The Rabbit pt 2

Ooh somehow I got cut off and the email was sent without me finishing, so let me pick up where I left off.  

Speaking of bunnies, the year of the Rabbit is officially over.  I guess I should be thankful Mr Xie doesn't have a dragon he's trying to unload.  There were fireworks upon fireworks.  For the last 10 nights there has been at least 1 hr of fireworks going on.  The big nights were Sun night, New Years Eve and Thurs night.  One is to ward off bad spirits and the other is to bring money.  I can't remember which night is which, but these were the BIG firework nights.  Sunday night was no surprise, but Thursday certainly was.  And after 7 nights of fireworks before hand (fri and sat people warmed up with minor displays), it was a little redundant.  We appreciated them, but it had lost some of its pizzazz.  By 11:30 we were all in bed.  Lauren slept right thru it.  

I described the sound as this to a neighbor who was out of town.  It's like sleeping in a tin roofed house during a hail storm with thunder and lightning while 45 bass drummers are next door warming up for individual performances and every once in a while a kid with a pop gun runs thru your bedroom to pop a couple shots off.  

For 3 straight hours.  

And because of the tall buildings, it all echoes.  

My Ayi is here today working so very hard.  She had off the week of New years and the house became, well, our house.  So today it's a little messier than it was when she left.  

We also have a driver now.  Today is his first day.  His name is Mr. Li (I think that's what we are suppose to call him) and he seems very nice, but very young.  I'm not sure he shaves yet.  It's very strange having a driver now that I'm used to hoofing it and taking taxis.  His job is to be available from 9-5 or what ever block of 8 hrs we need him, to drive us anywhere we like.  So even though today we have told him when we'd need him, he sits in our driveway in a new Volkswagon Passat and waits for us.It's like having a very polite stalker.  My Ayi, Ms. Wu and Mr. Li need to have id's made from the complex, so I had Mr. Li drive us to the front of the development.  I felt so lazy.  I would have asked him to walk, but I think he would have thought that I was crazy and I don't think he realized what we were doing til we got to the management office.  

It's very weird having a driver.  I can't tell if it's the independence of getting in my car and going where I want to when I want to that I miss or getting out the door and walking where I want to.  I don't need to walk anymore, but I was enjoying walking to the store and taking a taxi home.  He could just drive very slowly behind me, but that kinda reinforces the stalker thing.

Oh the dilemmas we have here in Shanghai

Come visit us soon

Sue 

Sue/Scott Radeker

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