15 May 2010: New Recliner and Sofa, Mr Sun and Rod's explores the markets

15 May 2010

reetings all from Shenyang,

Spring has finally arrived here in Shenyang!  The trees are budded out and the annuals have been planted!  It is still cool in the mornings and pleasant in the afternoon low 40's in the mornings and low 70's in the afternoon.  I've been busy at work and trying to cram a million things into the 1 week in the office, so this update is mosty about Rod's adventures and photos of his daily sights here in Shenyang. He goes to really interesting places..and he normally takes me there on the weekend, but since I've got to fly out again today, I'll have to check out these places myself when I get back!  But before we go out on the street, I wanted to show you girls our new home decor since I've redecorated and added 1 additional piece of furniture..a matching sofa for my recliner!

Our living room.  We will eventually get some artwork on the walls,  and maybe a Chinese rug on the floor, but at least now, the furniture layout is the way I want it, and I can recline in the chair...or layout on the couch...both items of comfort after a long day!

So, now to the streets!

Some of you have asked what kind of car we have.  It's a Chinese brand "Jin Bei"..I liken it to a Chinese copy of a Toyota Camery.  The man in front is our driver Mr. Sun.  He is a very nice man, and we are learning to communicate.  We each have a dictionary and a phrase book...so when we get stuck...which is often, we both go to the book and eventually, we understand each other!  My Chinese lessons are coming along...but I have to admit, it's hard to study Chinese when I'm in France...my brain just can't adjust to 2 foreign languages at the same time it seems...or maybe I'm just not focusing enough...at any rate, I'm making progress, but it's a slow go!

Sarah, going to work with Driver Sun in the Jin Bei car in front to the IC hotel in Shenyang.

Every day, there are many vendors on the streets selling food...all kinds of food!

Fresh fruits and vegetables and prepared on-the-spot.  Here some examples.

Have truck, have market!  Note this is a 3 wheeled truck...there are a lot of these here!  Lots of watermelons here and other small melons.  He is parked beside a construction site (of which there are many here too!)  Notice, how many cranes there are in the background..this place is growing!

 This little boy is the son of the guy making the bread.  He was so cute, we just had a to get a picture!

Rod described this as the wafflehouse of Shenyang.  The set up shop on the sidewalk not far from the hotel about 6:00am each morning and go until 11am. He is cooking on a flat top griddle over a propane fire.  She is rolling out the doe....what a team! This doe forms a type of pocket bread and they put an egg and a split hotdog inside and then put it in a small plastic baggie and "the regulars" come up on their electric bikes, put their 3 RMB ( 50 cents) on the cashbox (front and center) and they take their baggie and go. Fast food!

So, that's about it for now.  I'll be in France for the next 10 days, then in Japan for 2 days, then coming back here in the 29th of May...this month has literally flown by..of maybe I've flown by the month...at any rate, it's going by fast!  For those of you on FB, see on there!

Take care and keep those emails coming!

Sarah & Rod

27 April 2010; Recovering from the Computer crash and Happy Anniversary In China

Greetings all,

I'm writing you from Shenyang, China, on Rod's computer.  The big excitement of the week was Rod's adventure to get my computer fixed.  He got in touch with Apple in the US (we had a full warranty on our MacBook) and got a repair number and found out there was an authorized Apple repair store here in Shenyang...good thing because he found out that he couldn't ship it if had a battery in it...and you can't take the battery out without voiding the warranty...looks like a hole in the system to me!  Rod asked the hotel concierge to find the repair place and write it out in Chinese and off he and the driver went to take the computer for repair.  The repair place diagnosed a crashed hard drive and said it would take about a week to get it fixed...this was on Monday.  By Thursday evening, they called the hotel and said it was ready.  So, Friday morning, Rod and the driver went back to the computer place to get the computer...we have it back now...completely new hard drive...empty!  So, now, we'll work to get the backup that I think is on the Time Capsule backup restored to the computer.  I hope all this works because everything (photos, documents etc) were there!  For now, we are managing just fine with Rod's computer but there are some beautiful pics and important doc's I don't want to be without!  Some of you have told me you're keeping these updates...if I ever get the energy to try to write a book...I'll have to call you to get those lost emails and pictures from our first month in China!

I'll be fling to France tonight staying or 2 weeks.  The volcano ash problem seems to have subsided and all flights are back on going to Europe.  My niece had an extended vacation/school trip in Europe due to that volcano, so hopefully she is back home in FL now!   I'm glad I booked when I did though, because otherwise, I wouldn't have a seat.  I'll fly tonight from Shenyang to Shanghai (1.5 hr) , then overnight to Paris (12 hrs) , then onto Clermont-Ferrand (1 hr) arriving Sunday morning French time.    My next update will likely not come until I get back because I'll only have my work computer with me (which does not have my address book on it!).  It should be a beautiful Spring in France, so if I see anything spectacular I'll get a picture and include it in my next update.

The other big news of the week is that Rod will be moving us to our new apartment just downstairs here in the hotel on Monday morning.  For those of you wondering, our address is:

Crown Plaza Hotel

Rod & Sarah Miller, Room 1211

No. 208 Nanjing North Street

Heping District

Shenyang, China

Here are a couple of pictures of our new digs.  It's a 2 bedroom apartment...not exactly my decorating style, but it will do...when we get settled, we'll buy that recliner!

 Rods' Big kitchen!

Sarah in the "living/Dining" room

We also received notice that our air shipment has been shipped.  Since I'll be gone, they had to do a special deal to get Rodney to be the authorized agent to receive our goods and clear it through customs.  I hope that's not a big deal, but, here you never know!

The BIGGEST news of the week was that Rodney and I celebrated our 27 year anniversary on 23 April 2010.  He surprised me and got me a beautiful jade necklace.  It's a carved little dog.  Very special!  Thank you my dear!  We shared our anniversary with friends Tim & Julie who just arrived in the country...I'm sure we'll be seeing alot of each other!

So that's about all for now. 

Keep those cards and letters coming and thank you for all your well wishes!

Sarah & Rod