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平安夜，支了两天的假期，可笑的是，却没什么特殊安排，日子过得与平素没什么不同。重要的不是内容，不是我们要做什么，而是形式，是我们在一起，共同度过这样的欢悦时光。这是Panda的理论，难得我们这次选了同样的立场。

买了个手机，依旧是索爱。对手机的品牌，向来是比较长情的，初时是因为Sony Ericson里面含了Panda的名字，后来就干脆是喜欢上了它的中文名，索爱，每个人都是贪婪的孩子。

一个人在喝下午茶，连续几天的阴雨，今天终于告一段落，虽然仍然有乌云，空气也不是很新鲜，但竟觉暖暖的，嘴边浮起微微笑。

Panda & Grace

Grace: “what shall I wear tomorrow?”
Panda: “Clothes”
Grace: “Thanks, That’s very helpful.”

Grace: “What shall we eat for lunch?”
Panda: “Food”
Grace: “What kind of food?”
Panda: “The kind you can eat”

Grace: “What shall we eat for dinner?”
Panda: “Hot Pot”
Grace: “We have two options…”
Panda: “A, hotpot, B hotpot. I will take the first option”
Grace: “I will take the second then.”

Grace: “What kind of milk shall we buy?”
Panda: “Oh, Dear, it’s going to take another half an hour, isn’t it!”
Grace: “This brand is pretty good, I will take this box”
Panda: “Surprising, only 3 minutes this time”
Grace: “Hold on, the other milk looks fresher judging by the date”
10 minutes later….
Grace: “So, Which kind shall I get?????”

In the supermarket:
Panda: “Here, get some pistachios”
Grace: “Nope”
Panda: “Thought you liked this”
Grace: “Y, but the pleasure they give me is smaller than the misery of giving up 35 kuai”

Grace: “I want some Baileys”
Panda: “so for Baileys you don’t think its too expensive? ”
Grace: “Y, but the pleasure it gives me can’t be judged by money”

Grace:"I want you to say you love me everyday from now on."
Panda: "I already do, everyday before you leave"
Grace: "Oh, you did?"

Packing, Moving, Eric & Grace...

What will happen when two creatures from different planets need to do such a big project as packing and moving together, with limited resources?

Here you go….

Grace: “I am going to pack all the clothes, don’t, even put your hands on the clothes! Otherwise I have to repack whatever you’ve packed anyway”
Eric: “I don’t plan to, I am going to pack all the electronic stuff, those are mine.”
Grace: “you go ahead; I don’t want to worry about any thing like that, actually all I want to know is that 2 hours later, you tell me “it’s done”!”

Grace: “What the xxx do you pack those junk?!! Throw them away”
Eric: “NO, that’s my plasticene, I can make a bear out of it! Last year you threw away my sticking man, that’s my childhood partner! I will always remember what you’ve done to me!”…… “No, I want that too, that’s my St-Patrick’s day hat ”……
Grace: “You never throw anything away, that’s how we always end up with all those junks”
Eric: “Better than ditching everything, like somebody, you don’t have any sense of sentimental value!!”
Grace: “What the xxx do you keep this empty box!!!”
Eric: “It’s empty? Oh, I didn’t know. But keep it, we might need it in the future”

Eric: “Woo, what’s this? Ha, they my Japanese swords! These are the best things I’ve ever bought, every time I see them, they make me so happy!”
Grace: “Yeah right, every time you mean every time we move? You won’t remember you have those until you find them in some corner when packing.”

Grace: “Why do you use such a good bag for those junk? Dump them out, this bag is for clothes!”
Eric: “Why! My stuff need good bags too, you are so mean!”

Grace: “You go to the new apartment; I stay here for one more week”
Eric: “What? I am going to unpack all those by myself?”
Grace: “I did it all alone last year, don’t tell me you can’t do it.”
Eric: “Of course I can”
Grace: “Good boy! You have fun. ”
Eric: “Ha, that means I can arrange the apartment the way I want…. I claim the big closet first”
Grace: “Claim it all you want, you know I will re-arrange it next weekend when I get there, right?”

Niagra Fall

This is taken from the Canadian side.

This is the border between America and Canada.
I guessed I cound't pass the Canadian Customs without a Canadian Visa, but still tried my luck.

Warren

Kinzua Dam

Someone is climing the rock, I would like to try that given more time here.

This is really a great place, a totally different life style. It's not a bad idea to move here.
.........
after I retire.

Happy Ending

Today I was taken to a Casino, by Panda and my in laws, who I think are very brave by doing so, because they could develop a latent gambler.

We were given 50 dollars each, as our gambling capital. After a tour around, I chose a machine that looked lucky and started playing, not knowing what I was doing at all, but I could tell when I was losing and when I was winning. So folks, I can’t tell too much about the process, but I can proudly tell you the result, that is I walked out with 85 dollars.


So yes we walked out of the Casino, into a buffet nearby, had a wonderful meal that was too much that would later cause some damage to my stomach and weight. And then, when we tried to walk into the Casino, an interesting story happened:

Well I went to the bathroom so was left behind, and when I tried to walk in alone, the guard stopped me and requested my ID, pointing at the sign which says “You have to be 21 or older to enter”.
“You are kidding? Do I look like 20? That was 6 years ago” I felt ridiculous.
“Sorry sweetie, please present your driver’s license”
“But I don’t have one, I am from China, and am just here for 2 weeks, but I have my Chinese ID card.” So I showed him my ID, feeling really lucky that I have the good habit of carrying it around.
The guard checked it carefully, turning it back and forth, just when I thought all problems were solved, he took his speaker and talked in a very low volume, which got me nervous, although I shouldn't have been.
“Sorry lady, I’ve never seen a card like this, so I need to get my manager here”
Wonderful, I thought
A few minutes later, his manager, a young and tough man came, with a little book. Later on I found that was a book with different ID’s of different countries.
“Great, my ID is what all Chinese adults hold, and now can I go?”
Apparently not yet, the manager checked my ID even more carefully, and 2 minutes later, he said with a apologetic tone “Sorry lady, they don’t match”
I couldn’t believe it, so took a look at the “ID” on his book, and found out it was a Chinese driver’s license.
I was speechless. With out my passport, with out a driver’s license, with a legitimate ID which American guards don’t recognize, I suddenly became a possible 20 year old foreign girl who is illegal in the Casino.
“Sorry sweetie, you are so young and beautiful, you do look around 20, I am sorry I have to ask you to leave” the guard gave me his final command, in a political and flattering way.

So, the ending was, I was kicked out of the Casino, with 35 bucks more, and pleased about the sweet misunderstanding, meanwhile also feeling rediculous how lack of commen sense they are for not recognizing Chinese ID but assuming Driver's license is also the most powerful ID in China just like in America.

Anyhow, I still call that a happy ending!

Photos in Warren U.S.

From Warren

See the smile on my face? Actually I was shivering in coldness.

From Warren

From Warren

Birds Eye view of Panda's hometown.

From Warren

This gun is real.

我和妈妈

因为有顺车，妈妈匆匆来看我，待了一天后又回去了。

在这一天之内，妈妈在唠叨我好吃懒做不会持家交了狗屎运才嫁了个这么纵容我的老公的同时，替我拖了两遍地，洗干净了所有的衣服，还做了够我吃一星期的菜放在冰箱里。

而我，除了继续“好吃懒做”美美地享受她的照顾之外，竟没有对她说“谢谢”这两个字。

可以很轻易地对不相干的人说“谢谢”“我爱你”，可以很自然或不自然地，很真心或只是应酬地对别人微笑，互相拥抱，可是，对自己至亲的人，却从来开不了口，张不开臂膀。

曾经给妈妈发过短信“妈妈，我爱你”。发完后，别扭了半天，从此再也没发过。

曾经在千里之外，替妈妈订了束鲜花，快递到了家门口，被妈妈责怪浪费钱，可听邻居说，妈妈已经情不自禁地跟他们提过无数次了。

我和妈妈一样，明明深深地爱着彼此，却以最平淡的方式表达，或者不表达。

Panda & Grace

Panda is one of the countless animals called “husband”, who we women regard as aliens. Here are a few stories that prove we don’t call them aliens for no reason.

1,
One day, I came home from work, and saw panda holding a long Japanese sword, posing like a brave warrior, with very serious looks on the face. Looking towards the direction his sword pointing to, taking a long time, I finally found his foe?a small spider.
Panda looked very miserable, and apparently it had been a tough battle for him.

“Don’t move, and don’t be afraid, I almost got it, give me 5 more minutes” Panda warned and comforted me considerately.

I walked near the spider, swept it down to the floor, stepped on it, and it was dead.

2,
Panda’s foes are not just spiders, but also fish.
In normal Chinese families, it’s the men that kill the fish and the women cook
In my family, it’s me that buy live fish, get them killed (by the fish man), wash off the blood, and then cook.
It’s Panda that then eats 80% of them.

Who will believe that me, Grace, one day is forced to be somewhat like a butcher?
All because I am afraid of fish with unclear life or death situation, so is Panda.
Unfortunately, he is more stubborn than me. And I am more a wife material than he a husband material.

So I will carefully pour the killed fish into the sink, and then jump 1 meter away immediately, wait for one minute to see whether they will jump. (Believe me, they do jump even after their belly been cut open). Then carefully pick them up to wash off the blood. Don’t be surprised if you hear occasional scream coming from the kitchen, that’s Grace screaming and throwing the fish to the sink when their slippery bodies suddenly move.

Meanwhile what does Panda do besides giggling and laughing at me?
“Honey, shall we make fish soup or steam them?”

3,
I once told Panda to change the blanket cover.
Panda researched it and tried around with it for 10 minutes.
And then said: “That’s it, I am done. You do it.”

Panda & Grace

Tonight when Panda and I were having hotpot, again, for the third time this year, I asked him:
- “Hey, what shall I write about on my blog? I am running out of
topics”
- “I got up at 6:00 in the morning, boiled some water for my
coffee, but burnt myself…… and I forgot to feed my cat before
I left, the poor thing must be starving……” Panda started to
play stupid.
- “Shut up….. I think I will write about different sides of
women” I looked “deep”
- “Woman’s sides, there is the top front side, middle front side,
back side…..” He lifted his cute round face; mouth stuffed
with food, spared some time, and answered my question as such.
(Under the strong request of Panda, I hereby clarify that he did understand me, but just played stupid)

After dinner, here come the classical discussions:
- “Hey Panda, I am going to bed reading.”
- “So early?! You don’t want to spend some time with me?” He gave
me an upset look
- “Or I can sit with you, but then you won’t have the whole
couch….. so….. you want me or the couch?”
- “Couch”
- “All right!” so we both go to our warm resorts happily.

What are you looking at!!!

"Gorgeous" Me

My battle with Mom and other warmhearted relatives ended up with giving in 50 and 50!!

I tried for my casual hair, casual make-up bride style, but failed. Well, not totally. I protected my face, with the sacrifice of my hair.

After an early shower, I had my hair dried and casually and naturally down, a little curly, a little shinny in the sun. Proper and healthy look, I think, confidently. Unfortunately, this confidence didn’t last very long, and were totally destroyed by my mom and aunts by their comments of “Not respectful to my audience.” Well, to please my audience, and to save my mom’s face, I was dragged to a hair salon, and got my bride hair done.

Here was the “beautiful” hair, soaked in half a bottle of mousse, stiff as lead thread, pointing to the sky, with some red, green, golden, silver shiny glitter scattering all over. "Gorgeous!!"

It could be more "gorgeous"--- the hair dresser wanted to put a lily or rose on it, but, I was smart enough to kill that thought in its cradle.

She didn’t like my unnoticeable make up either, and suggested a big change starting with trimming my eyebrow…… Oh my! I dashed out of the salon, like a pig running away from a butcher. God helps those who help themselves, and only save those who save themselves. All I wanted was to catch the man who wants to marry me, before he runs away, and before I regret, don’t need to sacrifice my eyebrow for that little selfishness, do I?

Ugly Together

Ever since we moved to Shanghai and reunited with some old Jinan friends?Alex and Annie, who recently got married; Rita and David, we’ve been doing the Happy Friday Thing, getting together on Friday for Dinner first, and Bar later. Dinner is my favorite part, I like eating, and would never give it up for my figure. But bar, I could never really enjoyed it.

Unlike me, Eric is a bar animal. We live in a small town called Huacao, which is way far from the downtown, so far that it even weakens my interest in Shopping. But, for Eric, it is nothing. He will bitch about my choice of moving to this no where, but it doesn’t affect him traveling one and half an hour downtown and meet his friends twice a week. I mentioned before, he is a man of never fading passion, generally it is cute when it concerns me, but when he shows this passion to anybody other than me, even to his friends, this passion will be taken by me as “Childish”. I always hate him spending the night in bars, but I also know that is something I am not powerful enough to change, besides, he is more stubborn than me. For the peace and happiness of the family, I chose to keep my eyes closed and my mouth shut most of the time, and get used to his twice a week night absence.

Despite he spends the whole night out, I never get worried. Not due to full confidence, but because I believe in “go with the flow”. “If your passion flows to other woman, just let me know, and I will let you go; same otherwise.”

My mind flowed too far, now come back------

Eric called this morning at 6:00 from downtown, (he was out last night) told me in an exciting tone: “guess what, I bought you a rose”. “OK, see you” waken up by his call, that was all I wanted to say. His passion, and my seemed indifference, perfect match.

But I did hear him clearly, and did feel something, just didn’t bother to show it out.

In our 5 years long relationship, he’s been treating me the best, but, he’s never really BOUGHT me flowers. The following are my limited 3 times rose receiving experiences:

First time: he stole some roses from a garden in my old dormitory garden. His reason is: buying roses is no fun, steeling is much better because it shows he is willing to take the risk for me. Not a perfect reason, but makes sense to me.

Second time: in my last year birthday. He was not in Shangyang for business trip. So he ordered some roses on line and got them delivered to me. 11 roses, lasted for a week, But some how he paid the money and whoever honest returned it back saying it was the wrong account. So technically he didn’t BUY it.

Today, is the third time. He bought ONE rose when he was idling on a street at midnight from a women god knows from where, at RMB 1. and the poor rose is almost dead when he got home. He rushed into the kitchen and sank it into water, but I know the rose is dying definitely.

I guess now most of you will think I am a pathetic woman, who married the least romantic man. But I am feeling ok. Imagine if he suddenly gets romantic, I wouldn’t know what to do, how to react. If I have a romantic, gentlemen-liked husband, I would hesitate to dress sloppily, act rudely and show my ugliest side at home.

We are ugly together!

Can’t remember who said: “Marriage is that you can fart loudly in the blanket, give the other Dutch oven and then laugh.”