Andrew & Esther - Through Our Eyes Archive
Archived Thoughts
Beijing buzz (June 5, 2008)
emotion in China (May 25, 2008)
what 1 Euro could buy you if you came to visit (May 11, 2008)
on visa-runs and escaping hotel fires (May 4, 2008)
recent observations & discoveries (April 30, 2008)
on ordering water and near tricycle collisions (April 16, 2008)
on learning Chinese and on how to catch a bad flu at the park (April 10, 2008)
highlights (April 9, 2008)
Foreign media must have Facebook access during Olympics, IOC tells China (April 2, 2008)
Home Sweet Home (March 26, 2008)
Then and Now (March 26, 2008)
stranded bags! (March 8, 2008)
on visas, weddings, how to get free food & funny hair dos (March 4, 2008)
Warm greetings! (February 12, 2008)
A Whole New World (February 5, 2008)
Newness in the New Year (January 6, 2008)
The Feast of Life (November 23, 2007)
Our Paris (November 11, 2007)
A Freezing Wilderness Retreat (October 22, 2007)
Reflections from a Recovering Bride (October 8, 2007)
Mr. and Mrs. Brumme (September 29, 2007)
One Month and Counting (August 22, 2007)
Everything French (July 19, 2007)
Open Wide Your Mouths! (July 9, 2007)
Learning from Trees (July 3, 2007)
A City of Lights - The Paris of Central Europe (June 25, 2007)
Brumme's Descend on Europe (June 8, 2007)
I Said Yes! (May 13, 2007)
Liaisons and Goodness Abound (April 22, 2007)
Gourmet Cuisine Catastrophe (March 21, 2007)
It Really Has Been Too Long This Time (March 15, 2007)
The French Postal System, V-Day, and Other Tidbits (February 21, 2007)
Celebrating in Paris, Working in Oxford & Relaxing in the Alps (January 29, 2007)
With Ma Petite Amie at Last! (January 11, 2007)
Hanging on for the Ride (December 31, 2006)
A New Life (December 18, 2006)
I've Gotta Go See About a Girl (November 23, 2006)
On France (November 10, 2006)
Liberating Love, an Awkward Transition and Christmas Candy (November 1, 2006)
The Western Bible (October 20, 2006)
The Whole Church Gathered (October 3, 2006)
On Steve Irwin (September 7, 2006)
Lewis on Happiness (August 10, 2006)
The Tragic "Unthinkable Crisis" (July 27, 2006)
Not My Life (July 6, 2006)
The Two Year Reunion (June 10, 2006)
A Fishy Story Set Right (May 26, 2006)
Response to "The Wedding Planner" by Sagers (April 30, 2006)
White Bunnies and Bloody Lambs (April 14, 2006)
Flexing Our Political Muscle (March 22, 2006)
For Your Viewing Pleasure (March 7, 2006)
Come to Our Church! (February 21, 2006)
Peanuts and Airplanes (February 15, 2006)
Confessing My Ignorance (January 30, 2006)
The Jewish Kid Jesus (January 16, 2006)
Friends...A Dime a Dozen? (January 9, 2006)
Old Test Article Here (January 2, 2006)
So Much to Say...That Others Have Already Said (December 23, 2005)
Narnia - at last! (December 8, 2005)
Lewis on our Eating Disorder (December 1, 2005)
North Korea - Revealing the Darkness (November 20, 2005)
Shining - Like You've Never Seen it Before (November 15, 2005)
Are You Emerging? (November 3, 2005)
emotion in China (May 25, 2008)
what 1 Euro could buy you if you came to visit (May 11, 2008)
on visa-runs and escaping hotel fires (May 4, 2008)
recent observations & discoveries (April 30, 2008)
on ordering water and near tricycle collisions (April 16, 2008)
on learning Chinese and on how to catch a bad flu at the park (April 10, 2008)
highlights (April 9, 2008)
Foreign media must have Facebook access during Olympics, IOC tells China (April 2, 2008)
Home Sweet Home (March 26, 2008)
Then and Now (March 26, 2008)
stranded bags! (March 8, 2008)
on visas, weddings, how to get free food & funny hair dos (March 4, 2008)
Warm greetings! (February 12, 2008)
A Whole New World (February 5, 2008)
Newness in the New Year (January 6, 2008)
The Feast of Life (November 23, 2007)
Our Paris (November 11, 2007)
A Freezing Wilderness Retreat (October 22, 2007)
Reflections from a Recovering Bride (October 8, 2007)
Mr. and Mrs. Brumme (September 29, 2007)
One Month and Counting (August 22, 2007)
Everything French (July 19, 2007)
Open Wide Your Mouths! (July 9, 2007)
Learning from Trees (July 3, 2007)
A City of Lights - The Paris of Central Europe (June 25, 2007)
Brumme's Descend on Europe (June 8, 2007)
I Said Yes! (May 13, 2007)
Liaisons and Goodness Abound (April 22, 2007)
Gourmet Cuisine Catastrophe (March 21, 2007)
It Really Has Been Too Long This Time (March 15, 2007)
The French Postal System, V-Day, and Other Tidbits (February 21, 2007)
Celebrating in Paris, Working in Oxford & Relaxing in the Alps (January 29, 2007)
With Ma Petite Amie at Last! (January 11, 2007)
Hanging on for the Ride (December 31, 2006)
A New Life (December 18, 2006)
I've Gotta Go See About a Girl (November 23, 2006)
On France (November 10, 2006)
Liberating Love, an Awkward Transition and Christmas Candy (November 1, 2006)
The Western Bible (October 20, 2006)
The Whole Church Gathered (October 3, 2006)
On Steve Irwin (September 7, 2006)
Lewis on Happiness (August 10, 2006)
The Tragic "Unthinkable Crisis" (July 27, 2006)
Not My Life (July 6, 2006)
The Two Year Reunion (June 10, 2006)
A Fishy Story Set Right (May 26, 2006)
Response to "The Wedding Planner" by Sagers (April 30, 2006)
White Bunnies and Bloody Lambs (April 14, 2006)
Flexing Our Political Muscle (March 22, 2006)
For Your Viewing Pleasure (March 7, 2006)
Come to Our Church! (February 21, 2006)
Peanuts and Airplanes (February 15, 2006)
Confessing My Ignorance (January 30, 2006)
The Jewish Kid Jesus (January 16, 2006)
Friends...A Dime a Dozen? (January 9, 2006)
Old Test Article Here (January 2, 2006)
So Much to Say...That Others Have Already Said (December 23, 2005)
Narnia - at last! (December 8, 2005)
Lewis on our Eating Disorder (December 1, 2005)
North Korea - Revealing the Darkness (November 20, 2005)
Shining - Like You've Never Seen it Before (November 15, 2005)
Are You Emerging? (November 3, 2005)
A Life of Profound Significance (October 26, 2005)
The Earth at Your Fingertips (October 18, 2005)
A Surprise Appointment (October 15, 2005)
Wars and Rumors of Wars (October 3, 2005)
Laughing in the Rain (September 20, 2005)
Random Tid-Bits and Happenings (September 15, 2005)
Life and Death and Terrorists (August 30, 2005)
Girls and Boys and God (August 25, 2005)
Feasting and Worship (August 17, 2005)
Blogger's Block (August 6, 2005)
The Harvest in China (August 2, 2005)
Counting the Cost (July 24, 2005)
Absolutely Outstanding Bit of Writing (July 18, 2005)
Burning Alive (July 14, 2005)
Jesus and the Glory Golf Balls (July 10, 2005)
Those Things We Hold On To (July 7, 2005)
Grape Juice, Poured Out for the Forgiveness of Sin (June 30, 2005)
He Will Ruin Your Life (June 28, 2005)
A Bit of Perspective (June 25, 2005)
The Wedding Planner (June 22, 2005)
A Lesson in Patience Amidst Absurdity (June 16, 2005)
Fans of Hitler (June 15, 2005)
Crash and Stories (June 12, 2005)
Pastors and Leaders - Different Views (June 10, 2005)
Senior Pastors (June 5, 2005)
Ask and You Shall Receive (June 2, 2005)
What If (May 27, 2005)
The "Bible Study" (May 24, 2005)
The Future of Pixar (May 19, 2005)
The Mess We Christians Have Made (May 14, 2005)
Narnia Coming to the Big Screen (May 10, 2005)
Europe - Through the Lens of My Camera (May 7, 2005)
Same Sex Families (May 6, 2005)
Photos of Mercy (May 3, 2005)
Across an Ocean... (April 21, 2005)
The Picture, The Pope, and The Past Few Days (April 12, 2005)
In the Car with My (air) Guitar (April 6, 2005)
The Pope (April 4, 2005)
Resurrection Day (March 27, 2005)
Killing People (March 23, 2005)
Weekend of Surprises (March 22, 2005)
The Fray - Listen to this (March 12, 2005)
Akiane....This is Amazing (March 11, 2005)
Jesus Christ (March 8, 2005)
Worthy Thoughts on The Passion (March 7, 2005)
Dream Days at Church (March 3, 2005)
Peace Amidst Ambiguity (March 1, 2005)
A Verse I Hadn't Noticed Before (February 25, 2005)
McLaren and Hotel Rwanda...another perspective (February 19, 2005)
Brother Andrew is on to something (February 16, 2005)
My Valentine (February 14, 2005)
Homecoming...strange (February 13, 2005)
Hotel Rwanda (February 10, 2005)
The Update (February 6, 2005)
Malibu...Thailand...Palm Desert (January 1, 2005)
Get Ready Thailand...I'm Coming! (September 25, 2004)
God Speaks? Really? (May 29, 2004)
Life Beyond Graduation (May 1, 2004)
God's Faithfulness in Morocco (October 8, 2002)
Our Thoughts
March 26, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Coming from Geneva, it felt unthinkable not to start looking for a flat long before arriving, but our dear friends Chris & Corrie assured us we’d find a place in no time. Sure enough, it took all of two days to find a flat perfect for us to live. It really is wonderful: from the location (close to where our friends live, the subway, wet market, bus stops and it is on the 10th floor of 35 with a brilliant city view) to it being newly furnished, spacious, light and for our European standards – dirt cheap.

Though we could hardly boast to have found our first Shanghainese apartment ourselves, we felt acceptable to celebrate by indulging with a pastry from the so-called French bakery around the corner. Two Chinese women wearing oversized berets stared at us as we attempted to hide the emotion of having a boulangerie so close by. Not being able to read characters, I motioned for the pastry, quite clearly a brioche coffee cake. After taking many pictures outside the store and thus becoming the curiosity of our local bus stop, we decided to save the Western rarity for that evening. Finally the evening fell and we excitedly bit into what tasted to us like a hairy soda powder bread concealing a long roll of butter. Truly terrible and disappointing. It reminded me that there is little room for high expectations in the land of discovery. And what a journey of discovery we are on! Indeed, everything seems new to us, even that which looks familiar (ie, like the bread roll) let alone that which clearly looks foreign.

Zhong Shan Park was another great example of that as we excitedly approached the large French supermarket chain Carrefour to do some food shopping. The first time to do our own shopping in 7 weeks of travelling so we were downright giddy. I mean, bring it on, we’re pros when it comes to Carrefour in France, we’ve even got the loyalty program card! And yet, even there, everything was packaged so differently, clearly localized for the Chinese market. Scores of people bumped into us and bustled in and out the aisles and aisles of seaweed, rice and noodles. In the meat section, pork was wildly hacked by a man who should have been paid for chopping trees down. And in the fruit section, it felt like a street market where everyone was yelling. How different was it not to have a cheese aisle beyond the import section. Coming from a country where there had been aisles and aisles of cheeses and yoghurt, these commodities had become a staple in our diet. Here, where everything else costs just a few pennies, there was our Saint Moret 250gr spread at 8 USD and a basic Président camembert at 12 USD. And then it hit me and I broke down and cried.

What a flashback of my own mother crying at the same store the first time we went shopping in France in 1990. Though the dollar was certainly not as weak as it is now, everything felt cripplingly expensive. After 20 minutes of shopping with an empty cart, she wondered how she could ever feed a family and she too wept. I remember that discomfort and lack of the familiar so vividly - a normal part of culture shock. And it almost seems that if you know how to categorize those feelings into the “culture shock box”, you’re already one step further. Andrew and I have certainly both been there before and it is a dream to go through the feelings together. 4.5 hours later, we arrived home and unpacked one of the things I recognized – a Carrefour branded green toothpaste only to find out the “fresh” written on it didn’t mean it was necessarily minty to the Chinese. It was green tea & honey flavored. By that time, we were in good spirits again and Andrew and I killed ourselves laughing, figuring it was a funny 30 cent mistake.

Andrew and I realized in those first days of being here that this was precisely what we had set out to do, eg. experience another culture together. That repeated reminder is so helpful as we experience the “unknown” together. New language, new foods, new ways of doing things! Though the experiences mentioned previously are priceless, I don’t want to make it sound like we’re “dogging” the culture we’re so clueless about. There are plenty of great things we’re discovering day by day together. And if you don’t have to have Western luxuries, it seems you can pretty much discover and even “do life” in China fairly cheaply.

Take this for example: we guessed what the characters meant on the washing machine and started a first cycle yesterday as it rapidly churned out soapy water ALL over the bathroom floor. I screamed for Andrew who called our dear friends to call management. Shortly thereafter, three shouting men piled into our bathroom to fix the problem. Two hours later, they called “Hao de, hen hao” from the very muddy WC. They wanted us to see how they had unblocked two drains, cemented the machine pipe and replaced the leaking washers on the water faucet. We recompensed their effort with 5 RNB (7 being the equivalent of 1USD) and they happily went along their merry way.

Frankly, I’m already loving the freedom of babbling at a language school with my husband, loving the city lights (the view below is from our place), realizing at 1.50 USD we can afford a cleaning “auntie”, finding out together why men ride bikes ringing a bell in the streets with boxes piled sky high or imagining the culinary attraction of chicken claws. I mean, how fun is that? Truly a dream to have the luxury of discovery of this new world called China ... together.