100 Days

We are driving north towards what I call the "mega spa". I refer to it as the "mega spa" because I don't know its actual name. Not in English or Chinese. It is slightly north of the 6th ring road and will take us about 30 minutes to drive there. Our new GPS is telling us that I need to take the off ramp 4K ahead. Then 2K. Then now. It is remarkably precise...or so it seems...being it talks in Chinese I can't actually tell. Yang bought me the GPS for fathers day but since all the instructions were in Chinese it sat around on a counter until Yang had time to set it up. Yang has had other things on her mind and in her womb recently.

Which brings us to Elisa. Even though the GPS is older, it is safe to say that Elisa is the one that won our hearts. Sure, the GPS ensures that we won't get lost. But Elisa ensures that we don't want to get lost. Or at least not get lost for more than a day or two. She's been a true joy and its hard to believe that it has been three months already. That she now giggles with ease, that her and Yang have bonded very closely, that we can't imagine life without her when just a few months ago we could not imagine life with her.

Ok, back to the "mega spa". It's massive. Which is why I call it the "mega spa". The building we are in feels like the moscone center if the moscone center had a 12 story hotel on top of it. They is a huge ballroom on the first floor and on the forth floor there is a huge dining hall that could seat 10,000. Well, at least 5,000. Or 2000. There are 10 or so other buildings connected by the worlds slowest monorail. One of the other buildings hosts the spa which consists of the foot, back, body scrub type treatments and many, many pools of hot spring water. There are lots and lots of people walking around in various states of swimming wear. I see two other foreigners. If you've never been to a Chinese spa, not to mention a Chinese "mega spa" it is a very cultural enlightening experience. I've been to this spa twice before, so I know a bit what to expect. As I walked around I thought of what I told my brother Matt and then forgot. I said "it's interesting until it's not". Its kind of like that for me. A huge spa that is full on Chinese culture that was once interesting to me is now just kind of "is". Not a place I fit in, but not a place I am uncomfortable with either. I do smile at a sign that reads "children and the elderly must be accompanied by an adult".

Yang's father JiPing has rented seven rooms for guests, our family takes two rooms. The first night 30 people are there and we toast JiPing's birthday (according to the lunar calendar) and Elisa's 100 days. We eat Shanghai style food. Some of the men drink bottles of baijiu while their wives looked on. I stuck to pijiu (beer). After dinner, two rooms filled up with Majong games which lasted until 5am. I watched CNN and took Aidan to my room. Elisa and Lydia slept in parts unknown, I'm assuming close to Yang.

Yang, of course, was ready for breakfast at 8. Ready before me in fact. On troop of friends headed hom and another arrived just in time for Elisa's and JiPing's lunch celebration.

Elisa was content to breast feed and sleep. After all, you are only 100 days once.