Yunnan to USA
Soon after we returned from Yunnan a neighbor named Dana posted a picture on the neighborhood chat group of her patio which was newly planted with flowers. It made me really depressed about our patio where the bricks were mud covered with not a flower in site. In the fall I bought some outdoor couches but looking at Dana’s picture made the idea of hanging out on our patio depressing.
Another neighbor, Sara, told me she had a power washer. I thought that was a good place to begin. I quickly realized both that we have no outlets outside – so I had to also borrow a long extension cord – and that the spigot closest to where I needed to wash was broken and the other has a gerry-rigged hose – it isn’t threaded so someone had taken wire to attempt to hold the hose onto the spigot. I worked a while on the one area I could reach with the hose and then asked the management if they could have someone clean the patio as it looks as if it hasn’t been properly cleaned in years. The next day a couple showed up to clean. He was using a floor polisher and she had a Chinese broom – which is more for dusting off an area than serious work. It took them the entire day! They did a good job – but so inefficient!
Also on our patio are two sculptures. One is really large and is placed in what looks like possibly used to hold water and small fish but now it just fills with leaves and lots of dust (can be seen in back of picture above). I asked the management if it could be removed. The owners told them the sculptures cost a lot of money and were essential for the Fung Shui of the house. Ugh!
Dana gave me the contact of the flower/plant lady. She sent me tons of pictures of different flowers and plants to choose from. But I didn’t even have any pots. The whole thing felt very overwhelming. Dana offered to come over and give me her opinion – which I greatly appreciated! She suggested places I put pots, that I put astro turf around the trees, and moving our barbecue to a different location. I started collecting pots. I bought a few from neighbors who were selling theirs and then Sara helped me order some more pots online. I SO miss shopping in the U.S – both in person shopping and online – I know where to go and how to order online. I know neither here in China. People say buying stuff online is amazing here but for me so far it’s just incredibly difficult and frustrating. Ayi Ling helped me order some large flower boxes. They came in pieces that needed tools to be assembled – more borrowing of tools.
I called Dana’s “astro turf” guy – there is a person for everything in China! He quickly came out, took measurements and gave me a price. The next day he installed the astro turf. It sounds strange to put astro turf outside around our trees but it made the patio look so much better! So much cleaner!
After days of hearing what Sara was doing in her garden, she had me over to see all the plants she had planted. I was asking her details about how she planted one of her plants when she said, “Oh, no – when I say I “planted” these – I mean I point where I want it and the gardeners plant it.” I laughed – so funny! Then she advised me, “If you spend more than 200rmb (a little under $30) the people who sell the plants deliver and plant them too. Make sure to insist they do that for you. They won’t offer it to you but it’s part of the deal”. Good to know.
I dragged my feet on ordering the flowers/plants. Felt so overwhelming ordering plants online. I drove out to see Dana’s flower lady in person – that was overwhelming enough. So much stuff – so hard to know how much I need. After a bunch of wandering I picked out some plants that I thought would look good together, plus some kale and mint. The proprietor told me she’d probably deliver and plant later that day.
Later that evening, as we were finishing dinner, and the sun had already set, I assumed that they weren’t coming to plant that day. Then I heard a truck pull up. So crazy. I turned on my phone light to direct and approve what they were doing. Hard to tell how it was all looking with just my phone light. I had them fill the “pool” below the large sculpture with soil and flowers. Despite their forgetting the yellow flowers I wanted, and planting in the dark, in the morning I was so happy with the way it looked. Such a nicer place to hang out.
So many other things were also going on during my patio craziness. Spring was packed full of end of year events:
Mid April ISB hosted the APAC (I think Asia Pacific Assoc. Conference) competition – in which similar schools from China and neighboring countries participate. The schools make a big deal out of it – and especially since these conferences are just starting back after a 3 year Covid break. Celia played on the soccer team. It was super fun to watch and I am so proud of her for going out for soccer for the first time her senior year.
My tennis buddy Coco (Gua Yan) threw a lovely dinner party for a few of us who play tennis together. — it’s funny, almost all Chinese have a second English name. They always introduce themselves with this name (such as my friend Coco). At a certain point this year it occurred to me that it’s weird I don’t know my friends’ real names. I mentioned this to my friend Jing Yu. I had just found out she had an English name after I had known her for close to a year and I had spent a long time trying to remember her Chinese name and the proper pronunciation. She then told me she doesn’t know many of her Chinese friends Chinese names either. Many Chinese people introduce themselves to other Chinese with their English names as well. Very strange!
Celia had the Senior Parade. It’s a tradition among the international schools when the seniors, about a month before graduation, dress in their cap and gowns, all the other students in the school and the faculty and staff and parents stand in the school halls and the seniors walk through the entire school and everyone cheers them on. It was super nice – but I don’t know why they school needed to get me started crying so far in advance of graduation.
A number of big art shows and fairs started back after years of hiatus.
The day after I finally finished my garden we had a barbecue and Celia had her senior prom! The prom was kind of a bust: it started at 6:00 and only ran until 9:00, mashed potatoes were the only vegetarian food Celia could eat, the time for dancing was brief and Celia was unhappy with the music the kid DJing played. But despite that Celia had a great time: getting her nails and make-up done and dressing up with friends and going out after the prom was a blast. Plus she looked beautiful!
May 1st Celia turned 18! – the legal age of drinking in China – though no one pays attention to that. She went out with friends to the Chun Bing restaurant (very thin pancakes which you wrap around different ingredients) – that we went to in the hutong much earlier this year. As a family we went to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant (a rarity) and I ordered her an incredible strawberry cream cake that my friend Jingyu had brought to my ladies tennis dinner.
Quick highlights as this is getting way too long:
Mid May Celia and Dan went to Japan to meet up with Dan’s parents. Celia went for a week (as she was done with all her classes and exams) and Dan for a long weekend. Morton planned to go on a camping trip, so I invited a bunch of ladies over for my birthday. My friend Su-en brought one of the most amazing looking cakes I have ever seen.
The school had it’s first Spring Fair in four years. It was super fun but the weather was cold and Dan turned purple doing the dunk tank!
Morton went to Gobi Water Town for the eighth grade trip. Despite his not wanting to go, I think he had a good time.
Dan and I went to see the premier Chinese violinist at the Egg (Beijing’s version of New York’s Lincoln Center). It was so beautiful and I was so impressed by how young the crowd was and how the audience really seemed to know the music – cheering when songs were announced.
Also note worthy: Celia’s friend Tommy gave Milo a new tie (he didn’t like it – but boy did he look cute!)
And on May 27th Celia graduated highschool! Dan gave speeches: at the senior dinner (putting pictures of her up) and at graduation when he directed the speech to her, and then presenting her with her diploma. After graduation a parent organized for the four of us the most amazing vegetarian Japanese and Chinese dinner in their private space. It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.
After dinner Celia met up with many of her classmates at a club where some Canadian rapper played and then they ran down to Tianneman Square for the raising of the flag.
Before Celia and I ran off to the U.S, my friends organized a special tennis match for me and Morton had his 8th grade final dance. He looked so handsome!
Then Celia and I flew off – 1.5 hours to Seoul, 18 hours to NYC, then picked up the rental car and drove two hours to my mother’s in Bryn Mawr. Quite a trip!
Since being back in the US, Celia and I spent some time with my mother, adjusting to the time change and seeing Judd who came up. Celia went to her Brooklyn Prospect prom.
My mother and I also went to NY. We had Art Luck night – which was so great to get together with my art ladies after only virtual get togethers for the last year, had dinner out with some friends and went to some galleries to see some art. it’s been so nice to catch up!
