China 2011: Days 17-21 (Sept. 19-23)

Wow, it's been a long time since we posted any news. Sorry, but it has been sooooo busy here. We have definitely realized that working on Mara and Dell's new home was just a warm up. A friend of our's from 3M suggested that we start our own new program "This Old House - China". This "house" isn't that old but it was in need of an update and there are still plenty of projects to work on. Tomorrow morning (Sat.) we will have been here 3 weeks already. The time has really gone fast and we are still really enjoying our adventure. We do feel like the Mac is our 2nd home.

So, what made this week so busy? Monday we were supposed to have 2 Chinese painters come to do the high walls in the entry and hopefully up to the second floor. They didn't show so we started the painting ourselves with Chris and Brad and painted for 11 hours. We got the 2nd floor done and part way down into the entry. Did I mention that this is a BIG building. Tuesday one painter showed and pretty much drove Bob crazy all day because he wasn't exactly a perfectionist. He would dunk the roller in paint, shake it off and put 3 coats on at once which really doesn't work. Bob and Brad spent the whole day trying to hold his ladder, move drop cloths to catch the drips while getting dripped on themselves. He cost $20 a day and Bob said he would pay him $20 to not come. So we have spent the rest of the week painting our perfectionist arms off.

Monday was also the day we ordered the furniture for the great room. So this is how it works. The couch lady comes (that's what I call her) with her two furniture builder guys at 10:00am. We discuss how we want the couch made; style, stuffing, legs, length, height, width, any and everything else you can think of for 2 couches, 4 chairs, numerous cushions, pillows ect., ect., ect. We talk about this for 2 hours with our staff member and interpreter, Huang Shan. Just when I think we're all set, we go into negotiations, for an hour until we settle on a fair price. It was exhausting. We were informed that the furniture will be ready in 10 days! Wow! But, after they make one chair I will need to go and inspect it before they put our very precious, hand carried and Fed Ex'd fabric on it. I have no idea where I will go to view this partially made chair but I'm sure it's 'not far'!

Tonight is Friday night and after a long day of painting we went out to dinner, just the two of us to a little place just up the street. We get the menu and of course it's not in English and this time there were no pictures either. So Bob calls the waitress over and asks if they have an English menu. They don't know what he's asking, so he asks again for an English menu. They still don't know what he's saying so he asks again. I just cracked up. It's kind of like saying it louder and slower so they understand. We've all done that. We just watched what came out of the kitchen and pointed and ended up with a really good supper even though we have no idea what we ate. On the way home we watched our new friend, a little puppy who we call 'chubby chi chi' cross a very busy intersection. We watch him do this everyday and are amazed that he makes it across alive. He lives at the corner fruit stand. It's fun making new friends, even the furry ones. Tomorrow we are taking a much needed day off and going to the great wall with Tim, Lynn, Andrew and Emily. Brad and Chris are visiting their son Michael in Changchun for a few days so they'll miss the race to the top section of the wall. Can't wait.