Laowai

We’re back in Evanston. And it’s for good this time because we’ve decided we don’t want to live in China. I guess I will need to change the name of my blog. Any ideas? We feel like we owe people an explanation after planning to be in China for two months and then coming home after just two weeks. I could go on and on about all the things that we were feeling and the many things that led to our decision. Mostly we felt we would be giving up too many of the things we love here in Evanston (and Midland). Brian couldn’t have predicted the reaction he had when we actually got to China with a baby in the oven. We decided we didn’t feel comfortable living with a baby in China because of the bad air, bad water, questionable food, etc. We both agree that we are really glad we got to spend the time we did in China. For Brian it’s been over 150 days there working hard on projects that were for the most part really rewarding. For me it was two trips to get a feel for what China is like and see some really interesting stuff. We have always thought that travel is extremely important so we’ll have positive memories of the time we did spend in China.

So Brian will finish up his last China project with two more trips there this year. He’s feeling positive about the work he’ll be doing here in the US.

Enough of that drama and seriousness. Here are a few more photos from China. We could always get a laugh when we read english things in China. Like when Brian saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said “One needs not many bananas when one has true love.” What does it mean? Coincidentaly Brian bought a package of dried bananas and the lines on the packaging cracked us up. Click on the photo below. Yup, it says “Cool fashion need cool taste. You are the new man banana piece” and “High technology of famous chef for you”.

Here is a photo of Brian and I at a restaurant – they served a melon soup inside a huge steaming melon. We don’t have that kind of melon here but it’s similar to a watermelon. It’s white inside and I think it might be called winter melon. The soup was pretty good.

Here’s a blurry photo of me on our last night in China. We had a pretty good diner at a western pub sort of place called O’Malley’s. Then we had a nice long walk back to our apartment. My belly is just starting to precede me.

Since we’ve returned I am appreciating all the things we love about our home in Evanston. I’ve gotten back to taking walks down along the water. We’ve had some beautiful fresh fall days. I watch the ducks in the little reflecting pool and the happy dogs at the dog park. I look at the skyline of the city which looks different everyday. And I think about next spring when I will be walking along the same path with a stroller and our new little one. It all makes me happy and I feel lucky.