of dumplings but so far I have not met one of those I didn't like.  My other favorite are "meat buns" for lack of a better term.  It is a sweet dough thing that is filled with meat.  Just like in the US, all my favorite dishes seem to involve carbs!  

table with the chairs

 We finally went furniture shopping.  It is almost safe to come visit!  By early March we should have the living room and dining room and maybe even the outside patio put together.  I bought these very cool white marble elephants.  I can not lift them so when they arrive they will have to be placed where they will live.  We went to this very cool furniture store in probably the strangest place I have been, but the man has beautiful asian furniture.  Of course, instead of buying furniture that will stay in the apartment when we come home, I keep finding beautiful pieces that I want to bring back to the US.

I did not photograph the two large pieces or my elephants, but something to look forward to!

I also could not help taking the picture below.  I ask you, should a porsche be barbie pink?  Shouldn't there be some kind of a rule against that?  Eric and Erik - this is for you!  Reilly thinks it is a great color.  No comment.

Everything else is moving right along and very busy. We leave for five days of R and R in Cambodia on February 10.  But in the mean time, heart felt love to all of you.  MJ and Seth, I keep you in my prayers and I know everyone joins me in sending love your way.

Keep in touch - 

Andi