And It was a Good Day

It is morning here now, and I am thinking I should have stayed up and wrote this post last night since now my brain feels a little like the 'mush pot' in duck duck goose. 

Anyway here we go - 

a five star hotel

Last week we got a call from a friend asking if Sean would be interested in modeling for a hotel and getting paid. I got the call and I am almost certain she said something like, "And you can find another foregin woman who is tall and thin and blonde (okay maybe this was not exactly what she said)." I asled her if I could do it, and she said "Oh yeah - I just assumed you would have to take care of your son!". Fast forward to two days before this event still no call, a few texts saying they probably didn't need us, and then a phone call. They said they just needed me and not Sean, but to send them a picture of us anyway to to see. So we did and they called back and said - Oh we think Sean is better than the guy we had so why don't you both come and bring your son. Yesterday they sent a car to pick us up at 9 am - we had no idea what to expect (they told us to bring dress clothes). But we got there and it was a SUPER FANCY 5 star hotel. They were taking pictures for brochures and marketing material. The photographer was flown in from Beijing.

Sean in very tiny pants (and a SHINY suit)

So what we think of as dressy clothes is not what Chinese people think of. They meant like full on suit, with leather shoes. The lady in charge got mad at Sean! Then found clothes for him to borrow. The first pants he was given were SOOOOO small. It was very amusing [for me]. He couldn't even button them up. Needless to say he eventually got clothes that fit. For his next outfit they had a super shiny suit. the pants looked to me like 'dance' pants. Oh man the picture does not give them justice!

costume changes

It was a good thing they had some 'dress up' clothes for us. I was VERY happy that I could fit into some of them :) I think Sean changed 3x and I changed 5x.

a too small wedding dress

Yeah the weddng dress was way to small! They had to sew the back closed and I couldn't bend down or move. The best part - after 1.5 hours wearing it [and wedding hair-do] they ended up not taking pictures of me in it. Before I put it on I said to Sean, "Don't you think it is funny they are taking pictures of us with Caed, like family shots, and then wedding shots to put in the same brochure." [so not Chinese kids before marriage]. And then after 1.5 hours in the dress the photographer made the same argument I did.

octopus
We got to eat all three meals at the amazing buffet in the hotel. They specialize in seafood and there was a TON of it. Including octopus and crabbies (as Caed calls them).

all you can eat lolly pops
Yep part of the desert buffet included buckets full of candy.

make-up lots and lots of it
They had hierd professional hair and makeup people. It was a BIG photo day for lot more people than just us [mostly their employes] - so people were in and out getting make up done all day, Sean included :)

a presidential suite
We took pictures in the presidential suite on the 43rd floor. It was amazing. Just unbelievable. There were lots of pics of this woman serving me tea in one of the rooms. Bathrobes were the costume here. Here is Sean and Caed watching T.V. in one of the rooms of the suite.

a crazy toddler
Though what toddler wouldn't be crazy with everyone all day trying to touch your face. Not only that he ate way too much candy and slept very little. I recall being in the ballroom (where they host weddings for 2,000 plus guests), and Caed running around in his underwear between all the tables, of course I was wearing that ridiculous wedding dress and couldn't bend over, pick him up or discipline him.

new friends
I really liked the hair and makeup girls, we will for sure get together with them again. Also our contact who we called Wiki all day was great. She is 32 and has a high up position on staff. Not until the last hour or so did we find out her name was actually Vicki...

make up again
yeah more and more

lots of teasing of the hair
What was I even thinking doing my own hair in the morning - just goes to show you how we went into this knowing nothing!

that movie with Chandler and Zach Effron
I watched this movie on HBO on a really big screen tv while waiting for the car to come get us

a pay check
You didn't think this was all for fun did you! They made it worth our time :)

a super rude (well what we Americans would consider rude, but apparently not Chinese people)
comment
The photographer said to Sean, "Your wife was probably a lot thinner when you married her right>"
I have of course gotten used to these sort of comments, Sean and I laughed over it - as it was right in front of me that he said this!

a lost passport
Sean's passport and credit cards got lost.

a found passport (praise the Lord!)
I prayed out loud when Sean left the room to find it, "Lord let it be found by the end of the day, no next 30 minutes, no 20 minutes, no within the next 10 minutes, oky God I just pray it has already been found right now" (thanks beth moore, i just finished the video of believing God where she talks about praying for BIG things :) Three minutes later Sean walked in with it found.

a little boy who feel asleep sitting up and then fell off a chair
What do you expect after so much 'modeling'

salmon
I ate salmon for dinner, so yummy. They also had an amazing salad bar, with a HUGE bowl of bacon bits. This may not sound exciting to you in the States, but this is a big treat here. Sean put them on his salad and his steak

and still at 10:09 at night make-up that has somehow welded itself to my eyes, despite me using soap and Almay eye make-up remover.
It is off now though, after a second shower :)

I can't wait to get the real pictures that end up in the material. He told me more than once, "don't worry I can photoshop that" of Caed's messy face or my 'chubby' arms or eye wrinkles.

Wow long post