Conquering Our Third Continent

The Draper family is now in Europe.  We flew from Wuhan, China to Paris and then Paris to Frankfurt, Germany.  We have only been here in Frankfurt less than 24 hours as on now and we love it!  As soon as we got off of the plane in Paris we felt like our entire world had changed and it had!  

Robert and Jasmin getting on the plane for the flight to Paris.

There is something to say about “Western” cultures compared to Chinese.  EVERYTHING is different.  This is sad to admit and humorous at the same time…  I was finding comfort in looking at blonde hair from the moment that I got on the Air France plane.  I know we are in foreign countries, but really they feel so familiar it is wonderful!!

 

 

We had a great flight to Paris.  Soon after we landed it began to snow and so our plane to Frankfurt left more than 1 hour late because we had to wait in line to deice before take off.  During this flight we met to wonderful German women sitting behind us and chatted with them.  We almost got diverted to another airport because of snow build up.  But at least we landed safely with one tired family.  We did not have a place to stay when we landed because ever time I went to book and/or plan things for this trip it just seemed that I should let things be and see how it worked out when got here.  One of those wonderful women who sat behind us looked up some hotels on her phone and then called and booked it for us.  We then got the most expensive taxi ride (23.70 Euros) of our lives and got to the hotel.  Our hotel is not too up to date, but the price was right and amazingly it almost has a view.  We are satisfied.  Then we went to sleep!

 

  

Our first day in Germany could not have gone better!  The reason we chose Frankfurt was because an LDS temple is here!  We ate a wonderful breakfast and then started our journey.  All we had was an address of the internet of where the temple was.   I asked at the front desk how to get there (it is actually in a small town just north of Frankfurt) and she gave me so great information.  We went to the train station a block away and spent sometime trying to figure out the trains and then with help purchased out ticket.  Got on the train and found everything wonderfully. We ate lunch and the took turns attending the temple.  We got right back on the train and came back to our hotel.  It was about 7:00pm and the girls crashed.   A successful and a wonderful day!  Here is to more wonderful days!

Train ride to Freidrichsdorf.  Kenya taking pictures.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (2012)

So anther Halloween for the Drapers took place in China! This time (compared to 2010…see previous blog for details) it was not as chaotic and we actually got to run it in a more traditional, American style. We also celebrated the festival over 2 days. That is the benefit of being in a country that is more than 12 hours ahead…you get to do holidays more than once! 

Getting Ready for Halloween

These are some pics some of the hilarious Chinglish we discovered while Halloween shopping.

We actually didn’t decide on our costumes, except for the girls, until a couple days before Halloween!

Costumes

We, Foreign teachers, even began our festivities by dressing up during the day for our classes. On the first day Lois dressed as pirate and Robert went as the tooth fairy. However, he did not wear tights…thank goodness!  For the Halloween party Robert had another costume prepared….something a little more his style.  It was like Scream mask and skeleton robe thing with some creepy hands for gloves. The tooth fairy was to throw the students off, which he did. Under the mask was a zombie like face paint job that included a zipper and some ace bandage. It turned out pretty cool. Lois did most of the painting. Lois went to the party as a baker. Kenya was a witch and Jasmin was a panda bear. We had lots of fun.  

Home Party

Lois threw a costume party so the girls could have some children to celebrate Halloween with and we wanted to have a costume party with some people too. We had lots snacks and treats; Lois made delicious cupcakes. The adults showed up anywhere from 30 -60 minutes late and the Drapers were the only ones wearing costumes! When people finally showed up they sat around most of the time while Lois and I played some games with the kids and ate snacks.  The most important part of that party was that Kenya had some other kids over to play with.  There are not many kids around for her to play with who are not in school ALL day!

School Party

So, a typical party for a school in China involves a talent show and sometimes it is followed by carnival style games. This party was no different other than the fact they allowed us to have an American twist on the games. Robert taught one of his classes Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance. Robert says they did much better in rehearsals. It turned out ok considering each performance was done without real speakers. We had to use someone’s computer speakers. Plus some other dance moves from Gangnam Style and some other song that was a huge hit once upon a time in Asia.

The American games and activities included, pin the nose on the witch, bobbing for apples, the mystery body part boxes, donut on string, and bingo. We had a room for Halloween music and movies, but that failed. The most popular games were the donuts on a string and bobbing for apples. Mostly because they got to eat the game, but it was something fun they had never done. The best part about the donuts is that Lois made them from scratch and they were delicious!! Other than the 80 donuts and maybe that many apples, for about 140 students and at least 15 extra guests, there were bananas and lots of candy and some crackers available to eat.

After the party

So we really wanted to have some American food for dinner so we decided to go to Pizza Hut afterward. It’s about a 5 plus minute walk from the school to the bus stop to take us to Pizza Hut. On that walk Robert took advantage of his favorite Halloween tradition of scaring people for fun. Many of the Chinese scare easy, but that didn’t matter. Robert played his role as a zombie while walking the street and scared some people to the point of them sprinting away in fear!!! Occasionally there was someone that didn’t get too scared, but that didn’t happen often. It was great! Robert even kept the costume on in Pizza Hut and scared the help! Sometimes it seemed that people thought he was real zombie or had a real injury because only some schools celebrate Halloween in China.

Halloween X2

We actually managed to have a rather American Halloween here.  Robert was excited because we actually got to celebrate it 2 times.
We started our Halloween by dressing up for our students on Halloween day.  It was quite fun seeing their reactions.  I was a pirate.  Robert was the Tooth Fairy.  Yes, that is right with wings, a wand, girly make-up, and harmed with a toothbrush, mouthwash, and floss.  It was fun!
Kenya was a witch and Jasmin was the cutest panda anyone has ever seen,  
On Halloween night we had invited some of the people from church to come over and hang out.  It was a fun little party for the girls. The first hour was just adults and we chatted.  Then an Italian family that we met a few weeks ago was able to make it.  They have 3 kids and Kenya and Jasmin got to play with them.  We played pin the face on the Jack-O-Lantern and I had jars of candy that the guests could guess how many pieces of candy were in the jar and then they won the prize.  I made homemade cupcakes with chocolate frosting that I paid a fortune at the store for.  Well worth it though.  We have orange colored cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  They looked very festive.    The other thing that we did we draw a face on an orange to make it look like a Jack-O-Lantern.  The kids trick-or-treated at one of the doors in the house.  We had our apartment decorated with all kinds of Halloween art that we as a family made through out the month of October.  I even bought a very small pumpkin looking squash to carve.  (Although we have not yet carved it because we have not had time.)
Our Halloween party included 2 other couples from America, our nanny from Madagascar, another couple (he is from the Congo and she is from Korea) and a wonderful Italian family of 5.  It was super fun!
The second day we celebrated with a party for our students at school.  This party was much like a Halloween carnival you would expect to attend at a elementary school or something. Robert went as a zombie with a zipper face and I went as a baker.  I don't think people here really got the baker costume though because they really don't have bakers here.  The girls were the same costumes.
At the beginning of the party the students performed so skits (singing and dancing to somewhat English song).  Robert taught one of the classes the Thriller dance and they also included to ever so popular Opa Gang Nam Style moves into the dance.  It turned out well.
Next we have 3 rooms set up for the rest of the party.  In one room were some snacks and a place to chat.  Also in that room we have boxes set up with objects in them for the students to put their hands in that were labeled as human body parts, such as, brains, intestines, warts and blood and guts.  This is a classic game at Halloween parties. 
The next room was for games.  The games all really came together at the last minute.  We had doughnuts on a string, bobbing of apples, bingo, and pin the nose on the  witch.  Again, all of the classic games for Halloween.  The students really joined right in and were not too shy about playing the game.  Which I will mention, I made the 80+ doughnuts from scratch and they were super yummy.  I showed the students how to operate the doughnuts on a string and stayed to supervisor for a while but then I had to go and start the bobbing for apples.  The students did wonderful at running the game.  The bobbing for apples went great and we had lots of fun. 
The third room was for dancing.  Robert's plan was to have Halloween music playing and maybe teach them some dance moves, but I guess the students took over the music and did some dancing by themselves.  It seems to work out just fine though.  
Everyone involved had a great time and so we are calling this Halloween party a success.  We had a lot of the school changing plans on us like the last party we tried to through for our students in Shenzhen, but for the most part we were allowed to do the games and such as we liked.  I felt like it was something that we were able to do for our students.
I am glad it is over, but it was fun to do.  After a long day of getting ready and partying we then went to pizza for dinner at Pizza Hut.  

Catch up with photos.

To bring you up to speed with the pictures we have taken here goes another long post. 

Coming home from shopping one day Jasmin insisted on carrying these paper towels up the stairs.  She carried them up to the 5th floor.  It might have taken longer to get home, but she thought it was well worth it.

She was so happy to be helping!

 I got an oven at the beginning of October.  It was an early birthday present.  Yeah!  So a few weeks ago we made oatmeal raisin cookies.  I had forgotten about needing a bowl to mix the cookies in.  I used the only one I had and this is it. 

Jasmin and Kenya helping make our first cookies here in China. 

Look at how full the bowl was when we were finish. 

 This is the first Sunday in October.  The girls were looking so cute we had to take their pictures.  It was October after all and so Jasmin got to wear her Halloween dress. 

All dressed up and ready for fall/Halloween on Sunday before church.

 That same day we had potluck after church.  It was yummy food!

 Just last Thursday we had to bring the girls to work with us and trade off watching them while the other was teaching.  Jasmin was tired and so this was Robert's hammock her made her after she had fallen asleep. 

 Jasmin dressed up as a fairy. Seriously, to cute!

 On Saturday while Robert was attended a belayed showing of the General Conference Priesthood session the girls played in the towel for at least 1 hour.  Kenya pretended to be a princess and then had be making all different kids of dresses with her towel.  What fun kids we have!

 Our general conference tent this time. 

 I gave Jasmin yogurt and walked away.  Then I started doing other things and this is the result.  So adorable!  What a mess it was to clean up though.  She loves yogurt. 

Now you are all caught up.  I will hopefully be posting more about our everyday lives here and how the girls are doing and such if my connection to post blogs keeps up.  This is plenty to look and read for now. 

Wuhan Zoo.

China combined 2 of their holidays this year.  They celebrated the Mid-Autumn festival and the National Day.  We had the entire 1st week of school off.  During that week we looked up something fun to do with the girls.  We found the zoo and gave it a shot.  The shows that they have with the animals are great!  It is like a circus the way that the animals preform at their zoos.  When we went to the zoo in Shenzhen we found the cages and enclosure sub par and at times a little sad for the animals.  That was nothing compared to the zoo here.  Really it was horrible!  The girls enjoyed seeing the animals and being out as a family.

In the taxi on our way to the zoo.  Robert was in the front seat.

The seal show.

They have a ton of black swans.  We thought it fitting that the houses for them are Chinese in style.

 It was so cute at Kenya and Jasmin walked hand in hand around the zoo. 

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Family photo in front of bamboo.

Kenya took this picture.

There were many names carved into the bamboo.  Robert carved "Draper" into it as well.

These monkeys were cute, but it was so sad.  They all lived in nothing but a cement cell that had one place for them to perch.  We paid just over $1 to go and feed them.  These monkeys had one thing going for them, they were well fed.

 There was a potted garden walk through area.  I found these mini trees cool!  It reminded me of the Shire in Lord of the Rings.

 A huge lily pad at the zoo.  Robert said he had never seen one so big.  There they eat the blossoms and roots.  Lotus root is served at every dinner that the school has ever taken us to. 

I could not resist taking this picture.  This old couple it so cute.  They walked hand in hand though out the zoo.  It appeared the the lady had some disability.   When we lived in Shenzhen we did not really see any young couples or really even hear about people being in love.  It seemed that even the people that we knew were married when we asked them about their spouse they did not want to talk about them.  We got the feeling that love wasn't really part of the culture here.  We love that here in Wuhan we often she couples embracing, holding hands and even kissing.  We see the love and affection in their eyes as they look at each other.  It seems like a nice family place here. 

We hope this will be Robert and I some day. 

Monkey riding a bike.

More holding hands.

 It is not uncommon for people to take pictures of our children and to shove their child next to our and force them to touch and take a picture.  This one turned out rather nice, so we snapped a photo too. 

The girls and some random Chinese child.

Running together! 

The tiger on the right very well could have been the largest tiger ever! 

The shows were great!  Bears riding bikes, jump roping and walking on a balance beam, tigers walking on balls and jumping through hoops, monkeys riding horses and bikes.   Like a said a great circus. 

More monkeys riding bikes.

Fall in Wuhan.

Jasmin one day decided to put on  Kenya's backpack.  She carries it around and opens and closes it, but this day she wanted to wear it.  She is getting so big!  Really, she is only 14 months and she is a full blown toddler!  She puts on the backpack gives kisses and then says bye-bye.  She then leaves the room and shuts the door. 

Jasmin going to school. 

Crazy Kenya wanting her picture taken because I was taking one of Jasmin. 

Just playing.  What kids should be doing!

 Robert took Kenya on a Daddy-daughter date.  Here in the apartment complexes they  have little places where people can go to exercise.  They are quite primitive and very uncomfortable but Kenya looks at them as another playground.  So when Robert asked Kenya where to go on their date she chose to go and play on the "exercise playground" and have ice cream.  They had a blast! 

 Kenya loves to put Jasmin in the stroller.  Everyone here thinks it is so cute and we hear them commenting about it all the time.  We think it is precious too. 

This picture is just after coming into the gate of our complex.  The building all the way at the end of the street is ours. 

 This are my favorite trees here.  In September there began to be what I thought was new growth at the top of the trees.  It was s vibrant lime green.  Then they began to turn yellow and then orange.  It is little things that have the seeds inside of them.  The most beautiful tree I have seen and it sure made it feel fall!  Really, I LOVE IT!

I want one of these trees in my yard!

 There is also a tree here with tiny yellow flowers on it that smells.  At first I was not sure I like the smell of the tree, it was a little over powering and reminded me of fresh scent feminine products.   I know that is a little embarrassing of a description, but really that is what outside smelled like for days.  I began to like it and now it is a pleasant aroma that I get as I drop by the trees.  When Kenya smells it she looks around and can identify the tree that has it. 

This is just a neat looking sculpture at one of the universities here.  Most of the universities here have a big sculpture in the front. 

 On September 30th China celebrated the mid-autumn festival or the Moon Cake festival.  Our complex put on a little talent show and served moon cakes.  It was a fun evening out.  One of the other mothers in the complex who speak English quite well told me about it and invited us.  She has a 18 month old daughter who Kenya and Jasmin played with.  This celebration was just a few days before the actual holiday. 

These men preformed a dance with these shields.

These ladies were doing a Chinese folk dance. 

Kenya watching the show. 

Here is our family photo of the evening. 

Children dancing and singing. 

 For the actual holiday it was on Sunday.  We thought we should celebrate it because we were in China.  We went outside looked at the moon.  It was super cloudy as it often is here.  We were super lucky and saw part of it for just a few seconds, literally, less than 1 minute.  We has some confetti poppers that we shot off and of course ate some moon cakes.  Then we went back inside and went to bed.

Kenya with her party popper.

Robert celebrating.

Family photo of the night.

Our picture of the moon that night did not turn out.