One Child Policy Homeschool

• August 20, 2008 - Twins

Jenn once asked a great question about twins. How does China handle twins in a one child policy system? Twins are a very fortunate event and one of the few loopholes around the one child rule.

Did you know that Africans have the greatest rate of twins? And Asians have the least? So for a Chinese family in a one child policy system to have a set of twins is an amazing and rare blessing! And Chinese people see it that way as well. She is very, very fortunate mother to be blessed with twins on her one and only chance at childbearing!

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• August 11, 2008 - Our New Apartment -- The Kitchen

Posted in Living in China

My kitchen is pretty nifty. Especially for a Chinese home.

Here's an inside shot of the refrigerator. Why? Well, some of you are so curious about everything. Why not?

This is a nice shot of my oven.

But this one is much better, don't you think?

The oven can hold a 9x13 pan, and it's tall enough to bake loaves of bread without the bread touching the top of the oven (been there, done that). It's sort of a glorified toaster oven, but it heats up super quick and cooks efficiently.

Although this may look like a dishwasher, it isn't. It's a sanitizer. It simply heats the dishes to kill germs. We don't use it. I just store dishes inside it.

A kitchen related tidbit -- In America, we eat on plates and serve things out of bowls. In China, we eat out of a bowl and serve things on plates.

See that cabinet in the corner? You'll never guess what it is.

Do you know yet? Probably not.

Push this button. Once for each person you have to feed.

Pull out the drawer at the bottom, and you've got premeasured rice! This is a rice bin. You pour your rice in the top. Very handy!

Under the gas burners are drawers for storage. These are great! You can cram so much more in them than a cabinet.

This is another glorious picture. A hot water heater in the kitchen. I've lived in some apartments without hot water in the kitchen. (I would carry it in from the bathroom in a bucket.) I've had other kitchens with tiny hot water heaters under the sink. You can get one sinkful of hot water, and then it's all gone. But this is a gas hot water heater. That means limitless hot water! As the water passes through, it's heated up. The heater doesn't store water. Glorious, I tell you! Truly glorious!

Six years in China and this next feature was a first for me. Strange place for another faucet, over here in the corner.

That's not just a tray there. It's hiding a HOLE!

Under the cabinet is a huge pottery vat to hold water. This is for those (not too uncommon) times when the water is turned off. Kind of tells you something about how frequent it is that someone would install this kind of thing.

I know that you'll want to know why. Honestly, I don't understand it. I just know that the water in China is frequently turned off There's usually some general explanation about working on the water pipes. Why it's so frequent, I really can't comprehend. All I know is that when you've got no water, this big tank is a godsend! As a matter of fact, we're without water right now! :-)

Yep, in our first month here, the master bathroom has flooded twice from the floor drain--sewage. Nice. Real nice.
But I guess we're better off than the downstairs neighbors. They have sewage running down three walls of their home.

Obviously the entire plumbing design of our side of the apartment is flawed and has to be redone. So we're without water until tomorrow night (altogether about 55 hours). Our across the hall neighbor is kind enough to let us get water to fill up our tanks and buckets.

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• August 8, 2008 - Our New Apartment -- Unpacked & Cluttered

Posted in Living in China

So many of you commented on how big the new apartment is and how "clean" and "uncluttered" it is.

Was.

Now it's not so uncluttered or so big after we filled it with our things. But on the bright side, now it's "home" and not just an apartment. So it's all good.

First on the tour, the homeschool hallway. This is what you first see upon opening our front door.

I don't mind that our homeschool things are out in the open. I think it sets a good tone for our family. We are all about learning. And being in the middle of the house has turned out to be super convenient.

The office is just off to the left. See the map of North & South America? It's over there, behind the bookcases.

This is our view of the front door when we're sitting at the homeschool table. I'm using that little bit of top wall for hanging schoolwork.

Here's the dining room.

We cannot drink the tap water, so we buy these 5 gallon water bottles. They are delivered to our home within ten minutes of our call. Each one costs about $1.50. Worth every penny when the alternative is boiling all your water. I had the stand custom built for this particular spot. It's some sort of pressboard laminate, I guess. Not very fancy, but it's sturdy and very affordable.

The door to the right of the water machine leads to the squatty. But before the actual squatty is this room. Yep, that's my fancy washing machine. I love it. It heats the water so you can wash with warm water! That's quite a luxury here.

The living room.

The office-- my desk in particular.

The craft cabinet beside my desk.

The guest bedroom. We do have a guest right now.

Off of the guest bedroom is where we hang our laundry. Remember, we're on the second floor. So we use the balcony area for both drying clothes and for storage.

And I'm sure you're wondering how we get the clothes up there? Do we use the ladder? No. It's just there for storage. We use this nifty tool. You may have seen or used one in a clothing retailer.

You put the hanger (right below the hook part) into the grooves at the top of this tool and lift it up to the rack suspended from the ceiling. Sprite thinks this is great fun, so I try to enlist her help everytime I hang up and take down laundry.

These racks below are wonderful for unmentionables, dish towels, and socks.

I'll explore the kitchen for you in its own post. Until next time.

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• August 6, 2008 - Torching Pigs' Feet

Posted in Living in China

Strange title, isn't it. I didn't know what else to call it. That's just what it is. Take a look for yourself.

I've lived here six years and this is the first time I've seen this... what to call it.. cooking technique? Food preparation technique? Butchering method?

In case you're not sure what you're seeing, let me help you. to the right you have a stack of pigs' feet. In the chair you have a restaurant manager, getting ready for the day. He's using a gas torch to sear the skin and burn off the hair from the pigs' feet. Obviously that black rock is his special pig torching platform. To the left is a big pan of water where the torched pigs' feet go for a final scrub before they are cooked.

By the way, this is at the bus stop on a sidewalk outside the restaurant where we were waiting for our bus.

He added baking soda to the water and scrubbed each pig's foot with a metallic scrubber. Voila! Clean pigs' feet.

Yes, she's a China girl, but she still found this sight pretty gross.

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• August 5, 2008 - Airing the Tummy

Posted in Living in China

This post is about a Chinese peculiarity -- Shai Duzi -- to air the tummy. (That's my translation. This kind of term is not found in the dictionary.)

Shai is a verb meaning to bask or to dry in the sun.

Shai is used for blankets or other laundry hanging out to dry or to freshen. You can also shai dark skin (a very unfavorable thing in Asia).

When hot, men often shai duzi -- air the tummy/belly/abdomen. (Note, only men do this. I've never seen women do this!)

It's totally acceptable and is seen almost everywhere. Just pull up your shirt to expose your belly button! It matters not if you're fit or flabby. It's all about being cool -- temperature-wise that is. I'm not sure I'd consider this suave behavior.

This below was a totally clandestine shot. Sprite helped me capture it since she was sitting on the aisle.

It seems I'm on a strange tangent lately -- first toilets now tummies. We'll get back to the apartment soon.

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• August 2, 2008 - Our New Apartment -- The Squatty Potty

Posted in Living in China

A recent blog post entitled Our New Apartment -- The Inside had 29 comments, 18 of which included some reference to the SQUATTY.

Here are some squatty potties at a plumbing shop.

Not all of the comments were negative, but they showed a range of feelings from curiosity to disgust. (I'm having a terrible time with HSB. The editor program will not allow me to add links. So none of these links work.)

Dawn wrote

Wow! I still am a little worried that i would fall down in the squatty potty! lol... Blessings,

Valerie wrote

Good Morning! I showed my boys your photos and they were amazed at that bathroom! Great education.

DeborahW wrote

Wow, that's huge! My son lives in Luo Yang and has a 2-bedroom apartment. It's not as nice as yours, though, only one bathroom, but thank goodness it's a western toilet! I have visited him twice and learned to use the squatties but I don't think you ever really get used to it.

Emily wrote

Wow. That seems big. How nice that you all get your own rooms and there are enough 'extra' bathrooms to not have to fix the squatty potty into a 'real' one. :) haha.

solidrock wrote

What a beautiful apartment! So big ( by china standards), light and airy. I just love all the natural light.The potty is unique...I am not sure how one navIgates that at night!

SmallWorld wrote

I love it! Very clean lines and minimal. That toilet is, well, wow.

Stacy wrote

Your new place is quite roomy! Love the sage green in the kitchen! My only question is, what is that squatty potty all about?

jenn4him wrote

The whole squatty potty is new to me. Do tell more!!!

KerryLeighinNC wrote

Will you laugh if I say that I miss the challenge of the "squatty potty"? LOL!

Marsha wrote

I really wish we had bathrooms like that... not the squatty potty though... no thanks. I can do it but you can't exactly read in there, y'know? LOL Wait, was that TMI?!

Melissa wrote

I actually like the toilet. It looks much more sanitary than Western style. Although I'm sure it is a lot harder to use.

Anonymous wrote

As someone with damaged knees, I am SOOOO thankful that we don't have squatty potties here in Florida!!!

Heidi wrote

The apartment looks very nice, with the exception of the squatty potty. We went into a public ladies room in Vietnam, right near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, only to discover the squatty potty! Needless to say, I decided to hold it. Thank goodness you have one regular commode! LOL

ivyvega25 wrote

On the other hand, are all chinese toilets the same?

Wow, looking at it from the bright side, what a workout for your quads!!!!

Dana wrote

Your apartment looks great. My daughter and I enjoyed talking about the squatty toilet. :-)

Cristina wrote

I'm curious, do they equip the squatty toilet with rails for the elderly and people with bad knees? It looks neat, I just don't think I could get up from that position. :o)

Ritsumei wrote

Here's a question though: how are you *supposed* to use those squatty pottys? I ran into one several years back, and ended up pulling one leg out of my pants. I'm pretty sure that's not normal, but I was worried that I'd get icky. LOL!

journeyinto wrote

So glad you have a western toilet also.

I was so surprised by the abundance of comments that I decided to make a lens at Squidoo all about the Squatty Potty. You obviously need way more information! This old blog post about the squatty just isn't enough for my curious readers.

At the other webpage, you’ll find photos of me demonstrating proper stance and explaining exactly how to use it! (And, no, Ritsumei, you don’t take your pants all the way off to use a squatty. It’s not that cumbersome.) Now I know you’ll all rush over to see THAT. But here are some additional thoughts for the blog.

First of all, the squatty is not that bad. It’s a toilet. You use it to relieve yourself, so it’s a necessary part of life. You just get it done whether you sit or squat.

Yes, we use squatties. It would be really hard to live here without ever using them. We’ve used latrines in rural areas. And we’ve used other toilets that are best described as troughs. Those have no stalls. You just line up and go in front of everyone. You may think, “I could never do that.” Well, it’s not fun. (Since when was going to the bathroom “fun?”) But it’s not torture either. And each time you do it, it gets easier and easier. And believe it or not, you can get used to it.

The squatty in our home is our “guest” bathroom, off of the dining room. We do use it! It’s a back up when someone else is in the master bedroom toilet. Or it’s a closer option by when I’m in the kitchen and don’t want to walk back to the bedroom. And it really does make a great guest bathroom for Chinese guests. They are usually more comfortable using it, especially in someone else’s home. I’ve discovered that many apartments have a western toilet in the master bedroom and a squatty in the guest bath. So the western toilet, since you sit on it, seems more personal. And the squatty seems more public – no contact necessary.

I’ve never fallen into a squatty, but I have dropped gloves into one before. But then again, I’ve dropped lots of things into western toilets as well! (Haven’t you?) As long as you look at what you’re doing, falling in seems unlikely. Even Sprite, who’s been using them since age 3 has never fallen in. By all means, turn on a light when using the squatty at night! (My husband is known to carry a flashlight/torch into dark squatties.)

Marsha, believe it or not, people DO read while on the squatty. They smoke and send text messages too. How do I know? Remember those trough style open toilets I told you about? There you go. You learn more than you ever wanted to learn.

As Melissa pointed out, the squatty can be more sanitary than a western one, especially when you’re in public and don’t want to touch a toilet. Think about trying to clean off the seat of a western toilet. Not fun. Think about trying to squat above a western toilet. That’s a real workout for the quads as ivyvega pointed out in her comment. But when using a squatty, you squat all the way down so that it’s not a muscle strain at all.

Using a squatty is not hard to use. Think about toddlers. Haven’t you seen them squat to do their business? It’s actually the natural position for evacuating bowels (don’t you love that phrase?). We westerners have come to think that sitting is the best position, but did you know that in cultures where people squat to toilet, there is almost NO incidence of hemorrhoids and other bowel related diseases? Believe it or not squatting to toilet is actually used as a treatment for hemorrhoids by some people! And it’s effective!

A couple of readers brought up a good point about folks with disabilities or injuries. Yes, for them, the squatties are hard. Some people simply cannot get into that position. My guess is that if they do go out, they try to manage their trip so that they are home before they need to “go” or they know of a particular place on the route that has a western toilet. For example, in my favorite supermarket’s toilet, there is a row of stalls – all squatties -- and then one bright yellow western toilet in the main bathroom area. I asked the toilet attendant (yes, all bathrooms have these) why there is a toilet in the middle of the bathroom. She said it was for old women (who can’t squat is the assumption). So sometimes there are accommodations (strange as they may be) made for disabled people. I also have seen for sale a seat that can be placed over a squatty – sort of like the raised toilet seat for hospital patients.

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• July 31, 2008 - Our New Apartment – Answers to Your Questions

Posted in Living in China

This is the fourth (but not the last!) installment in the Our New Apartment Series.

If you've missed any, here is the list

Who knew this topic could be so stimulating? As for me, I'm glad to have unpacked every last box! There is no more cardboard in this house! Ahh.. that feels so good to say. Besides this entry, I'll also have posts explaining the mysteries of the squatty potty and showing you our now fully cluttered home.

On to the questions --

Keeley asked

Are there apartment rules in China? In Germany you're not allowed to flush your toilet between certain hours, and you must be very very quiet at all times...it's bad news if you have active children. Anything like that in China?

How about apartment amenities? In Germany when you move into an apartment you have to put in a whole new kitchen; cabinets, sink, everything. Is there anything that they don't have in China ie I presume dishwashers don't come standard?

Not many rules surround living in apartments. All I can think of are -- Put your trash in the cans. And don’t let your air conditioner water hose drip onto the downstairs neighbor’s laundry.

Apartments are usually already equipped with plumbing and kitchen cabinets. Bathrooms and kitchens are generally areas where Chinese people don’t spend a lot of money on building or remodeling. So the plumbing and cabinets may be at a much lower standard or just not as large as we westerners would prefer.

Dishwashers? Is this a joke? Okay, I know you’re asking a serious question here. No. Dishwashers do not exist in China. If I tried to explain it to someone here, I’m sure I’d get the same look that I get when I mention a dryer. They are generally unheard of.

jones9387 asked

Wow, the garden is beautiful! I hope you are going to like the new apartment. Is it pretty big inside? What level are you living on? Does the apartment have elevators? If not you will be getting some good exercise. :)

Quite big – about 145 square meters or 1600 square feet. We are on the second floor, so the walk is not bad at all. Because our building only has six floors, there are no elevators. Buildings “only” six to eight floors usually have no elevator.

Dawn asked

I love it! Isn't that a big apartment by China standards?

It’s not super big. But it’s not tiny by any means. Apartments in crowded places like Hong Kong are very tiny. But Chinese apartments are spacious compared to that. You can find all types of apartments from in China; the variable is the cost.

I love the hallway area.

Thanks. We’ve converted that into a homeschool area.

What are the floors made out of?

We have a fake wood flooring and a white ceramic(?) or stone(?) tile.

Linda asked

I’m impressed with how easy to clean the surfaces that the landlord has chosen will be.

Yes, that’s a high priority. Most all flooring and furniture can be doused with water – even boiling water—with no damage done.

Are there markets close by?

Sure. About a five minute walk is a nice wet market for meats and veggies. The problem is that coming home, loaded with food, it’s uphill all the way! In the heat, I’ve tried to avoid this and have been shopping at supermarkets instead.

What about children in the complex?

They are here! And Sprite has already made some acquaintances.

What about your clothes line?

We hang our clothes on hangers and then suspend them from two rods on the ceiling of a balcony type area. I’ll get a dryer eventually. Obviously that’s a seasonal item here and isn’t sold until winter.

Are you near any of the Olympics sites?

No. Far, far away, thank goodness!

Keeley asked

Dude. I just LOVE that fridge. It has beautiful styling.

Thanks! It’s the landlord’s, and I’m thrilled with it! It’s the biggest one we’ve ever had in China.

The bottom is a freezer with an “ice maker” (two built in ice trays with a built in ice container below). The top is the refrigerator compartment and the center is specially designed for drinks. Of course, I took the drink racks out and put milk and leftovers in there.

jennifer asked

What are your views like?

We overlook the garden on one side and another apartment complex on the other side. From every window, we can see green plants.

Do you have your own entrance? How many apts are in your bldg?

The building we live in has 12 apartments. There is one entrance to the building which we all share. Then our home has one entrance.

KerryLeighinNC asked

I have a question for you - are your Chinese friends (and you) excited about the upcoming Olympics?

Well, I’m not much of a sports fan myself, so I’ve never been terribly interested by the Olympics. There’s been so much hype for well over a year that it gets almost tiring. So to be honest, no, I’m not excited about the Olympics. We’ll watch some on the TV, I’m sure. But I wouldn’t say it’s “exciting.”

Chinese people are looking forward to it. There’s a daily countdown to the opening day. It’s a matter of national pride. I’m not sure that they would use the word “excited” either. It’s a diversion, something to talk about like the weather.

Marsha asked

I do really like how the floors and walls are tile. In Korea, it was SO nice to be able to wash your feet and the whole rest of the bathroom and not have to worry about getting water on stuff. The drain on the floor is the best. I couldn't really tell, but is that how your bathroom is too?

Yes, there are drains in the bathroom floors and in the kitchen. This is standard in China. Negatives – drains can stink and insects can travel up them. The solution is to keep them covered when not in use. Positives -- kitchen and bathroom messes are easily doused with a bucket of water and swept down the drain !

Anonymous asked

One more question, are the fridges tiny because shopping is done more frequently or are there just fewer things that require refrigeration?

Great question! Shopping is done daily! Sometimes more than once a day. And I’ve found that Chinese cooks are great at making just enough for one meal. So there are few leftovers. There are still many, many families in China that do not own a refrigerator at all.

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• July 22, 2008 - Patterns of Communication

Posted in Living in China

For my first two years in China, I thought that my main communication problem with Chinese people was the language barrier. That certainly was a huge obstacle, but even when my Mandarin was gaining in fluency, there still seemed to be huge misunderstandings and frustrations when talking with locals. I’ve realized that it’s not just the words, grammar, and pronunciation that matter. There are cultural patterns of communication that are peculiar to China.

One example is the tendency to answer a question with a question. It’s one of those things that (as a Westerner) really irritates me. In our culture, answering a question with a question is the result of poor listening skills or purposely evading the subject. Although that is sometimes the case here in China, I’ve learned that it is simply a common pattern of communication.

At the restaurant

Me: Do you have fish?

Waitress: Do you eat hot peppers?

At a store

Me: Do you have a thing that you put your dishes in after you wash them so that they can dry?

Saleslady: What do you want to do with it?

Then there are these kinds of conversations that for some reason do not seem to irritate Chinese people at all. But they remind me of a ridiculous Monty Python or SNL skit!

At the checkout counter (In an effort to promote environmentalism, China has passed a new rule that stores cannot give plastic bags. Customers can purchase them or bring their own.)

Me: I need to buy some plastic bags.

Clerk: What size bag do you want – small, medium, or large?

Me: Large

Clerk: We don’t have any large ones. All sold out.

Me: Okay, medium then.

Clerk: No medium ones either. Only small.

At a department store looking at bedding

Me: What size is this?

Saleslady: What size is your bed?

Me: Please just tell me what size this is.

Saleslady: What size is your bed?

Me: 180 cm. Is this 180 cm?

Saleslady: No. It’s 150. But we have 180 cm.

Me: Do you have 135 cm?

Saleslady: That won’t fit. Your bed is 180 cm.

Me: Do you have 135 cm?

Saleslady: Yes, we do. Why do you want that?

Me: I want to buy two – one that’s 180 cm and another that’s 135 cm.

Saleslady: But these are not pretty. You should buy those over there. They are more attractive and they’re cheaper.

Me: Thanks. But I really like these.

Saleslady: But they’re not good. They’re ugly.

Me: But I like them.

Saleslady: Those are better.

Me: I want this kind. Can I buy them today?

Saleslady: Yes, I’ll go get them. (coming back with them) Here. But why do you want these ugly ones?

Me: Where do I pay? [See, I’m learning how to communicate!]

Again, at the department store, looking at two articles of bedding

Me: What’s the price on these?

Saleslady: (looking at UPC codes and pointing) It’s this price – 380.

Me: Are these both the same price?

Saleslady: Yes, the same. This one is 300. No, 225. And the other is 350. No, 325.

Me: So they are not the same price?

Saleslady: I can give you a discount.

Me: Good! How much?

Saleslady: (tapping on a calculator and showing me) This price for this one.

Me: How much discount is that?

Saleslady: 20% off [finally a straight answer!]

Me: I’ll take them!

And when shopping, there’s another pattern which involves trying to pry the price out of the salespeople and bargaining for a better price while they are trying to sell you on the item’s amazing features.

At an appliance store

Me: How much does this cost?

Saleslady: That’s an oven for making cakes.

Me: Yes, I know. How much does it cost?

Saleslady: 800 RMB.

Me: Can you give me a discount?

Saleslady: You can also use it to roast a chicken.

Me: Yes, I know. I see that. What about a discount?

Saleslady: Let me show you how it works……

Unfortunately, these are all real examples, not fiction from my imagination. It's quite trying on one's patience... to say the least.

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About Me

~^~Homeschooling my only child with a somewhat Charlotte Mason approach and a healthy dose of lapbooks, crafts, and field trips. ~^~Showcasing my photography hobby by sharing images of life in China. ~^~Why "One Child Policy Homeschool"? I happen to have an only child, and I live in China. It is just my attempt at a witty name for the blog.