A most wonderful Birthday !

I must say , last Friday .. a day I took off from Work , yes .. because of me getting a year older and I now need the rest more often . It was definitely one I will remember a long time , like forever .

This day started out I will tell you , right at Home after the Clock rang in the Midnight Hour . Don't need to go into details , but I was wished a Happy Birthday in a warm way from my Sweetheart . Not that we are night People , but lately with the Olympic Games on .. we pretty much stay up passed that time anyway watching .

After a home-cooked Breakfast by me , it was off to the Motor Vehicle Dept. for Qing's long awaited Written Driving Test that she has studied for in both English and Chinese from the DMV booklet's . After a two Hour wait for your number to be called , it was time to show how well she studied . Confidence just pouring from her Face so to speak , while I was a little more nervous than she actually was . So I left her alone ( poor LaoPo ) something I have not done much since she's here with me , in the Examination Area . She went to work , while I watch her closely from a distance no more than was allowed for Visitor's . I check my Watch and I think she finished in about 9 minutes and then looked them over one more time to be sure of the answer's given . Ten minutes , boy .. I was thinking , this would take me at least 20 minutes to half hour if I had to do it now .
the DMV Employee looked over her sheet's and I could see that both had a smile on their Faces , as Qing passed it with a 100% score . I'm so jealous , because .. not that I failed mine , but I think remembering back .. I had the max. allowed wrong that time . But on the other Hand , I'm sooo proud having a smart Wife like this . Now it's my turn , as I'm the one Teaching her how to drive a Car ( something she's never done in Shanghai ) , to show how well I do at that . It will certainly show at her Driving Test , which she should be ready for in one Month . Her score then , will reflect back to me . So , will I come out as a great SiFu or will it be ... where can I hide ???

After this , we also took advantage of me being off .. to go and straighten out a mistake the Social Security Office made with her Card . Both the Green Card and her S.S. Card were send the same day , but the names on the two Card did not match . I like our Government , the simple things alway's seem to trouble them most . Then .. the most likely look for a way , to make it your fault . Like the old saying goes ... if you can't beat them ... join them . The big surprise was all this straightening out , did not cost us anything . Wow , there are things for Free still . haha

By now it was close to think about what's for Dinner ? We both decided it would be Sushi night . But , before that ... we had a quick stop at the Grocery Market for a few things for tomorrow's Dinner with our great Neighbor's . Chinese all the way , even with the Music in the background . I do hope they know/learned how to use Chopstick's , on which I will not budge and give them ... Silverware . I will not have Qing's great Food from Shanghai contaminated with Metal . haha
By about 6:30 pm it was now time to go to one of our new found Sushi places here close by the House . Walking in , we spotted a chinese Lady with a Gentleman sitting at the Sushi Bar already . She caught both of our interest of course , as Qing introduced herself and me to this Lady .. it happens to be , that she was also from Shanghai . My God , and she grew up not far from where Qing grew up . Both from the same District in PuXi . As they say , it's a small World . This of course let Qing forget ( well almost ) that I was with her . But , it was good to see ... them getting it into high gear with the Shanghainese . You could almost think , it was her Birthday today . In the back of my Mind , I was thinking ... this got to be a reward for her doing so great on her written Test earlier in the day .
She deserve's all this , as this is a special day for her too . After all the good Food , it was back to where the day begun . One of my most memorable B-day's for sure .

This is a Copy from the Forum . I'm getting lazy it seems ?

A little up-date over what gone on last week and this weekend . As the Spring Festival is in full gear in China , I've decided I will give Qing five day's off from Cooking Dinner for us both . So , after coming home from Work .. it was to get busy getting a American Meal on the Table . Now honestly , I'm not a Chef Emeril or the like ... but I have picked up some Tips from my late Wife over the many years . The one Dinner that stand's out , after going shopping at Costco ... where we picked up some Filet Migon and a couple of Lobster Tails for a special first time for Qing treat and served with Fettucini Alfredo and a wonderful Salad. Calories yes , but who cares ? She really enjoy's the break and learning new western dishes too . Saturday (yesterday) we went to Downtown LA or Chinatown to be exact , to see the Chinese New Year's Parade down Broadway . Which is a yearly thing there . Day started out great , as it has Rained all night but cleared in early Morning and did not return till the Parade was over and we had our Dinner at one of the Restaurant's nearby . Thanks for mother nature for being sooo kind .I have some Photo's to share we all of you .Today , we did not get out of Bed till about 10 o'clock .. as both of us were wiped out from the long day's all the week before . So , in the afternoon , I was showing Qing some Card games .. she could play by herself during the day , if she get's bored . The answer I received after she she learned how and try'd herself to see if she's got it all down , was ... this is not good . You do not have to use your Brain for it . Now , of course I felt guilty for all the times I play'd Salitaire by myself ... which was quite often when I had nothing else to do around the House and nowhere to go . I tell you , chinese don't like anything that doesn't inproof your Brain-power or makes Money . No wonder they are so smart at a much younger age then many of western Folks . I have to include myself in this group too .Makes one think , should I be proud of having such a smart Wife or feel stupid for not being at her equal ? haha waaahhhh .Anyway , so this Friday ( my Birthday ) I will take the day off and I will take Qing for her written test at the DMV . She decided to take it in chinese ( I had no idea they had the Test in dozen's of languages , some I never heard of ). I know she will do good . After getting the Permit , I think she'll be ready in a month's time for the driving Test . PS: A little hint I heard today , Germany would be a much better place to live ... she say's . I know she realized that it is pretty bad here in California's Economy , compared to Shanghai ... but I never saw that coming .

A first sign of wishing to be with her Son .

A few day's ago , Qing talked on Skype with her Parent's and using the Webcam . As I ... most of the time sit next to my Sweetheart , I understand very little if anything at all what's being said between them . I just like to listen my LaoPo talking shanghainese and dream ... I some day will be able to speak and communicate to some small level . Anyway , all seemed normal ... till the next day at the Dinner table . When Qing told me of her Son's ( Tianchi ) three day Hospital stay , for a Hernia Operation . For a Child ? This is what came to my Mind ... this only happens to older People , who do heavy lifting . So on it went , I also found out ... he was born pre-maturely . This explained what happened somewhat .
So , after all was said and done ... Qing's next sentence was , what a bad Mother she was/is . Not being there to be with him , was deep down really painful for her and also for me to witness . Something I could easy see in her Face .
This left of course a bad taste in my Mouth , as I felt really somewhat selfish ... having taken her away from her Son . Halfway around the World to boot .
The good thing being , he is back at Home with the Grand-parent's and doing fine . The reason I'm posting this on my Blog , is to make other's realize ... what one can be in store for , bringing a Chinese Lady/Wife to ones home-country and especially one with children that are left behind for whatever reason . Even if it's only for a short time . Remember , Chinese Family's are one of the closest nit in the World .

Oh ... thee ole Body !

Anybody thinking about the common factor of age difference , take note .

As you well know , Qing is 15 year's younger than myself . So of course ... I do my best to keep up with her in every way I can . Though we are a perfect Match for each other , things will get rough one time or another . This I found out today , playing Tennis ( mind you .. only at Fun level ) . As Qing is mean enough to send this old Man , from side to side on the Court and I having to chase down all her returns ... it so happens ... I pulled a left Leg muscle ( upper Thigh ) . This will put me out at least for a week . I hope it only interfer's with the Tennis playing ... nothing else , if you know what I mean . Haha

Overall , Qing makes me feel so much youger of course , but this is only in Mind and the Body has other things in Mind ... like take it easy with me . This creates a problem here naturally , I feel like 25 ( okay " 30 " ) , but my Body is still 56 and close to 57 soon . But , I will live to see her on the Court again and this time I will make her do all the running . Haha

The crazy Mind games ?

Yes ... this is what I'm talking about . With that I mean my own of course , not my LaoPo's . As most everything goes really well , even with this bad Economy ... something in the back of my Mind keeps saying one thing . I wish I was in Shanghai , like right now . I really miss that City and Qing's wonderful Family , the beautiful places to visit . The Food part not so much , as Qing is such a wonderful Cook ...this is one part I don't miss all that much . It is so amazing , finding myself loving " Tofu " ... " Seaweed " ... Jellyfish and wonderful other Dishes that my Sweetheart magically creates with this ONE tool alway's on the Stovetop ... called a " WOK " . Thing's , I know ... I myself could/would never have imagined eating . Much less cooking on my own . This is such a great bonus being married to such sweet Chinese Lady , to get to experience a World ... one can only read and hear about .

So , I wonder ... then why do I feel something is missing ? Am I really deep down half Chinese , as I alway's claimed to Qing ... to be ? Or is it , Qing spoils me so much ... I want to be more of a part of her Culture and know more of the History of her Heritage ?

On the other Hand , it could be that ... what is going on here in my own Country ? Not liking what I see anymore and how life here has changed so much . Not alway's for the better . Living here in the States for over forty years , maybe I'm ready for ( thank you Obama ) change ? Not that I lost total respect of my Homeland ( second ) , come to think ... the other day , we even made Potato Pancakes in the shape of Star's ( see Photo ) .

Well this was just my thought of the last couple month's , even before my Sweetheart came here .