Lost and Found

I'm taking the kids to school. Yang is with me, pushing Elisa in the stroller. I guess this is the life now. It the day after I returned from a business trip to Tokyo and I'm having an easy morning to offset the travel. We walk down a small alley where the brick school building sits. We pass a small chalkboard that during the Olympic games had this sign.

The funny thing is this if far from a tourist area. Just a normal Beijing back alley. Certainly not for Olympic guests. If it were me, I would have would written this instead.

I would keep the Chinese text. I'm not sure what it says, but I suspect it says something like "During the Olympic period, please treat the foreign devils like our our friends". Chinese being a dense language and all.

So, I start thinking what is the chance of me walking down this small alley with a wife and three kids who are as much Chinese as American. Talk about a long shot. Not exactly my expected life trajectory. But I don't feel lost. Well, most days anyway. Likewise, I don't feel "found" or "at peace" or the other feel good feelings I once thought were just outside my grasp. No instead, the message, if there is a message for me would be.

**Epilogue
**Recently, when I've picked up Aidan and Lydia after school Aidan has wanted to stop and watch the old men play Chinese Chess. He is fascinated by it. He's subsequently gotten Yang to buy him a small chess set and he's tried unsuccessfully to play with me a couple of time. Here's a picture of him peering in to look at the men playing.