Rain reins in Austin!

We made it with only a slight delay in Chicago and spent the weekend up in Dallas with Will’s dad and stepmom. We relaxed, shopped, had some good food and wine and then hopped in our car and headed back to Austin on Sunday afternoon. Trip 1 complete! It has been a busy 4 days and we appreciate all of our friends that still remember us and want to hang out. I didn’t realize how much I missed going to Central Market and Whole Foods and knowing with almost certainty that I can pick up anything and put it in my mouth and not get sick. How can I be this excited about fresh spinach?

It is also really weird to actually meet up with and see friends that I’ve met while in Shanghai but also happen to live in Austin, TX. That’s the twilight zone for sure. I don’t feel quite as strange as I did when we came back in March, but seriously, what’s up with the Seattle weather Austin seems to be having right now? I thought my lungs were going to take a good break from the Shanghai air pollution (i.e. its like smoking 6-10 cigarettes a day), but some of the mold seems to be taking its toll as well. I'll take it though - rain and all!

I don’t know how it happened, but my little car seemed to find my favorite store – Anthropologie - that has opened up shop in Austin while I’ve been gone. Glorious news – well, except on my pocketbook.

So tonight we are off on trip #2 – Flagstaff, AZ where we’ll see Will’s mom, sisters, brother-in-law and NIECES for the weekend! We have presents! They promise us they have been practicing with Meg and Eliza Uncle Will and Aunt Tracy.

Like Sands through the hour glass

So are the days of our lives. Tick tock tick tock – only 2 more days until Will and Tracy set foot on American soil. And Will was able to upgrade me to business class for 15,000 miles since we found out that I was going to be in the middle seat of the middle section of coach on the way over (you all know how well that went over the last time). He though 15000 miles was a steal so he didn’t have to listen to me bitch for the next 3 weeks. Who me? Okay, he’s probably right.

And speaking of hourglass, whoo weee – Will and I need to work out when we get home. Personally, I think Will looks great, but the bottom half of my hour glass sure needs some work. I don’t know what happened in the last 4 or 5 months, but we both got into an all work and no play more – so just call us Mr. and Mrs. McFlabby. Almost a year in Shanghai – the pollution and the food recalls seem to be making it hazardous to our health and we are thankful for a little break.

We are looking forward to our trips to Austin, Dallas, Flagstaff, Arizona and Grand Haven, MI. I’m not sure if this is really a vacation versus another whirlwind tour. We can’t wait to see all of you!! Sorry my blog has been spotty – I’ll try to refresh my mind and body and be ready to come back to Shanghai for more fun filled adventures.

Tai Tai Day for Will

Well last weekend I got to take my main squeeze and our friend Al to “Diva Life” in Shanghai for a little pampering. I have been bugging Will to get rid of his “unibrow” for a while now…. I don’t care if he is blond – when you look closely you can really see it – Al coined the phrase “Andy Rooney Brows” – so we were all scheduled for manicures, pedicures and Will was going to get his “eyebrows done.” Well in the end, we all decided to add on facials as well as a head and neck massage. It was sweet. Afterward, we went for a light lunch and then parted ways to enjoy a nap. It was great and for the record, Will never made a sound during his waxing – I was impressed. So here are “before” (with his look of concern) and “after" (happy smile after his wax and facial)” Yeah, I know, you can’t really tell – because he’s BLOND – but I can. He said it wasn’t as bad as he thought so I said next time he could try a Brazilian. He shrugged and said whatever. I’m still debating on whether or not to tell him what that means exactly or see if I can first get a picture of his facial expression when the woman pulls out the hot wax and tells him to drop his drawers.

Making a difference – one vagina at a time….

Okay, so I actually did check with my husband on the vulgarity factor of my latest blog title. But as he so pointed out – John Irving – one of his favorite living authors, started The Cidar House Rules with the word penis, so he said by all means – “that’s your job honey and, you are good at it!” (best husband in the world) - Oh what my father must be thinking – At least I know what Grandma will do … roll her eyes and say “Gads, did I raise a girl to talk like that?”.. as she is fanning herself.

Well, I do have to reiterate that having a job with a freedom of not caring whether or not I’ll fired on a daily basis allows me to be bolder than I probably would normally be. It’s really starting to get pretty cool. Sure, I’m still a big wimp about asking for a silly raise, but they stroke my ego and so I let is slid a few more days and let them think I’m a sucker.

After 3 months of crap and stress that I can’t really say has subsided all that much, I feel like I have finally started to make my official impact on the Chinese healthcare system as small as it may be. Today, I started monthly classroom training sessions with the nursing staff as well as helped to organize NRP (neonatal resuscitation) training for both the doctors and nurses. Hopefully within the next month we will officially create a CODE PINK team to be available for higher risk deliveries.

So I could copy and paste the email from our COO brown nosing me on what an awesome decision it was to hire me (whose the suck up now), but I think it is more important to show you a few picture of the wonderful ladies that I work with and who put up with this crazy foreigner and all the training that she is throwing at them.

They asked me today to also be on the lookout for some single American cowboys that are interested in marrying them! So, for now, my services as matchmaker are free. ☺

Will Wang Tao please stand up, uh, start crying?

I know we have had some crazy days at the good ole Brackenridge Labor & Delivery unit. I'm lucky that the cushy Expat clinic I work at in Shanghai sees about 25 deliveries a month - and the nurses are still nervous about that!

According to forecasts by the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Committee, the city will see more than 137,000 babies born in 2007, almost double the number in 2006.

And I thought we just had to get through next February and into the Year of the Rat - but OH NO - my Chinese tutor said that next year will be just as busy because since it is an "Olympic Year" - that is now considered lucky as well!
Since 8 is the luckiest number in Chinese lore - Anyone want to give birth on the day of the opening ceremonies: 8/8/08???

It is also good that China took steps last week to increase the variation in its population surnames. Did you know that 85% of the Chinese population shares one of only 100 surnames? From another article, they note that 100,000 people share the name Wang Tao. The new regulations allows families to combine the surnames of the two parents which will then open up 1.28 million new possibilities to lesson our overall confusion. Whew...