Things we're missing...

We cannot believe that yesterday marked 2 months since we've been in china! We have just under 4 months to go until we head back home for the Christmas holiday and we know it will fly by! Meanwhile we have been blessed with visitors from the US! First, our division supply chain manager came in July and then Ryan (Bethany's brother) in August! Ryan is coming back in September and then our GM is expected to come in October! We are hoping for at least one more visitor before our Christmas break as well! With all of these visitors, plus some of my Chinese colleagues that are heading to the states for work, we've been able to get a few items that we really miss or "need" (coffee, baby wipes, new shoes for Ava)! However there are a few things that don't travel well that we miss...

1. Beef jerky (Ryan) - this is actually on our next wish list, we just haven't thought to ask for it until now!
2.  BBQ baked lays (Bethany) - looking forward to these as soon as we arrive in the US!
3.  Hummus (Bethany) - I really need to look into making some myself!
4.  The smell of a campfire and camping (Ryan)
5.  Grilling! We could buy a grill here and maybe we will once it cools down.
6.  Mowing the lawn (Ryan's crazy)
7.  Bella (& Gabby) - both animals are doing great, but we miss them terribly! Especially Bella at mealtimes!
8.  Running outside with my Borgess Run Camp friends! (Bethany) - maybe I will meet new running buddies here (or make Ryan and Ava join me) once it cools down a bit!
9.  Driving (Ryan) - Bethany does not miss driving though
10.  Family - while FaceTime fills some of the void, there's nothing like a hug and kiss! Plus it has been difficult being far away while Bethany's dad underwent surgery and recovers!

Overall, we are adjusting very well and enjoying our life in china! It is fairly easy to find things we are used to - you just pay for it! For example, gold fish are about $4, a package of Starbuck's coffee is about $15 and a bag of Doritos are $11! Sometimes it's worth spending the extra money to feel the comforts of home (coffee and goldfish)!  Other times it's not even worth it (Doritos). :)

Safe Eating in China!



When we first found out that we were moving to China, we talked to the Health Department, Ava's pediatrician and everyone we knew that had traveled there asking tons of questions.  Our main question and concern was, "How can we make sure we give Ava safe and healthy food options?"  Since most of the people we talked to had just traveled to China for a short period of time - 1 to 4 weeks at a time - we received very similar answers: "only eat fruits with a thick peel (Bananas, Oranges, etc) and plan to eat mostly canned fruits and vegetables".  Of course we weren't thrilled about that idea.  Granted, any fruit/vegetable is better than nothing, but fresh is way healthier!  We kept asking around and found a Parker family with a son just a few months older than Ava!  They were a tremendous help during our months of planning and taught us how to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables so it is safe to eat!  It definitely adds to the prep time, but it is well worth it!     



Fruit & Vegetable Market - 10 to 15 min
walk from our apartment



Our Vegetables purchased at the market - paid about $7 US









A local family introduced us to this Fruit & Vegetable Market which is only a 10 to 15 walk from our apartment!  They have 4 kids and 1 more due any day now and have had no issues, so it appears to be safe. 

While we typically buy our fruit at a different store, we could get it here as well and I am sure it would be fine.  Once we've purchased all of our fruit and vegetables, we can start to prepare them.  First, we wash them in purified water.  Then, we spray them with a Fruit & Vegetable Wash and rinse with purified water.  Next, we soak any fruits with a thin peel (blueberries, grapes, apples, pears, etc) and vegetables in a mixture of vinegar, salt and purified water.  Then, we rinse again with purified water.  Finally, they are ready to eat or cook!



3rd Step:  Soaking in Vinegar, Salt & Water!



Finally time to cook!



We were also told to be careful with Chinese products.  There are a lot of counterfeit products here - not just with clothes, purses and electronics, but also food which is pretty scary.  We buy milk, yogurt and cheese from Europe and look for Korean or Japanese sauces (like Soy Sauce).  We also buy a lot of American brands - like Tyson chicken and Kraft Mac-n-Cheese!  In addition, we were told to buy imported eggs, but we have yet to find any.  Therefore, we go to a reputable store and buy refrigerated eggs (most eggs are not refrigerated) that show a chicken on the carton (they eat a lot of duck eggs here, and who knows what else) and the carton says "Safe" (keeping our fingers crossed)!    



So far we are eating and cooking well - and still very "American"!  We have yet to try any Chinese recipes, but maybe one day!  We still have many months ahead of us!  Soon we will share some of the interesting items (and flavors) you can find in the grocery stores! 

Our first Asian escapade!

No Honking!

No Mopeds!

No split pants!

Very clean taxis!

Expensive (although we found Nutri grain bars for $5/box instead of $10/box)!

Excellent BBQ!

Ava is still a celebrity ...

Even though we were only a 90 minute flight away, we felt thousands of miles away from China!  Our first Asian escapade was in South Korea!  Our first stop was in Seoul where we spent the weekend exploring. 

We didn't get to do as much sightseeing as we wanted, but we had a nice time nonetheless.  We went to the Korean War Museum which was very nice and informative!  Then, we went to a famous street called the Insadong and enjoyed some people watching and ice cream in this weird J shaped cone.  We still aren't sure why this is so popular but EVERYONE was eating them, so we had to get one too!  Of course Ava loved it!

After Seoul, we headed just a little south to Suwon.  Bethany went to work while Ryan & Ava walked around town and explored the hotel.  That night we had Korean BBQ for the first time!  Monday night we had Beef - wrapped in Romaine Lettuce, some great sauce and garlic!  Tuesday night we had pork!  It was absolutely delicious!  Oh, and we cannot forget the "Happy Water" which, surprisingly, for 19% alcohol, tasted just like "happy water" and went GREAT with the BBQ! 



View from Breakfast



After one night in Suwon, we took a train to Busan!  Busan is the 2nd largest city in South Korea and is right on the water.  It is a beautiful city and we wish we could have spent more time there - maybe next time!  Our hotel was incredible with wonderful views and gifts for Ava upon arrival!  Haeundae Beach, one of the most famous beaches in South Korea, was about a mile walk from our hotel.  It is not uncommon for 500,000 people to visit this beach each day in the height of vacation season (which happened to be while we were there)!   



View from Hotel Room



Ryan & I (and we think Ava as well) were happy to return home.  And we both stated that it was weird to consider Wuxi our home, but it is starting to feel like it.  Ava was excited to see her toys, especially her slide.  Ryan was excited to get Ava back on a schedule.  I was excited to be back in a place where I could understand a little of the language and be able to speak some of it too (Korean seems even harder than Chinese)!



10,000 Won - you would think this would get us a night on the town, right?!  Nope - not even 2 beers (it's only $9 US)!



Sorry for the delay in getting a new post out there! Work is definitely picking up and we've been traveling a bit! We were able to spend last weekend in Shanghai.  My brother flew into town on a business trip so we took the opportunity to explore! And now we are getting ready for 5 days in South Korea due to a business trip on my end (and why not go early to check things out)?!

Here is a little video of Shanghai! It's our first time using iMovie so I'm sure we'll get better with practice! :) enjoy!