She can't walk, but she can get a cab

Liberty has been surprising us lately. She has begun looking at this clock we have on the wall whenever it is time for her to go to sleep. We think she picked it up by watching us as we looked at the clock to see if it was time.

Now she has picked up something else! While we were holding her waiting to cross the road we noticed she was moving her hands like she was waving. We watched and realized that she was doing it as cabs approached! Sure enough, she was trying to wave down a cab as it approached. Michelle then told me that the other day when she and Liberty were in a cab and almost home, Michelle took money out and held it in one hand while she got things ready with the other. Liberty took the money and Michelle thought she was just being curious as she often takes things from our hand to look at them. But this time, this time Liberty took the money, twisted around so she was facing the front, and started trying to stuff the money through the bars (these are found in many cabs as a sort of protection for the drivers, bars between the front seat and back seat.

What will she think of next?

Reflections

This blog is supposed to be about our life in Central Asia but these days it is about Liberty it seems.

Well, we must comment on her abilities with reflections. She can see us reflected in almost any surface which can be reflective. Once she does spot us she likes to wave at us, even if we are right beside her! It is really unbelievable, and we are dying to know what is going on her little brain. 

This evening she was playing by the fridge, and I was reading her a poem, but she wasn't looking at me... kind of off to the side and up. I realized she could see me, faintly, reflected in the fridge door!  So I waved and said hello, and even though we were essentially facing each other she waved back, then looked at me directly with a big smile and laughed! Amazing.

Happy New Year! Жаңа жылыңыздармен құтты болсын!

2008. Read that again. 2008. I love this time of year in part due to my love of resolutions. Yep, unlike many others I look forward to coming up with a list of goals to achieve. I could do it anytime of the year (and do around my birthday, but that is only 8 days before Jan 1st, so, the overlap makes me wait).

In no particular order:

• Learn better Kazak
• Learn more songs
• Learn another instrument
• Learn another language
• Engage in professional development (classes or books on teams, leadership, project management)
• Develop talks from daily verses
• Learn the order of the books, their chapters, and the topics within, in my favourite book

Well, that is all that is popping up right now. You?

Liberty is now 8 months and 1 day old. She is growing at an astounding pace. She is verbalizing and mimicing the words we say. She is standing up by herself, propped up by whatever is near her.

We both are growing too! The food here in China is so delicious. Frankly, we only eat in 2 or 3 times a week. And when we do some of those times are the leftovers. We are so grateful the food is not only delicious but inexpensive (unlike Kazakstan). 

We have resettled in Urumqi here, and we have a nice and warm apartment, near the big People's Park We shall take lots of walks through there come Spring.

Signs of Olympic fever are sprouting up. MAny stores are selling some kind of Olympic parnaphenalia already, making us want to get in on the action with our business.

Speaking of which, still has yet to materialize. There are some good companies here which help foreigners set up business, so we are talking with them to determine the bet route.

In the meantime we are often out and about. We will be posting photos online somewhere eventually!

An Appropriate Song as We Head Out

Child Of The Wind lyrics by Bruce Cockburn.

I love the pounding of hooves
I love engines that roar
I love the wild music of waves on the shore
And the spiral perfection of a hawk when it soars
Love my sweet woman down to the core

There's roads and there's roads
And they call, can't you hear it?
Roads of the earth
And roads of the spirit
The best roads of all
Are the ones that aren't certain
One of those is where you'll find me
Till they drop the big curtain

(CHORUS:)
Hear the wind moan
In the bright diamond sky
These mountains are waiting
Brown-green and dry
I'm too old for the term
But I'll use it anyway
I'll be a child of the wind
Till the end of my days

Little round planet
In a big universe
Sometimes it looks blessed
Sometimes it looks cursed
Depends on what you look at obviously
But even more it depends on the way that you see

Growing, growing, ... !

Liberty is growing so well! She is trying to sit up while she lies down, her head control is amazing and she likes looking around at everything. She is healthy enough that people gasp when they find out she is only 12 weeks (today!). Michelle is watching her right now, and Liberty likes to always be on the move, like her mom, checking out the world around her.

She has discovered tv too believe or not. While we were holding her the other night while sitting around with the family in the tv room she lifted her little head and began looking around. We realized she was trying to find the source of the sounds which were coming from the tv. Once she found it, her eyes became glued to the screen! It was cute at first, but when she wouldn't look away we were shocked! So we shall try to sit elsewhere.

Her next set of shots are coming up, and we are still in the process of trying to move overseas. There are a few bumps along the way, but we are confident the doors will open.

Being Indian

Liberty received her health coverage today. She isn't actually a formal Canadian citizen though. How'd she get it then? She is a registered Indian in Canada. Interesting. Through that, and me, she was approved right then and there.

She is doing well. Mom and dad are pretty tired however. We love her. It is an amazing privilege to be given the responsibility of caring for her, helping her grow and develop.

We ought to write more, but hey, we're tired!