Dave's Arrival...Finally!

November 29, 2008

Dave arrived in Beijing around 9:30 Saturday night, November 29th. Today is December 29, 2008, and this is the first time I’ve written in my blog since then. WOW! I have had the best intentions and tried many times to get it done, but the best I could accomplish was picture-taking…they help me remember some of what we’ve been up to at least. Here is Dave coming out of immigration into the reception area at Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 2 where NWA is still located. He looks great after traveling for 24 hours, but I have to say, I was stunned by the short haircut, I called it a scalping, he received from one of the local Aitkin barbers. Never again, I vowed! After a month it still look short to me...even if he does refer to it as "clear".

We spent the first week in our little apartment learning how to maneuver around each other in the tight space. Dave learned the hard way, or I should say he continues to learn, where the hazards are. The worst one is the tempered-glass hood above the gas burners. At least I hope it's tempered. He has nicked his bald head on that many, many times. All in all though, we have adjusted well and the space seems to have expanded to fit us. We have added some touches, like pictures of Jesse and Celeste, a beautiful watercolor painting, and our favorite Linda Nelson Stocks Folkart Calendar, plus all the Christmas decorations, which go a long way to help make it seem like our home away from home. We have been buying the same calendar for nearly twenty years and were amazed to find it here at the huge bookstore/warehouse just outside of Beijing where I went one day to buy books for the school library. Dave and Celeste had already discussed how she would buy one back home but no need for that now.

It has been interesting for me to see our little corner of Beijing through Dave’s eyes. I really think he should either have his own blog or he should take a few turns here. Just this morning as we sat eating breakfast, which included the banana cake I made using Cathy's EasyBake oven (OK so it is a tiny convection oven she bought last month) he pointed to a fellow dragging a big load of something along behind him, and said to me, "I'm always reminded I'm in Chinas whenever I look out the window and and see someone moving a pulling or dragging a something down the street." We talked about some of the most memorable instances. For example, the man on a bicycle who was transporting a load of recyclables down the highway...the trailor box attached to his bike was the size of a large truck. We often see horses right here on our service road or the expressway, hauling heavy cement blocks on a platform, more than we would dare put in the back of our Jeep. The first week Dave was here we walked home from the grocery store along a back alleyway just as folks were coming home from work. It was already dark, and as we walked past a street vendor's stall, about 6' x 12', we noticed the owner had just finished closing the windows and was about to climb onto the 3-wheeled bicycle that supported the front and pedal away. Now that's really taking you work home with you.

Dave has spent most of his days in my apartment, so he has had time to observe the local scene during the day while I'm at work. The middle school below us, for example, where the kids have sports and other activities like the big parade formations I talked about in Septmenber. There’s no messing around once the teacher appears; everyone snaps into formation and attention. One morning he saw a student shooting free throws; when he finished, he jumped up in the air and pumped his fist like he had scored some sort of victory. The teacher got down and did a bunch of push-ups. Some things must be universal.

Then there are the morning instructions that workers at Kandu, our apartment complex receive from their supervisors, males and females in separate groups. Usually the supervisor reads from a piece of paper. Always the workers stand at attention on the mall, trying to ignore any distractions and probably pretending to listen. I often pass them on my way to school. One morning the girl who works our desk saw me and just about lost it. She waved, squeak a little “hi” and quickly caught herself, regaining her compose in time so as not to appear disrespectful to the boss. Last week Dave saw a male supervisor run over to one of the workers, grab him by the throat and give him a good whack. This was from 16 floors above, so Dave didn’t know if it was for real or not.