Wow! Another week has passed and I am not sure where the time has gone. Tim has been very busy this week hosting people from around the world and he is well into his second work week.... if you count hours...before Friday even started. Poor Guy!

We all went to breakfast this morning at East West....even Tucker got up early for this event. It was fun to have the whole family together as we have been spread thinly this week. (Is thinly a word?) Dinner has been "eat when you can" at all different times of the evening. Abi had volleyball two nights this week...one game with the Middle school kids and one community practice game. Tim had dinner meetings and Tucker gets home late...usually 7:30.

And for me....just when I think I have a handle on the whole "living in China" thing it jumps up and bites me without warning. I was feeling pretty smug thinking...Hey...I lived here for a year...I have a handle on this...I know how to get things done!!! Okay....let me just say it....I melted into tears on Wednesday and Thursday. Most of the tears were brought on by frustration and lack of independence...I really miss driving myself!!! I know it sounds very glamorous to have a "driver" but it is not always as wonderful as it sounds. Just for a second imagine these things...
1. You must explain every place and reason you are going somewhere.
2. There is always someone in the car with you and they have control of the heat, music, and speed in which the car moves.
3. Opinions are offered about everything you do.
4. Someone else has control of your time.
5. You can never have a private conversation in the car.

Okay....maybe this is a control thing....maybe this is an Independence thing....maybe I am just tired of the hassle and lack of privacy. And....of course the straw that broke the camels back this week....a charger for our IP phone line. Go figure!!! All I needed to do...find a new charger...seems like a very simple task.....right? Well....It is a long boring story and seems very trivial but between the language barrier and lack of control of my transportation....and too much "help".....it was more than I wanted to deal with. So....I melted into tears....abandoned the mission and went home and spent the rest of Wednesday afternoon hiding from the world and playing the song ..."So you had a bad day....over and over in my head. This was not one of my finest moments! Thursday morning after everyone left for school and work I just wanted to go back to bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend I was anywhere except China. Instead...I took a shower, got dressed, and drove (actually I rode..no driving allowed!) one hour to a quilting meeting on the other side of town. And...of course after I got there I was glad I went and I had a good time. The day was salvaged and I can say I made it through another day in China. I consider that a success and now I will stop whining....at least for a few days!!
Ah....the ups and downs of living in China....they call these Shang-hi's and Shang-low's.