How Sunday's are Spent

The walkway up to where our Meetings are held in the international school campus.
The "American/International" part of town.

On Sundays we first try to Skype with my mom. We often meet up with our friend Heidi before catching taxi across town 30 minutes for a special gathering. There are about 250-300 people that we meet with and it is a very international group, every ethnicity and language. New people are introduced each week from all over the globe. Abbey joins me with the adults for the first 30 minutes and the time to "sing" together means so much. She and I then head off to her class of about 8-10 2-3 yr. olds. I teach that group once a month and the other times I just stay with her. It isn't a situation I would feel I could leave her alone in at all, fortunately I like having the time with her and it has enabled me to get to know other parents. Today I chatted with a dad from Italy. I've been able to have a play date and a lunch dates with a couple of the other moms and I will be going to another families home tomorrow eve for a small group "get together" if you know what I mean. After class we go to a park in the same complex and I swing Abbey for about 20 minutes. Its her one chance to be on a big swing each week, which she has always loved. After that I take Abbey in the stroller and walk a few blocks to the little imports store to buy special treats like Kraft Mac N Cheese, Sunmaid rasins, parmesan cheese, and Goldfish crackers. These things can cost a fortune, but are worth every penny. The shop (actually there are two right next door) is about the size of a very small 7-11. We then go out to lunch (lately at McDonalds) and then on to Starbucks. Along the pathways are many regular beggars. There are a couple that we always give to that have serious conditions, like no legs (and yet big broad smiles and seem to be beaming). I 've heard that they are all picked up and dropped off by a van each day and that they are fed and have a place to sleep. I don't know if they really get to keep the money or not, but I just can't imagine being in their place. We have had a couple of terrible experiences with beggars that were very heartbreaking and I hated for Abbey's little eyes to see. In Xian one man was trying to crawl like a soldier and people were walking right on top of him him. It was just after I had taught Abbey's class about the Good Samaritan, but we were running to catch a bus and didn't stop to help him. I tearfully later told Abbey that it was wrong that we didn't stop. It was so very sad.
This part of the city is home to most of the foreigners. The international schools are here and you see caucasian people sprinkled all around. The big oil companies have all their employees living in the same complex where our "meetings" are held. It is so good for us to have this one day each week that provides some small comforts. It really feels like coming up for air, and we take big gulps and enjoy every minute. I am glad we don't live there, it wouldn't be like really living in China, a little too many comforts and familiar sites. We came to live in the Chinese culture, and that's definitely right where we are.
Today at the Starbucks we met a gal who was from the neighboring town to Abbey's hometown. She is from an area right between Maoming and Yangjiang (where Abbey's Yangdong is). She was quite taken by Abbey and as we talked she told me that her parents had four daughters and gave the last one up. They gave her to a family in a neighboring town. That family didn't want any communication, so they have never seen her again. I asked her if she felt sad about some of these girls going to America. She said she thought it was wonderful that they would be loved and have a good education. She said that most are probably second or third daughters. I got pretty choked up talking to her. She was lovely. Sometimes it's just so strange to try to think about how all of this works.
On one such Sunday we happened upon an Italian restaurant. I was so excited I didn't really check the prices, and we ended up with an almost $30 lunch. It turns out Abbey's orange juice was about $5. But I have to say, I wasn't sorry about our mistake, because it was at a time when we were still really struggling with the culture shock. It was so delicious and we had a great time together.