Smoking....

Now, you don't have to know me all too well to know that I think smoking is a ridiculous habit and totally gross.  I don't think I am too individual in my feelings about this subject.  Most people, at least in the US, feel similarly. 

Don't get me wrong... many of my good friends at least here in China do smoke. It doesn't make me love them any less, but I wish they would stop, for their own health.

I just know that as long as I can remember.... so roughly 20-25 years, you haven't been allowed to smoke on airplanes.  I would say that is long enough that it should be known the world over that smoking on an airplane is forbidden.... I would be wrong.

 As we are flying to Sanya a guy a few rows in front of me lights up!?!?!?!?!?!?! What is that all about? Even after he was told to put it out, he still lite another cigarette about 30 minutes later?!?!?!?! Only in China!

Sanya Take Two

Blogging from the beautiful "Hawaii of China".... well, whoever called it that has obviously never been to Hawaii, but it is a quick getaway to a warm spot with a beach.  We headed out yesterday from Tianjin and got in late last night.  Even though it was raining when we arrived, it was still drastically warmer than TEDA! I felt my toes immediately defrost.....I didn't even know they were frozen until we got here.

We woke up bright, but not so early this morning to find ourselves faced with a windy and slightly chilly day.  Luckily I had packed one long-sleeved shirt, just in case I had gotten to badly sunburned that I needed full coverage. It came in handy all day today. No swimming, no beach, but a lot of wandering and exploring. 

Leave it to me to find in the wandering and exploring a spa!  Amazing how they are just everywhere, huh?  We got a lovely massage.  If you ever go there to the spa near the Tea Tree spa but not the Tea Tree spa... I highly recommend #6 and #12 - strong hands!

After the spa my hound dog nose led us to a place called X-Bartender, which makes a mix of lovely concoctions all of which they will put in a to-go cup.  We had a mango daquiri and a margarita, both delicious.  We even got a frequent users card...I plan on going back there every day!

The wind is finally dying down...so perhaps a night swim is in the cards, if I can wake Aaryn up from his late afternoon nap.

I'll get some pictures up as soon as we do anything.....

Desensitized

The other day I was shopping in Beijing with my friend Sharzie.  We did the usually stops, fruit and veg market and the western grocery store (gotta get my salsa somewhere).  We were done for the day and heading back to TEDA.  It was rush hour in Beijing and fairly busy on the freeways so we both decided to lean back and let Qui (her driver) take us on home. 
I sat up when i realized we were going in reverse....
Qui had realized he passed his exit, and in full blown rush hour traffic, decided to reverse on the freeway to go back and take it.
I'm not sure what bothers me more... the fact that it happened, or the fact that once I realized what he was doing, I leaned back and fell asleep.  Am I desensitized?

VPN!!!

Yipee Skippy!

We have  a VPN (not really sure what that is, but it allows me to get online without it being as slow as dial-up in 1990)!!!!!

Be prepared for many more updates.....

S'mores

 

 

So, we ladies have coffee once a week.  One Friday we were discussing back home, and things we miss... and we Americans missed S'mores.

Well low and behold, Aussies have no clue what these delicious concoctions are!!!! So, we had to rectify the situation.  We couldn't find graham crackers, so we used "digestive biscuits" which actually worked out really well!

 

We made them on Liz's patio, overlooking the lovely golf course behind our apartment complex (no sarcasm there!)

 

EVERYONE LOVED 'EM!!!!

 

And then to top it all off.... It started to snow!