They Don't Teach Those Words At My Chinese Lessons

This morning I had my Chinese lesson with Rachel and considering I didn't do any studying during the week, it went pretty well.  Last lesson I learned how to express a date and days of the week as well as important holidays.  Today we covered time and greetings and, since I know my numbers, learning how to tell someone the time only involved remembering order and a few new words.  Now if I can find some time to study I won't forget everything I learned today.

After my lesson we had some lunch and arranged our outing with Sue.  She hadn't been to YooHoo yet and was still having trouble finding some things in other stores so I suggested she come with us.  I had to get the boys some cereal and that is the only place I can find the kind they like best.  So, we met her outside at 12:30 when Tian Ye was there to pick us up and we all headed for YooHoo.  When we got there he dropped us off at the front door to the mall and I said we would call and let him know when we were ready to go.  We did our shopping and Sue found almost everything she had been looking for so it was quite a successful trip.  Nicholas and Ryan were well behaved, mainly because they sat in the cart and watched their iPods, but whatever it takes for a peaceful experience is good for me. 

When we were done our shopping we were going to go back to where Tian Ye had dropped us off until I remembered that we had come down the escalator and couldn't take the carts back up.  Sue had a big bag loaded full of stuff so there was no way we were going to carry everything.  Instead we headed down the cart escalator to the parking garage and I called Tian Ye to come inside and get us.  We talked back and forth and he wasn't getting that I wanted him to come to the parking garage and not into the supermarket so finally I just said "bring car inside" and he understood.  We hung up and a minute later he called back to ask me if we were at section A.  I said that no, we were at B and I waited on the phone while he asked someone.  As he was talking my brain clicked (it actually made a noise) and I flashed back to my first visit to YooHoo with Mr. You.  I remembered that this particular mall/hotel combo had two parking garages and I always seem to be in the wrong one.  I attempted to tell him but I think whomever he was talking to had already straightened him out so we said goodbye and I waited.  A few minutes later he appeared but was going to drive in the wrong direction since he didn't see us so I had to yell to him.  That worked and we were on our way again.  

As we came out of the parking garage and turned into traffic Tian Ye had to hit the brakes pretty hard.  I didn't know what happened since I had my head down in my purse at the time.  Apparently a biker had cut him off because Tian Ye started moving forward again but rolled down his window and stopped right beside the guy on the bike, in the middle of traffic.  He looked over at Tian Ye who was staring at him and they started 'talking' to each other.  It quickly got louder and you could feel the testosterone level in and around the van rising.  I knew we were getting into trouble when Tian Ye put the van into neutral and pulled up the emergency brake.  The yelling (I'm pretty sure there was a lot of swearing involved) continued while Sue and I just sat listening.  I didn't do or say anything until Tian Ye opened his door and started to get out.  I could just imagine what was going to happen next and had visions of me driving us all home while Tian Ye was being hauled off in a police car.  I quickly reached around his seat and grabbed him by the sleeve of his t-shirt to pull him back.  He looked at me, cool as a cucumber and said, "It's alright, Jan".  Ah, no.  It's not.  I just told him to get back in and get going.  He got in, yelled some more words that made me glad my kids don't know Chinese yet, and we left.  He apologized to us and drove on.  Sue said to me, in her southern/mid-west US accent, "It's a good thing he didn't go out cause he probably would have whooped him".  We didn't talk about it anymore and he drove us home.  We got back to Eastern Venice without any further incidents and Tian Ye apologized again.  I know he felt bad about it and was probably thinking he was going to get in some trouble but we aren't going to say anything.  He's normally really good and everyone loses it once in a while.  Nothing like a little road rage to get the juices flowing!

After helping Sue with her groceries and having a look at her apartment in the building right next to ours, the boys and I came home with the intention of going back outside.  The air quality wasn't that great though so I talked them into playing inside for a while.  They went into Nick's room to find something to play with but he came out and asked me where their big lego blocks were.  These were the sets that I had brought with us in our suitcases and the boys had played with for the first six weeks that we were here.  The ones that Nicholas said were a bad choice on my part.  Ha!  Apparently the toys we sent in the shipment only lasted six weeks since that's how long it's been since we got it.  Anyway, I got the toys out for them and we built machines for a while until I left them alone so I could start supper.

When Tim got home he said Tian Ye had told him about what happened, although not quite the whole story.  He left out the part about me saving his ass by pulling him back into the van.  He did say that the guy was trying to get hit so he could collect some money and perhaps that was true, who knows.  Really it doesn't matter.  Tim told him he needs to stay cool and control his temper, especially when we are travelling with him.    I'm sure (almost!) that it won't happen again.  The funny thing was, Nicholas walked in while we were talking about it and he said that Tian Ye was 'talking' to a guy on a bike.  When I said that they were yelling at each other he looked puzzled.  Remember I said once that when Chinese people talk they often sound like they are yelling?  Well, apparently Nicholas has gotten used to the yelling and can't tell the difference anymore.

So that was pretty much our day.  I must mention that this post is a bit of a milestone.  It is Post #100 on Never Needed A Blog Before.  Kind of exciting!  In honor of that, I'm going to do nothing.

I promised a couple of videos over the last few days and I finally managed to get them uploaded.  The first is Nicholas and Ryan running around the fountain with all the little Chinese boys.  They were all having a good time.

The next video is from yesterday and the Royal Ocean Aquarium.  Nick, Ryan and Tian Ye were feeding the gigantic goldfish.  You will see why we actually got wet doing this.

This final picture reminds me of A Charlie Brown Christmas where they all sing Hark, The Herald Angels Sing at the end.

Have a great day or night everyone!  Sionara!