A bun was in the oven

It wasn’t planned and we certainly weren’t expecting it to happen so quickly but Ken and I are now the proud parents of a little (4-legged) girl named Niu Niu!!!!

Her name is pronounced niew niew and means “little girl” or “cow’s milk” or “Vegas Tranny”, I really don’t know because we keep hearing different meanings from everybody!  Her chinese rescuer said it means little girl so we’re sticking with that.  She was found alone at Taihu Lake in the pouring rain and starving.  She’s now about 7 months old.  She’s a bit shy but also very precocious and she and Bernie are already best friends.  So if you thought you were sick of hearing about Bernie, you’ll now be bombarded with two dog stories.

This particular rescue is a collection of kind-hearted, animal-loving human beings who have to defy odds and take in as many strays as they can, get them healthy and find good homes with very little support and even less money.  Bless them and all their good work.  You can find more information and view their gallery of dogs and cats at Jaiya’s Animal Rescue

And here she is….

We think she’s probably a mix of fox, bear, Disney Princess and scallywag.

When the party’s over

Enough with this Tiger stuff already!

While the United States is obsessed with Tiger Woods, I do realize that  I have become obsessed with the Chinese Tigers.  To be honest I never thought about them once all those years in Los Angeles.  I was worried about dog- overbreeding, graffiti, water consumption, what age would I start using botox and which restaurant had the best margaritas.   Isn’t that what everybody worries about??

Well, I just have to tell you this latest tiger story from the newspaper and I promise (fingers crossed behind my back) I will not tell another.

So this Chinese father and his 17 yr. old son went on an outing to the zoo as a gift to the son who had just passed his college entrance exams.  Near the tiger exhibit they found an open gate and thought it was a short cut to the exhibit.  It turns out it was an entrance only for the tiger keeper personnel and that a truck had recently entered and they forgot to lock the gate back up.  woops.  And just how do you FORGET to lock a gate that accesses several Siberian tigers???   In the newspaper zoo official’s said there were signs on the gate to not enter but anyone who’s spent 5 seconds in China knows that Chinese people don’t pay attention to signs.   Come on!  Sadly, they were attacked and the father was killed, the son was injured but is doing fine.  The tiger keeper who forgot to close the gate is going to jail for a long time.

And that’s the end to my pretty story.  I know, just like you, I would prefer me to go back to my graffiti obsession…but they don’t have any here.

Let’s hear it for the girl’s

Below is a picture of the ballet flats I had custom made at Giotto in Taikang Lu.  I’ve decided they are so pretty that I could, say, use them as a table centerpiece, they look divine next to any hair coloring and outshine any other pair of shoes you may currently be wearing (see photos below for proof).

And for you Alison, the girl told me that if you want a pair you need to just draw an outline of your foot and measure the widest area at the top part of the foot, around the knuckle area.  They have every color leather imaginable, suede too in black, ivory, beige and red (which is pretty darn cute) and I’m sorry to have to say this but they come in horse hair too.  This is China people (the Japanese probably sold them the skins! ).   Let me know if you want a pair and I’ll get them for you.  Just send me a scan of your foot.

Can you say DDT?

What in Dios De Los Muertos hell is going on here?!  For the last several days, these beautifully colored “buttermoths” have been keeling over on our patio.  Everyday there are 10- 20 of them turned upside down and slowly dying!  A neighbor said they don’t live long so it could be that they hatched, hung out together and then it was just their time.

OR

It could be that every few weeks property management comes and says they need to spray for “pests”.  They told me the spray is safe but I want to go on record here and now that if Bernie sprouts another head or all my teeth suddenly fall out, you’ll know why.  Lord.

I did not need to read this

When you’re a baby the first thing your mother teaches you when you’re playing outside is “do not ever eat anything that looks like a mushroom, you will writhe in pain and then YOU WILL DIE”.  Well, maybe that was just my mother but it’s amazing we ever grow to like them really.  I was just reminded of these words because when the “plum rains” came, these tiny, stalky mushrooms sprouted up all over our backyard.  I would have to go out every morning and pluck them right away because I was afraid Bernie or a stray cat might eat them.  And then I read this story in the Shanghai Daily News yesterday.

Over the last three decades during the rainy season, several villagers scattered around the Yunnan highland’s would die of cardiac arrest.  About 400 villagers in all have died. It had scientists baffled, so they sent in researchers who after much trial and tribulation finally discovered that they had died from eating a poisonous mushroom!  This mushroom is rare and looks just like the non-poisonous mushroom they typically ate. They have warned and educated the villagers on these deadly mushrooms but occasionally someone will mistakenly still eat one.

Oy, so sad.  And just last night I was enjoying the most delicious farfalle ai funghi.

And now from mushrooms to shoes…

I just had the cutest pair of leather ballet flats custom made at this tiny shop Giotto in the Taikang lu (Tianzifang) shopping area.   They have tons of color swatches to choose from and many styles for men and women.  The ballet flats are $50.

Year of the Tiger…maybe so

I made an entry several months ago about several tiger’s that had died of malnutrition in a China Zoo and it wasn’t only one zoo.  It’s was heart-wrenching to read and it caused quite a bit of a stir here and internationally. Well, there’s some good news because there are lovely, smart people in this world (who do more than sit on their duffs and blog mind you). There is an organization Saving China’s Tigers that’s working hard, saving one tiger at a time and needs your help.  I know, I know, so many people, places and things need your help right now but if you think this could be your cause, check it out, it’s so beautiful what they’re doing.  You can “adopt-a-tiger”, read diary entries on the progress of the beautiful creatures, learn about “rewilding” and a host of other amazing things this foundation is doing.

I’ve got a fever

World Cup Fever that is and tonight is the FINALS!!!   I haven’t watched all the games but I’ve watched almost all of them and this World Cup has had all the drama, sportsmanship, unsportsmanship, shananigans and rigamoroll (as my mother would say) that only this game can deliver.  The final’s don’t come on until 2:30 in the morning here so we’re setting our alarms for wake-up time, popcorn maker and coffee machine (beer?) so we can watch all the excitement.  As an aside, or offsides if you will, you’d think with all the millions of soccer fans in China they’d have come up with a better time for us to watch, right?!

Anywhatwillidowithmyselfafterworldcuphoo, I am cheering for Spain because I’ve had way too many good times there (Tarifa I love you!) not to.

Peace and may the best team win.

Mrs. Cravitz

I’m at my bedroom window staring out (from behind the curtains) as I often do because with 18 plus million people in this city I’m bound to see something interesting at least every 15 minutes.  For about the 20th time since we moved here they are replacing the flowers surrounding the “Haibao shrine” at the park across the street.   I’m standing with amazement at the truckload of flowers being delivered, it was completely full.  And then I saw the man in the hard hat unloading everything.

Guess what

IT’S RAINING IN SHANGHAI.

So we had this kitten “stuck” in our back deck area for about a week. By stuck, I mean she managed to get herself in but the walls are pretty high and she couldn’t get out.  What was my quaint little area where I grew herbs and could sit with Bernie in the morning and sip coffee while we sunned our toes had become this cat’s prison.  She was a pretty-eyed, white-haired fluffball with caramel patches and a growl/snarl that made Bernie do a double-axil backwards flip when he got too close.   I fed her and gave her water, from a distance mind you, but really just wanted her to get out to the courtyard complex to join her mother and siblings and the million other cats that live there.  Which would explain why I’ve never seen a rodent.  Finally today, with Ken’s genius and my nerves on their last end, we got her from the back deck door to the front yard door and out she went to freedom. I already miss the furry and feral little hisser.

In tomato news:

I have managed to not kill the tomato plant…yet.  We’ll be having a few in our salad soon!

The circus came to town

Ken and I went to see the “circus” last weekend, ERA Shanghai It’s not the kind of circus where lions are jumping through fire hoops, clowns are standing on galloping horses and elephants are balancing on a pin cushions, because I despise those horrid things which I consider to be animal abuse.  But more than that, I just hate clowns.  HATE them.

This was more like a Cirque de Soleil type show minus the $200 million budget for set design, lighting, music, costuming and hair and makeup.  It was pure raw talent and a lot of fun to watch.  It’s theme is past, present and future China combining traditional Chinese acrobatics with modern technology.  There are many different acts including acrobats, plate spinners, trampoline jumpers, etc., with beautiful live music in the background.  The finale is a huge metal Ball that 8 motorcyclists enter and ride around in.  It’s truly unbelievable.

Important Hint:  Before the cyclists enter the ball they ride around the audience using the pathways you take to enter the seating.  Make sure that after intermission you STAY IN YOUR SEAT, otherwise you may get mowed down.

You can get more information and tickets here ERA Shanghai