Saturday, October 07, 2006
Ni hao Everyone! I'm trying my best to learn Chinese... but it's not working out too well. Good thing I can wave my arms and legs to try to explain things. Pretty interesting.
Things are settling down alittle. Lukas had physical therapy today for 1 hour. He did okay. Stem cell treatment will happen on Monday; so we are excited. Tomorrow we will go to church for Sunday mass. Oh joy, I'm sure we won't understand a single thing. I guess we'll just sit and stand when we see everyone else doing it. :)
Food in Shenzhen is either really really expensive $70-$100 US dollars per meal, or really really cheap like $2-4 per meal. We tried both and Lukas and Grandpa had the runs really badly at the cheap restaurants. I'm trying to find a middle ground restaurant, but no luck yet. We will continue to explore. Some people here are cooking their own meals. But with Lukas's treatment being so intense, and his constant need for attention and crying, it's too hard to go grocery shopping and cook. I've considered hiring someone to help out since the cost of labor here is so cheap. Retail is not cheap, but labor is cheap. So when we go to a restaurant, there would be a billion waiters and waitresses. Everyone is ready to help you til the end. And, they DO NOT accept tips!!! In fact, they get really surprised and they frankly refuse tips. So don't tip in Shenzhen!!! :) I guess that's a good thing... sort of. I feel bad because these people work so hard for you, make so little, and yet they will not accept tips. I think it's a management policy, not because the workers don't want to accept the tips. Their peers and boss will frown at them for accepting tips.
Anyhow, I'm trying to explore the area with my dad and Lukas. Today, I decided I would try to get my hair washed at the store. I just wanted to try it out; and it only cost $4 for the service. I was SO SURPRISED because they clean and massage your head and body for over 1 hour. I expected to be in and out in less than 30 minutes. I end up leaving the place after 1.5 hours. Wow! I was getting impatient and wanted to leave right away. But I decided to stick to it and experience this hair washing service til the end. I also decided to get my nails done while my hair was meticulously worked on. Getting a manicure cost $2.50 US dollars. So why not right? :)Gosh, they did such a thorough job. And NO NO NO TIPS. Interesting... but good for us visitors I guess. My friend Maggie said that Shenzhen does not want to create this custom of "tipping" because although foreigners can afford to tip, the locals can not. So, they do not want to have all this tipping business. :)
Well, I'll report to you all on Monday regarding Lukas's first stem cell treatment. Hopefully, everything will be okay!
Things are settling down alittle. Lukas had physical therapy today for 1 hour. He did okay. Stem cell treatment will happen on Monday; so we are excited. Tomorrow we will go to church for Sunday mass. Oh joy, I'm sure we won't understand a single thing. I guess we'll just sit and stand when we see everyone else doing it. :)
Food in Shenzhen is either really really expensive $70-$100 US dollars per meal, or really really cheap like $2-4 per meal. We tried both and Lukas and Grandpa had the runs really badly at the cheap restaurants. I'm trying to find a middle ground restaurant, but no luck yet. We will continue to explore. Some people here are cooking their own meals. But with Lukas's treatment being so intense, and his constant need for attention and crying, it's too hard to go grocery shopping and cook. I've considered hiring someone to help out since the cost of labor here is so cheap. Retail is not cheap, but labor is cheap. So when we go to a restaurant, there would be a billion waiters and waitresses. Everyone is ready to help you til the end. And, they DO NOT accept tips!!! In fact, they get really surprised and they frankly refuse tips. So don't tip in Shenzhen!!! :) I guess that's a good thing... sort of. I feel bad because these people work so hard for you, make so little, and yet they will not accept tips. I think it's a management policy, not because the workers don't want to accept the tips. Their peers and boss will frown at them for accepting tips.
Anyhow, I'm trying to explore the area with my dad and Lukas. Today, I decided I would try to get my hair washed at the store. I just wanted to try it out; and it only cost $4 for the service. I was SO SURPRISED because they clean and massage your head and body for over 1 hour. I expected to be in and out in less than 30 minutes. I end up leaving the place after 1.5 hours. Wow! I was getting impatient and wanted to leave right away. But I decided to stick to it and experience this hair washing service til the end. I also decided to get my nails done while my hair was meticulously worked on. Getting a manicure cost $2.50 US dollars. So why not right? :)Gosh, they did such a thorough job. And NO NO NO TIPS. Interesting... but good for us visitors I guess. My friend Maggie said that Shenzhen does not want to create this custom of "tipping" because although foreigners can afford to tip, the locals can not. So, they do not want to have all this tipping business. :)
Well, I'll report to you all on Monday regarding Lukas's first stem cell treatment. Hopefully, everything will be okay!
# posted by Lukas Stem Cell @ 6:09 AM 
