Living in Epcot

Disney conjures up all sorts of good tingly feelings whether you are young, old or ancient. Its Epcot park provides the amazing ability to travel, view and eat one’s way around the world in a fraction of the amount of time it would really take! So I am here to say there is a real Epcot, as my friend from “France” pointed out today, and we live in it!

Our first year in China had us living approximately one mile from the girls’ school in a house owned by a Chinese landlord. We had our share of issues in that house and dealing with the landlord but we also felt imprisoned by a large, eight-lane road with a freakishingly intimidating intersection that stood between us and all the necessity stores and school. It’s one of those roads that unless you want to become a hood ornament or rickshaw road kill you don’t cross it or at least don’t let the girls cross it. So we had to find a way to rid ourselves of the housing warden and break free of the prison walls.

Thus we discovered “Epcot” a mere mile away. It’s a wonderful land of America, Spain, Italy and France to name a few. Housing choices, that is. Someone thought it would be satisfying for Expats to style the houses and their street names after various countries. And you know what? How smart they were!

Of course coming to China we had envisioned living in either city skyscrapers or temple-like villas growing rice out our front door. It’s funny what thoughts come to mind for a far-away land when the truth is, its not anywhere as odd as you’d imagine. So here we now live in the Americas, except in China. Huh? I have to say the Americans are a really functional sort of people when it comes to floor plans and although we tried to be different the first year, we found there is no place like “home”.

What makes it more like Epcot is the fact that not only is the school a stone’s throw away, the distance it would take from Space Mountain to Cinderella’s castle gets you to restaurants that cover as many countries or more. I can count at least six country menus on one street alone, our favorite being Catina Agave. A Mexican wonder of marvelous margaritas and fajitas like no others. You can ask my hips and post-morning swollen ankles to prove it!

So we ventured from America to China and back to America again - in China. The only other place in this world you can do that? Epcot. Thank you, Walt Disney, and thank you smart Chinese businessman and developer.

God Bless America!

Weight Issues

I am not about to confess my very old story about being overweight – although I succeeded in eating my way through our Home Leave. I’m talking about what happens when a family of five, including four females, embarks on an odyssey to shop for a year’s worth of shoes, clothes and practical necessities that will carry them through next year’s Home Leave and then tries to fit all of it on their return flight home.

Yep. We managed to have ten checked suitcases of which five were drastically overweight! We ended up entertaining the small group of onlookers at the check-in area by assembling a family crew to weigh, shift, sort, allocate and re-weigh for 30 minutes straight! It’s a time to appreciate a small town airport, for attempting this maneuver in Detroit Metro would be impossible. And we succeeded. In the chaos, one bottle of hairspray hid out in a carry-on to be quickly detected by our observant security staff. I wasn’t going to let that ruin our day and managed to run it back to check-in (I was not going to leave a bottle of Biolage spray behind).

As we relished in our success, the airline declared the plane overweight and offered $400 vouchers to volunteers willing to take a later flight. Tempting… but we passed on that. We figured since we were surely a significant cause of their dilemma, the least we could do was take the flight! But we weren’t the only ones to blame. There were a couple of other families to point fingers at. Maybe the family heading back from Home Leave to their Thailand location with 9 checked bags and golf clubs. Or maybe the large group of Chinese business folks heading back to Shanghai.

The worse to wear was Jon who brilliantly took front-line command and management of the whole operation. It was all popcorn-watching worthy!

So now to wonder what we actually packed given that we shopped obsessively. Even Velveeta Cheese, Miracle Whip, Pam Cooking Spray and Chili Seasoning mix made the trip. The excitement will begin when we unpack the suitcases. I’ll let you know how many times we say “why did we think we needed this”… or better yet “why doesn’t this fit three weeks after I bought it”?

LOL!

Freshman Year Under Wraps

I am almost certain we first arrived in China just yesterday, yet we are now just arriving for our Sophomore year. For Megan quite literally! The Nicholas’ China High Freshman year surely resembled high school. A new territory. New Rules. A large and overwhelming school. Difficult class subjects. Inferiority in comparison with the Senior classmen. And obsession with fitting in and looking like you know what you are doing.

Did we make the National Honor Society? No. But not for lack of trying. We were able to hold the grades enough to look decent and retain an average that might still get us into college.

I’m not sure where the year has gone and I’m baffled at the ability for 365 days to pass in rapid fire succession with an emotional velocity that no physics teacher could calculate. And we survived! In truth, we managed quite well - each of us growing in different ways and learning that perseverance and attitude are a combination for success.

As I write this, we’ve finished our Summer 2011 home leave and are back in the Far East. But this time we are comfortable and reflective, graceful and appreciative, and enthusiastic to continue our journey – knowing how much more we will grow, learn and appreciate while still destined to return to our beloved country, family and friends. I can’t think of a better thesis to write upon.

Look out Sophomore Year. We are aiming for the Dean's List this time around.

Happy New Year - 2011!

The Nicholas'

Jon, Beth

Megan (14), Emily (12) & Chloe (9)

photo: Hong Kong, December 2010

Merry Christmas from Shanghai - 2010!

Santa found his way to Shanghai and pulled off one amazing stunt of getting through the security guards, smog, traffic and lack of real fireplace to enter our home and leave a candy cane for each of the girls - plus a few great toys! We've Skyped our families and shared the best of our advantage of being 13 hours ahead. Which means, while you are anxiously anticipating Santa's arrival, we are lounging after a morning of excitement and a delicious breakfast. Better yet, Santa brought our cousin Nick and his Scotish girlfriend, Kirsty (that is not a misspelling!), all the way from their international teaching jobs in Dubai to spend some quality family time and sightseeing adventures with us. Having them here is the one thing that has made our Christmas




Like any feat in China, getting them here from Dubai was yet another story to tell...Let's just say if you are planning to visit this country, make sure you have all your paperwork in order with plenty of lead-time. We knew things weren't going well when Monday morning Nick expressed his excitement of heading our way on Thursday and us jokingly telling him we sure hope he got his Visa! His response of "yeah - I was going to check into that today" was a definite sign of what was to come considering Visa's can take several days to process. He hadn't considered that after all his global travels, one of a few countries that require a Visa would also make it absolutely difficult to get through government red-tape. Nick ended up faring well enough to make his flight on Thursday morning but the fact Kirsty was in Scotland up until Tuesday night meant she had to postpone her trip to Friday and rush to beat Santa and his reindeer!

For Christmas eve, we made cookies, ate wontons with chopsticks and joyfully attended our local Catholic church service, a mix of diversity like no other, before grabbing a quick Starbucks (2nd largest global market is in China) and heading to the airport to pick up Kirsty. The girls entertained us the entire 45 minute drive by singing every Christmas carol they knew - even if it was only the first verse. Our driver was surely joyed when they sang "I wish you a Merry Christmas" in Chinese! Home by midnight to open a few gifts, including old PJ's (no luck finding new ones and some traditions just can't be broken) and off to bed quickly. The Nordic Tracker must have hiccuped because it said Santa had already been to Shanghai and was in Australia by midnight!!!! Silly Nordic Tracker - you really cost Chloe a few tears and lots of explanations.





You may wonder if it feels like Christmas to us. Yes and no. Yes - because we accomplished the task of shopping and finding things that excite the girls, having family with us, good health and "transitional" happiness along with new traditions and memories that are priceless. No - because Christmas is defined by long-standing traditions, family and friends. And you can't buy those in the fake-markets.

Merry Christmas, everyone! We love you all!

(check Beth's facebook for the Christmas photo album - to be posted)

The Giving Tree - A China Experience

Have you ever had one of those experiences you can't quite capture in words but realize it has an impact that's everlasting? Jon had one of those today. One that defines the idea of giving, of caring and one that reminded us of that part of Christmas we can easily forget in the myriad of festivities.

The Giving Tree. Not a new concept to most people, especially those that work in a company that employs the energy and goodwill of its employees to do good in the world. It teaches compassion and helps to harbor a sense of appreciation and respect. Not that Jon needs to learn these lessons. He is the most compassionate person I know. He teaches me something each and every day. Mostly good, sometimes questionably strange and definitely how to be spontaneous, joyous and see the good in everything and everyone.

So what did he actually learn? All this and then some. Like how important it is to make a difference. How fortunate our friends, our family and we are in this sometimes chaotic and scary world.

His assignment? A 9 year-old, less-than-fortunate Chinese boy in need of clothes, a jacket, hat & mittens, toys and school supplies. Budget? 200RMB (approx 30USD). Where to shop? Who the heck knows - we live in Shanghai! So, being the creative guy that Jon is, he handed the assignment to our driver, Yao, and asked for his help. And by golly, Yao came through a mere 1RMB over!

Today Jon boarded a bus with 12 other Dow employees to make a difference by delivering 121 gift bags full of necessities. Their destination was a Primary school here in Shanghai. The route, an interesting manuever of one-lane, narrow streets and alleys - delivering them into a primary school courtyard. 704 grade school students marched into the courtyard in the straightest of single-file lines, arms swinging at their sides as if military training was a daily ritual. They stopped and stood at attention with the slightest bit of joy sneaking a twinkle in their eye, knowing what awaited them! Defintely no (American)A.D.D. in this group.

Classrooms, a mere 20x25, was meant to provide 44 children with a suitable teaching environment. Each child, one by one, was delivered a gift and each returned the favor with a sentiment that comes naturally to most of us - "Thank you very much". Not Xie-Xie which is thank you in Chinese but "Thank you". Why is this so special? Because they are learning their English as a second language - a universal language. A language that will help deliver them into the world across boundaries most of us will never know.

At the end of the school day, children boarded buses crammed like sardines. Not sardines, but flat-presses. Some parents picked up their kids on electric scooters loaded with anywhere from 3-5 people each - seriously. Imagine Mom driving, one kid in front leaning to left, another in front leaning to right and two behind her!!

So how did Jon depart? Just as crammed but instead with the pleasure, fulfillment, respect, appreciation and sheer satisfaction. An everlasting lesson.

Merry Christmas, America!
The Nicholas'

(to see more pictures - visit Beth on Facebook)

As the holidays draw near...

There's nothing better to get you in the spirit of the holidays than a bit of Josh Groban's Noel album, a 6 foot fake tree with no lights or decorations, the warmth of early fall and a strong dose of smog. Throw in 7200 miles of distance from family and friends, over 5x the cost for a 19lb frozen turkey, and Thanksgiving plans gone amuck due to the circle of life and you have the foundation for my aptly titled Shanghai Overseas Sacrifice (SOS) we've come to appreciate and respect.

Which brings me to my point - that life is funny. It's like a puzzle with a gazillion pieces and each piece carries a story, either bland, solid or chaotic. It has edges, easy parts and really amazingly complicated parts. Sometimes you try to move it and it falls apart. Sometimes you debate whether you should glue it to a permanent backing but usually decide it's more interesting to try again when the time is right. And...it is purely strategic. So what do you do when you discover you've lost a piece of the puzzle - the most significant piece or pieces - and that without them the puzzle loses its meaning and your sense of accomplishment quickly diminishes?

The holidays away from family on the other side of the world, immersed in a completely different culture and environment is like finding your puzzle is missing pieces. It doesn't hit you until you've gotten to that point and the thought of all its taken to get there hits you square between the eyes. I've had my breath taken away lately at that exact point of realizing pieces are missing from my puzzle. It's a bit numbing to say the least, too numb to cry and too numb to even laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it.

Quite frankly, those missing puzzle pieces are essential to our lives. They are the pieces of our family & friends, the snow, music and snap & sizzle of the fireplace, the annual Christmas tree hunting, smell of fresh pine, hot cider with rum, the carving of the turkey, collapse from overeating and the gift of giving. It can be just about anything that brings you to that point of discovery and it takes the wind right out of you.

So as I study this incomplete puzzle and wonder if it has any meaning or ability to convey its art, I pause at the simple realization that the journey to get to this point might be interesting enough and we'll simply have use to our imagination and memories of holidays past to complete it.

As Thanksgiving draws near, take a moment to pause and be thankful for family and friends near and far and the puzzle in front of you, complete or not.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Nicholas'