So a quick update… I was told Friday afternoon that after my all day marketing event at MY hospital, I was traveling 3 hours by train to Taizhou to do all day training and marketing event about their new water birth center.
I’m totally OK with traveling to new places to do marketing for this company, but hey, more than 24 hours notice would be fine. And because we were RUNING LATE for the train, there was no time to go to my flat to get my overnight bag!
So, here I am, far away from my flat with only a change of underwear (smart midwives ALWAYS carry a clean pair in their purse!) and 2 outfits. The jeans and top I wore to work YESTERDAY and the dress I changed into for the marketing event YESTERDAY… And guess what, I’m here for ANOTHER night because they have a lady in early labor.
That said… I just delivered the first ever water birth baby in Taizhou. The media were here, it was a great birth, very fast birth, baby boy who arrived just 12 minutes after I walked in. He came so fast I didn’t even have enough time to put gloves on! Here the cutie patootie gives the camera a smooch pose…
The food has been sketchy. Last night I walked to the grocery and got some greens and a roasted chicken and made a chicken salad. This was after eating nuts and seeds on the train because Kitty (who really is the best personal assistant ever) said we may not be able to get dinner so late. Nuts and seeds are not on my diet, but what to do? Up to that point (we got on train at 515 pm) I had eaten 4 tea eggs for the day and that’s it.
This morning I had tea eggs and beef bacon with the shittiest cup of coffee ever!
Lots of green tea before the ceremonies began in the CEO’s office and I was offered this piece of fruit… I had to take a bite because I’d never seen anything like it… I only took 2 bites and it tastes like a combination of a pear and apple… Not sweet at all and nice texture.
Then time for the news conference and education…
Then we went to lunch. I love the way the Chinese eat, it’s very social. I brought my leftover greens from last night with me and picked at the food. I had some fish and some green veggies, and then I had some cooked beef COATED… GASP… With rice flour. I have to admit it was yummy. The ONLY reason I ate it was that they ordered it especially for me. They had snails, which I usually eat when I’m not dieting, but passed on today…
And everyone but me drank this crap… CORN SMOOTHIE, I KID YOU NOT!!!!
Then back to the hospital to catch the cute little baby. Here’s a pic of the new family…
And despite not having clean panties to put on tomorrow morning, I really am enjoying this unexpected trip…
And let me tell you the nicest thing I’ve heard this week… The nurse in this picture told me she was at Hangzhou last April for the water birth training “with Kasaleen and the other Sandi”. I said the other Sandi? “yes, she says, the big one” I said that was me! And she says, “no, no, I will show you picture” and pulls up a pic of me and her from last year. She was shocked… LOL. How awesome is that?
Dinner tonight was fish broiled in light soy and ginger… I passed on all the gravy laden veggies everyone else was eating and I passed on the duck tongue…
I’m trying not to stress that I have 2 patients due this week 3 hours away… Hold on girls, I’ll be back in Hangzhou tomorrow!
Ciao!
p.s. I guess that wasn’t so quick, 😀
p.p.s. I’m dreading getting on the scale 😦
Flamidwyfe's Blog 
Wait, you actually expect the Chinese to give someone ADEQUATE notice of something? Pffft. It was crazy, when I lived there, I was always being told about things at the last minute. I couldn’t work out if it was because I didn’t speak much Mandarin and therefore wasn’t picking up on all the chatter in the teachers staff room about various events going on, or whether they really do just throw things together last minute!! In some ways, kudos to them that they can really rally together and get something organised lickety-spit, but it does throw us slow-poke westerners, doesn’t it? 😉
Ah, the VP of Operations told me I’d been on the schedule for this for over a month… They just “forgot” to tell me 🙂
Hi! I stumbled across your blog via google. I’ve been in the dukan diet for 1 1/2 month. Every morning I check my emails to see if you uploaded your blog. You are so inspirational and I admire your energy! I live in Sweden so pardon my english. Just wanted to say thank you for all the smiles you have given to me throughout this time.
/ Hanna
Hi Hanna! Thanks for stopping in 🙂
Your English is perfect, so no worries.
Hello Sandi, wow what a hectic few days for you, lovely to be there for the birth! Sounds like you have tried so hard to eat well whilst away and you have been offered some interesting local fare- duck tongue- lol! Great that the nurse didn’t recognise you, I’m not surprised considering how much weight you have lost. Hopefully you are now home and resting up from your travels x
Just got back to hotel from hospital. 2nd water baby born 5 hours after the first 🙂 I’ll get some rest and go to train early a.m.
What a great blog today! Corn smoothie? Ewwww….Duck tongue? Double Ewwwww….The “other Sandi”, priceless. And, what an adorable baby boy. I SO look forward to your blogs. Safe trip home.
Thanks, Teri xoxo
Your life is such an adventure!! I love reading your blogs, they’re always funny and inspirational. You bring the beauty of birth to all who love you. I remember sitting with you many moons ago with Tina Papitto talking about life. Look how far you’ve come baby, you are an incredible PERSON. I’m so proud to call you friend…
Love ya… Jeanie
Wow! I haven’t heard Tina’s name in a while!
I am definitely blessed. I look forward to seeing you next. Love ya!
How can ANYONE eat duck tongue? It looks like alien meat! I was pretty adventurous in my meat-eating days (still am, in a vegetarian sort of way), but there were some lines I wouldn’t cross.
It does look like aliens. Yeah… I had pork intestines last night… forgot to mention that in the blog… it was good, but I was told after I tried it what it was.
That baby boy looks so like his Mum!
I cant believe how well you are coping with the whole thing, dont worry about the scale, Im sure it will be better than you expect.
Isnt that the best compliment in the world – she didnt even recognise you! FANTASTIC!!!!! LOL.
Hope this week is better for you xoxo
Thanks, Sonia… it really was the best compliment. She’s going to email me the picture and I’ll do a before and after.
you are just amazing sandi!
i love that the nurse didn’t recognize you — that is the best non-scale victory i have heard in a long time.
duck tongue? wow does that look horrid… heh!
The duck tongue tastes like pork. I tried it in December in Wenzhou. it’s rubbery though. it is definitely odd looking! LOL
Wahoo! To be found unrecognizable by someone who you taught…A-mazing!!
Zoinkies on the duck tongue (with attached jaw piece it looks like). Although it is all cultural, I recall friends who came to visit from Germany and were utterly grossed out that Americans wrap each piece of “cheese” (product) in plastic wrap 🙂 I’m curious about the corn smoothie too. I think of corn as not a typical Chinese food item, is it?
*anna
Corn does seem to be invading this country 😦 My personal assistant Kitty ate an ear of corn at the train station 2 days ago, had it for lunch yesterday and then the corn smoothie for dinner… blech! The other smoothie they drink is chick pea with sugar… ewww
Like I said in previous blog. don’t know how you do it. You must be on auto-pilot. Beautiful baby. and awesome that you weren’t recognized by student.
Corn smoothies and duck tongue? You are definitely being “challenged” the most of us bloggers out there 🙂
Living in China is challenging on many levels… but that’s a whole other blog!
We miss reading your blog 🙂 Your funny comments made us laugh and we’re amazed and what you are a part of! Life should be back to normal some time this week!
I’m happy to be seeing your blog in my email box! Making that chicken & asparagus dish tomorrow night for dinner and can’t wait!