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)