Odds and Ends....

It's the middle of Monday afternoon and I'm at the new apartment "overseeing" the cleanup crew that are supposed to be cleaning. Western style cleaning is clearly a foreign concept and I'd be better served doing it myself. Kevin, David's driver, spent some time here this morning trying to explain to them what needed to be done and HOW I wanted it done. I don't know if they just don't get it, or just don't care, but we aren't making much headway.

Everything thus far is operating on China time. Considering this is the 8th of September and we were supposed to be in before Molly and I arrived August 26th, you get the idea of what China time is like...

They are sorely testing my good nature.

On a lighter note, Garreth had quite the adventure last Friday when he went to school. It is a 25 minute ride to the subway and then 30 minutes on the subway and then another 15-20 walking time. He left the apartment around 5:30am and made good time to school. After classes everything went south.

During the morning it began to rain. The all day soaking rain that we so desperately need at home in North Carolina, but not the kind G needed on his first day commuting WITHOUT any sort of rain gear.

Suffice it to say, he got lost. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but you must understand that Shanghai is a city roughly the size of Rhode Island with 24 million inhabitants. You can ride in the driving rain for a very long time and never regain your bearings.

After multiple phone calls and frustrated attempts at finding his way back to Pudong, DGF and Kevin (L&P's driver) went in search of Garreth. When they finally tracked him down he was one soaked and miserable pup. He spent nearly 5 hours "trying" to get home in the driving rain. I was pleased that he took responsibility for losing track of his landmarks and realized it was his own "doing" that was his "undoing."

I'm happy to report that his commute today went off without a hitch.