It's a family affair

"Royal" visitors out of their comfort zone

Forgive my absence, but Im hosting a delegation, much more important than all those royalties and ministers I met last year, and its taking up pretty much all of my free time: yes, of course, my parents are in town!

The worlds cutest (in my eyes!) mom and dad landed a few days ago and are keeping me busy with all kinds of funny questions and comments about everything. Yesterday when I had to go to work they called me when I was in the middle of a meeting:

-Hey, we are standing in a crossing and we dont know where we are.

-Eh right. Now, do you see any names of streets or anything around you?

-Naaah, its kind of confusing to tell you the truth.

-I see

Not to mention the fact that my mom constantly seems to be forgetting that I dont actually live here as a tourist:

-So does the hotel breakfast have any yoghurt?

-I dont know mom, Ive never eaten it.

-Yeah, but what about normally over here?

-I dont normally stay at hotels in China

Dad, on the other hand, is more of a silent observer, although every now and then he springs to life with one of his genius comments:

-Look! They are all riding electric bikes! And then they recharge the bikes! And if they want to speed up they pedal This is fantastic! Why dont we have these kind of electric bikes back home? How come youve never brought one home with you?

-Eh dad, they are kind of heavy and big

-Yeah but they are fantastic! You HAVE to bring one of those to Sweden at some point. Actually, my birthday is coming up.!

-Riiiiiight

The other day they told me they wanted to see an acrobatic show that my sister and her hubby raved about after their last China visit:

! -Sure, b ut weve already seen it. Do you mind going by yourself? I'll help you get the tickets and everything...

Long, pregnant silence and hurtful, accusing eyes.

-What am I saying?! OF COURSE we should go together!!! I dont mind watching it again!!!

-Excellent!

On Wednesday night we will depart Shanghai to visit a new place for all of us. I seriously cannot wait, as its getting hard to come up with new things to do in Shanghai (this is moms fourth China visit and dads second). However, mom and dad are, of course, slightly worried:

-We saw on the news that there are storms in southern China!

-Yeah, so then its good that we are not going to the south

-But up north there are sandstorms!!!

-Not where we are going, Im sure.

-How can you be sure?! Im sure that there will be sandstorms. We should pack umbrellas. Do you have a spare one that we can borrow?

-If it makes you feel any better

-Excellent!

(Wanna make a bet with me about those sandstorms? Yeah, I didnt think so either. And no, we are not going to Inner Mongolia!).

Before we leave, however, mom and dad will come and visit me at work, something that they have prepared for and been excited about, for a very long time. They have even packed special outfits that they are going to wear when walking into my office. I got all touched and teary eyed when they told me.

-Well of course, mom said, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. When coming from so far away we are ought to make a good impression!

Awwww! Can you love two people more?!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Xuelong completed study at South Pole

CHINESE scientists have completed a geographic survey on Dome A, the highest elevation in the South Pole, after China's only icebreaker returned to its Shanghai base today. officials from the Polar Research Institute of China said today Xuelong (Snow Dragon), China's only icebreaker, carried out a series of research on Antarctic marine system, the South Pole climate and astronomy. Choosing a location for the observatory was one of their crew's top tasks, the institute officials said. "Dome A is the best choice for an observatory concerning its location and environment," said Zeng Honghui from the institute. "Research found Dome A has the best sky view on earth. Good visibility is the deciding factor for setting up an astronomical telescope." He said the telescope installed in the Dome A observatory can function like a space telescope. Officials said the construction plan has been approved by the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research and has passed ...
Keep reading

Niubanlun pays New Balance for unfair competition

Image
A Chinese sportswear company was ordered to pay 480,000 yuan (US$76,200) in damages to the US-based footwear manufacturer New Balance for unfair competition. The Huangpu District People's Court also ordered Niubanlun Sportswear Company in Quanzhou, Fujian Province to stop producing sports shoes with a logo similar to New Balance's "N" design. New Balance filed the lawsuit last November against Niubanlun for using a logo similar to its unique "N" design and had a Chinese brand name that sounds similar to "New Balance." The US firm said it registered its trademark in China in 1983 and accused Niubanlun of making and selling counterfeit shoes since 2007. Niubanlun argued that this was not an infringement case because its "N" trademark was legally registered. But New Balance said Niubanlun's trademark should not be used on sports shoes. The court ruled the Chinese company to pay for unfair competition, saying New Balance is a famous ...
Keep reading

City to wage 10-day war on mosquitoes

MOSQUITOES may pose a big threat this summer if no immediate action is taken to control the pest that proliferates fast in standing water left by the rainy season, local health officials said. Abundant rainfall and a fast rising temperature after the plum rain season that ended on Monday is ideal for mosquito breeding. June, July and August are the peak breeding season for mosquitos in Shanghai. Mosquito density normally doubles in June, compared with May. "We haven't worked out the density this June but it definitely will be much higher than last month's," said Leng Peien, a department director with the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "If no effective measures are taken, mosquitoes will explode in number due to the hot and humid weather." A 10-day anti-mosquito campaign will be launched citywide by the Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Commission tomorrow, with a focus on construction sites, Metro stations, residential areas, undergroun...
Keep reading