Our house is quiet tonight....Abi is at the hair salon ( more on that later) and Tim is at a dinner meeting. Poor guy!! And....I just came back from swimming. I am sitting in our living room in my Pj's watching the city. There is always something to watch...it is like having a gigantic TV screen with a live reality show on 24-7....only I think it is better because we can make up our own stories about what is happening and don't have to listen to any whining or fighting. Yesterday there was a police car stopped in the middle of the rode. After a while it left...then later it came back. There was a crowd of security men and other people in suits all standing around....then the policeman got out of his car....removed someone from the crowd, put him in the back of his car and took him away. Now just think of all the stories that you can make up to go with that scene.....

Our new Ayi started on Monday....she is a good worker but I am again reminded of how different our two cultures are. Just when I think I am starting to understand...I find out that I really don't. Just when I think I can communicate a little bit and be understood or understand someone else.....I find that I still have a very long way to go. Two steps forward....three back. So I am looking for those small successes each day to get me to the next day. So here is my small success for the day....I was watching Xiao Zhang struggle over ironing a shirt today. She said that she learned how to iron in school....but I know that she did not go to the Thelma Fitch School of Ironing. (for those of you that do not know....Thelma is my mom) My mom is the premiere ironing Queen. I was missing her a lot today because I know that she would have been a great teacher for Xiao Zhang. Side note....how do you describe "spray starch" to someone that does not speak the same language? The professional laundries in Shanghai do not use starch on their shirts.....and for those of you that know Tim (Mister I like my shirts with lots of Starch Guy) this is sort of a problem. We found a can of spray starch at the import store and that is what we have been using at home. I hope they still have some because our can is just about empty. Okay back to the Xiao Zhang story....My small success for today was this....In my best Chinese I said....."My mom is very good at ironing. She was my teacher". Ta Dah!!! She actually understood what I said. My mom may have another student when she comes to visit us in China. Actually....I think she could open an Ayi ironing school and make some good money.

More Ayi stories....our plan was to have Xiao Zhang cook with me every other night and we would make Western style food....then.....she would cook Chinese food on the other nights. We are really trying to have an open mind with the whole food thing and try some new things. Well....that lasted one night. Mind closed....only eating Western style food and that is final!!!!!!! "Real" Chinese food is not like what they serve at PF Changs. If it was....I would be happy to eat Chinese every day.

Xiao Zhang and I went to Metro (China's version of Costco) yesterday to do some shopping. We each took our lists and raced around the store putting things in a common shopping cart. At the end of our shopping spree we headed toward the check out and XZhang pulled a fish out of the cart to show me. The fish was in a plastic bag. She told me earlier that she was going to make fish soup. I told her that we do not like fish except for salmon and shrimp. That was the second time I told her that we didn't like fish.....But....I thought....okay....have an open mind....so we left the fish in the cart and went to pay. While we were standing in line I noticed that something was moving in the cart behind us. When I looked to see what it was....guess what....5 fish in a plastic bag just like the one in our cart. The fish were flopping all around. I think my eyes about popped out of my head. The "5 fish cart lady" said something to me about the fish and then reached down and poked a big hole in the bag. Then she made some hand motions that communicated that they were flopping around because they needed air. I thought fish needed water.....but what do I know. So....in a flash I realized that the fish in our cart was also still alive and that it probably came out of the Haungpu river. Let me tell you....the Haungpu river is just NASTY!!! There is no way I would ever knowingly eat anything that came out of that river. So.....on the way home from the store....I told XZhang that we don't like fish....please make the soup with chicken. Okay...good no more fish. But...later I went into the kitchen and there it was again....the fish....in a bowl...with lemon slices and other stuff. Oh my gosh...the fish will not go away. Again.....I say...."We do not like fish...please use chicken....I would love for you to take that fish home with you"!!! I never saw the fish again.....and the soup was made with what we think was chicken. End of Chinese food in the Spofford household. Call us closed minded...I can live with that.

Abi is home from the hair salon. She is going to the Prom on Saturday and she wanted to see if her "hair guys" could "up do" her hair. The "hair guys" work in the salon 1/2 block from our house and they dote on her like crazy. They are all young and I think fight over who gets to wash her hair. She is such a princess. The "up do" was not a huge success but the process will be unforgettable. I went to the same salon on Monday with Tim and Abi. I just had to see what all the hair shampoo fuss was about. Wow!!! I can see why they like going there. A "shampoo" includes a neck massage, head massage, and an arm massage. They put shampoo in your hair while it is still dry and while you are sitting upright in the chair. They slowly add water from a squeeze bottle and lather the shampoo while massaging your head. This was an hour and 15 minute process and I loved it!!!

I am hosting my quilting group tomorrow for lunch....Oh my gosh....I hope the fish does not decide to make another appearance!!! I better check the refrigerator.