Karl in Texas: Beef, Jeans, and Espresso. That is what stands out in my mind from a 6 day trip back to Texas. I was in Texas for a staff meeting and had a chance to even enjoy some good ol’ American baseball. Driving? Well, I didn’t hit anything. After a month of not driving, it actually came back pretty quick thanks to basic American driving rules (China’s driving rules are more spontaneous). I was a bit surprised that gas prices are so high – even in Texas. In China, gas is a set price at $2.60/gallon , which means it’s costing the chinese gov’t billions of dollars. Per a blog we read, that policy won’t change until after the Olympics is over. While in the US also had a chance to do some shopping. There were a few key purchases. First, benedryl for the never-ending rash as it’s not approved for sale in China. Also used some of the final wedding gift cards to purchase an espresso maker. While we love the coffee at Starbucks here (they warm the milk!), at $3.20 for plain coffee (latte is ~$5) it was getting to be an expensive habit. And for Lila, they don’t open until 7am – well after she’s departed to work for her hour commute. The highlight – other than catching up with the team - good Texas food – BBQ, steak, Mexican!
Lila in Shanghai/Taipei: While Karl was in the US, I had my first weekend to myself in Shanghai. I have to admit it was a bit depressing not to have anyone to call or go out with. My one friend had in-laws in town. At the same time, I decided to enjoy some quiet time. As Nabeel (brother) said, “it was the ‘old Lila’ weekend break.” I spent a lot of time at the gym, working at coffee shops, running errands, cooking, and sitting outside. It was very mellow, and exactly what I needed. I also spent 4 days in Taiwan for the Computex event, arriving the morning after their earthquake. That’s 2 of 3 times I’ve been to Taiwan in the past month when there’s been earthquakes. Computex went well for us – a lot of customer meetings and a big launch. It was great to see some US friends as well.
Together in SH: Karl returned on Saturday afternoon, just in time for a major rainstorm. We had a home-cooked Vietnamese dinner with some of Lila’s colleagues. It was fabulous food and great company. They live on the Pudong (east) side of the river with nice views. We even got to see a little fireworks show from their pad. Sunday was Dragon Boat Festival holiday. A lot of places were closed, but we managed to get a few errands in. We took 3 of the Vietnam paintings and 1 Chinese embroidery (purchased at antique market) to be framed. We had a wonderful brunch at T8 restaurant, and for dinner we barbecued! Yes, we shipped over our grill, managed to get it switched to Chinese propane (regulators & connectors different), and voila! BBQ! It was awesome. Monday was a work holiday, and we pretty much stayed put. Karl didn’t leave the house and Lila only left to pick up some ginger, milk, & bananas at the street market behind our house (for a whopping $3 total). We got a lot done around the house – some of the final unpacking/organizing. Karl worked on photos, and Lila did some work. The cleaning lady came too. We’ve realized that we get so much time back in our lives together with having drivers and Ayi (helper) running errands for us.
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