Cambodia Through My Eyes

The balance between leaving the kids and excitement of what's to come was quite hard for me this week. All the school binders were properly labeled, organized and campus teachers were informed of Nana and Papa being in charge of our precious babies. A few loads were made with bikes, pillows, favorites and clothes. Lists were typed out and special gifts were carefully planned to give the kids something to look forward too in Mommy and Daddy's ten days of absence. The drop off was made and the tears flowed. Oh bother. Myriam couldn't have made it much worse with her multiple run-backs of kisses and tight squeezes. 

God has blessed Tim and I with willing parents to take on all three kids. Still never easy for a mama to say goodbye.

The first task was to fly to LA and then, thirteen hours later, land in Shanghai with a day lay over. I have never been spoiled as much as I was on this long flight. From food to personal slippers and a lay down bed with pillows...
it was not torture. 

Tim and I had one day to tour as many sites as possible in Shanghai and we did just that. Tim's hand circulation was a bit restricted as we taxied our way to downtown and I quickly learned we were far from the quaint driving down Front Street back home. This was no 25mph folks. 

Ironically, the taxi driver dropped us off right in front of Starbucks...go figure. Much like home, they too are everywhere in China. With coffee in hand we visited People's Square where we immediately were immersed into culture. I'm extremely grateful for the many squats and workouts I do in order to provide me with sturdy thighs while squatting over a hole in the ground. 

The one thing that stood out most about this was the endless amounts of umbrellas with sheets of paper attached. Little did we know what was happening until we dug a little deeper and found out what was REALLY happening. The trusty Internet said this about the display of umbrellas: 

"It has been described as "match.com meets farmers' market" with a low success rate. In many parents' eyes, parent matchmaking gatherings such as the Shanghai Marriage Market are the only way to uphold a traditional dating style for their children in modern China. The parents walk around chatting with other parents to see if there is a harmonious fit only after their children's standards are met.The marriage market at People's Square has existed since 2004.  As of April, 2013, it costs approximately $3.20 USD for an advertisement that is displayed for five months, and marriage brokers provide full access to phone numbers for a $16.00 registration fee."

 { People's Square...a.k.a. Marriage Market }

{ Open dental office in People's Square. Hundreds were lined up for work. }

Our next many steps were to visit The Bund which is much like walking the Seattle boardwalk. Huge freight liners and loaded cargo barges were busy up and down the river. Thousands of people walking about and our little greeter of a mom exposing her son, legs held back peeing in the bushes. Squatty pants are the main deal here for infants and I'm thinking potty training Myriam may have been easier if I had some of these hot pants. The smoggy views were stunning of one side business and the other old with historic architecture. Once we walked the river wall, we crossed over to Old Shanghai. We were even offered to have tea with a local who spoke great English and was giddy to meet us. With little time we had to pass. 

{ The Bund water view. }

Old Shanghai was by far my favorite place of the day. If eyes and faces could tell I story, then we read many books yesterday. The alley's were laced with clothes drying above and wires that looked more like a mental teaser game then functional electricity. Family homes were also store fronts. Hair salons squeezed in tight between apartments. Food carts parked along the crowded streets offering fresh fruits to meat on a stick. There was bamboo walking trails and places to fish for baby koi. Then we walked into the old temple market where I was certain Karate Kid was going to sneak around the corner and bust out a move. From the colors of items sold and on the buildings to the faces, it was eye candy for our sight. We chuckled thinking about the reaction our toe-head blondie would have in a see of dark hair families such as the ones we walked through in this area. 

{ This is no crusty, boxed fish sticks. }

Now, you need to understand that I grew up on boxed fish and have issues with worm-like textures of certain foods. So, you can imagine Tim's surprise when I suggested Sushi for lunch and put the barriers down to try Sashimi along with other colorful, delicious rolls. For the little time we had, I feel like we experienced China's best on a plate. After another jaunt to what looked like the Beverly Hills of Shanghai, passing about ten bride-to-be's (apparently Sunday is the day to get married), we caught a taxi back to the hotel and boarded our final leg to Phnon Pehn. 

And now we sit, breakfast buffet consumed and ready to tackle our first day on ground. We are so grateful that God first, got us here safely and secondly, have had communication with our kids. The skies are dark with loaded rain about to fall and the forecast looks stormy. We do have a motorcycle, but if this continues I may just experience my first Tuk Tuk ride. Either way, the circulation may be restricted some more.

Let the journey begin...