The Ayi

Our former ayi, Fang Qing (Amy)

One of the perks of living as an expat in China is that labor is cheap here, real cheap. So, because of this, you can hire someone to clean your house, do your laundry, cook, shop and watch your kids for about US$400-500 per month (full time - 40 hours a week). She is called an "ayi" meaning "aunt."

Some of the benefits: I haven't done laundry or cleaned my bathroom since August. Ah, total bliss! Plus, my ayi deals with all the Chinese workers in the compound, so if something needs fixing, my ayi handles it. And, she'll answer the phone and talk to all the Chinese people that have my number and call me for various reasons (usually they are calling the wrong number). Probably the most valuable benefit to me was when we first moved to Shanghai. I was so green and didn't know anything. My ayi handled a lot for me those first few weeks and she unpacked most of our moving boxes as I was so overwhelmed I didn't know where to start!

Having an ayi also comes with a price (in addition to her salary). 1st: You have to give up your privacy. No sitting on the couch eating bon-bons. No sleeping in. No walking around the house naked. 2nd: Things will disappear. Not because they are stolen, but because they are put in the oddest places. 3rd: The ayi will touch EVERYTHING. Even when you specifically tell her not to touch something. They just can't help themselves.

For the most part, these women work really, really hard. My ayi never sits down except when she eats her lunch for 15 minutes.

They also leave. Sometimes there is just no loyalty. Today, my ayi told me she was leaving. Which is more than some other ayis do. Sometimes the ayis just don't show up on Monday. It's usually because they found another job for more money. Oh, well. I'm a business major. I get it. Competition. Money makes the world go round, right? And if I was making US$25 for a full-day's work, I'd always be looking for more money too!

Over the past few months I have figured out what my ayi needs are. And our ayi wasn't meeting them. So, fortunately for me, I was planning on finding a new ayi anyway. A part-time one. One who cooks more and cleans less, and isn't around all day. So for me, this is mutually beneficial. I didn't have to feel bad letting her go, or make Matt do it for me while I hid in my bedroom. I wish her well. Zai jian, Fang Qing!

Wake Up, Sleepyhead!

One thing that cracks me up here is how much Chinese people sleep during the day. In public, on the job and in the most unlikely places! Do these people not sleep at night? I don't get it!

I don't know how this man can sleep so soundly. This is a very busy market and he is the sole owner of this stall. People were picking through his stuff while he's snoring away.

This lady also works in a market. At least she has someone watching her stuff while she takes a cat nap.

How funny is this guy? He is balancing on his motorcycle while hundreds of people shove past and cars are honking wildly in the streets. Downtown Shanghai is not exactly the most peaceful place to nap.

Horror in the Chinese Chicken Slaughterhouse!

This post is dedicated to my Shanghai tai tai friends who questioned my desire to visit such a place...

My Mandarin tutor, Julia, took me to a chicken slaughterhouse today. I love blood and gore (horror movies), so I thought, why not?

Local Chinese folk prefer to buy their chickens from these places because the buyers can see the live chickens and know what they are getting. In China, lots of chickens are cage-raised and they have short legs and are not as muscular as the free-range chickens, and therefore not as good. The chickens in these photos are free-range chickens and they are more expensive (50-60 kuai each - US$7-8 each).

Warning: if the sight of blood makes you queasy or you are an animal rights activist, you may be offended by some of these photos...

Pick a chicken, any chicken.

They also do pigeons, but they aren't as popular as the chickens.

This sign says "Place to kill chickens."

The chickens are thrown live into the metal cylinder on the right. It is filled with boiling water and it de-feathers the chickens. Next the chicken's neck is cut and it is bled-out. It's quite a mess! Look closely: there is blood and feathers everywhere, even on the floor of the area I was standing through the open window.

Why bother cleaning up between killings?

These are the chicken killers waiting around for their next customer. Smoking butts and playing cards. Don't they look like the butchers at home in the U.S.? The live chicken cage is to the left in the photo - so the chickens get to breathe second-hand smoke and watch their enemies in their final hours.

Our First Vacation in China: Sanya on the Island of Hainan, China

I'm a little late posting this. In October, for the Chinese "Moon Festival" holiday, we escaped from Shanghai and flew to the island of Hainan off the southern coast of China in the South China Sea.

We had one sunny day and it was beautiful. The Chinese call Hainan "the Hawaii of China." Not sure I'd go THAT far, but it certainly was nice at the Marriott resort where we stayed. Outside the resort, from what we saw, had a little more to be desired. Not sure we will make a visit back. It was fine, but there are many more beautiful places to explore on this side of the world.

Unfortunately, it poured rain every day except the first day. The rain was so bad that we actually ended up cutting our losses and leaving a day early. And it's a good thing that we did! Check out the photos below to see why!

This was the view from our room. The first day was beautiful!

It all went downhill from there. Tyler was trying to will away the rain.

The boys still went swimming every day in the pool... in the rain.

Since there wasn't much to do, we ate a lot at the buffets every day... as the rain came down...

I drank a lot of Mango Mojitos (my favorite!)... in the rain.

We spent a lot of time in the lobby!

We left Sanya a day early because of the rain and this is what we found when we left the resort on the airport shuttle van! Did I mention it rained alot?

To be honest, Matt and I were quite nervous driving in this, but we made it to the airport and the plane took off. We were quite relieved to leave Sanya! In the U.S., this would have been declared a state of emergency and National Guard would have been summoned. But we're not in Kansas anymore. When we got back to our home in China, the news reported that these were the worst rains that Hainan and Vietnam had seen in 50 years!

Celebrities in China!

It's very funny how foreign kids, especially blond ones, attract a lot of attention here. Perhaps it is because there are 1.3 billion Chinese people who all have black, thick hair. And most of them will never travel outside of their country. So, seeing these fair-skinned, fair-haired kids is a rarity.

Well, my kids don't like the attention AT ALL! They cringe and run when someone reaches out to touch their hair or shoulders. They are often asked if they will take a picture with them, and my kids always refuse. Except once (I guess they were exhausted from being asked so much)! And I captured it!

This little girl's mom wanted to take a picture of her with T & G. Sadly, they refused! Isn't she cute?

Gavin got sick of people taking his picture, so he started taking pictures of people taking their picture! (Off topic, don't you dig this guy's outfit?!).

The boys didn't hesitate when this girl asked them to be in a photo with her. Maybe because she wasn't Chinese and she spoke English? She was from Israel.

Here it is: the rare photo! This guy got lucky. I think the boys were too tired by this time to say "no." By the way, what is it about the Chinese giving the "V for Villanova" sign all the time? Do they know I went to Villanova?  ;-)

Riding the World's Fastest Train!

Did you know that the fastest train in the world is in Shanghai? It is the Shanghai Maglev Train (magnetic levitation train). We rode it!

"The top operational commercial speed of this train is 431 km/h (268 mph), making it the world's fastest train in regular commercial services since its opening in 2004, faster than previous record holder at 320 km/h with TGV in France and also faster than the latest CRH conventional wheel train in China at 350 km/h. The top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) is also faster than the top speed of any production automobile (except for the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which has roughly the same top speed), Formula One car, or MotoGP super bikes." - Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Maglev

So, that's fast, right??!

Clean, spacious cars.

Getting ready to roll (I mean, levitate!)!

Covers 19 miles in 8 minutes!

402 km/hr!

Aerodynamic!

I think they mean "Be careful."

Gotta Love Familiar Faces!

I can't read 'em, but I know what they are! At least I think I do! Can you recognize these popular global brands?