How's Your Momllsennem?

Momllsennem are in Hong Kong now. Hope it's not as muggy there as it was in Shanghai last week when they were here. This is the month they call the "plum rain" or "mold rains" period. It rains a lot and it's hot and humid. Guess that's good for plums and mold but not for humans.

After I took momllsennem to the big airport by the sea I mosied back home via the maglev train, two subways and a bus. I was sad to see them go but glad they were going to have a good time in Hong Kong.

It was back to work this morning. I enjoy the work here so it's easy to go to work. The hard part is waking up. If this were my world I'd have work start at 10 am - a civilized hour. I don't mind working until 1 am in the morning - just don't make me wake up at 6 am. At work today I was trying to do some research on obesity in China (for a client) but the article I needed was on the BBC website - which is blocked by the Chinese censors. Then I needed a online map of Shanghai but the net nannies here have the site with the best maps of Shanghai - Wikipedia, blocked in China. Even the most innocuous information is hard to come by here. I can understand why they'd want to block Jeannie's blog (subversive content) but Wikipedia?

Greyman has become the pied piper of the neighborhood. All the kids follow him around on his skateboard and he teaches them how to do all those board tricks. He seems to be fitting right in.

Arrivals

Got a call from momlls this morning - they are in Wuxi and having a great time. She says they are working pretty hard - on the bus by 8 am and into the next hotel at 8 pm every day. She's fluent in Mandarin now.

Greyman arrived in town today. Sure good to see him!

Mickey Mao

RR and I went back to Kathleens on 5 for brunch today - it had rained overnight so the air was unusually clear and the view of the park was great. The food was even better than the view. The building that Kathleens is on top of is now the art museum but it used to be the club house for the European's horserace track in the early 20th century.

After brunch we went to Xintiandi and the site of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in the early 1920s. The place is a museum now and is part of a shopping and dining mall frequented mostly by expats and tourists. The giftshop in the museum souvenir shop sold kitschy Mao souvies. RR bought a wristwatch with a picture of Mao waving an arm back and forth on the dial. It broke before we got out the door of the museum. You just can't find good socialist workmanship anymore.

Falling

I got a surprise call from RR today who is in Shanghai for a sister cities event. On the way downtown to meet him I slipped on the subway stairs. Wish they would make those out of rubber instead of granite.

RR and I went to Kathleen's on 5 - a beautiful place on top of the Art Museum overlooking People's Park. RR has become a professional photographer and was loaded down with equipment. He really has an eye for beauty that others don't even notice.

Peavine Senator

My special duty week finally ended today and I'm really really glad. Being awakened in the middle of the night by calls from kidnap victims, alcoholics in trouble with the law, and people with life-threatening medical emergencies is not my favorite thing. I really felt good about helping people in need but it's just too nerve-wracking. I feel their anguish and it's too taxing. Especially when you have to carry on your regular job at the same time. Tonight, I can rest at last.

Tonight I had dinner with an interesting man that works for a famous US Senator. He entertained me with tales of the Capitol Hill antics of the Senior Senator from Peavine. This Peavine Senator has quite a reputation in DC - not a particularly good one.