Laowai

We went to another Christmas market in Konstanze, Germany this time. It was mostly fun except for some drama because of a lost mitten. The train ride was nice. Another beautiful old city. Lots to look at and then the missing mitten popped out of her coat sleeve just as we were leaving.

She wants to get her hands on the remote control all the time.

She discovered her feet and loves to pull her socks off and stuff them in her mouth.

She loves loves loves Daddy and gives him the best smiles when he’s leaving for work or coming home.

She is looking incredibly chubby.

She freely gives smiles to old Swiss ladies that we see in the grocery store.

She doesn’t like getting bundled up in her snow suit – can’t blame her – she can’t mover her arms once she’s in there

She gives me an excited little hug when I pick her up – nuzzling her face into my shoulder and grabbing me with her arms and legs.

She is sweetness and smiles almost all day everyday and we are loving it.

Once again I couldn’t choose just one photo:

 

And now we are off to Michigan. I can’t wait to let the Grandmas and Aunts get their hands around my little chunk of cuteness.

I spent the week in Beijing and my first time in Tokyo. It was a quick trip, much less than in the old days when I went for weeks at a time. It truly was strange to be back and return to the scene of the crime. The most notable thing to comment on in Beijing is the pace of change. There were a ton of new buildings since I was there three or so years ago. The CCTV building is a truly remarkable landmark and it was nothing but a few floors of bamboo scafolding when I was last there.

 

A few years ago, Kathy and I stayed in a hotel called the Shangri La Traders Hotel. She remembers when I went to a meeting during our visit she watched the migrant workers on a worksite outside the hotel window. They wore slippers and worked literally day and night. There was a rush to complete the outside of the building before amunicipal moratorium on building for the Olympics to keep the polution and dust down in the city. The workers did something pretty incredible though by the time they were done. Instead of a big hole teeming with slippered laborers, there is now a shopping center, several office buildings and a towering hotel and office building.

So then I head to Tokyo. On the way out of town, there is a brand spanking new terminal, built for the Olympics. It wasn’t terribly busy but I did see a rare sight –

 

He knows when to hold ’em (in terminal two of the Beijing Airport) and when to fold ’em (all over the US and everywhere else in the world).

 
On to Tokyo. It was a very busy time and I didn’t really have my camera out much. But I have two things for you –

The direct dial in the hotel is pretty funny and explains to anyone who doesn’t understand one reason I love Asia:

 
The toilet had a few special features. I decided not to try.

 

And now I fight the jetlag and try to watch a movie with Kathy before passing out.

Matching corduroy. Claire’s is a hand-me-down (Simplicity 4054) . Bea’s is the Oliver + S Jump Rope pattern. Bea would probably prefer something with ruffles, but I like casual Christmas dresses. 

Today I’ve been trying to make Zopf, a traditional Swiss braided bread. All the moms at Bea’s playgroup are asked to make this particular recipe to raise funds at the local Christmas Market. I’d say other than dealing with three-year-old mind games this is the most challenging thing I’ve done in the last few months. I started with the recipe – in German. When I translated it on Google it was still a little ambiguous. So I’ve been looking up recipes on the internet all day to compare ingredients and directions. I’ve had to do a bunch of conversions from metric weights to cups and teaspoons. And I’ve been watching clips on YouTube trying to figure out how to braid it properly. I didn’t think it would take this much thought, but I guess I’m motivated to try to get it right by the thought of showing up with lame loaves that no one will want to buy. I did a test run this morning and now I’m making my revised recipe that will hopefully come out looking OK.

Ah what have I gotten my self into? Wish me luck. 

 

Brian took Bea to the Christmas Market in Einsiedeln – it’s accross the lake and up in the hills. We plan to go to another Christmas market this weekend. We’re trying to soak up all the new Christmas stuff around us before we head back to the US.

Check out the scary guy hanging around Santa – it’s Schmutzli. Schmutzli is Santa’s side-kick that lectures the kids. Apparently in the past he would put kids in a sack and kidnap them. I guess they try to scare kids into behaving here, while we are used to bribing them with the promise of gifts. I’m still learning about the Swiss Christmas traditions and how it all happens – you can read about Swiss Santa (Samichlaus) here.

Brian is back to his old stomping grounds in Beijing this week – plus a couple days in Tokyo. I am missing him.

On Sunday our vehicle broke down – a flat tire. I couldn’t get it towed so I had to push it all the way home. Of course I’m talking about our stroller. I didn’t realize how much we rely on it until I had to imagine life without it. Turns out I needn’t have been so worried – it was an easy fix at the bike shop in the next town over.

We’ve seen some of the beautiful Christmas lights in the city this week. It was wall to wall people on the main shopping street in Zurich. There was a parade with Santa going on. We only caught a glimpse of Santa (or I should say Samichlaus) – he was driving a tram.

There’s an amazing sparkling tree in the main train station – it’s covered in Swarovski crystals. I wish I had gotten a better picture – each little ornament is hung with a white ribbon. It’s completely over the top and it must have taken forever to decorate. 

There’s also one of these – a giant wooden spinning thing – does anyone know what they are called?

Claire likes to hang out on Bea’s ladybug pillow. She has her tongue out constantly lately. She reminds me of Jenna who went through that phase – sticking her tongue out when she was excited. 

As I write this we are getting some real accumulation of snow. Yippee! We had a couple inches by early evening so just when I was about to lose my sanity from being with my two munchkins all day, we were able to go out and play in the snow for a little while. 

I can’t wait to wake up in the morning and look out the window.

So after balking at the $73.00 turkey I saw in the grocery store a few weeks ago I realized there were no other options and I could not imagine going without a turkey on Thanksgiving. Yeah it’s nuts and I know I could have made a whole Thanksgiving meal for several people at that price in the US, but it seemed even more important to make a real Thanksgiving this year. There were some complications making my first Thanksgiving meal here  – like our tiny oven, our just larger than a cooler refrigerator and having to carry the 12lb turkey home in the bottom of the stroller. But it all came out fine and it was fun to cook up a storm and fill the house with those homey holiday smells. 

Proof of my reckless poultry purchase. Truten is the turkey. And I promise that I am woman gel is shaving gel.

Look at those beautiful smiles on our charming guests. 

I have so much to be thankful for, but right now I am thankful for being able to afford a turkey in Switzerland. Onto the leftovers.