Life ain't always beautiful.....

Howdy everyone!

Well its been three weeks since I sent an update, so maybe theres more exciting stuff to talk about!  My biggest fear is people will lose interest, but the last week people are sending "wheres the update? Are you still alive? I'm bored, give me reading material!" Haha! OK OK, here we go!

This weeks theme song is "Life Ain't Always beautiful" by Gary Allan

So, since my last update, life is pretty much settled into its own routine. Work, weekends, church, etc.  My circle of friends is slowly growing.

A few weeks ago, the power company had a 'planned outage' on a Tuesday, so I took my guys to the Grape Festival, which was basically going to an agricultural area, and paying for entry into a farmers land, and you can pick your own, or they can pick them for you, and you eat grapes, play cards, visit etc. It was fun, later we had lunch at a Korean Place.  Nice day overall.

Church has been improving a lot, with the teachers all coming back, church is busy and people reach out and are very social.  I've met more people and I get invited to different groups for lunch afterwards!  The only downside is that it takes a LARGE portion of my sunday, as I leave the house at 9AM and I dont get home till 3PM or later if I eat lunch.

I have to own that I have quickly grown complacent in not taking more weekend day trips. I'm in a foreign country, I have a car, a license and GPS.  I should be taking lots more adventures.  I am saying this to own it and start doing more stuff on the weekends.  There are tons of small towns that I can drive to within an hour or two and make it back by evening to let Kody out in time.

On the Work front, its been challenging and sometimes downright incensing. Progress is slow on projects and people are unwilling to deviate from protocol, and people are thinking very two dimensionally.  ("I'm a mechanical engineer and thats all I'm going to do"), well this has to change. I had a pep talk with the troops this week, and explained that we all have to be more dynamic, more flexible.  Also I've implemented a new dress code that goes into effect soon. No more shorts and t shirts and flip flops.  We are all professionals with college degrees. No more dressing like you're going to the beach.  And its good for self esteem too. Last week I had to go to the engineering center and find out why it was taking so long.  One of the guys says that he sent an email to a colleague asking for information and never got a reply. 

"When did you email him?" 

"August 23rd"

"So you emailed this guy over a month ago and he didnt reply.  Where is his office?"

"He sits 2 rows behind me."

"So you didn't think that it would be a good idea to just go over and ask him?"

*Blank stare*

I had to remind them that we're all very busy, but when someone else is holding up the work, you need to gently remind them that they are.  But people generally are too afraid to ask a second time once the request has been made.

The house here keeps improving little by little.  I got new area rugs (plain) but it sure helps with the noise and Kody likes them too.  I bought some for the office to spruce it up some as well.

The house in Katy is almost back to snuff.  Big thanks to my Mom and Stepdad, the best neighbors in the world, Nick and Ally, my incredibly talented decorator Sharon, and my great contractor Mark.  If you want to do business with the last two folks on this list, I will heartily recommend them.

RIght now, fruits and veggies are so fresh and inexpensive.  My supper has been fruits and salad for dinner. After walking Kody in the afternoon, I put the podcast of "Americas Test Kitchen" on the ipad, and I wash and peel fruit in the kitchen.  Its very nice and makes it feel more at 'home'.    Speaking of home, I have been reflecting lots on how great it is to have email, facetime, skype and google voice.  Being able to communicate so seamlessly has been a blessing. Takes the sting of not being at home and makes it less.

Last week, we had a "mid autumn festival" where people celebrate the fall and enjoy moon cakes, as well as see friends and family.  Next week is Chinas national holiday, and I'll be off the entire week.  My aunt Joyce from Taiwan will be visiting for a few days, so I'm very excited about that.  Also my right hand man at my company is getting married, so I'll be attending the wedding.  I plan on taking Aunt Joyce to go enjoy some local food, sight see and enjoy time with her.  I've been introduced toa bunch of local restaurants now, so its been nice to be able to go there and take friends!

I know lots of you have heard me write about how inexpensive things are in CHina, but thats not always the case.  I went to the Toyota dealer last saturday to get the oil changed in my car, and was quoted almost 200 US dollars for a plain oil change.  I ended up finding a local place where I have been before and they did it for 100 US Dollars.  A regular pair of Jeans, like Lee or Levis that you can get at Walmart or Academy for 20-30 dollars, is 90-200 US dollars here.  And then you can walk down the street to the hair salon and get a haircut and shampoo for 3 dollars with no tipping.  Go figure.

Last weekend, I had to go to Korea for a day because of my visa expiring.  The Incheon airport is very western, with nice clean and welcoming feelings throuhgout. Its very "zen" feeling, warm wood, shiny stainless steel.  They have a museum of Korean history inside the airport, a cultural experience center, a day spa, all kinds of shopping, cosmetics, electronics, books, etc and TONS of restaurants.  I spent half a day there and didn't even leave the international terminal. It was fantastic!  I had a nice juicy cheeseburger and a dunkin donut!

Other than that, not much else to report.  I'm homesick as always but I'm surviving.  Jennifers husband, John, is back from Deployment and home safe, so I'm very grateful for that.  I'm excited for their visit to China.

Miss you all!

Peace and Love!

Autumn Tactics

This installments "Theme song"

Is "Autumn tactics" by Chicane

So many of you have noticed that I haven't been blogging weekly anymore.

Mostly I don't want to bore you to death with my mundane stories.  Otherwise, its been going fast.

The strange thing is, its the first of September, and the start of Autumn is here.  Leaves are falling, its upper 60s at night and  pleasantly cool and dry!

My weekends have been busier recently,  the expat guy that I bought the furniture from, Jason, has pulled me into his circle.  I have met many other expats through him, and have started to meet lots more people.  Otherwise, its just been normal, trips to Metro, grocery shopping, etc.  I went out for Italian last Saturday night, and then caught some of the A&M/Rice game, and Sunday after church, went with a large group to a northwestern Chinese place in Marina center, (also an upscale shopping place).

Last week, my clothes dryer came in!  Most people in China dont use clothes dryers, but if those of you have dried towels in the sun, you can appreciate what it feels like to use 400 grit sandpaper to dry yourself with.  I was able to get one for a great price and I'm so happy to have soft towels, sheets and socks.  The things we take for granted.

I also finally passed my driving exam!  You need 90% or higher to get it, and I had to take it three times.  Mostly because of 'lost in translation" and strange chinese driving laws.  For example, in China, when a car is rolling out of control on a hill, you must put your seat all the way back, unbuckle and get on the floorboard and hug the steering column....Or Jump out of the car if you know its going to flip over.  My favorite is for the driver to crouch into the  fetal position and holding your knees, and turning to the side in the event of a head on collision.

Work has been crazy, but its starting to slow down.  I've attached a photo of what we build in case you were curious.  The office is kind of sparse, so I've purchased some carpets and stuff to quell the echo and warm the office up some. Taobao has been great for finding these things on a budget/or at a very reasonable price.

Kody is doing good, enjoying the cooler weather and enjoying our three walks a day.  I've been buying his dog food online on Taobao, which has been great for getting stuff.  Amazon and Ebay rolled into one. 

I guess the big news is, my sister and her family are planning on coming to China over thanksgiving!  I'm very excited to hear this, and have started to find ways to get things I need to make a traditional turkey day.  This holiday will be a tough one, as its my first Thanksgiving ever, away from my Moms wonderful Thanksgiving party.

I'm looking forward to coming back over Christmas.  The worst part of being here is being away from all my friends.

Thats all I have to report.  I hope you guys are all well.

Much peace and love!

Time flies....

Has it been a week already? Time has seemed to have flown by since the last update.

So, since last week, I've been just settling in and exploring more.

I'm still pretty homesick, but being able to facetime with family and friends helps a lot.

On Friday afternoon, I got the windows tinted in the car, and Friday night, I had dinner with a colleague at his hotel.  Saturday the A-yi was supposed to come and clean but did not show up.  I later found out that shes scared of Kody, but supposedly will be back Saturday as long as he's crated.  So Saturday, I cleaned the floors and the bathrooms, and did laundry, and watched it rain outside. In the evening, I went out for a little drive and then stopped at a street food vendor outside my neighborhood for some meat skewers (see pictures).  They were good, but eating from a street vendor does have risks.

Sunday, Bob, my colleague and I went into Qingdao for our 'day in town'.  He was looking for a hotel that had a nice brunch, but he couldn't remember the name or street it was on, so after 2 hours of aimlessly wandering, I made the decision that we would stop by "Sunshine Center" which is another high end shopping mall downtown.  Inside they had a very upscale buffet, which we were lucky to get a table without a reservation.  The food was great, international choices and fresh seafood.  In the afternoon, I took Bob back to his hotel and went by the farmers market to get fresh fruits and vegetables.  I ended up with 4 bags of stuff for about 12 dollars. I went home to meet the AC Repair man (on a sunday!) who misdiagnosed my AC unit, and would be back "later in the week" with the new part.   Kody and I went for a little walk, and I headed off to find a place to get a haircut.  There was a place close by the house, and I walked in, and it seemed pretty fancy.  I got a little nervous because I figured it would be pricey, but the staff told me the haircuts were 38 RMB, a little over 6 dollars, and included shampoo and blowdry,  however, If I bought their "preferred customer card", for 200 RMB, (32 dollars), I could get TEN haircuts, which is what I did.  And they dont accept tips.  I later told a local chinese colleague about the 20 RMB haircut and he told me that it was too expensive, and he pays 10-15 RMB. Go figure.  Afterwards, I did some shopping at another Walmart/Target type store, and this one was the nicest one yet. 

This week at work, I have decided to leave the office for lunch, as I'm getting a little tired of the cafeteria food.  Its been nice to get away for an hour, and also helpful to learn the local area around work.  Customer emails have been flying back and forth but it appears that as fires are being put out, people are beginning to mellow out quite a bit.

As far as preventing myself from going insane, this weeks entertainment includes more CHiPs from Itunes, and Hells Kitchen (latest season).  There is an expat meetup tonight, but its in town and I'm seriously considering going and taking a cab (police like to do sobriety checks at night, and I dont have an official Chinese license yet).   I'll be joining the gym in my neighborhood, but access to cash is not easy right now because china employers pay salary once a month.  So I dont get a July paycheck till August.  So I go to a bank that actually accepts Visa Logo ATM cards and I pull out the equivalent of 300 USD at a time. Fortunately, I finally got a gasoline card, so that helps with the amount of cash I need to lay out for gas.

Yesterday, I went to a steak place for lunch,  Steaks in China are different.  Where in the US, we're used to nice, thick cut steaks, with a nice pink center, (rare or medium rare), the Chinese steakhouses serve steaks like Pork Chop thin, on a sizzling plate, well done.  I ended up ordering some chinese food they had instead.  If I do want a steak, there's a place downtown called "Wang Steak House" , which is a franchise all over Asia, and they're as close as you can get to a western steak dining experience.

Thats all for now everyone, I hope you are all well!

Fall is in the air

Well Fall is starting to peek its way in. For the first time in many years, I feel like I haven't 'dipped' into my annual funk that I usually get into when we get the first cold snap.

This time of year marks an odd point in my life, once a year. The same time that I was laid off from the first job out of school, and my spiritual journey and finding out who I really was. Don't get me wrong, we never went to church as kids, not because we didn't believe in God, my parents just never went. When I got to A&M, I started attending church with friends, and I felt so much more complete, a good 'balance' if you will.

It wasn't until late 2001 when I really started feeling something else, something that I hadn't experienced, maybe ever. And in the most turbulent chapters of my life, serenity.

Last week, our pastor had an excellent talk about 'waking up' and God being there, finding him there with arms wide open, and for me, it was a very moving talk.

You can listen to it here.... Check out the 10/10/2009 talk.

So today, as I write this post, I look back at my life today, all my friends, all my family, my church family, and life in general, I have to smile. Sometimes its so easily to be discouraged. In my 30s, thirty lbs overweight, single, working a job that tests me every day, and walking this journey, but I'm not alone. He is there. Thats one thing I know I don't do enough, I don't trust in God, and know that he has great plans for me. I perpetually try to drive the bus, and I know I just need to sit back and let God drive.

Sorry for the 'heavy' post, just had to get that out there. To end in the words of singer Gary Allan, "Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride."

A Good old fashioned Gas Price War...

Thats right boys and girls. Chevron and Shell at it.

Current price is 2.61 as of 4:45 PM!

UPDATE: 2.39 as of 5:30 PM



http://www.click2houston.com/news/17171733/detail.html

HOUSTON --

A gas price war that has fuel selling for less than $3 a gallon turned into long lines for two northwest Harris County gas stations, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.Two gas stations on Eldridge Parkway at FM 529 started the price war at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Word quickly spread and long lines formed when gas prices kept dropping. At one point, the lines continued onto the street.At 3 p.m., gas was selling for $2.85 a gallon at the Shell station and $2.83 a gallon at the Chevron across the street.Even big rigs got in on the action when diesel dropped to $3.69 a gallon.There's no word on how long the gas price war will last, how low prices will go or how long the gas will last.The average gas price in Houston on Tuesday was $3.62 and diesel was $4.44.

Stalled Server Room

I know this is more for my buddy the network geek, but I had to share this one.

This came from the Daily WTF.

A few months back, Jen Frickell's company was given some bad news. When their lease ended, they'd have to move out of their second-floor suite. The good news, however, was that a suite would be available on the first floor. All they'd need to do was pack up and move downstairs.

It was a fairly reasonable request, so the company's executives signed a new lease and prepared to move. There was, however, just one, small hitch. The nice little server room they built in the back of their office - equipped with air conditioning units, ventilation, dedicated power, backup power, and so on - could not be relocated. Not only would it cost too much, but there was simply no room for it. The server room would just have to remain upstairs.

Obviously, the new second-floor tenant wouldn't want their neighbors walking through their office to access a server room, so building management and the company's executives came up with an alternative: wall off the server room door and build a new one. It seemed simple enough, but there was, however, just one small hitch. The only available wall to install a door was adjacent to the women's restroom. Inside the handicapped stall.

And since you're reading about it here, you know that didn't stop them. Here is the email from building management:

From: ---- --------
Sent: Monday, May 5, 2008 4:37 PM
To: Everyone
Subject: Server Room Access

Hi all.

As you all are aware, we have new tenants that have moved into
the 2nd floor suites.  The access to the server room is now via
the women’s bathroom.

There will be a sign on the woman’s door that can be changed
from OPEN to CLOSED and vice versa.

Should you need to enter the server room, please change the sign
to CLOSED.  Once you are done, please change it back to OPEN.

Once you enter the bathroom, you will be able to access the
server room via the handicapped stall. Please close the stall
door prior to entry, just in case someone doesn’t see that the
bathroom is closed.

I know this isn’t ideal, but if we adhere to this protocol, I
don’t think anyone will be disrupted.

Thanks!  Let me know if you have any questions.

---- --------
Building Management

Oh How I love dilbert....

Heres one of my favorites from 2001....


And a recent one....