This is us.  The one showing lots of shoulder (in her Chengdu, China Marine Ball ball gown!) is the EFM who writes this blog. The one wearing a tux (James) is the employee who moves her (and their two sons) around all over the world. The red link, below, is how you can get in touch with me...

The time in Chengdu, China

Chengdu: city of fabulous food and beautiful Buddhist monasteries!

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Yes, Beijing's Forbidden City (pictured, above) is really pretty and all, but I like Chengdu much better than Beijing!

In Our Same Boat (with State)

  • Beyond the Cornfields
    Brand-new State Department family in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Love their two little girls (she just recently had a baby while being posted in Dhaka), horticulture, traveling and adventure!
  • Email From The Embassy
    State Department family formerly in Beijing, China, and recently posted to Amman, Jordan. A trailing spouse, she's also a writer, and frequently publishes articles with major news sources. A very experienced State family, this new post is something like overseas post number six or seven for them.
  • Just US
    A beautiful family of seven - they have arrived at their new post: Jerusalem! They just finished off an unaccompanied tour to Iraq and are very much looking forward to sightseeing around the middle east.
  • Our Life
    State Department family on their second post...Tijuana, Mexico. It's their first overseas assignment and they have two little boys. They love Tijuana so far and post pictures frequently! They also get to enjoy the best of both worlds for they can sneak over the border into San Diego when they want to!
  • The Dinoia Family
    State Department family formerly in California, now in DC for a DC tour. Next, the husband will do a one year unaccompanied tour. A very experienced State family (formerly in Iceland and Caracas) with a blog that has been around quite a while and has great archives. Jen has a sweet heart and a lot to give!
  • The Perlman Update
    State Department family formerly in Chennai, India, who then did a year-long unaccompanied tour in Iraq. They are now on a DC tour and after that will do another unaccompanied tour (Afghanistan). She totally tells it like it is and doesn't sugar-coat what life is really like. Witty, snarky, funny and down-to-earth. Look elsewhere if you want fake. Read if you want REAL.
  • Where in the World Am I?
    State Department family formerly in Bujumbura, Burundi and now in Hyderabad, India. They just had their first baby this summer - a beautiful little girl- (there's a separate blog about this) and she also eats gluten-free (with a separate blog, also).
One of the most intriguing things about Chengdu is that it is a seamless blend of ancient and modern... all together, side by side.

Can't Live Without (non-State)

  • Crass-Pollination: An ER blog
    The best ER nurse blog EVER!
  • Doctor Grumpy in the House
    The best doctor blog EVER!
  • In Which...
    My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of seven. Her darling daughters are, goshdarnit, probably too young to be hoped for as my future daughters-in-law.
  • The Crib Chick
    My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of five. Hopefully two (Any two! I'm not picky!) of which are my future daughters-in-law.
  • the underwear drawer
    An anesthesiologist who is possibly the most talented & entertaining writer ever. I've read her blog ever since she started medical school. No, don't know her in real life. Wish I did.
  • The Bloggess
    This blog is both hysterically funny and hilariously irreverent. I actually let my 17 year old son read it (who loves it as much as I do!), but wouldn't even CONSIDER letting my 12 year old son read it. Which is about all the description it needs!
The grounds of Chengdu monasteries can be very, very peaceful...even though they are smack dab in the heart of a city of millions of people.

Categories

Yes, there are Starbucks in Chengdu! All over the place, in fact. So much so, Starbucks even crafted mugs for Chengdu stores!

Archives

Texan bluebonnets. Because I learned during our very first posting (Houston) that there's nothing prettier in the spring than the meadows of Texas.

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08/23/2011

Earthquake!


Holy cow, you guys!


So we're all in the middle of moving and everything, and then out of nowhere Zachary and Matthew start yelling to me that there are two birds INSIDE the house flying around.  It was so strange.  We've never before had birds come INSIDE the house.


There were two of the little bird on the left in this picture (I took the picture last winter):


Bird feeder 2



The birds that had flown into our house were very confused.


So I went and helped them get out of the house (without harm), and by the time all the commotion of having birds flying around in the house died down, the house started shaking.


Things were falling off the desk - it was crazy - and, honestly, the idea of it being an earthquake literally never crossed my mind.  I honestly thought- it's another attack or something.  Because we're really close to Washington DC, right?


But it was an earthquake!  Which is absolutely CRAZY.  I never, ever expected to have an earthquake hit us in DC.  From the news reports, it looks like it was a 5.9 magnitude or something like that. 


Life is NEVER BORING, I'll say that!


After the earthquake, I remembered that the birds had flown into the house, all discombobulated, and remembered reading that sometimes animals behave very strangely right before natural disasters.  And I can't help but link the birds in the house to the earthquake that happened just a few minutes later.  Because, really, now - birds have never before been in my house, and then right before the earthquake there were two of them!  I can't even imagine that's just a coincidence.   

 

Posted on 08/23/2011 at 11:47 AM in Moving with State, Virginia |

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Camille

Crazy!

Posted by: Camille | 08/23/2011 at 11:57 AM

Kate CA

Ah, welcome to California! (haha)

Glad you are OK! That was a pretty good sized one too.

:) Kate

Posted by: Kate CA | 08/23/2011 at 12:12 PM

Connie

Crazy! We felt a quake in the DC area in '03, not quite 5.0 if I remember right. We were at work, listening to the floors rumble, watching my potted plant dance around... coming up with all sorts of excuses for it. Large utility carts, big trucks, etc. took a bit to get down the list to 'earthquake'. I totally believe animals can predict quakes. Our former cats could. I remember one night, the cat had been sleeping across the room, when he popped up, ran over onto my lap, and stood all alert... then the house started rumbling... very very minor, but enough to make things sway. As soon as it was over, he went back to his place and lay down to sleep again. My lap is, apparently, considered quake proof :) Hope that is all the excitement for the day!

Posted by: Connie | 08/23/2011 at 12:14 PM

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James loves me. And our sons. And his job. But not having his picture taken. In 2011 he finished up over a year and half of training, and in the fall of 2011 we got to our first overseas post - Chengdu, China!
Mao says hi! Because Chengdu is one of the only cities in China with a Mao statue.
Flowers are like friends. Each one is unique. Each one is beautiful. They brighten up everything around them. And you can never have too many. 

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2012 is the Year of the Dragon, y'all! Talk about the ultimate in good luck! This kinda party only comes around once every twelve years!
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Colorful! (Inside a Chengdu ancient Buddhist monastery.)
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