What are we up to?

So on a normal day Blake and I wake up, go down to the restaurant in our hotel with Brian for breakfast, then say goodbye for the day so he can go to work.  Typically Blake and I hang out up in our room for the next couple of hours since a lot of things nearby don't open until 9 or 10am and you all know our family is early risers (maybe baby #2 will like to sleep in more!)  We venture out to run an errand if we need such as picking up diapers from Walmart or some fresh fruit from the store.  We walk the 4 story mall next to our hotel especially on the rainy days!  Some days we even go out and about around town!  We have made a few friends and have been able to explore the city a little more on foot now that we are comfortable.  Once we make it back to the hotel Blake has his afternoon nap, I relax or get on the computer and then we play in the afternoon until Brian gets home from work and we can decide what to eat for dinner....the most challenging question of the day!

Some of our recent adventures in Changzhou...

A trip to the spa:  I went with my Chilean friend Layla to a spa here, they seem to be abundant and they all offer "discount cards" where you pay one amount for the card and then every time you come you get a 70% or 50% rate of the original prices.  From what i hear this is common at hair salons, nail salons and spas here.  So anyway, we were able to get a 90 minute facial, 45 min eye treatment, scalp massage and back massage all for 200 rmb, what a deal Layla found for us!  (200rmb = $32USD).  We are able to split the services up so we both had our facial and it was wonderful. One thing i enjoyed too was they had us both in the same room so we could chat a bit too, only have i seen this in the US for couples massages.  The staff was extremely tentative, they gave us lots of tea to drink, offered us food often and asked to take photos with us before we left.  Needless to say it was a great experience but none like i would have in the US!

Lunch Dates:  So i know what everyone dreams of when not working is to have lunch with friends, shop, go to the spa...etc.  Well not in my world!  Haha, we have made some friends from Chile which their husbands work for Brian's company as well and they have been so wonderful!  We have had a few lunch dates, unfortunately for me Blake's lunch time and nap time are rather close right now on his sleep schedule....so we go to lunch that is all but relaxing.  Mostly i get to enjoy a hot meal and some wonderful adult conversation in the middle of my day but i also get to chase the little man around the table as he refuses to sit in a highchair right now (three times a day while we eat out living in the hotel). Yesterday, he did fall asleep in the stroller at lunch so i could sit and enjoy some dessert with my new friends and relax a bit....all in a days work for a sahm.  Notting House and Phoenix Cafe are delicious!

Play Date:  Today was Blake's first play date and he enjoyed it very much!  Many of you at home heard me talk of a Facebook page for Changzhou expats where many people communicate and try to assist one another with answering question so it's an amazing resource!  We found a family that just moved here a few months ago with a 2 1/2 and 6 year old both of which are at the same school we hope to get Blake started in preschool at this summer.  He got to run and play, enjoy toys and make friends just like back at home, it was great to see him in his element.  Now he is sound asleep taking a well deserved nap after all that running around!  Looking forward to many more!!!

What to eat for dinner? :  Each day living in a hotel this has been a challenge, especially being prego and sensitive to smells.  We have pretty much stuck to westernized food, which doesn't necessarily mean US menus but pretty close.  There seems to be pretty good Italian food (pasta and pizzas), cooked fish (I had roasted salmon with edamame last night), Ham and Cheese sandwiches are becoming a staple for Brian, I have had a few tuna sandwiches but i have to be sure its canned tuna and not fresh (in case its not cooked I can't eat with baby #2), Blake has been pretty happy with his spaghetti, PB&J sandwiches, yogurt and cheese!  Luckily there is also an abundance of fresh fruit here such as watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, bananas, dragon fruit, pineapple, plums and pears that we snack on regularly!  Snacks we have in the hotel room include; apple sauce, crackers, cereal, granola bars, fruit, cookies, and chips.  I can't wait until we move into our apartment on Sunday and i can go to Metro to stock up on things to cook!

Random:

Gas: $6.15 USD per gallon

McFlurry: $1.76 USD 

Note: Always carry tissues with you, western toilets are harder to come by but out of a hotel toilet paper is even harder to come by!

Decaffeinated Tea is non-existent in China, not even the hotel can order it! 

You can buy salsa from the US but everyone is sold out of tortilla chips!

If you order chips and salsa from room service you get freshly made salsa and two taco shells.

That about sums things up for now.  I hear the satellite and internet are working in our apartment and we can't wait to move in on Sunday!