Hooray for Harry Potter!

I liked “Half-Blood Prince” movie a lot. After the trainwreck “Order of the Phoenix” HBP was a welcome comeback. Yes, it was definitely stripped down…but it really does have to be…but it did bring back some what I think JK Rowling does so well—the normalcy of teenage life. Admist love potions, hexes, and jinxes, she captures the humor and angst of first loves and the ins and outs of friendships so well. I find myself relating to and remembering similar incidents from my own high school days.

That being said…it is the penultimate movie. Things are moving toward the close and there’s always something, isn’t there?

First of all, Dumbledore. I take this seriously—apparently I haven’t forgiven Richard Harris for dying. I definitely haven’t forgiven the “new” Dumbledore for grabbing and shaking Harry Potter in “Goblet of Fire.” Good grief—Dumbledore never lost his temper, a fact that Michael Gambon might know if he bothered to read the books (which he famously refuses to do). Just look at them…

One looks kindly and grandfatherly, yet you could sense the power behind those twinkling eyes. The other one…looks like he needs a shower. One of the scenes that I thought fell short was Dumbledore’s drinking the potion to retrieve the locket. Knowing what he was reliving, I was expecting to finally see this Dumbledore show some range of emotion. I know Gambon is supposed to be a major theatrical force, but I’ve been so underwhelmed and irritated by him that I was looking forward to seeing him. Alas.

And while we're at it, the Inferi. Corpses raised from the dead to do the Dark Lord's bidding should, I think, look a little less like Gollum and maybe a little more like, oh, I don't know...the undead, perhaps? Just my opinion.

Then there's Snape. Snape is my favorite character, both in the book and on the big screen—he’s so complex and is the mysterious link to so much of the past and the present. A critical scene is when Snape finally takes off the gloves and confesses he’s the Half Blood Prince. His reaction to Harry calling him coward becomes clear eventually, but it is an important piece of understanding his character. To have him quietly mutter a few lines and then walk away was a big disappointment.

In fact, the final battle being eliminated was a bummer. My friend, who hasn’t read any of the books, thought the ending was a letdown, so I’m sure fans did, too. I suppose they are saving up for the big final showdown in the final film. Still, I would have sacrificed the Weasley’s house burning in order to see the final battle. And the Weasley’s—why torch the house? Where are they supposed to live when Harry goes there for his final summer? How are they supposed to have Bill and Fleur’s wedding now? The fan in me is a bit worried about the upcoming films.

Still, it’s been a great ride so far. Cameron was 6 when we first saw “Sorceror’s Stone.” We have been to midnight showings and book sellings. We have debated the merits of the characters and the plots (Dumbledore vs. Gandalf, or Voldemore vs. Magneto in a cage match). We've gone from this:

to this:

The doors that Rowling opened with her stories have been a part of our lives for so long now. We’ve loved every minute!

Too True.

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

--Aldous Huxley

It's Times Like These You Really Need a Friend.

Today at the pool a family (mom, dad, little boy) came in. Dad was wearing a Speedo, and I've seen enough of those now that they don't really turn my head. Except Dad's was riding up a bit, reminding me that male waxing is not overrated and leaving me thinking "can't he feel that thing riding up in the back there?"

Then Mom got ready for the sun. And she was wearing...a bikini. Thong. THONG. A full-on butt-baring piece of floss in the back. Yep. She wore it walking to the shade. Bending over to adjust the chaise lounge. Diving into the pool. Surface diving in the pool. Out of the pool. Yep.

Not a Brazlian supermodel. Not an overweight woman who has no business in something like that. Just a...mom.

And I mourned the absence of all of my friends. Such a topic of conversation should not be wasted and yet, it was. *sigh*

Bits and Pieces from the Forbidden Palace

This one's for you, Grammy and Grandma!

Incredible detail from an 18th century clock. When the clock strikes the hour, this man writes 8 Chinese characters on a small piece paper with a (real) tiny brush and ink!

16th century water clock.

Detailing from a model showing the earth, the moon, and the sun.

Handle on a large copper vat for water storage in case of fire.

Crazy water spout.

Military uniforms from the 15th century.

Detailing from the emperor's walkway.

Forbidden City

Who hasn't heard of the Forbidden City? Construction finished in 1420 and it was the palace for the emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasties until 1911. Like many historic buildings in China, though, what you see is not the original. Many of China's buildings were made of wood--fires and wars over the centuries destroyed most of the original structures. It's hard to imagine the scope of the palace...but at 7.8 million square feet, it's BIG. Big enough, at least, that the millions of Chinese that were there didn't make it seem too crowded!

As the sacred residence, the Forbidden City was well-fortified. In addition to the Great Wall up north, the city (Beijing) at that time was surrounded by a wall (which was torn down to make the 2nd ring road). The palace itself is surrounded by a huge stone wall and moat. Inside, the City is a huge series of courtyards and gates. Interestingly, it's all paved...the imperial garden is a small patch at the back. It's hard to imagine the thousands and thousands of people that lived there, never venturing outside the walls. The emporer's walkway runs down the north/south axis of the palace and only the emporer was allowed to walk there.

Thousands of pieces of art and history are housed in the City. During the Japanese invasion in the 1940's, many of the pieces were pillaged or sent to Taipei. Enough remain, however, to get an idea of what was happening during the time. The science displays, although small, show the people's interest in astronomy. And the clock display, with clocks both made in China and given as gifts from Europe during the19th and 18th centuries, was spectacular.

Beijing was typically sweltering. It was great touring with Cameron. I've said this before, and he'll wilt with embarrassment (again) when I say that he is a great date for travel. He's easy going, is interested in art and history, knows a lot about a lot of different things, and has stamina. It was fun to have the just the two of us along for the ride today. With life and kids it's hard to get time with just one at a time, especially for a whole day, making this a great day!

I've complained that we haven't seen much of Beijing since we've been here. With Cameron's schedule, he'll have a couple weeks with no work before school starts, so I plan to take in as many sights (a couple a week) as we can. I'm sure Noah will be thrilled when he hears that, knowing how he loooooves to go sight-seeing!

First Ever Sneak Peak of Famous Cam on the Set

Haha. Fooled you there, didn't I? For those of you who want to know how exciting it is to be on a movie set, there it is. Even the interest in seeing Will Smith and his family at work does eventually grow old. Cameron was up at 4:00 am and got home at 7:30 (horrid horrid traffic meant a 2 hour drive that took 40 minutes in the morning) and again waited all day, along with 20+ other kids, and then went home. It was overcast and stifling hot. He didn't have to go in today, so he is taking full advantage of sleeping most of the day away.

I know it was hard for him to watch the boy who has the part he wanted who worked all day with the stars. I think Cameron has grown 3+ inches in the past few months and his voice has changed. Standing next to the other boy, he clearly looks and sounds much older and standing next to Jaden Smith and the other Chinese kids he is much older looking--I wonder if that made a difference. Part of it, too, is the extreme boredom waiting. He has to be on the set at all times, so they can't hang out in the (air-conditioned) building, and that wears after awhile.

Watching the process, though, and you realize that EVERYONE stands around A LOT. Except maybe the directors. It takes time to move the lights and equipment. Then stand-ins step in for lighting and planning. Then there's rehearsal, running through the scene several times, stopping to adjust the equipment. Then they start filming, doing the scene multiple times. Then, they repeat all of the above so they can shoot the very same scene from a different angle. Then, again from another angle. The star (Jaden Smith) generally leaves the set when the filming of the scene is done and comes back for the rehearsal and the next filming segment. But there are over 100 people on the set and at any one time 90% of them look like they're just standing around. The "entourage" that goes with Jaden includes a bodyguard, acting coach, tutor, hairstylist, makeup artist, assistant, personal photographer, and other assorted people. It's interesting to see that the Smiths are almost never alone...they are almost alway surrounded by people. I think it would be so tiring, but they are here working so maybe it's because of that that they are always surrounded! You can see why movies cost so much with so many people! And this movie isn't one with special effects, stunts, etc.

This was Cameron's big moment of the day...standing in for the lighting and setup! I do have some other pics of the set, but I'm hesitant to post them. It was surprisingly hard to get shots of Will Smith. Anytime a camera or phone comes out someone pops up and says "no". On the other hand, I have 12 hours a day to absorb it all into my memory!

Tiring? Yes. Interesting, too, though, and I know that once Cameron gets a chance to get started, he'll be having a much better time!

Steven Curtis Chapman

What a great Sunday to be at church! Steven Curtis Chapman showed and led the service with great music and a great message. We've been big fans of his music over the years. They have adopted 3 children from China (in addition to their 3 biological children who are all teens/young adults) so they have a special connection to this place. One of the children was adopted from an orphanage run by a couple in our church so they have maintained the frienship and financial support of their organization.


It was relatively big news last year when their youngest daughter, who was 4 years old, was killed when one of their older children backed up a car and hit her. It was horrifying to read about something so tragic and you wonder how any family, even a tremendously faithful family, could overcome the pain and guilt of losing a child. As humans we tend to want to believe that good people are exempt from tragedy, yet we all know exceptions to that statement. The Chapman's message today, though, was one of amazing faith and peace. He spoke with such calmness and conviction of the assurance of God's plans and the knowledge that they would be reunited again. It was evident that the pain of losing their daughter was still fresh and very painful; to hear their message of hope and faith was so inspiring.


One of the more challenging verses in the Bible are 'We know that in everything God works for good, to those are called accoring to His purpose." It sounds great in general...but it requires a tremendous act of faith. At those times when you are searching for that good, you are probably in the midst of pain, or confusion, or anger. You probably can't understand why things are happening, or why they are happening to you. And in the midst of everything, you're supposed to look for good? Faith is essential, because so often the good doesn't appear except through hindsight.


It's these kinds of situations where I don't know how people who don't have a faith manage. It's impossible to make sense of something so senseless. One of things that Chapman said today that has kept them going was the knowledge that the past they had shared was small when compared with the future they will have together again someday. They just don't believe that they will never see their daughter again. And their convication gives me hope. It was a powerful reminder that we can't understand everything that happen, either to us or around us. We can't, and we don't have to. We can place our faith in God, who is beside us every day, to carry us when we can't walk, to guide us through the darkest times, knowing that in the end we will see everything clearly.


Through the donations and support as a result of their loss the Chapmans have funded a project in China called Maria's Big House of Hope. It's a center that provides medical services for special needs children and orphans, a service that is desperately needed here.

It great how things work--an unexpected treat like Steven Curtis Chapman leads to a profound message, which leads to a sense of peace that is still with me. I hope the Chapmans know that they are working the good in their message and their music.

German Shepherd in Training

One Wacky Cat

After taking 40 pics this morning, this is the only one where Mao is actually standing...although I think that gleam in his eye is not due to the camera flash. Mao is a great cat--affectionate, sweet, loving. He adores Peter and often shows his affection by ambushing him when he walks by or gently waking him up by gnawing on his ear or tail.

On the other hand...people either love cats or really hate them. And Mao is the walking talking embodiment of what people find bizarre about cats. Now that I've spent a few days at home in the house with him (and granted, he was alone for 3 weeks, so he may just be overly happy to see me still) and there are issues. First, he talks. ALL. THE. TIME. He's banned from bedrooms because he loves to sit right on your chest and talk to you at 4 am about all his woes. He follows me through the house, talking non-stop. Meow, meow, meow, meow.

Ava and Noah collect things. All of Noah's elephants are missing their trunks. Ava has lost several cats' ears and tails. Yesterday morning, I watched Mao get on the bathroom counter and systematically knock each and every bottle off the counter. Very calmly. Later, I watched him try to clear the dining room ledge under the window. This explains a lot.

We have a large baobob tree made of banana leaves that we used as a Christmas tree in Tanzania. It's not long for this world now--Mao has gnawed holes, loosened branches and pounced it over and over every day.

He's very tidy. After he uses his litterbox, he is very careful to cover his business...he sometimes spends 10 minutes or so covering things up. Scratchscratchscratchscratchscratch.

This morning I was trying out a new yoga tape (which I'm sure is very relaxing once you can do the poses without your arms shaking like aspens in a windstorm and you catch your breath). Mao spent the 40 minutes racing back and forth through the house. Up and over the furniture (my leather chair bears scars now). Under and over the table. Up and down the stairs. Back arched, tailed puffed. No leaf on any plant is safe. A brief pause to clear the dining room table of my cell phone, a basket of pens and pencils, and 3 dvds, then back to racing through the house.

He really is something else. I just never noticed it before at this level.

The Point of Arkansas

There are, of course, a few people (those that live in Arkansas, for example) who already know what the point of Arkansas is. For us, it was a spectacular lake, a wonderful house, and four practically perfect days with Max and Gina, dear friends from Tanzania.

A Good Day Fishing...

...still requires a lot of patience, because it doesn't go like this:

Just keep waiting...

Just keep waiting...

Just keep waiting...

Sometimes the pros take some time to trade fishing tips and advice.

Everyone can always learn something new, right?

Attitude (and a good sense of style) goes a long way.

But with the right teachers...

Finally, there's the pay-off!

Worst. Book. EVER.

Seriously, this really is. Somtimes a book is so bad a person should actually read it to see for themselves, but this...it can barely be called a book. I guess if a person can string words into coherent sentences for multiple pages then the term "book" can be applied...

I should have turned to the forward before whipping out the credit card at the airport. The author rhapsodizes about the Keira Knightley film version of Pride and Prejudicie, freely admitting she knew nothing about the story beforehand. Then, she went on to read the book and pine over the eternal (and imho irritating) question of "what happened next?" See, if a novel is GOOD, you don't have to do that. You are left with the satisfying knowledge that the characters go on in peace and happiness. In fact, Austen actually has the good sense to tell us that. I didn't realize how many people took this "what happened next" thing to such levels until the Harry Potter series ended and people were bitterly upset at the epilogue (which I thought pandered to these people anyway). Apparently there were legions who demanded to know every minute detail about every single character--who married whom, what their kids did, what jobs they had, did they get on with their in-laws, yadda yadda yadda. Sheesh.


My very favorite book Gone with the Wind suffered with the publication of the sequel Scarlett. I ran right out to buy and read it and was horrified. Then I re-read it and realized that once Scarlett left Atlanta (and the author wasn't piggy-backing onto the original) the story was actually pretty good. The key was that the characters moved into a completely new setting, which allowed them to grow beyond the people they were. They became almost different people and the break from GWTW made it work for me.


Not so this travesty. First of all, they consummate their marriage like bunnies. And while I'm sure there were many happy active bunnies back in the day, I really don't need to read about it on every. single. page. Every they see each other. Come on...once or twice a day for EVERY DAY for 4 MONTHS? In what I suppose the author imagines to be a Austen-like style descriptions are circumspect--but the result is boring. The rest of Elizabeth's transition as the Mistress of Pemberley is covered in a way I work with my 4th and 5th graders every day to avoid. "Don't tell me what happened," I say. "Show me." Someone should have told and shown and then beaten the author silly with this point. Every single event that does not take place horizontally is glossed over, I suppose so the passionate Darcys can get back to making whoopee. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are reduced to the kind of sit-com couples that say "I love you more." "No, I love you more." "No, I love you more."


Does anyone really want to hear any of the following about these two people?



"Oh, William, you're so so cute!" (heehee--maybe he's also bitchin' cool)

He sank with balletic grace onto the bearskin rug, the heat from the fire warming his loins. (Yes, there is a bearskin rug, a fireplace, and several plump pillows featured prominently in many of the scenes)

"My dearest Lizzy, allow me to nibble your most delicious neck." (I'm pretty sure Mr. Darcy would never utter the word "nibble")

In addition we learn that Lizzy is too silly for math and that she can do an admirable striptease. Mr. Darcy displays prowess in both figure skating and at the violin. He is also frequently giddy and silly, often pushing the bounds of propriety, overwhelmed as he is with his love for his new bride. There's even an opportunity for a duel after the local blackguard chases Lizzy and causes her to fall down into a ravine where she lays undiscovered for hours.

Throughout all of this, both Lizzy and Mr. Darcy repeat ad nauseum how much they love and worship and adore and can't live without each other. She can't shut up about his chest and shoulders and height. He can't get off (literally and figuratively) her figure, her hair, her skin, her eyes, the absolute wonder that he landed her. It quickly develops overtones of desperation, as if the author is worried we aren't getting it.

The worst part was at the end where I was treated to an excerpt from the next book. The author blurb says that Ms.Lathan is a homemaker and a nurse. For the sake of her patients I can only hope that her nursing skills far surpass her writing skills.


I suppose if I've piqued your interest, you'll go ahead and read it, but do get it at the library so you don't have to pay. But don't say I didn't warn you--you won't ever get that time back.


Cameron recommended another P and P followup. I think his choice would have been better. At least this guy wouldn't expect me to take it seriously. Plus, I have the suspicion that there would be less romping and more zombie-stomping and I do love me some zombies. I think when push came to shove Elizabeth would more than hold her own against a zombie horde.

Status Check

*Through a sneaky miracle of technology I am (hopefully not temporarily)able to bypass the Great Firewall of China and reach all my favorite time-wasting sites. Hooray! Although now there is a suspicious beeping noise emanating from the computer, making me think that I'm on some sort of implosion countdown. I need to keep Jack Bauer on speed-dial,just in case.

*My a/c in the living room is giving off very snarly sounds every 10 minutes or so. I could turn it off and call someone...but that might entail calling someone who comes and fixes my fridge or the bathroom door due to language issues. I could turn on the dining room a/c, but it's somehow leaking into the wall and causing all sorts of plaster damage, so I've had to shut it off until my landlady returns to China. My bedroom a/c is nominally working...and people, it's HOT here. It's not like you can LIVE without it. OK, I know theoretically one could, but still...

My new ayi is working but I sent her to a cooking class and I guess I can't find the information about exactly when she is going and when she's here working. Last night at 6:30 when I got home, my dog was missing (at the neighbors where she takes him and I didn't go get him because I'm lazy and wanted to both go to bed early and sleep in). Curiously, no laundry done, my bed not made, and the towels on the floor. Very un-ayi-like. She started working after I left for the States, so I've only seen her for a couple hours my first day back. I think/hope I'll see her today. Maybe she can solve my a/c issues--one of the nice things about Xiao (it's pronounced "show" as in the first part of "shower", but more like "shee-yow", but changing syllables very quickly. See why I can only count to 10 in Chinese?) is that she speaks a bit of English so she'll get what I'm saying.

*Why, when I googled "maid" under images, this was the only picture I felt comfortable posting? Apparently the word "maid" is virtually inseperable from the words "sassy" and "French". Men. Sheesh.

Famous (and Elusive) Cameron Goes to Work

Cameron and I are going to be elusive this summer. Due to recent events in western China, Facebook has been added to the list of sites that are now not available. We're being strangled! So family news and pics are going to be even more awkward to send out.

Famous Cameron reported to work today -- to join the exhilarating exciting extravagant world of film stars. So what did he do? Well, he showed up promptly at 11:00 and was told that they would be working with Jaden and Will Smith and the directors to make sure that they all had the right look and fit with each other. Six hours later, he signed his contract and went home. And ... that was it. A full day of sitting. And waiting. And then waiting some more. Pretty exciting, huh?

The script changed and only one of the "featured extras" has actual lines-- unfortunately, that role didn't go to Cameron. So he'll be on screen, but at this point not speaking. There is an Australian boy, another American, and a Chinese-American boy who lives in the US but spends summers in China. There are also a good number of Chinese kids in the same age range, many of whom don't speak English around.

The big question -- yes, we saw Will Smith and his family. Yes, he met the boys and shook their hands. Yes, we saw Jackie Chan. But everyone is very busy (and there are so many people) so it was more a case of them passing by, back and forth. We decided it was like seeing our first elephants on the Serengeti, or the pyramids. It's a bit surreal to see someone or something that you have seen so many times on TV or in pictures, right in front of you. If we had passed him on the street, I don't know that we would recognize him. Dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, he looked just like any other guy at a gym. His wife was much more recognizable, I thought (am I the only one who remembers that she was on "A Different World"?) The interesting thing was watching how many people are around them. All. The. Time. Everywhere they were, there was a photographer and what I assume to be either film workers, or their own assistants. I guess I'm too introverted to not be completely over-stimmed by that! As I write this, I'm watching "TMZ" and watching all of the paparazzi guys filming celebs and asking the lamest questions. How annoying that would be, everywhere you turn.

Cameron was disappointed to lose out on the speaking part, but even with the waiting he was very keen to keep on. He starts Saturday and then filming starts Monday. We're hoping that he'll have lots of time to be in school when classes start, and minimize missing too much of his first quarter of high school. His contract is very strict about pictures or disclosing any information about the plot, so for now we'll keep it general, but check back for more information as it comes!