Moon Festival Long Weekend

The Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Celebrated on a full-moon day, the worship of the moon deity Chang'e is an central to this festival! There are plenty of folk-stories about how Chang'e ascended to the moon - most of them revolve around Chang'e protecting local peasants from a cruel king, and then fleeing to the moon to save her own life! It is traditional for the Chinese people to eat moon cakes and lotus roots - symbolizing union and peace for the entire family! And even for those of us who don't actually celebrate this festival, the long weekend is a good time to relax with your family - a much needed break after a hectic back-to-school first month!

The full moon is also a perfect time to perform the Satyanarayan puja - finding resonance in the origins of the Moon festival, this puja too is performed for thanksgiving and prosperity. I always find peace of mind and tranquility after we perform this puja - and it has become a biannual tradition, no matter where we are living - even in China! Over the years, I have managed to collect most of the paraphernalia needed, and we have learnt to accept with good grace that there will always be that one thing that is not available! The puja may not be text-book perfect, but it is always heartfelt - and it is a good lesson in doing your best, no matter what!

The next day was the big Cross Country race at Dulwich - again an annual tradition, and the first of many sports events during the year. 1.7kms for the Under-9 girls - and while I was hoping for Manasi to do her best, I have to admit that I was exhausted just thinking about the girls running in the hot sun! Since most offices had the day off, there were a surprising number of dads in attendance -  the kids were really happy about that! Manasi came in 9th in about 50 kids, and since her goal had been to be in the top 10, there were smiles all around! Although, I'm sure it wasn't any fun to go back to class all sweaty and tired!

After the race, Ajey and I headed to the Wuxi Ikea, ostensibly to buy bedside tables for our guest bedroom. But it's Ikea - a treasure trove of absolute must-haves - and you can never walk out with just the one thing you actually need! Impulse buying is the name of the game, and the Ikea prices make it real easy to justify loading up the shopping cart! And just when I thought that I had enough stuff, walking to the checkout, I saw this incredible display of photo frames - wouldn't this be just perfect for all our pictures, from the different places that we have travelled to, all the wonders we have seen! Helpfully, the store had also posted an itemized list of all the frames needed - well, I'm definitely not strong enough to resist that kind of temptation! Back at home, elation soon gave way to frustration - selecting photos is not as easy as I had thought - but when I'm done, I'm going to have an awesome photo wall that will be worth all the trouble!

After 2 hectic days, we were all ready for a day to kick-back - only, I had bought tickets for the Dulwich Family Day long before all these other activities were planned - and we set off to the Fairmont Hotel in Kunshan - a little grumpy, some of us more than the others! As it often happens, we had a wonderful time - everyone agreed that it was a good thing to have come, and please, let's do this every year! The Fairmont is located beautifully, right on the Yangcheng lake - and it would be idyllic to go spend a weekend there. Apart from the usual resort type things like the pool and bike lanes, the Fairmont boasts of an organic vegetable farm, and the thing that will doubtlessly have me returning - a bee farm! We got back to Suzhou after lunch - Ajey wanted to take in the Suzhou car show. I opted for a nap instead - 3 busy days, and we were still not done!

Sunday was Shanghai day! We were all excited - Ajey's uncle and aunt were coming to stay with us for 3 weeks, and we had to pick them up at the airport! Also, the son of one of our closest friends has moved to Shanghai for a semester, and we were to have lunch with him! After unsuccessfully trying to track down a Lebanese restaurant in Puxi - we did find the mall, but all the shops had shut down - we had a lunch at a wonderful little Mexican place. J has grown from the little boy we knew in Grenoble into a fine young man - isn't this the transformation that we hope and wish for all our kids? - the memories made me a little misty-eyed! Made it to the airport on time - is there anything more exciting than receiving people at the airport? Scanning the ranks of weary travellers, eager for the first glimpse, that absurd burst of joy when you spot them, the rush to grab their luggage cart - absolutely wonderful! We're all looking forward to some memorable times with Anand Kaka and Kamala Kaku - and I'm hoping to post about all the adventures we have with them! Signing off!

A breath of fresh air

One of the big concerns about living in China is the pollution - both air and water! Air pollution numbers in most cities are routinely in the 'Unhealthy' range, and Beijing has been known to report 'Hazardous' at times! Even a place like Suzhou, with so much greenery, has really poor air quality - so much so that our schools here check the pollution numbers before letting the children out to play!

I didn't really take the numbers too seriously when we moved here. It's China - the blue skies and pristine air of the USA are miles away - but of course, the air quality is not as good here! Besides, how is knowing the daily pollution level going to make a difference? We still have to leave the house, go about our daily chores, we still have to breathe in the air - pollutants and all! And it's only for a couple of years, right? And if it hadn't been for my nose, I would have happily spent my days here in blissful ignorance!

Now you would think that with a honker like mine, I would have no problem sucking in my fair share of the atmosphere! Sadly, that's no longer true. My nose saga started on a day, long long ago - in the pristine air of our very own Peoria! A walk along the Rock Island trial ended in red itchy eyes and fits of sneezing - the culprit? Pollen! For the first couple of years, I was in stubborn denial - I grew up in India, I have a strong immune system, I am the last person in the world to have allergies - and I suffered through the spring blossoms and the fall harvests!

When I finally did go to the doctor, he offered to prescribe a nasal cortisone spray - I'm sorry, but isn't cortisone a steroid? Don't tell me how harmless it is - I'm not inhaling a steroid for anything in the world! The other option was to take OTC anti-histamines - Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, tried them all before settling on Benadryl. For a while, things got better - the Benadryl worked like a charm - and then we moved to Grenoble, France. Located in a picturesque valley, with majestic mountains all around - a  world removed from Peoria - just a whole new set of allergens! Once again, I dragged my feet for a couple of years before seeing a doctor - the French doctor, to my relief, advised against taking cortisone, but he did bring up the possibility of surgery! Yikes!

Thankfully, Caterpillar came to the rescue - we moved to Chennai, and the wonderful humidity and the salt air were like a balm to my ravaged nose! Fast forward 3 years, we returned to Peoria - and all my troubles returned in full force! After a miserable autumn, I was ready for anything - yes, even the steroids, if I could only breathe freely again! I stayed true to character though - I procrastinated enough that by the time I was ready for the doctor, we were on a plane to China! I don't know why I was hoping that this move would be better for my allergies -  it most certainly wasn't!!

So much for blissful ignorance - there's only so many nights that you can wake up gasping for air, unable to take a single breath! To add to my woes, I discovered that I was growing increasingly more allergic to my beloved Sunny! Finally bit the bullet, saw a ENT specialist in Pune for the final diagnosis - deviated septum and nasal polyps - I'm completely choked up! The surgery will take care of the structural problems, but the question of allergies still remains! And when Ajey started sneezing almost all the time, we knew we had to do something!

New BlueAir 303 air purifier

Cue my new best friends - the BlueAir air purifiers that we recently ordered. After much vacillating, and even more price-checking we ordered the BlueAir 303 and 510D from taobao.com. The smaller unit will be in our bedroom, and the larger one will do double duty - Manasi's bedroom at bedtime, the living room during the day! Is the air noticeably better in the house? Well, it doesn't smell any different, for sure! What I will say is that since the purifier has been running, I have slept through the night without any sniffles or sneezes or itches - and that is all I ever really wanted!

This post has been a bit 'nosey' - but jokes apart, I would seriously recommend these air purifiers for anyone living in China. Some of our friends have one for very room in the house, and while I initially thought that was a bit much - I'm beginning to reconsider! After all, a breath of fresh air is absolutely priceless!!

Year 4 at Dulwich

New Senior School at Dulwich

Beginning of a new school year, a new school term is always chaotic! New class, new friends, new schedules - just so much going on! Besides this year was the grand opening of the Senior School at Dulwich. The new building is just across the street from the old, and the entire Senior school has moved - giving the Junior school some stretching room. With the new building, also come brand new facilities - new pool, new gym and - can't wait to get there - a new library!

Every year, the classes get shuffled as they move up to the next grade. The kids do get to pick a couple of friends that they would like to be with - but almost everyone gets moved around. This is done to ensure the even distribution of different nationalities across all the sections, but I think it also underlines the ephemeral quality of our lives here. Even the teachers move around - they teach different classes every year, and there are always new teachers coming in to replace those that have left! Manasi's new teacher is really new - she flew in to China a week before school started - and I'm sure it's going to be a month or two before she fully settles in!

Last year, Manasi was the new kid on the block - this year, she's more sure of herself, more confident. She has volunteered to help a couple of new girls in her class - show them around the school, eat lunch with them, things like that. Each class elects representatives for the Eco Council and the Student Council - candidates have to make a little speech, and then the class votes - and Manasi is the Eco Council Rep for her class this year. Actually, what she really wanted was to be on the Student Council - but she couldn't do both, so Eco Rep it is! She's taking it pretty seriously too - 'Go Green' is the motto in our house these days!

With the new swimming pool, came the excitement of the new swimming teams! The school announced there would be 3 teams - an 'Elite' team, a Junior school team and a Senior school team. There was a huge turnout for the swimming trials - almost 80 kids for about 20 spots on the team. Manasi did make it to the JS team, but as can be imagined, there were a lot of disappointed kids and parents. What made it worse was the letter - 'We regret to inform you that your child has not been selected....'!!! Seriously, these are 8-10 year old kids - there isn't a better way to let them down gently? And besides, if a kid really wants to swim, who cares about timing and making the cut? Without a doubt, the school has to have a team - but I feel it would have been better if they had kept the selection a bit low-key - and avoided a lot of hurt feelings!

Speaking of hurt feelings - our share was just around the corner! Ever since they announced that this year's production would be 'Aladin', Manasi has been in a fever of excitement! Of course, what 8 year old girl wouldn't want to be Jasmine - and Manasi with her beautiful voice thought she had a fair chance of landing the role! When she made it to the second callback, expectations soared through the roof - it did worry me a little bit, and I tried my best to keep her grounded, but in vain! She was - forgive the pun - in 'A Whole New World', and it was really hard when she didn't get Jasmine. She couldn't see that making it to the second callback was an achievement in itself, and that her dad and I were so proud of her!

I'll admit that this post would have had a completely different tone if Manasi had got the part - but she didn't, and as she raged about how unfair everything was - we, as parents, struggled to turn this experience into a Life Lesson. Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow - how do you explain to a child that not being picked doesn't mean 'not good enough'? How do you explain that an audition for a school play is merely the first of many, many hurdles that life will bring along - and even when you stumble, you have to find the strength to dust yourself off and keep going. Life Lessons - sooner or later, our children have to brave the world, learn to face disappointment and make the best of things. I only wish it could be later than sooner!

This whole week - first the swim team, then the production - served to sharply contrast the British and American styles of education. Here in Dulwich, and back when I was a kid in India, the emphasis is on excellence and competition. Children are made aware of their shortcomings very early on - only the best walk away with the accolades and honors, everyone else is but a spectator. While this style does encourage students to strive to be their best, it can also stifle creativity and lower morale. American schools, on the other hand, promote individuality. All students are taught to believe that they are perfect just the way they are! Manasi's 2nd grade class back in Peoria had their own play at the end of the year - there were no auditions, no callbacks - every single child got to be on stage, if only to say a couple of words. This system might hold back the individuals who are truly gifted, but the vast majority of children enter the real world armed with tremendous confidence and self-esteem. Now, wouldn't an American school with British discipline be just the perfect solution?!

Anyway, with all this drama, Year 4 in Dulwich is off to a bit of a rocky start! Plenty of things to look forward to in this term though - a field trip to the Natural History Museum in Shanghai, and the big trip to Shan-shan island at the end of the month! More homework this year, more stress on responsibility and time-management - and hopefully, more Math (sorry, Manasi!). Here's to another great school year!

Golden Lough

SIP skyline

 After a relentless summer, Suzhou is enjoying a spell of really mild weather! Cool breezes, gentle sunshine, and an absolute rarity - clear blue skies! Manasi and I took advantage of the fine day to take pictures around our neighborhood - and then it occurred to me - in this entire year, I have somehow been remiss about writing about our compound and our locality! So here goes, let's take a walk around Golden Lough!

The Chinese name for Golden Lough is Jin Shui Wan - which kind of translates as Gold Water Park. It is located right on Jinjihu lake, and we have magnificent view of the SIP skyline from our side of the lake! Of course, not all houses have lake views - but the lake is only a few minutes walk away! About 200 houses, set in a circle with the main entrance off of Jinjihu Avenue - the Chinese are not very imaginative when it comes to naming roads! - which is one of the main thoroughfares in Suzhou! There's no fancy gate like some of the new developments in Suzhou, but the guard's cabin seems to be security enough!

Main entrance - Golden Lough

As you drive inside, the first impression is of a cool, green and shady haven. Plenty of trees line the little streets and sidewalks, each house has a tiny patch of green out front, and most families have planters with colorful blooms. The houses all look almost identical - brown brick, whitewash, and a faded blue trim with plenty of windows! The second impression - the houses seem to be just a teeny bit shabby. I doubt the exteriors of the houses have been painted in years, and the high pollution and dust also add to the grimy look. Don't be fooled by appearances, though - the interiors of most houses are pretty lavish with marble floors, fancy chandeliers and a lot more!

View of our street from the third floor

Same street - different angle!

What's a compound without a clubhouse, right? Well, Golden Lough boasts of a gym, a swimming pool and also a party area! True, the gym is strictly functional - couple of treadmills, couple of weight machines - but the view of the lake is enough to make you want to workout here! The swimming pool is decent sized - the only drawback is that it is not heated - so can't be used when it starts to get cold! You do need a membership to use the pool or the gym - but the convenience is priceless! For younger kids, there's a small playground with a few swings and a slide! For older kids, the entire compound is essentially one big playground!

The gym

Located within the compound are also other very useful facilities. Need a quick manicure or a relaxing massage? - Lucy's Salon is at your service! Tired of cooking dinner - Bellaboats will deliver a pizza to your house in less that 20 minutes! Run out of milk/eggs/onions/sugar? - Yumway is only a hop, skip, jump away! To be honest, I have never been to Lucy's - Yumway and Bellaboats, however, are both lifesavers! Yumway has a wide selection of groceries - lot of imported foods, a variety of fresh breads and a good selection of wines. Sure, you pay a little more than at Auchan - but again, the convenience is priceless! Bellaboats is fairly new here - they do a really good pizza, and their menu, while not extensive, will be sure to satisfy!

Yumway - our neighborhood convenience store

 Our little convenience shops have a new competitor these days - a huge, huge mall has opened up across the street from us - wait, did I say across the street? Let me clarify - you have to cross a busy intersection with 6 lanes of traffic to get there - whole new meaning to 'across the street'!! Anyway, this new mall - Link City - has a Sam's Club (the first in Suzhou), a host of fast food chains - Pizza Hut, Subway, Starbucks, to name a few - and a movie theater to boot! It really is a fun place to walk around and admire the stores!

Link City

Huge intersection outside GL entrance

Of course, like anywhere else in Suzhou, public transport is available to go wherever you might wish. There are usually plenty of taxis around - although you do have to know the Chinese name of the place you want to go to. Most businesses hand out cards with addresses in English on 1 side and in Chinese on the other. Also available are 'taxi books', which have a collection of all possible destinations in Suzhou! Taxis are metered, so there's no hassle of negotiating the fare! An even better option is to travel by the city buses - there's a bus stop right outside Golden Lough, and a bus comes along every few minutes!

Bus stop outside GL

So there it is - our home in China! To be honest, there are better housing options available in Suzhou - bigger houses, better maintained compounds, duplex apartments with breathtaking views - so why Golden Lough? Stop by any time after 4pm or on weekends, and you'll know why! Kids, kids, kids everywhere!! As I said before, the entire compound is one big playground for the kids! It's perfectly safe for them to be out on their own, riding their bikes, running around or when it gets too cold to play outside, just moving from house to house! In fact, the only time I get to see my daughter is when her gaggle of girlfriends decide to play at our house! And on weekends, our doorbell rings nonstop - all Manasi's friends of course!

There's a ton of activities for adults too! Bus drop-offs and pick-ups are almost social events - perfect time to catch up with the other moms, and to chat a bit! A book-club meets every month, aerobics and yoga classes - always something to do! Of course, it isn't all perfect. Most houses have their own quirks, which can be quite exasperating at times! Landlords, like landlords everywhere, are happy to receive the astronomical rent - but really slow to spend it on any maintenance issues! Simple things like cleaning the glass windows, or getting the garden weeded turn into endless waiting games - very frustrating!

Anyway, watching Manasi play with all friends, Sunny stalking through the bushes - can't imagine living anywhere else in Suzhou! At the end of the day, Golden Lough is home - at least for the next 2 years!