Love.

By now you may have guessed that part of my beach side reading included Elizabeth Gilbert's widely popular, secular travelogue/memoir Eat, Pray, Love. I know I'm behind the times (a reality you are sure of when your copy is paperback. Mine is paperback and now mildly swollen from inadvertent splashing and contact with damp towels). I was intrigued the book's popularity, and since I plan to see Julia Robert's film portrayal this summer I wanted to read the book first. (Always read the book first, people! In my modest opinion the books are almost always better than their movies!)

Love:

If you've been reading between the lines recently, you might have guessed that these last few months have been more stressful than we thought they'd be.

Mr. Johnson's new job is loosely defined, and has a timeline less realistic than the planned 2011 pull out from Afghanistan. He's been traveling to recruit new employees. Swamped with work between two divisions (leaving one and joining another.)

The girls are all in unique stages:

A 'tween-ager (need I say more?)

A compliant middle who is gearing up to loose three close friends to repatriation

And a five-year-old who has a new penchant for whining
(hopefully a short-lived phase.)

I've felt frustrated by our present situation with our landlord, anxious about whether or not to move, and overwhelmed by the impending loss of two of my tightest girlfriends who will soon have permanent addresses on the West coast of the United States and Canada.

So, six days on the beach did a lot to help us all relax and let go.

Yes, there was sometimes a laptop poolside, and some whining, and some sibling rivalry.

But these things were largely overshadowed by laughter and smiles; swimming and exploring; eating, reading, resting, chilling. We saw how our oldest is maturing into a lady who can be both responsible and a good conversationalist. We heard our middle's quick wit. (She's often shy, and reluctant to draw attention to herself, but let me tell you that girl is funny!!) Our baby showed how she no longer really is. And how she is both tough and gentle.

We read, cuddled, and simply spent time together as a family. Is there a better definition of love?

Pray.

Pray:: Hold or fold?

It's a common mantra at our dinner table.

Hold hands (corporately and family-style)

or

Fold hands (thoughtfully and introspectively)

as we give thanks for the bounty on the table and the blessings of our day.

So imagine my surprise when I paused at our aforementioned breakfast feast and queried, "Hold or Fold?"

"We don't pray at breakfast," Bei Bei quickly quipped matter-of-factly.

"Of course we do," I retorted.

"No we don't," she quickly rebutted.

And Mr. Johnson and I looked at each other and realized, she was probably right.

Breakfast at home is a less corporate affair. The girls straggle in one at a time. Sometimes sleepy-eyed and with bad cases of bed-head. They ask for their favorite cold cereal (perhaps this is why the R-C Sanya was especially impressive-- oatmeal is as elaborate as we get on a school morning!) We are simultaneously doling out grains, making lunches and packing snacks, signing school diaries, scrambling for field trip money, filling water bottles etc... but apparently not praying. At least not at breakfast.

Thanks, Bei Bei for the sober reminder.

Eat.

EHJ- My most-reluctant-to-try-something-new

selected: oatmeal with cane sugar,

bacon, soft-pretzel (bretzilin),
and yes, that is popcorn chicken for breakfast!

Ever adventurous, MGJ

Sipping on Coconut Milk

After she consumed the milk,
they cracked it open for her to eat the meat inside

My lived-in-Asia-her-whole-life-baby

sampled: Korean kim bob (seaweed rolls), prosciutto and parma ham,

Edam and blue cheese, Indian paratha,
and a Munich sausage with a side of whole grain mustard,
washed down with coconut milk,
and followed up with hunks of juicy watermelon.

(Can you guess which thing she didn't actually end up liking?)

Eat:: Breakfast

The morning buffet @ the Ritz-Carlton Sanya was possibly the most complex and satisfying way we've ever broken our daily fast.

It was and East meets West meets East again experience. Our plates were an interesting amalgamation of dishes from all over the world. And although some seem gastronomically juxtaposed, it was amazing to have such a dizzying array to choose from:

• Dim Sum and then some: We are not huge fans of this hit of Hong Kong, but there were some pretty savory morsels available in those never ending stacks of bamboo steamers.
• Korean favorites: kim chi and kim bob (yes spicy pickles and sushi rolls for breakfast!).
• The Curry station: Curries from India, Malaysia and Japan, with healthy chunks of oily panfried paratha and rice for sides.
• Stir Fries and Hot-pots: While Westerns opt for a sweeter morning meal, Asians tend to go for savory. Full veg and fish dishes, fried noodles and fried rice, and the steaming hot-pot creations where you submit to the sous chef the fresh veggies you want to have blanched in boiling water, and indicate the level of spiciness your morning palate might require. (We mostly missed out on this area too, although Mr Johnson & MGJ made sure to get some Si Chuan spicy beans, and Bei Bei did stand in this line, loudly proclaiming her need for steamed broccoli at 7:30 in the morning!)
• Congee Corner: We have never gotten into this bit of Asian breakfast cuisine, but if we wanted to this would have been the place to start!
  
• Fresh Juices: as in watch-the-whole-fruit-become-juice-before-your-eyes, then watch as it's transfered into blown glass pitchers which are nestled in a bed of ice. Then you stand there trying to choose which one: watermelon, mango, apple, pineapple, grapefruit, or tomato. (Did I mention whole coconuts are also on the beverage list?)
• Cheese Plate: with wheels of brie, wedges of edam, chunks of camembert, and crumbles of a mild blue. Of course this was aligned with the cold-cut meats and smoked salmon and blended beautifully into the salad station
• Salad Station: It was in hard fact to tell where the imported protein items (cheese et. al) ended and the salad station started. And where do I start? -- probably with the Caprice salad - balls of buffalo mozzarella 'nuff said!
• Western Breakfast foods too: in addition to all the unique Asian items there were Western ones as well-- bacon and eggs (various styles), German sausages, British baked beans and broiled tomatoes, Austrian muesli, and a variety of fresh made yogurts, oatmeal with all the fixings, and cold breakfast cereals--- but really who could be bothered! There were some really fabulous bread choices, and pastries, and crepes, waffles and French toast. There was even honey dripping from a comb. These folks down right out did themselves!
• Fresh Fruits: After fusion plates of Western and Eastern breakfasts were consumed and tea and coffee cups drained, we made a true Chinese experience by ending our meal with fresh fruits. And again, the selection was neither minimal nor mundane. We were forced to decide between: bananas and mini bananas (plantains), apples and pineapples, watermelon, rambutans, lychees, longan, mangoes and mangosteens (I googled "mangosteens" it for you and this is what wise geek says:

The mangosteen grows on small evergreen trees in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and southern India. Some farmers are trying their luck in Hawaii and the Caribbean, but the fruit is known for being difficult to grow. It is said that Queen Victoria offered a sizable prize to anyone who could bring an edible mangosteen back to England, but no one was able. Mangosteens are currently not available in the United States because the rind can carry pests that would threaten other crops.

Eat:: Lunch Not surprisingly, we opted not to. At least not Mr. Johnson or I. We diligently ordered mini-cheese burgers for the kiddos a little after Noon. Then, just as we saw the trays with the stainless domes arriving, we'd call them out of the water for some sustenance, a new coat of sun screen, and then they'd slip back into the water like little fishes!

Eat:: Dinner

Our dinner was different each night. Thai take out from a neighboring hotel. Dining in on pizza from the wood-fired oven @ the on-sight Italian eatery. Dining alfresco on the beach to the sound of gently splashing waves of the South China sea, and the crooning sounds of two Philippine balladeers. And, plain old room service.

Eat. Pray. Love. Read. Swim. Sleep.

Eat. Pray. Love. Read. Swim. Sleep.

That's pretty much all we did on our recent holiday.

Which is a good thing, because when we came home we hit-the-ground-running.

We are:

• full-on on the fourth day of book week @ school (character day)
• knee-deep in apartment hunting (saw six places yesterday)
• beginning the final countdown before saying some really hard goodbyes to some really great friends (sniff)

Putting on the Ritz

Just after submitting my post last night, I peeked at my google reader feed (or google feeder as I like to call it much to Mr. Johnson's chagrin!) and did a double take. There was another post there about another Ritz-Carlton.

"Jinx" I wanted to yell.

"Jinx... we both just posted something about the Ritz-Cartlon!"

A cyber "jinx" sent out to Pioneer Woman, that celebrity blogger whom I have just started following (but of whom I'm somewhat suspect, as her technique for poached eggs, which I tried last week when we had little in the house but eggs on our way out of town, failed miserably. The end result was more akin to egg drop soup... but I digress.)

It seems the Pioneer Woman spent some time recently @ the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown (Washington D.C.). Her publisher put her up there. She took pictures of everything and it looks Urban Lovely.

Our Ritz visit was Tropical Lovely. But I didn't take many pictures. In fact, we only took 137 (our usual average is somewhere in the 600 range on a holiday!) This time I restrained myself. I didn't take pictures of the miniature shampoos bottles, or the great tub, or the TV strategically placed behind the mirror in the bath so that the kids could watch Nick (or what Chinese cable calls "Children's Cartoon Channel") while they soaked in bubbles up to their necks, while we watched high brow BBC in the other room.

But we did capture some. And I think they captured the essense of the place. And, it seems, a family pose on the bed upon arrival is our new signature travel trademark.

Back from "China's Hawaii"

Nothing is better for a sun starved soul than a good long dose of sunshine. That's what we treated ourselves to this last week. We're just back from a six day, five night stay in Sanya... the "Chinese Hawaii."

We celebrated our eldest's 11th birthday there on Wednesday with sunscreen, cabanas, swimming and cake... twice! We enjoyed the blue skies, fresh air, warm temps and time together.

And, I had a great Mom's Day. Sweet home made cards. A haiku from MGJ. A final Brunch @ the Ritz- Carlton, Sanya (where I received a single red rose and warm Mother's day wishes in three languages-- Mandarin, English & Russian). We had a quick swim under palm trees and blue skies. A short flight. A transfer in Shanghai. And an even shorter flight home to QD, where a bouquet of flowers (arranged by Mr. Johnson) awaited me.

There are a pair duffels waiting to be unpacked, six loads of laundry in the queue, and there will be tired little people to gently coax out of bed in the morning (our flight from Shanghai was delayed due to in-climate weather on both ends). We have fond memories of our chilled out time together in the Hawaiian (err Chinese) sunshine, and the tan lines and freckles to prove it!

The Reluctant Blogger

I missed blogging April almost entirely. Yet I am reluctant to actually sit down @ the Dell and start composing paragraphs and recounting moments.

Why, you may ask is the Tai Tai reluctant?

It's been a weird spring weather-wise. I am happy to report this weekend was lovely. We enjoyed time outside. Dined alfresco. Went to bed rosy cheeked. Noses sprinkled with fresh freckles. Spring has suddenly burst into existance in QD... and we couldn't be more delighted. Never has there been such a lenten spring season during our tenure here. Last Wednesday it snowed! Snowed! at the end of April in a city that rarely sees the white stuff. It felt like the gloom of almost spring would loom forever. A foggy cold purgatory stealing entire pages of the calendar.

It's been birthday time. We had our "April Team" Birthdays (Bea loves being on the April team with Mom and Dad... which is great... at least someone likes nearly sharing a birthday.) I've decided I will now start celebrating my birthday in October. October 2 is my half birthday. And, I've promised Mr. Johnson it's my new birthday. Sharing the same birthday as your spouse is, let me be honest, frustrating. I want my own day. I want him to have his own day. Beyond the total weird factor of being born on the exact same day and year-- Let me just tell you... it is a conversation starter! No body can believe it. And once they finally believe it they can't stop commenting on the rarity of it... Beyond the weirdness is the irritation. So, for the official Bloggy record, my birthday is now in October. I don't need presents. I don't want presents. (except perhaps from my husband... who now has plenty of advance notice and warning, and a new group to hold him accountable to remember my birthday... my six readers!)

We're preparing to say goodbye. It's that bittersweet time of year. Good byes. Good Lucks! And this time, the silent wondering if it would be any easier if we were saying our goodbyes as well. (Probably no easier we've decided!) We are watching our daughters slowly release themselves to the reality that friends who have been sitting beside them all year in the classroom will now be somewhere across the globe, back in their home country, or perhaps a new one. Speaking another language, beginning a new stage. We are celebrating friendships, cherishing moments, and fully aware we are the cusp of another season of good byes.

The New Job isn't so Dreamy. Maybe I pushed it when I reported Mr. Johnson's belief of a dream job. There has been a sort of melancholy setting in, as he realized the fabulous team he is leaving is not easily replaced. He misses the relationships he had with his previous Chinese colleagues, and wonders if a similar situation is possible in his new role. Only time will tell. For now he is spending his time camped out in hotel business centers in cities in China we'd never heard of ... he's recruiting for his design team and interviewing candidates. Its been less rewarding then he hoped, but he's only a month in. He's giving it time, and we're hoping in time his travel schedule will tame down a little!

Phew... The Tai Tai did it. Recounted the reluctance. Explained the Echoey Silence. Promises to Keep Better Up to Date. And maybe even post some pictures sometime!!