This has been a long week! Boyd has had 4 days off since we moved here. He had the weekend we moved here off and the weekend after we moved here off. He is working at least 12 hour days, sometimes longer, and we are trying to adjust to China without him. He is really trying hard to balance us and work, but work is so demanding right now. They open their first store tomorrow and a second store on Saturday. So, he'll work almost 3 weeks straight with no days off.
Our Ayi has decided she didn't realize how hard it would be to take care of a family of 8 and is asking for more money. (It's really more like a family of 6 because Boyd is never here and Declan eats hardly anything.) We've got to look at the budget and see what we can do. I'm already doing about half of the work around the house because she said it was too hard, and she was getting to tired. She said she doesn't want me to do more work. She said she wants more work and for us to pay her more money. She's a really good Ayi, but it's weird having someone in my house all day long. Especially someone I can't communicate with. We found out everything she wanted when we tried to sign a contract, and she decided not to until we give her more money. We have a translator who came over today and talked us through not signing the contract today.
I've had 2 Chinese lessons now. Boyd taught me how to say "I don't understand". Two older gentlemen stopped the kids and I one day when we were walking in the compound to ask us questions. I had no idea what they were saying. I kept telling them I didn't understand, but they just kept talking. Finally, I told them goodbye and walked away. My Chinese teacher taught me how to say "I speak English". I thought for sure if I tell people "I don't understand. I speak English." my problems would be solved. I decided to try it out on Boyd. Every word has one of five tones. The inflection of your voice indicates which tone you are using and the meaning of the word. Well, I obviously didn't do well with my tones because I said to Boyd "I don't understand. I want to rent a female." I guess I'd better work more on "I don't speak English" before I try it out on Chinese people.
I have learned how to say "6 children" and the hand sign for six (hang loose in America) because it is said so often to me when I'm out and about. In a way, the language barrier is like being deaf. I've gotten so I tune out everyone around me because I don't understand what they're saying anyway. I pretty much just go where ever I want to in stores because no one can tell me any different, and I can't read the signs to know any different.
We are suppose to have a pool to swim in that's in the compound and just a couple of blocks away from us, but we found out there's a crack in it. So, they will not be filling the pool with water this summer. Kind of a bummer because this is what I had planned on as our main source of entertainment this summer. I did find a blow up pool for the kids. It's big enough to fit the 3 boys in it if they stand close together in it. It's better than nothing.
We do get Netflix, Amazon Prime, and a few other TV programs like this through a ROKU box and a VPN. This Sunday our VPN was down, and we couldn't get it working. All of our games and videos are in our air shipment. Our air shipment got to Nanjing last week, but we're still waiting for it to go through customs. Hopefully it makes it through soon because it was a really long Sunday with no VPN and no other entertainment.
Sunday was especially long after sitting with the 6 kids through sacrament while Boyd was on the stand and then 2 hours of running Primary. Since Boyd was working, I wasn't even able to get a nap after church. I also found out on Sunday that I will be the new ward keyboardist starting a week from this Sunday. I told them I need to pick the songs because there's only a few I can play until I can practice. I also told Boyd we'd better hurry and get a piano.
Declan learned how to get out of his crib the week we were packing to move to China. This week he learned that he doesn't have to stay in his bed when we put him down for a nap or bedtime. So, I'm working on that with him because as far as I'm concerned, he does have to stay in bed when I put him to bed.
Some of the kids (the majority) are still having a hard time adjusting to Chinese food. They were so excited to have "Western food" on the weekend when our Ayi was off. I have to admit, I was kind of excited too. Our Ayi is a wonderful cook, but you can only eat so much rice.
Well here's to hoping this week goes a little smoother. Well, maybe not this week because Boyd will still be working crazy hours, but maybe next week when Boyd's schedule slows down a little.?.?.?
Alauna
No comments:
Post a Comment