We are in the middle of the Chinese National Holiday right now, which started last Monday and includes the whole week plus next Monday. As with kids, holidays mean no school, Rex and Amy are home all day long. Though I'm not with them all day, as my contract only allows me to work up to 5 hours a day. But those 5 hours a day with 2 pretty energetic kids are challenging. But as you all now, I like challenges ;-) so we spent our mornings so far riding our bikes (which I've never seen them do so far in the last 1,5 months), coloring, making crafts, cooking and baking, going shopping,.. I try to keep them busy and away from the opportunity to start some sort of violent game. Which they only try too often! Monday was actually my highlight of the week so far. When I was out shopping last Sunday I stopped by at Chengdu's only IKEA to check out what the Chinese branch had to offer (result: the same! This unfortunately including the prices, too). Strolling through the store, I came up some watercolors. WATERCOLORS! I literally searched the whole city for watercolors over the last weeks without success. Neither the big department stores nor the small specialty shops carry them. They seem to just be non-existent in China. It does take a Swedish furniture shop to introduce them. Really exited both for my success and for my kids who could finally try out watercolors, they were no were close to a dissapointment Monday morning. You should think growing up in China's upper class surrounded by anything a kid could want or need (materialwise!), my kids would only show little interest in this drawing process. But you can't believe which joy I had watching both Amy and Rex being super excited about dipping the brush into the water and eventually getting some color on their paper plate fishes. They were so amazed and into it, it really touched my heart. Sometimes, true and honest fascination of a kid is all it needs to make my day. Thank you, IKEA and thank you watercolors! I owe you something for that! Maybe I'll come back and try your Köttbullar soon. But make sure there are 15 on my plate! ;-) (in memory of Bastian Pastevka)
So I have to tell you that something happened today which has so far never occured here during my 1,5 months stay here. Have a seat people, this one will knock you down....I am home ALONE. ONLY ME. ALL BY MYSELF. I forgot how good it felt to be surrounded by silence and only the noises I produce or want to surround myself with (music or the TV -Chef who's cooking up some serious tacos on FoodNetworkAsia). Hach, I could really get used to this again. But in 1 hour the latest this dream like atmosphere will puff up, when the house will be filled with the sound of bone chopping and slipper clacking on the marble floor again.
But I used my time being unwatched wisely. Just after everyone left I did something really naughty, so you better don't dare to tell anyone.
- I through my underwear in the washing mashine -
I know, such a naughty Ronja. But after weeks of handwashing them out there over a sink that was literally made only for people under 1,50m of height, you have no idea how good it felt to take clean underwear out of a washing mashine again. So literally, seeing my clean underwear today totally made my day. Yes, I still can appreciate the little things in life, folks! Think about it next time you take your fresh smelling undies out of the mashine...