The Joy Luck Club

We are all making friends and learning their names, too! Remembering Chinese names is very difficult for us, especially if we don't know the character or meaning. The kids and I have started asking friends to write down the characters in their names as well as the pronunciation. About two weeks ago, I received a very nice note from the mom of a boy in Addison's class offering to help out in any way that she could. They have been here for a year and a half, and know exactly what it is like to be at the start of this journey. She is also from Taiwan (although she is fluent in Chinese and several other languages) and the dad was born in Kansas (sound familiar?). We met for lunch and realized that our similarities go well beyond that. Her kindness came at such a vulnerable time. Addison's school doesn't have a school uniform that fits her, so she is the only one not wearing one. She was also missing some books and needed a good dictionary. She showed me where to go for any tailoring needs (Addison's uniform can be completely overhauled for $12 US dollars) and took me to a huge bookstore (that I can now find all by myself!). We ate at a nice Japanese restaurant for less than $5/person. I'm still getting used the the cheaper prices here! She invited me to lunch the next day with her expat friends. There were eight of us in all (a very lucky number in China): two from Hong Kong, two from Singapore, three from Taiwan and one from Canada. We are all considered foreigners here, even though we are all ethnically Chinese. Everyone spoke English and had English names, but they preferred to speak rapid Chinese, which I couldn't follow. The two women from Hong Kong both live in the same complex as our family. One woman actually recognized Mark as the "Old Foreigner" who walks around the lake in the morning. (Mark's bigger than life persona here is a whole different Blog Post). They meet weekly for lunch at a different trendy restaurant. Everyone has been so gracious about sharing information about schools, housing, banking, living, etc in Dalian. Several have chauffeurs (which they are generous about sharing)and all have domestic helpers. Needless to say, it is very different from the suburban middle class life I'm accustomed to in the States, a point that I am still coming to terms with. Next week is a shopping trip to several western stores including IKEA. As my Chinese improves, I look forward to nurturing these friendships.