Is it winter already??!!

Ok, best intentions yesterday - but could not get the Internet to co-operate. Maybe it's because of the big meeting here in Suzhou?? Yes, the same one that has led to miraculously low pollution here - such a co-incidence that a visit from a bigwig almost always leads to better air quality!! And what was with the license plate deal - apparently, only cars with Suzhou plates were allowed on the roads for the last 3 days? Don't ask me why - seriously, who comes up with these rules?!!

We've been having real lovely weather here in Suzhou - nonstop rains, grey, overcast skies and absolutely no sign of the sun. Perfect weather to curl up with a book - except that, with so much to do - I don't really have that option!! The steady drip-drip of the rain has become a constant backdrop, and worse, temperatures are plummeting too - expected to drop to -3degC in the next couple of days! Freezing temperatures. In Suzhou. And it's barely end of November!! Brrrrr!!

And then, to add to my overall sense of well-being(!) - reports of snow in the Midwest. Not just a dusting, as would be expected in November - but a full fledged snow dump - almost a foot of snow in Peoria!! Snow in Peoria - well, why would that bother me - oh yeah, remember that tiny little detail?? I'll be moving there in less than a month!! And I dare not imagine what it's going to be like when we land there!! Hibernation is sounding pretty good at this point - sleep away the cruel winter months, dreaming of tropical vacations!!

Winters in Pune are pleasant - in fact, after the sweltering October heat, everyone is looking forward to that slight nip in the air, the misty mornings, the brisk evenings! Woolen clothes and blankets are dragged out from storage - and despite numerous airings, the lingering smell of moth-balls just never dissipates!! Weather reports were followed obsessively, and the forecast of a particularly cold night would send everyone into a tizzy - imagine, the temperature will drop to below 10Deg tonight!! Celsius - not Fahrenheit!! I know, not really 'winter' cold - but keep in mind - no floor heating, no insulation, no running hot water, windows always wide open - 10DegC can be much colder than it sounds!!

So from this balmy winter, I landed straight into the winter wonderland of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!! Houghton - where the locals say the 3 seasons are last winter, this winter and next winter!! I still remember the thrill I felt the first time it snowed - and then seriously, it never stopped for about the next 5 months!! I would not have believed that so much snow could exist in one place!! I think I was in shock for pretty much all of winter - by April, the snowbanks were 6 feet high, and entire cars had disappeared under the snow!! Swift learning curve there - this is Winter!!!

At least, that first real winter in Houghton - I didn't know what to expect - ignorance certainly was a kind-of bliss!! Now, heading to Peoria, in the middle of December - I know exactly what we're heading to - and I am flat out dreading it!! The grey snowbanks, the grey sky, the grey trees - the short, short days. the weak, watery sunlight - the ice on the roads, shoveling the driveway - the piercing cold that slices straight to the bone!! No matter how many layers I wear, or how high I crank the thermostat, I can never, ever get warm enough - toes and fingers always numb, nose always freezing!! That hibernation is sounding better and better!!

Yes, winter is certainly not my favorite time of the year! I'm envisioning many days spent snuggling with Sunny, while Ajey and Manasi are off to office and school!! I know there's a lot of people who enjoy the snow - actually look forward to it - and I have to admit that this baffles me. Cold, icy snow vs warm, radiant sun - is there even a choice there??!! Anyway, choice or not - winter is what I have to look forward to - so the plan is to bundle up and stay indoors - possibly until April!! Stay warm, people!!

A Thanksgiving to remember

It's been 18 years since I first moved to the US - and over the years, although we have adopted many American customs and traditions - the Thanksgiving dinner has not been one of these!! No turkey for us - although, I never did say to pumpkin pie!! Actually, the only real American Thanksgiving dinner I've been to is in Michigan Tech - when my advisor, Dr. R, kindly invited me and a couple of other Indian students to his home. Of course, at that time, none of us knew anything about Thanksgiving, and Dr. R didn't know that we didn't know - so it was a bit of an awkward situation, 3 vegetarians sitting down to a turkey dinner!! Poor guy - he ended up taking us out for pizza in the end!!

Fast forward to last weekend - and the Thanksgiving celebration here in Golden Lough!! This is not new - in fact, every year that we've lived here - we've been invited to the GL Thanksgiving - but somehow, I have never been able to go. Oh, I had plenty of excuses - I can't make any of the traditional dishes, I don't eat turkey, I don't know most of the people - bit silly, really!! Anyway, this year, Manasi really wanted to go - all her friends would be there - and I didn't really feel right about sending her by herself without at least making an appearance myself. Moreover, my friends, SB, MW and AM - thanks, ladies! - didn't really give me a choice!!

And what do you know, I actually had a really good time!! It was a wonderful party - hosted jointly by the Ss and the Ms - almost 75 people, a huge, huge turnout!! Everyone brought a dish to share - and I guess I should have stepped up and made an appetizer or something - I compromised by bringing a box of Belgian truffles!! In any case, there was a staggering amount of food - all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings - turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls - and 3 kinds of pies, plus a bunch of other desserts!! Green bean casserole and mac and cheese made a perfect dinner for me!!

The big difference this year was the number of 'foreigners' - translated as non-Americans - really, we are all foreigners in this country!! But the Europeans - mainly the Brits - joined in with a gusto!! Anyway, wasn't it really the British who sat down to the first Thansgiving meal - they weren't Americans until much later, were they?!! I did not voice this thought in public - perhaps not entirely politically correct??!! More the merrier, though!! And even though I had gone with the fullest intention of only staying a short time, I stayed till the end - and it really was fun!!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! 

The first of the farewells

So it's starting - the slow, painful process of saying goodbyes to friends who have been so close to us for the last 3 years - celebrating good times together, sharing sorrows and frustrations, bound together by this unique expat experience. And there's no saying where our paths lead us next - whether these dear friends will meet us ever again - are these farewells final??

Kind of bittersweet, these farewell lunches, dinners - one last time to share laughter and a good meal, one last time to reminisce - and some of the lunches I've been to have got quite emotional!! Although, it is a bit weird - crying on each other's shoulders one day, with profound declarations of everlasting friendship, and then the very next day, meeting at the school bus - just like every ordinary day - because as I've said before, life doesn't stop just because you're moving!!

Ajey will, of course, get a send off lunch with his colleagues - but in addition, it is traditional for Cat expat families to get together for a dinner with repatriating families. I first thought these would be 'official' dinners - very formal, with toasts and such - but no, it's very casual - just friends catching up over dinner!! And actually, this Cat farewell is not even really a farewell - simply because with Cat, all roads lead back to Peoria, and sooner or later, we will be seeing these families again!!

Our farewell, combined with the Bs who are also leaving in December - was this Saturday at the New Ganesh. After a tiring morning of rainy soccer, dinner at an Indian restaurant was a great way to finish the day! The turnout was quite good, despite the weather - almost 10 families - some very close friends, some I'd never met before! The food, and service was excellent as always - seriously, this is easily the best restaurant for Indian food in Suzhou!!

What a wonderful way to start our round of farewells - many thanks to SH and ME for initiating, planning and inviting everyone!! And thank you to all those who came to spend the evening with us - Ajey and I hope that our paths will cross again sooner rather than later!! Enjoy your time in China - and see you on the other side!! Cheers!!

CISSA in Shanghai

Manasi's first soccer lessons were in Chennai - at that time, she spent the entire hour picking daisies by the side of the field - and that was it, until Dulwich! Over the last 3 years, she has gone from a reluctant goal-keeper to an enthusiastic striker, and this year she was picked to be on the Dulwich CISSA team. Now, the whole selection process for the CISSA team led to a few sleepless nights for me - Dulwich sometimes is really confusing about these sort of things - I wish there would be more transparency, especially when selecting sports teams!

Anyway, all things said and done - Manasi did make it to the team, and has been traveling regularly to Shanghai with the team this year. CISSA plays Thursdays and Saturdays - and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been to see her play even once! I know I should have been more supportive - but I don't think Manasi was too cut up about me not going - besides, Saturdays are such an early start - the bus leaves from Suzhou at 5:45am - and that is waaay to early for me!! My contribution thus far has been having her football kit washed and dried on time, and making her lunch on Saturdays!

Today, I thought, was to be the final day of the season - so Ajey and I both decided to go. The PE staff were a bit shorthanded today - football is serious business at Dulwich - we had no less than 6 teams traveling from Suzhou to play in Shanghai!! I signed us up as extra help, and as a reward(!) we got to ride on the bus with the team. Mercifully, the start time was a bit later - 7:30am at Singa Plaza - now that I can do!! Although, when my alarm went off today, it was pouring - hoping for a cancellation there - but no, didn't happen!! Rain or not, we play today!!

Selfie on the bus

We didn't have too far to go - the school we were playing at, Western International School Shanghai, was barely an hour away, somewhere in the Hongqiao area, I think. Weather hadn't really improved by the time we got there - and although it wasn't really raining heavily at that time - it has been raining continuously for about a week now - and the soccer fields were a waterlogged, squelchy, muddy mess. On the bright side - the pollution was really low!! I was wearing sneakers - bad choice in the rain - and every time I crossed the filed - my shoes got wetter and wetter.

They did end up cutting the tournament short - eventually, it started to rain quite hard, and the girls were all almost completely soaked. So they played 3 games instead of 5 - won 2, lost 1 - not bad at all!! There was a plenty of slipping and sliding on the wet grass - and the astroturf was even worse - and a couple of tumbles, but thankfully nothing serious!! Anticipating the wet day, coaches had asked the girls to bring a change of clothes - and by 12:30pm, we were back on our way to Suzhou!!

And you know what - turns out that today wasn't the last day, after all!! That's actually next weekend - so I guess, I'll be headed to Shanghai for that too!! Hoping for better weather then!!

What I'm looking forward to...

Yesterday, we went to a standup comedy show with our friends, PS and MS - yes, that is why I didn't have a post yesterday!! Anyway, the Kungfu Comedy club in Suzhou routinely hosts comedy nights on Thursday, and about once every 6 weeks, they have a headliner show - where they bring in an internationally famous comedian for a show - and Suzhou ren, if you haven't been to one of these, you really need to!!

Anyway, after the show, over drinks at our house, PS asked what we were most looking forward to about moving back to the US. Ajey's answer was instantaneous - cars! Well, specifically, buying new cars - we haven't owned a car in forever - Ajey, of course, has certain exacting specifications, and I'm sure that deciding which car to buy will be just as entertaining as all our other decisions!! I actually have just 1 specification - I'll drive anything but a mini-van!! Don't tell me how practical they are, and how every family needs one - I just don't want to drive a mini-van!! Keeping it real simple there!!

Obviously, cars is not really high on my list!! Next apparent choice - houses?? Well, yes - we'll be homeowners in the US after a really long time - and the houses we are looking at this time around are really exciting!! It's going to be nice to have a big yard, a full basement, fireplaces, all the fancy appliances - decorating, maybe some new furniture - ooh, it's going to be so much fun!! For sure, a new house is something I'm looking forward to very, very much!!

Next on the list - to know me is to understand this choice - the Public Library system!!! I absolutely love the public libraries!! And the new library in Peoria?? - if there is a heaven, it must surely look like this!!! I distinctly remember the first time I stepped into the Peoria Public Library - this was ages ago, in 1999, before all the grand renovations. The first shock - there is no membership fee!! And this almost finished me - no limit on the number of books checked out!!! Seriously, heaven = here!! The hands-down choice, then - the Peoria Public Library!!

It's all going to be great, of course - no matter how much I whine, Peoria has a special place in my heart, and I'm actually quite happy to be going back - and not just because of the library!!! And knowing that I will be close - once again - to some of my dearest friends, is what keeps me going right now!! Bottom line, that is what I'm most looking forward to - all my Peoria peeps, can't wait to see you!! Won't be long now!!!

Traveling with pets

One of the biggest challenges of all these international assignments has been traveling with pets. If you don't have pets, you'll probably think this is crazy - not just the cost, but also the added stress - but if you've ever opened your heart to a furry four-legged friend, you'll understand why we've willingly jumped through all these hoops - and not only once!!

Snowy was such a big part of our lives from the minute we brought her home, that when Ajey came home with the offer to go to France, the biggest consideration before we accepted was if we could take Snowy with us!! We were lucky enough to find an awesome vet, who helped us through the process - the first thing was to get Snowy micro-chipped - yes, that means exactly what it sounds like - a tiny microchip with a number was inserted between her shoulder blades - and the number along with along her vaccination records was entered in a national pet registry.

When we finally got done with the paperwork, I had a file about an inch thick - I had any and all documents that Snowy might need to clear immigration. Then we heard that the Paris airport was really hard to pets flying in, so we changed our travel plans - to fly into Zurich, and then drive to Grenoble! And the microchip - well, apparently these are not standardized - and the European microchip readers would not be able to read Snowy's chip. Obviously, where there's a problem, there's an online solution - and we were able to rent an US microchip reader for a month to take with us!!

The rules have changed now - but 10 years ago, we were able to wheel Snowy's crate right to the check-in counter at O'Hare, like other checked baggage. Our hearts were in our mouths watching her crate being taken away, and before we boarded the flight, we had a flight attendant check at least 3 times that she had been loaded onto the plane. And it wasn't until we landed and saw her crate by the baggage claim, that Ajey and I were able to relax!! And Zurich airport was a breeze - a porter got us a trolley for the crate, and we walked out - not a single person looked at my impressive array of documents!!!

And stressed as we were, Snowy must have been scared out of her wits!! Outside the airport, we found a bench - imagine the scene - we had 6 large bags, a baby car seat and stroller (Manasi was only 10 months when we moved), and Snowy's crate. The minute we let Snowy out, she jumped on my lap - all 60 pounds of her - and sat there trembling like a leaf, while I tried to comfort her! Poor baby!! Anyway, we were soon on our way to the French border - we were sure we would be stopped for a document check at the border control - but here, too, we were waved in - no, really, the guards were actually waving at us as we drove past the security control!!! And there it was, our little puppy's first international flight!!!

Moving to India, we took the easy way out - we hired an agent to help us fly Snowy into Chennai!! Our agent helped us get an import authorization - but this was valid only for a particular day and a particular flight. As luck would have it, we missed our Paris-Chennai flight - yes, we have actually missed an international flight - considering the amount we travel, I'm surprised it has happened only once!! New flight meant getting new papers for Snowy - and despite half of Chennai being shut down because of the tsunami that year - our agent managed to get us new papers in time - and we all managed to get to Chennai safe and sound!!!

The next move - back to Peoria - an added complication, we were now flying 2 pets instead of 1 - we now had both Snowy and Sunny!! Sunny had to go through the whole micro-chipping process, and I spent half a day at the Department of Agriculture to get the export authorization. A lot of money, and many hours later I had all the necessary documentation!! And this time would be the first time that our pets would have to transfer in Europe - Chennai-Frankfurt-Chicago - with a layover of 6 hours in Frankfurt. More anxiety!!!

But Lufthansa did such a wonderful job!! Both Sunny and Snowy were clean, their crates lined with fresh new paper - and we found out later that not only had Snowy been walked in Frankfurt, but even Sunny had been let out into a cat room to stretch his legs!! A wonderful, wonderful experience!! Once again, at Chicago airport - the customs officer let us leave with only a cursory look at our pets and their papers. His actual words were - "Well, they don't look too rabid, I'll let them in!!" Um, thank you??!

Flying to China, we no longer had our beloved Snowy - and rather than deal with United's new PetSafe policy, I chose to bring Sunny into the cabin with me. Not only was it cheaper, but I could keep my eye on him through the flight!! He has always been a nervous traveller - he doesn't even like riding in the car - so it was no surprise that he meowed for 14 hours straight!!! And now, we're getting ready to fly back with him!! Poor little guy, he has no idea about the ordeal he's about to face!! Like India, we need export authorization to leave with him - and thanks to JM, I have a vet who will take care of the paperwork - so that's one thing off my list!!

Yes, flying with pets is incredibly stressful - both for them and us - but then, what other option do we have?? And things do really work out - as long as you spend the time getting all the paperwork in order!! So no regrets, absolutely none!!

Our well-travelled pets!!

Shanghai running and Sports Day

Ok, dinner is done, dishes cleared away, kitchen counters wiped down, Manasi is in bed, Ajey is in a meeting - pretty standard for us this time of day! Perfect time to sit down with my computer, and get that new post rolling - but today, Sunny has a different idea. He's insisting on sitting on my lap, demanding to be cuddled, digging his claws into my jeans when I tried to push him off - I guess he's not moving anytime soon!! So while he purrs contentedly, I have my computer set at a weird angle, I'm typing with one hand - cats!!!

Last month, we had the opportunity to participate in a 5K fun race organized by Shanghai Running - well, I say 'we' - it was actually Manasi and Ajey who ran, I just went along for the ride! Our friend, CW runs about a zillion marathons a year - and he had signed up his younger daughter for the 5K kids race. He wasn't planning to compete - but just to accompany her along the course. That sounded like a great idea - and would be perfect for Manasi and Ajey!! So we registered online, and Manasi was ready for her first ever 5K!! A few of her friends were running as well - which made her quite amenable to the whole thing!!

The biggest drawback of any event in Shanghai - the very early start! To get to the race venue by 8am, we had to leave home by 5:45am - and since my 2 athletes needed a good breakfast, I had to set my alarm for an ungodly 4:50am - which meant that I didn't sleep a wink, worrying that the alarm wouldn't go off!! Luckily, our driver is never late - so that's one less thing to worry about, and we set off as planned, and made it to Gucun Park with time to spare!!

I had never even heard of Gucun Park - so was quite surprised to see this huge complex - we walked past what looked like a dinosaur themed amusement park, a large number of stalls busy with breakfast customers, even little cottages for rent - it was about 2km from the entrance to the registration desk! Quite the warm-up for the runners!! The registration desk, as we lined up for Manasi's T-shirt and number, was a bit of chaos - I think the organizers had not expected such a large number to turn up, and were a bit overwhelmed!!!

The event kicked-off with a warm-up session. Now this was not some gentle stretching as can be expected, but instead a rousing, full-blown aerobic work-out!! Manasi and her friends joined in with gusto - and so did Ajey - hope they have enough energy to actually run the race!!! The race itself was done quite quickly!! Manasi and her friend, SW came in at a decent time, with Ajey not too far behind - the real surprise was little AW who ran like the wind, and just missed out on a trophy!! Manasi was exhausted, but ecstatic that she had run her first 'marathon'!!!

Enjoying the aerobics!

And they're off!!

Finishing strong!!

Exhausted!!

Within a week, was Sports Day at school - and the successful 5K certainly put Manasi in the right frame of mind for the 800m race. This year, the format for Sports Day was different - unlike previous years, when kids were assigned specific events - this year, everyone would participate in everything - with a couple of exceptions - the 800m races, and the 4x100m relays. Now running is one thing that Manasi is good at - she has consistently won events both at earlier Sports Days and at Fobisia - so imagine my surprise when she came home, quite crestfallen, that she had been selected neither for the relays nor the 800m!!

In my opinion, Sports is like Maths - no grey area, you either got it or not - and I was so baffled by Manasi's exclusion, that I actually wrote to the Sports Teacher to ask for an explanation - something I've never done before! What I heard was even more confusing - Manasi's times were not good enough, and anyway it was too late to add her to the relay team, but they would still consider adding her to the 800m!!! Does that make any sense at all?? She just won a medal at the 800m at Fobisia in May - what timings were they looking at??!! And she has a perfect track record in the relays - last 3 years, every relay she has run, the team has won!!!

Anyway, she was finally added to the 800m event, and was quite excited about it. On the day, I had to leave home a little late, and as I walked to the stadium, I saw some kids running already - looks like the events have started. A little closer, I was startled to see Manasi running with another girl right behind her - almost missed it, this must be the 2nd lap of the 800m - oh no, don't see the other kids, Manasi is last!!! - and then I looked behind her, and saw the posse following her - she wasn't last, far from it, she was actually leading!!!

I was so excited that I almost forgot to go to the finish line - almost missed seeing her power her way to gold - what a sweet, sweet win!!! She was just happy to win, I was happy for a whole another reason - my reaction not really good sportsmanship, but hey, couldn't help but feel that I was justify this one time!!! Way to go, Manasi - seriously, I've never been more proud of her!!! The rest of Sports Day was a blur - she went on to win a bunch of other events - the 100m, 60m, 3-springs jump - but the 800m win, was the absolute high point of the day for me!!

For the school, too, the new format worked really well! Yes, the transitions took a little longer than expected, and things could have been a little more streamlined - but parents were happy to see their kids on the field, watching them compete rather than just sitting in the tents!! A lot of Manasi's friends won ribbons too, and the icing on the cake was Manasi's house - Shackleton - winning the House Cup!!

Go Shackelton!!

Another last - Sports Day at Dulwich!! Glad to go out on a high!! Well done, Manasi!!