My Sister Sarah

Many of you already know that my sister Sarah has been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer that has spread to various places throughout her body. She is now undergoing chemotherapy with the hopes of arresting the cancer. If you want to know more about her and her journey with cancer, please see her Caringbridge website for regular updates or to offer her an encouraging word. Prayers, as well, are more than welcome! We move forward with hope.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarahss

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year began Jan. 25 and I'm not really sure when it ends. The kids have 2 weeks off for school. Many shops have been closed for at least a week and some longer. There are special days in the lunar calendar that have specific celebrations and meanings, usually good luck, prosperity, good health, etc. It is all very intriguing to watch for this outsider. One HUGE part of the holiday is shooting off fire "crackers" (don't be fooled...they are shooting off major explosives!). The city (country?) sounds like it is under attack...the banging and whistling goes on for all hours of the day. Levi took a taxi to a friend's house on New Year's Eve and said the whole sky was like the biggest fireworks display he had ever seen. You can smell the sulfur hanging in the air.

Jim left the country...maybe because he was here last year for CNY and he knew what to expect! Actually, he is in Chihuahua, Mexico, training 2 new hires for Emerson. (The factory in Nanjing is a copy of the factory in Chihuahua.) He is gone for 2 1/2 weeks...it feels very familiar to be the sole parent after 8 months without him last year. But I prefer to work as a team in the same country. So with Dad gone and the kids out of school for 2 weeks, we've taken in some of the local sights, visited with friends, and made a quick dash to Shanghai. I have also been keeping tabs on the buds at "plum blossom hill" on Purple Mountain, trying to gauge when spring will truly be here. The flowers are just starting to show their pink color...spring is on the way!

Here are some views of Chinese New Year from my side of the camera!

Happy Niu Year...as the joke goes! 2009 is the year of the ox, or niu in Chinese. Here are Rachel and Jesse posing outside the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

This has nothing to do with the New Year, except I used my "fireworks" feature on my camera to catch the light in the dark tunnel. We took a 5 min. ride under the Huang Pu River in Shanghai through the "Bund Tourist Tunnel." A truly Chinese experience that defies description!

Lanterns at the Yu Yuan garden and bazaar in Shanghai. I'm sure it is beautiful at night...but we didn't see it. We'll try to see the lanterns in Nanjing.

Another "over-the-top" display for the New Year in Shanghai.

How do you make a 14-yr old boy happy and keep his mom in prayer? Levi had a hard time making up his mind...sure, they had the little stuff you can buy in Minnesota. But they also had the big stuff you go to WATCH at the professional shows in Minnesota. Insane...IMHO.

We hosted a gathering of women from Emerson to make dumplings. Two of the women brought along their daughters, much to our delight! The Chinese make dumplings on the 5th day of the new year for good luck, wealth, and something else...I forgot. Hope I still benefit!

Busy bees. Rachel had a friend, So Yun, stay over and they joined in. The ladies liked my big table, but laughed at my big rolling pin!

Sophia, who visited us in Minnesota, was the chief cook and organizer. She has very high standards for the dumplings...and they were delicious.

How many Chinese cooks does it take to make dumplings? We had a kitchen-full, but they all said they liked working in my roomy kitchen.

The chopping was a critical task. The women didn't like my knives! They were too small. Next time, they said they would bring their own.

Mmmmmm. There were plenty of dumplings for everyone. We even froze some for Jim to enjoy when he returns from Mexico. And I suppose I could make them again, now that I know how.

Many of the Chinese get out during the holiday and see the sights. We joined in and walked to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum by our house. I bribed the kids and told them if they walked up all the steps without stopping I would reward them! It is a hike, but a beautiful view at the top. Imagine having a cemetery plot like this!

The city is decorated for the new year. Nighttime is by far the best time to enjoy all the decorations.

We took an evening and went to an arcade, a favorite Chinese activity. I couldn't help but take a photo of this guy. I think he needed a quiet (?) place to catch some Zzzzzzs. Probably has a ton of relatives at home and can't find a place to sleep! He was really asleep.

Even the dogs are all dressed up and out on the town for New Year's. I guess Bumper's not the only dog that wears sweaters in the winter...or so we've heard! Speaking of Bumper, we "skyped" him on New Year's in the US. He was visiting with the Nygaards and they put him up to the screen. That poor puppy will be so confused when he sees us again!

Where Did January Go?

I know you are all saying the same thing...how can it be February already? (Or maybe you are saying, "Would winter just hurry up and move on!) For us, the month of January seemed to fly by. The kids returned to school after the new year, only to get ANOTHER 2 week break for the Chinese New Year. Such is life bridging cultures--we get extra holidays, which is why they started school in early August and won't get out until late June!

The weather has been chilly--it seems very cold when you are in a place with no heat...which is most places. The Chinese just kind of tolerate the winter and bundle-up because they know it won't last long. Spring is around the corner...which is why the Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival!

Here are some photos of some of our highlights from January:

Bozhou!

Dr. Mao, the owner and coordinator for my Chinese medicine classes, invited our class to Bozhou in Anhui province. It is the home of one of the largest herbal medicine markets in China, plus he was signing a contract with a factory owner to begin exporting medicines to Holland. He practices TCM in Germany for part of the year. He is a happy, fatherly-type. The little girl is the grandchild of the woman with whom he is starting the new business.

The trip to Bozhou didn't quite turn out the way we thought...which seems to be how cross-cultural life goes. We were welcomed to the city by many government officials and given red-carpet treatment--huge meals, a beautiful hotel, and a tour of the city, including this ancient theater.

We visited a temple, dedicated to one of the oldest doctors of Chinese medicine. The man on the right was burning "gold" as an offering for a sick person at home. The red mats and incense on the left were placed there by a family, giving thanks for the recovery of a relative from sickness.

We got a quick tour of the factory where they process the medicine and from where it will be shipped to Holland. The employees dress warmly for work...no heat.

We were very eager to visit the medicine market, only to be rushed through by our tour guides so we could see more of the city and eat more big meals!

We made a fast visit to this shop in the market. (We had a videographer with us most of the visit.) Dr. Lu came along and Chris, our interpreter.

A view of the medicine shop. The animals are for sale because they are used for MEDICINE! Each part has a specific use and quality.

Dr. Lu was like a kid in a candy shop. Her specialty is herbal medicine and she knows tons more than I could ever hope to learn about each medicine...she has 30 years more experience than me!

Yes, it's what you think it is. And there are all kinds available. Maybe if I'm dying I would use it...but in general, I really prefer plant and mineral sources for my medicines. Or at least grind it up into a powder and don't tell me what it is! Dr.Lu gave us donkey skin one day...telling us she uses it for "beauty." I think it has collagen in it and prevents wrinkles. She mixed it with hot water like a tea and said, "Drink it fast. If it cools it will stick to your teeth and it takes days to get it off!" I think I will age gracefully...

Michela was my traveling companion (our other classmate, Rita, got sick the night before the trip!). We were glad we had each other to process the whole experience. Here we were visiting "the underground Great Wall of China"--a tunnel built for use by the military.

The official signing of the contract for the new business to export herbal medicines to Holland. Not sure why we were in the photo...hope we didn't agree to something without understanding!

The Emerson Annual Dinner:

Jim and I attended the Emerson Annual Dinner. They scheduled it for Jan. 14, but before the event started the power went out and never came back on. They rescheduled for Jan. 16. Two nights out for me! Woo hoo! Each department performed for their colleagues. This group performed Chinese "cross talk." I have no clue what they said!

The managers sang, even Jim! (He loves being in the spotlight...not!) He had most of the song memorized and translated to English so he knew what he was singing. Always a language learner.

These women performed Chinese belly-dancing.

A group of 9 women put on a fashion show. The women were gorgeous--hair, makeup, and lots of gowns and styles. Myself and the other wives in attendance decided we like it that Emerson requires uniforms at work! The General Manager was thinking maybe they should change the policy...

More Birthdays!

Jim got a bakery cheesecake and the fanciest candle he had ever seen in his 47 years! He can still fool his co-workers that he's in his early 30's...until he tells them he has a 16 year old daughter and been married 22 years! We all know I was the child bride! ;-)

Jesse's belated 9th birthday party. Due to the Christmas holiday, we postponed his birthday for January when everyone was back from travels (the ex-pat community bugs-out during holiday breaks).

Jesse chose bowling as the activity for his party. Our compound, Dongjiao, has a bowling alley. Easy planning for this mom!

Journey to Oahu

We started our journey to Oahu by taking a train from Nanjing to Shanghai, then flying from Shanghai to Tokyo, then just 6 hours to Honolulu. Rachel kept herself and her new little friend busy on the train ride to Shanghai.

We had a 6 1/2 hours layover in Tokyo/Narita, so we ventured out of the airport into Narita town. We are so glad we did, because it was our first experience in Japan, outside of the airport.

We made our way through Narita to a Buddhist temple, where a ceremony was taking place. We didn't go in, but I got a shot of a priest ringing the bell at the end of the ceremony.

We had a genuine Japanese dinner, complete with removing our shoes, sitting on the floor, and sipping green tea.

Nothing like a romantic dinner with 4 of our favorite people...can you see the look of relaxation taking over Jim's face as we get farther from Nanjing and work?

As fresh as it gets! This restaurant displays their fresh eels in front of the restaurant. You can thank me for not posting the video.

Jim had a moment of fantasy, as he saw a Harley on the street in Narita. So when are you too old for a mid-life crisis?!

Hawaii! We arrived one hour and 45 minutes BEFORE we left Shanghai on Dec. 18th. We lived the day twice, but then lost Dec. 26 on our way home. Rachel, our girl who is full of surprises, packed her own leis so we could be welcomed to the island appropriately!

Nothing like having a bunch of parrots dropped on you the first step you take in Waikiki!

We met our Minnesotan friends, the Thompsons, in Oahu. It was a happy reunion for everyone and what a perfect place to hangout with friends.

Jesse and Weston were inseparable during our time on Oahu. In fact, Weston left a few days before us and Jesse lost all interest in going to the beach at Waikiki..."It won't be any fun without Weston." Sniff, sniff.

Grace and Grace gave surfing a shot, as well as Jim, Judy, Becca, and Levi. The consensus is it's alot harder than it looks!

Some people head to a luau when they get to Hawaii, but the Arnebergs head to Taco Bell! We had to remind ourselves how to go through a drive-thru...and Jim had to remember how to drive.

We ate a pineapple a day. Yum.

And, of course, shave ice was a staple in our diets!

We took in the typical tourist sites, climbing Diamond Head on a nice overcast day.

We had perfect weather during the time we were there. We were thinking about all of our friends and family having a white Christmas on the mainland...

We had 2 occasions to see sea turtles, sunbathing on the beach on the North Shore...and had some educational conversations with the volunteers who help protect the turtles when they come ashore.

Snorkeling! We had a great day at Hanauma Bay, a sunken volcano crater with the coral reef right at the shoreline. I (Joann) didn't expect to snorkel due to my poor vision and inability to wear contacts, but they rented Rx snorkeling masks for nearsighted people like me. It was a gift to be able to snorkel and take in the beauty under the water.

The boys tried staying up on a boogey board. Jesse gave it a shot.

Levi started asking early on how he could live in Hawaii someday...

Becca, Grace, and Grace. I became convinced that it is good to have other teenage girls with you on vacation! They smiled alot and were fun to be around.

We took a whale cruise for an afternoon and saw 2 Humpback whales (from a distance) and group of spinner dolphins. We also got to make fresh flower leis. Some of our kids took part in the ukelele lessons and then performed for everyone on the boat. Grace came home with her own ukelele, a Christmas gift from Rachel.

Ahhhhhh.

We spent 2 days at the North Shore of Oahu, where the waves are BIG in winter.

We hiked the Manoa Valley to a waterfall.

Jesse was insistent on going to Pearl Harbor. It is a very moving memorial that made a deep impression on Jesse.

No comment.

Back in Shanghai. Jesse was given this bird carved from a large vegetable by a chef at our hotel. He carried it to the train station then decided he didn't want to hold it anymore, so he gave it to an employee at a shop. She was delighted with the gift and Jesse's generousity. It is good to be "home."