To continue where I left off... I grabbed the essentials from my apartment which basically consisted of minibeanie's milk, 1 bottle, a couple of diapers, jars of baby food and a change of his clothes. We then faced the challenge of making our way to our friend's home. Hailing a cab was extremely difficult as there were markedly fewer cabs on the street and lots of people needed a ride. We walked to a busy intersection in hope that it would be easier to get a taxi. I was sure we looked quite a picture. I'd minibeanie in my baby carrier in front of me and a heavy backpack, my friend tugged along 2 tired blond kids and her husband who had by now found us, towed a trolley luggage. It was getting to be 9pm and we were still waiting in the streets.
Meanwhile, the sense of emergency in the city was palpable. A convoy of military vehicles with their sirens blaring passed us by a hair's breadth when we were crossing a road. Then, heavy vehicles with lifting equipment, ambulances & fire trucks thundered by. There was a sense of foreboding - something bad has happened.
Finally, a kind taxi driver allowed us to hitch a ride with his existing passenger and we reached our destination late in the evening. It was the closest I felt to a refugee - not just the grime and dirt but the sense of uncertainty and unease. Is the apartment safe? When can we move back? Will there be more quakes?
That night, all of us slept on the ground floor of the 2-storey house. The plan was that if we needed to evacuate quickly to the open, there would be less ground to cover. Most residents (crap, just as I was writing this, there was an aftershock. And although it was nothing like the first one, my heart started racing) that night slept in the open amphitheater under tents.
True enough, there was an aftershock that got the 3 womenfolk of the house up and wondering what to do at 4+ am. [At that moment, DH in XiAn, 900km away, got woken up by a shaking bed] We headed back to bed after deciding that the worst of the aftershock was over and it posed no danger. The menfolk of course slept through it blissfully unaware.
minibeanie is 9 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old
Saturday, May 17
Friday, May 16
The day the earth moved
Where do I even begin?
On Monday, May 12, at about 1440, I had put down minibeanie's half empty bowl resigned to the fact that that was all he would be eating. And that was all I remembered because the next thing that I remembered were the walls of my 2 storey apartment swaying accompanied by a terrible rumbling sound. I was rooted to the floor in shock. It felt surreal. I actually remembered thinking, "this can't be happening, it's almost cool... no wait, this is terrible."
When something you assume as immovable as a room starts to move, the very foundation of your being is shaken. It was a terrifying sight to see the 8m wall behind me move left and right. In my paralysis, I actually analyzed that it was either an earthquake or a badly built 30 storey building; if it was the latter, I would be so screwed.
A few terrifying seconds passed before I could rouse myself to do anything. My AYi clamoured down the stairs with fear written all over her face and asked what should we do. I had no idea. She didn't even know if Chengdu was in an earthquake zone. Fearing that the ceiling or walls would collapse, I unbuckled minibeanie out of his rocker pronto and dived under the dining table. In my fear, I actually recalled watching a documentary of Japanese school children being told to head under their tables when earthquakes struck.
My AYi had the opposite reaction. She wanted to see what the neighbours were doing so she headed for the door. Things were falling around us. Our water dispenser with nearly 15 liters of water toppled as did the Chinese screens on the 2nd storey study. But I was rooted under the table and prayed, "God, please let the tremors stop." Never had I prayed so fervently.
After what seemed like a very long time, the swaying and tremors did stop and so did the awful rumbling & crashing. It was then I got out from my refuge and headed for the lift landing with my AYi but not before having the presence of mind to grab my baby carrier and keys. The lifts were not working - not that I'd have contemplated taking them anyway. There were scores of people in the stairwell. Everyone was relatively calm. When we finally got out of the building, relief gave way to thankfulness and the realization of what had actually happened. Most of us were visibly shaking like a leaf and I was in my nightie.
I united with a Finnish friend & her 2 boys - they had ran down from the 19th floor without their shoes and the boys only had their t-shirts and underwear on. We waited in the street for close to 5 hours then decided that we would seek refuge with a Finnish family. When we were finally let into our condo at 7pm, I ran up the stairs to get a couple of essentials.
It was eerily quiet in the compound. No children running, no one coming home from work, no baby strollers around. I think I took 10 minutes to pack and I felt every minute. Every sound was magnified and all senses were on high alert. Just as I closed my kitchen door to the wash area, there was a low rumble, my kitchen began shaking and I heard the glassware clattering. Great, I'd brought down my apartment with the kitchen door.
I later heard it was a 5.2 aftershock. The first quake measured 8 on the richter scale, nearly 1000 times bigger than the aftershock.
Click on image to get a bigger picture
Geology, Engineering contribute to Quake Damage
minibeanie is 9 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old
On Monday, May 12, at about 1440, I had put down minibeanie's half empty bowl resigned to the fact that that was all he would be eating. And that was all I remembered because the next thing that I remembered were the walls of my 2 storey apartment swaying accompanied by a terrible rumbling sound. I was rooted to the floor in shock. It felt surreal. I actually remembered thinking, "this can't be happening, it's almost cool... no wait, this is terrible."
When something you assume as immovable as a room starts to move, the very foundation of your being is shaken. It was a terrifying sight to see the 8m wall behind me move left and right. In my paralysis, I actually analyzed that it was either an earthquake or a badly built 30 storey building; if it was the latter, I would be so screwed.
A few terrifying seconds passed before I could rouse myself to do anything. My AYi clamoured down the stairs with fear written all over her face and asked what should we do. I had no idea. She didn't even know if Chengdu was in an earthquake zone. Fearing that the ceiling or walls would collapse, I unbuckled minibeanie out of his rocker pronto and dived under the dining table. In my fear, I actually recalled watching a documentary of Japanese school children being told to head under their tables when earthquakes struck.
My AYi had the opposite reaction. She wanted to see what the neighbours were doing so she headed for the door. Things were falling around us. Our water dispenser with nearly 15 liters of water toppled as did the Chinese screens on the 2nd storey study. But I was rooted under the table and prayed, "God, please let the tremors stop." Never had I prayed so fervently.
After what seemed like a very long time, the swaying and tremors did stop and so did the awful rumbling & crashing. It was then I got out from my refuge and headed for the lift landing with my AYi but not before having the presence of mind to grab my baby carrier and keys. The lifts were not working - not that I'd have contemplated taking them anyway. There were scores of people in the stairwell. Everyone was relatively calm. When we finally got out of the building, relief gave way to thankfulness and the realization of what had actually happened. Most of us were visibly shaking like a leaf and I was in my nightie.
I united with a Finnish friend & her 2 boys - they had ran down from the 19th floor without their shoes and the boys only had their t-shirts and underwear on. We waited in the street for close to 5 hours then decided that we would seek refuge with a Finnish family. When we were finally let into our condo at 7pm, I ran up the stairs to get a couple of essentials.
It was eerily quiet in the compound. No children running, no one coming home from work, no baby strollers around. I think I took 10 minutes to pack and I felt every minute. Every sound was magnified and all senses were on high alert. Just as I closed my kitchen door to the wash area, there was a low rumble, my kitchen began shaking and I heard the glassware clattering. Great, I'd brought down my apartment with the kitchen door.
I later heard it was a 5.2 aftershock. The first quake measured 8 on the richter scale, nearly 1000 times bigger than the aftershock.
Click on image to get a bigger pictureGeology, Engineering contribute to Quake Damage
minibeanie is 9 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old
Sunday, May 11
Cruising
minibeanie officially cruised today! He had as usual followed me to the kitchen like a loyal puppy. And as I was making a banana strawberry milkshake, I was amazed that this little rascal had walked the length of the kitchen cabinet, oven & fridge right under my nose. Then he ran out of 'grip' ;)
He's always up to something. He's now ransacking his chest of toys in the living room as I write. It's ok when I can keep an eye on him but most times when I'm somewhere else, I keep my ears out for him. If it's a rustling sound I hear, it's likely he's pulling out sheets of tissue from the box; a clanging sound means he's banging his wooden blocks against the stone floor and if it's all quiet, then there's trouble. Yep, being a mum means I've developed super-hawk-like hearing. Just the other day, I heard DH trying to have another piece of a prized 70% cocoa chocolate when I was putting minibeanie to bed upstairs.
He's always up to something. He's now ransacking his chest of toys in the living room as I write. It's ok when I can keep an eye on him but most times when I'm somewhere else, I keep my ears out for him. If it's a rustling sound I hear, it's likely he's pulling out sheets of tissue from the box; a clanging sound means he's banging his wooden blocks against the stone floor and if it's all quiet, then there's trouble. Yep, being a mum means I've developed super-hawk-like hearing. Just the other day, I heard DH trying to have another piece of a prized 70% cocoa chocolate when I was putting minibeanie to bed upstairs.
Mothers' Day
Inheritance
It appears that everyone's fond of the 'whose features the baby has inherited' game. Parents naturally are avid players. Then, there are grandparents, aunts and even folks who have no stake in the child's life, such as the old folks who actually left their game of mahjong, crowded around us and our bowls of noodles to weigh in on the issue.
The fascinating thing is that babies change as they get older. When minibeanie was born, he had a whole head of black hair. He looked very Asian then. Today, the biggest giveaway that he's not quite Asian is his flop of copper-brown hair from his dad.
Other features inherited from DH are his chin, mouth, build (minibeanie's a slender bean) and especially the long & narrow feet. As for the height, I don't know... I mean, this is a mixed bag ;)
From me, minibeanie has gotten my eyes :)
And finally, hopefully, not DH's pitch deafness.
minibeanie is 9 months & 2 weeks old
The fascinating thing is that babies change as they get older. When minibeanie was born, he had a whole head of black hair. He looked very Asian then. Today, the biggest giveaway that he's not quite Asian is his flop of copper-brown hair from his dad.
Other features inherited from DH are his chin, mouth, build (minibeanie's a slender bean) and especially the long & narrow feet. As for the height, I don't know... I mean, this is a mixed bag ;)
From me, minibeanie has gotten my eyes :)
And finally, hopefully, not DH's pitch deafness.
minibeanie is 9 months & 2 weeks old
Friday, May 9
TV deprived
We got our satellite tv back!! Nearly a month ago, the Sichuan Broadcasting Agency started a crackdown on satellite dishes since they were 'illegal'. The thing is, anyone can buy & install such dishes because authorities typically turn a blind eye to it. This is China - where there is huge elasticity in rules ;)Our wires literally got snipped as our dish was located on the roof of the apartment block. Various alternatives were discussed such as installing the dish & a wireless transmitter at a neighbour's balcony who had the good luck to be facing in the right direction. I suppose that was a no-go eventually. Recently, the storm seems to have passed & perhaps a degree of calm has returned to the political front - today, the satellite guy came to replace the wires on the roof and re-tune the receiver. After mucking about for an hour or so, we finally welcomed Sponge Bob Squarepants back into our lives.
What caused the Agency to issue a crackdown? We have a strong hunch it is the recent fracas regarding the Olympic torch relay. It is 'inappropriate' for Chinese viewers to see the torch being doused and protesters lining the street ;) For now, I hope the mercurial government officials will just leave my tv alone.
minibeanie is 9 months, 1 week & 6 days old
Wednesday, May 7
Baby-ism II
Sunday, May 4
Baby-ism I
Monday, April 28
Soy mad!
Lately, I got into a soy milk craze. Living in China is like being in soy milk or tofu heaven. Fresh tofu by the weight in supermarkets, all manners of marinated tofu pieces/strips and soy milk aplenty. But getting fresh soy milk involves a trip to the supermarket which is logistically challenging with a baby to say the least. Hence, when our Philips blender arrived, I decided to make my own soy milk at home!
It was a ridiculously simple process. Soak the beans for at least 4 hours, put them into the blender with water, grind, sieve & boil. Voila.
I was however feeling that it was a waste to throw all the ground soy beans away. After all, it was still full of protein and vitamins. Then a thought crossed my mind. Soy patties!! I experimented with a small batch & finally made a larger batch for dinner tonight. Here's the recipe :)
Ashley's Guilt-free Soy Patties
Mix all ingredients together. Keep adding oatmeal until the batter's consistency is stiff and similar to that of beef burgers. It should be able to retain its shape on the tray without any liquid oozing out.
Heat oven to 180C. Line a baking pan with baking paper and grease. Put 3-4 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and bake for at least 45min until golden brown. Towards the end, turn the patties over and bake for an additional 15-20min.
It was a ridiculously simple process. Soak the beans for at least 4 hours, put them into the blender with water, grind, sieve & boil. Voila.
I was however feeling that it was a waste to throw all the ground soy beans away. After all, it was still full of protein and vitamins. Then a thought crossed my mind. Soy patties!! I experimented with a small batch & finally made a larger batch for dinner tonight. Here's the recipe :)
Ashley's Guilt-free Soy Patties
- ground soy beans, drained
- coriander, minced
- garlic, minced
- green chili, minced
- red pepper, cubed
- eggs
- olive oil
- instant oatmeal
- black pepper
- salt
Mix all ingredients together. Keep adding oatmeal until the batter's consistency is stiff and similar to that of beef burgers. It should be able to retain its shape on the tray without any liquid oozing out.
Heat oven to 180C. Line a baking pan with baking paper and grease. Put 3-4 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and bake for at least 45min until golden brown. Towards the end, turn the patties over and bake for an additional 15-20min.
Up to no good
My dad used to tell what I did to his Yamaha amplifier. When I was a toddler, I'd tried to stuff a banana into the Yamaha cassette tape player. Apparently, minibeanie is exhibiting the same tendencies much to DH's chagrin. He lurves to play around the home entertainment system -something there just attracts him like a bee to honey. Maybe it is the forbidden fruits (mummy keeps saying "no"?) or perhaps it is the many dials and flashing lights, he always reaches for the TV stand.For this reason, DH being an audiophile, wisely decides not to have his prized amplifiers and speakers in the living room. Instead, they will be mounted in the guestroom which will double as a home theater or X-box room. I can't imagine what DH will say if minibeanie crashes his speaker to the floor. Ummm...wait, I think I've done that! 5 years ago at our housewarming party. I guess minibeanie isn't the only clumsy one.
minibeanie is 9 months & 2 days old
Wednesday, April 23
Kitchen (mis)adventure
2 days ago, it was 10 years to the day I 'met' DH :) See how far we've come.
To celebrate our anniversary, I turned to Mdm Crocker's trusty brownie mix. (Ok, do I hear sniggering?) Then I thought I'd do a little experiment and see if it'd turn out well as a muffin. I also decided to give the Double choc brownie a twist by adding a few spoonfuls of marmelade - sweet chocolate & tangy orange being a classic combination. With the extra liquid, I thought I'd tweak the recipe a little. Extra flour, baking powder, oil & milk went into the batter. Then, I filled 2 muffin cups with the batter and poured the rest into a pan for the brownie.
Some 30min later, I decided to check if the muffins were done since muffins typically take about 20-25min. They were a little wobbly. I guess that should be the biggest clue of all but I thought I'd still stick a toothpick in to check for doneness. I picked the first one up precariously from the oven with a pair of chopsticks, my tongs having gone missing. And as I was picking up the second muffin, I thought, yikes I'm not going to make it...and sure enough, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy (or the power of self doubt?), the wobbly muffin overturned and went splat against the hinge of my oven door. Unmentionable expletives followed as I looked in disbelief at the gooey mess I'd just made. Arrrrrgggghh. This was my worst baking disaster ever. I mean, I count myself as a pretty good cook having made cheesecakes, bread, cinnamon buns & cream cakes successfully in the past so I was doubly humbled by the gross misjudgment of baking time & consistency. Obviously, the muffins were no where near done and the batter was too heavy & runny for the muffin to rise and bake by 30min.
In my defense, the new oven was also questionable. The Electrolux oven I had in Helsinki worked perfectly without fail. The current one is a Chinese brand called Nardi. And having already determined that its timer is crap, I'm wondering if its thermostat is accurate. There are hot spots within the oven as I found out last night when I was grilling some vegetables for Pasta con verdure grigliate.
Thankfully, all ends well. The orange brownie turned out decent - I guess I just proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mdm Crocker's brownie mix was idiotproof ;) But what saved the day was the vanilla & green tea Haagen Dazs ice cream cake I'd ordered earlier in the day. Double indulgence for a special day :)
minibeanie is 8 months & 4 weeks old
ps. yes, that's the Philips baby monitor in the background! We finally got it after a colleague visited from Finland.
To celebrate our anniversary, I turned to Mdm Crocker's trusty brownie mix. (Ok, do I hear sniggering?) Then I thought I'd do a little experiment and see if it'd turn out well as a muffin. I also decided to give the Double choc brownie a twist by adding a few spoonfuls of marmelade - sweet chocolate & tangy orange being a classic combination. With the extra liquid, I thought I'd tweak the recipe a little. Extra flour, baking powder, oil & milk went into the batter. Then, I filled 2 muffin cups with the batter and poured the rest into a pan for the brownie.
Some 30min later, I decided to check if the muffins were done since muffins typically take about 20-25min. They were a little wobbly. I guess that should be the biggest clue of all but I thought I'd still stick a toothpick in to check for doneness. I picked the first one up precariously from the oven with a pair of chopsticks, my tongs having gone missing. And as I was picking up the second muffin, I thought, yikes I'm not going to make it...and sure enough, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy (or the power of self doubt?), the wobbly muffin overturned and went splat against the hinge of my oven door. Unmentionable expletives followed as I looked in disbelief at the gooey mess I'd just made. Arrrrrgggghh. This was my worst baking disaster ever. I mean, I count myself as a pretty good cook having made cheesecakes, bread, cinnamon buns & cream cakes successfully in the past so I was doubly humbled by the gross misjudgment of baking time & consistency. Obviously, the muffins were no where near done and the batter was too heavy & runny for the muffin to rise and bake by 30min.
In my defense, the new oven was also questionable. The Electrolux oven I had in Helsinki worked perfectly without fail. The current one is a Chinese brand called Nardi. And having already determined that its timer is crap, I'm wondering if its thermostat is accurate. There are hot spots within the oven as I found out last night when I was grilling some vegetables for Pasta con verdure grigliate.
Thankfully, all ends well. The orange brownie turned out decent - I guess I just proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mdm Crocker's brownie mix was idiotproof ;) But what saved the day was the vanilla & green tea Haagen Dazs ice cream cake I'd ordered earlier in the day. Double indulgence for a special day :)
minibeanie is 8 months & 4 weeks old
ps. yes, that's the Philips baby monitor in the background! We finally got it after a colleague visited from Finland.
Wednesday, April 16
Crystal Ball
I'm beginning to get an idea of what lies ahead. If an 8 month old can be as rambunctious & curious as minibeanie, the toddler years will be anything but a walk in the park. Everyday, he burns off gadzillion calories by crawling, stumbling, standing, falling all over his rattles, playmat & me. Where does he get all that energy? Amazing stuff those broccoli, tofu, peas, pumpkin, cheese & apples. Anyway. If he can still be confined (barely) to a playpen or bed, what mischief will he be up to when he's up & running??
Meanwhile, before he's able to spin out of control like a hurricane, I'm his pillar of support (literally) when he pulls himself up, his soft place to fall on (especially when he falls on my midsection) and an endless source of curiosity when he sticks a wet finger into my ear or nostril.
Last Saturday, we had a sneak peek of what lies ahead at a 1 year old's birthday party. Fun ;) Here, DH looked like he would very much like a big slice of cake.
minibeanie is 8 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old
Meanwhile, before he's able to spin out of control like a hurricane, I'm his pillar of support (literally) when he pulls himself up, his soft place to fall on (especially when he falls on my midsection) and an endless source of curiosity when he sticks a wet finger into my ear or nostril.
Last Saturday, we had a sneak peek of what lies ahead at a 1 year old's birthday party. Fun ;) Here, DH looked like he would very much like a big slice of cake.
minibeanie is 8 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old
Saturday, April 12
Trills & Spills
Our stuff finally came yesterday! After 5 weeks of wearing the same blouse and living on 4 forks, 2 knives and 4 spoons, it's nice to have our wardrobe and a full kitchen. Well... I suppose after awhile. There are 40 boxes to be unpacked.
In the last few days, there have been a few remarkable developments. DH & I always say that minibeanie's more eager to go vertical than forward. At the smallest possibility, he will grasp at whatever that's within range and if it isn't rooted to the ground, he will be hoisting himself up. As a result, there has been quite a few unfortunate incidents with the latest one resulting in a bruise. And since the little bugger simply won't be contained within the confines of the rubber mat, DH decided to take no further chances and got an Italian helmet from Finland. Mama mia, all he needs now is a Vespa!
And just as I thought he will skip crawling altogether (some babies do!), he surprised me today when he crawled towards me. A couple of days ago, he might also have taken his first cruise. He 'walked' a good 1 m along the length of daddy on our bed. Honestly, I am not too trilled at the prospect of greater mobility. A climbing & crawling baby is plenty enough on my hands!
But the best part was how minibeanie will 'dance' when he hears a song! From mummy's medley of Ba Ba Black Sheep & Amazing Grace to the opening jingle of Dr.Phil, his upper body and head will bob up and down, and occasionally, his flailing arms will join in the dance. (Pre-clap, perhaps?) This boy got rhythm!
minibeanie is 8 months, 2 weeks & 2 days old
minibeanie helping out with the unpacking
In the last few days, there have been a few remarkable developments. DH & I always say that minibeanie's more eager to go vertical than forward. At the smallest possibility, he will grasp at whatever that's within range and if it isn't rooted to the ground, he will be hoisting himself up. As a result, there has been quite a few unfortunate incidents with the latest one resulting in a bruise. And since the little bugger simply won't be contained within the confines of the rubber mat, DH decided to take no further chances and got an Italian helmet from Finland. Mama mia, all he needs now is a Vespa!
And just as I thought he will skip crawling altogether (some babies do!), he surprised me today when he crawled towards me. A couple of days ago, he might also have taken his first cruise. He 'walked' a good 1 m along the length of daddy on our bed. Honestly, I am not too trilled at the prospect of greater mobility. A climbing & crawling baby is plenty enough on my hands!
But the best part was how minibeanie will 'dance' when he hears a song! From mummy's medley of Ba Ba Black Sheep & Amazing Grace to the opening jingle of Dr.Phil, his upper body and head will bob up and down, and occasionally, his flailing arms will join in the dance. (Pre-clap, perhaps?) This boy got rhythm!
minibeanie is 8 months, 2 weeks & 2 days old
Tuesday, April 8
Sleep deprived
minibeanie has been waking up at 5:30 for the past few days and doesn't fall asleep again until 7:30. And then he will be springing up again like a jack-in-the-box at 9. If I'm not a morning person usually, I'm even less so now.
When the little 'un was a teeny baby, I always thought it would get easier. NO, that's a fallacy or myth! Somehow, despite more frequent feedings, I still had time for my afternoon 'therapy' with Dr.Phil or Grey's Anatomy with a cup of tea. These days, if I wasn't changing up to 5 poopy diapers (it was once a day!) or cajoling him to eat his lovely mash, I would be rescuing him from mortal danger and responding to his pitiful "I'm bored!"/"where-are-you, I-can't-see-you!" cries. Nonetheless, everything's forgiven when he laughs. He's an angel to us :)
minibeanie is 8 months, 1 week & 5 days old
When the little 'un was a teeny baby, I always thought it would get easier. NO, that's a fallacy or myth! Somehow, despite more frequent feedings, I still had time for my afternoon 'therapy' with Dr.Phil or Grey's Anatomy with a cup of tea. These days, if I wasn't changing up to 5 poopy diapers (it was once a day!) or cajoling him to eat his lovely mash, I would be rescuing him from mortal danger and responding to his pitiful "I'm bored!"/"where-are-you, I-can't-see-you!" cries. Nonetheless, everything's forgiven when he laughs. He's an angel to us :)
minibeanie is 8 months, 1 week & 5 days old
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