Our Next Move... Huzhou, China

Yes, we have decided to stay in China and also to move to a new city. Andrew has upgraded his job from kindergarten to highschool, which should prove to be much more rewarding for him.

Huzhou is a third tier city whereas Nanjing is a second tier city. This means that Huzhou has only 3 million people against Nanjing's 8 million  - yes, they commonly refer to it as a "small town".

We are super excited. To us this means more of a transition into the Chinese culture, a bigger push to further our language skills and understanding. Sure, Huzhou still has a DQ and Louis Vuitton but, it will definitely take us out of the Western comfort zone that we have enjoyed in Nanjing. This is because there are considerably less foreigners there and even less foreign families.We leave Nanjing at the end of August.

The adventure continues...

Shanghai

Our time in Shanghai was short but we tried to make the most of it, even through the bitter cold, and see as much as possible. 

We were lucky enough to stay in an apartment hotel (for only $50 a night which is a steal from the regular rate) that was walking distance to Nanjing Lu, People's Square and The Hersheys Store, which in my opinion, had better hot cocoa than the actual Hershey park in PA. 

The People's Park was fun. There were several amusement rides  that  the kids (and Andrew) enoyed it while Colten took a nap.  The prices to ride were moderate but you do need a tickets for each ride - no "bands" like we are use to in the States. 

We also made it to the top of the World Financial Centre which has the world's highest observation deck - with a glass floor - which really freaked Colten out for about the first 20 minutes of being there.  We waited until dusk so that we could see the day and night view for one admission fee. The night view was great, not only for the beautiful city lights but because of the new year celebrations, we saw fireworks shooting off as far as the eye could see - everywhere  one after another. Pretty amazing!

While in the area we took a few photo ops in front of the Oriental Pearl Tower, which Colten really wanted to go into - everytime he sees it now he say "me, go".

Let's see - - oh, and apparently fresh pressed sugar cane juice is big on the streets so we had some of that - not my thing but it was ok.

We also checked out a place we now refer to as "toy street" because it was packed with nothing but and where Drake picked up a long awaited Mickey Mouse transformer -  it was a pretty big deal for him - and only cost 20 yuan... roughly the equivalent of $3.30

At some point during our trip we found ourselves defrosting in a Toys r Us and Colten fell in love - with Pluto. He must have pushed this dog around for 2 hours so, of course, we had to buy it.

Last but not least, Shanghai is famous for their xiaolongbao so we had to go to the famous Nanxiang Dumplings at YuYuan Gardens - we tried everything on the menu - yum!

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year)

Welcome to 2012, officially! 

According to the Chinese Lunar calendar we are now entering 

The year of the Water Dragon.

 
 
 

 

Above: View of some Fireworks from our apartment... this went on from morning til night but around 11:30pm until 1am it really did"POP OFF!" It was insane! I can only equate it like being inside a rainbow war zone. I don't think either Andrew or myself had ever seen such amazing fireworks so close - eye level and no more than 75 feet from our balconies - on any side of our apartment. Truly an amazing, fun, celebration that we are glad to have experienced thanks to the people of Nanjing!

It's Chinese New Year's Eve & Drake's 9th Birthday !

We started off our day with some yummy birthday cake for breakfast. Drake's cake was Hui Tai Lan - from the same show as Colten's cake was; Xi Yang Yang. The chocolate flavor of the whip was so yummy!

After cake, we prepared for a family lunch, which we were invited to by one of Andrew's student, Winnie's, family. We have spent time with this family on several occasions and they are so generous and nice to us. We felt very honored to be included in their New Year's traditions. For Chinese people, today is a day of family. Traditionally, last night everyone cleans their home from top to bottom in preparation for visits from other family members.

On New Years Eve, the whole family eats together and children are given new clothes, new toys, and money in red envelopes. After, each day of the week, for the next five days is spent at a different family mambers home. The food was delicious, by the way and all of the children had a great time playing together.

Since there was a light snow yesterday, we took some time for a photo op before it had completely melted away, though it was already afternoon.

Then - more cake! And because wrapping paper seems to be in short supply in Nanjing, we improvised and sent Drake on a wild goose chase through the apartment to find his gifts. He found them all easily and each one lead him closer to his ultimate gift - and electronic keyboard and microphone.

  

Tonight we look forward to all the fireworks shows that (as Andrew would say) will be "poppin' off" outside of our apartment.

Christmas Merry from Nanjing China

Gao Roe a.k.a. Dog Meat

Yes, it took a while to find it but we did! In China it is normal to see sausage or other meats hanging out side of a restaurant, apartment, on a clothes line right next to the linens drying so we usually don't pay much attention. Today was different. After a long day of exploring the city and coming across some great deals, we were headed home - still exploring so, the area was new to us when we happened upon a fine dining establishment. Andrew quickly asked, "is that cat?" and when I looked at it I agreed, "yea I think so, it has claws". WHile I scrambled in the bottom of the stroller looking for the camera, Andrew went inside to ask some questions. When he and a lady came back outside, and he asked "what is this" she proudly declared "Gao Roe". It must have been silly to her becasue as a family we all instantly said " DOG!!"  - Yes ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure:

When talking with a co-worker, the day after our discovery, Andrew was assured that any dog eaten is "farm raised" and not someone's pet... really?

Living In China: Month Three

Pantyhose + Shorts = Pants: Fashion, Fashion, Fashion! It is all about the 80’s here in China. They ladies love their rabbit furs and pantyhose! Also, tights = pants (as long as they are worn with a sweater that atleast covers your butt).

Energy Efficient: our gas use for the last three months is equivalent to less than $5. We have a small washing machine and no dryer. Yes! – we hang dry everything (80’s!) in our special “drying room” which is a lot like a sun room for our clothes.

 Chit Chat: Reach out and touch someone – or atleast the tv or computer screen. We have weekly calls with our family, it’s free and super easy to stay in touch – maybe too easy. The only difficulties for us is the 12 hour time difference – but not too difficult.

 Satellite Service: from Phillipines, censored HBO – The Hangover is just not the same without Galifanakis pretending to jerk off the baby, am I right?

 VPN Service: This allows me to post to our blog, access facebook and any other non- Chinese sites not available through the Chinese Internet – actually using these services, we can access any country’s internet. Pretty handy.

 Loreal & Maybelline: Here these are high priced, department store counter cosmetics. Yes, the $10 base and $2 blush that most American high school girls experiment with are located next to Estee Lauder and some other fancy French cosmetic I have never heard of.
Light as a feather: the joy of eating Chinese food, no bloating. And really, I’m not hungry two hours later. We eat great here. Cabbage, rice, tofu, broccoli – tons of veggies actually, some traditional mixture of egg and tomato (yummy) with just garnishes of meats. Eating this way – and walking everywhere- has really changed the way we feel throughout the day.

Living in China: Month Two

Settling In: Things have become easier day by day. We live close to the local Wal-Mart (within walking distance) and shop there often. Food is tricky, we hired an Ayi (Chinese Nanny) to help in the apartment and with dinner 6 days a week but, it didn’t work out. She was lazy and couldn’t take direction and we were paying WAY too good for that kind of attitude so after 2 weeks, she was gone. Just walking into any ole restaurant is not really an option right now since we cannot speak or read Chinese, unless there are pictures we don’t eat there – there also has to be a lot of people there for us to consider it which makes it even more difficult because we in ourselves are a bit of a spectacle when in public (re: san ghe, san ghe, san ghe). But so far so good – hey! Life is an adventure.

Silver & Gold: In the last few months we have met many friends and been hosted to some of the best dinners we have ever had. It’s hard not to generalize Chinese people as a whole because most everyone we have met has been supremely generous to us, which is not an easy task considering the size of our family. We have been lucky enough to see some of the city sites thanks to our new companions and I think that has allowed us to understand the culture and language more and navigate to where we need to go with ease. We have made some great friends and are amazed everyday by their kindness.

Easy Peasy: Being a full time student myself, I underestimated the feat in relocating to a new country, establishing a family of five comfortably, homeschooling Drake efficiently and while juggling other everyday tasks and anything else that may pop up – which there are a few things daily! Outside of my own time management issues and dilemmas, the children have adapted superbly. I don’t think we could have imagined or asked for a better transition.

Boom, Boom, Boom: Lucky us, our community is in a new part of Nanjing so there are apartments being sold, stores and restaurants opening every day. What does this mean for us? Random fireworks shows happening throughout the day. Morning, noon, night – some are pretty some are loud but all are right outside our building. In China, any point of celebration calls for fireworks, baby born; just married; graduate; holiday. This is also just one of several things we have taken note of as a more free civil liberty policy than in the US (more on that later).

Gone one day, here the next: In China, when they build something no time is wasted. Across the street from our apartment is a building under construction. In only a few weeks it has been raised several floors and looking from different points in our apartment we have said a few times – was that building there yesterday? Of course it probably was but the progress being made each day is pretty amazing. I am keeping a photo diary of one of the buildings for a later post.

Wal-Mart: No matter where we go, we can’t seem to stay out of the local Wal-Mart. Anytime we have been on vacation we have had to make a stop into wallyworld for something we just couldn’t go any longer without. In Nanjing, it’s no different. We seem to go there at least every other day and without realizing it before, put on a show for the locals as they watch us fill our cart with liquid items and follow us to the checkout isle to see how we will fit it all into our stroller – it’s so bizarre. Some of these people literally follow us around and then stand at the end of the checkout, just watching. I imagine it to be a lot like the job of a National Geographic cameraman who can’t interfere when the lion is about to pounce on the zebra, they can only sit silent and observe.

Living in China: Month One

So, after our first night, things in China got a whole lot better. Although the language barrier is difficult, people always try to help us no matter where we are. On day two we began looking for an apartment and within three days we had picked one and were waiting to move in. It is close to a metro station and to the school Andrew will work at. It is in a nice, new community that is lined with greenery, water falls, and koi ponds. Our landlord had all of the requested furniture (closets, tv stands and tvs) made/delivered/installed and within 3 more days we were moved in.  The apartment community is nice, the apartment layout if fabulous but, as with many other things in China, the details are lack luster. For example in out entryway/office, we have this nice exposed brick but when the workers painted the ceiling, they dripped paint onto it and didn't bother to clean it...wtf? My opinion of this so far it that there is a disconnect with the people who do this type of work, painting, plumbing, etc.. they really don't care and there is noone to hold them accountable for  discrepancies in their work. Of course the owner of the apartment should have been fired up over it but then again, he's not living here so what does he really care, and who is he to correct a professional, even if the work is shoddy? - its an odd way of thinking about things... I can't quite comprehend it yet. Below are a few other obseravtions from our time here in China...

"San ge, San ge, San ge" - pronounciation: Sang-ah ; translation: Damn! They have three kids! We hear it everywhere we go. Andrew gets alot of thumbs ups from old men and we all get smiles and whispers. Its such an interesting reaction and no matter where we go, or how many times we go there we hear it constantly, and in the exact same fashion: "San ge, San ge, San ge"

Chinese dogs are amazing - first you have to know that traffic here is ridiculous. There seems to be no pattern but some how everyone is following the same routes. Knowing that, it is amazing to see a pomeranian or poodle (I see alot of both) running next to a scooter and watching for on coming traffic. The dogs are so obedient. Typically they walk without a leash next to their owner and if for some reason they loose sight of them, they stop and look frantically for their owner. They cross the street better than some humans I've seen and seem to also know this invisible pattern of the streets.

A dog owner can make just one call to their dog and it comes running - I am truly fascinated by it and don't understand it but, I am going to get to the bottom of it - I really need my children to follow directions like this!

Chicken feet, Duck head anyone?  We have found going to a sit down restaraunt daunting at times and if the menu has no pictures, we now just get up and leave... we still do not know many words and it becomes somewhat of a spectacle when we get to a point of saying "Chicken?, Chicken?, Is this Chicken?"... The few time we have pointed to a menu and tool a chance it was a 50/50 split on getting something we would actually eat. Don't get me wrong, the food here is great but sometimes when you order beef or chicken, you get bones, feet, head.. and we just aren't use to that - at least Andrew and I aren't. To this point Drake has eaten a chicken foot and Avery has nibbled on a chicken head but, that still doesn't mean I want to order it for dinner! Shrimp and prawns also come out in their natural state, and as much as I like shrimp, with each head I have to pull off, my appetite decreases dramatically. Another thing the kids have taken a liking to is "duck neck" - yes, it is packaged as a treat and smells like vienna sausages and you can feel the vertebrae in the package...

China is NOT handicapped accessible: It really is the most mind boggling thing and maybe I noticed it sooner than most since we travel with Colten in his stroller everywhere we go. Nanjing has a great public transportation system, brand new metro and it is so clean and convenient but not stroller, wheel chair (or any other  physical impairment) friendly. Very few stations have an elevator into the station and those that do, rarely operate it. Also it is pretty common to carry a stroller 30-40 stairs up or down, only to find an escalator going your way at the next level. And if you do happen to catch an escalator down, you will find the opposite – 30 stairs to pass before you reach the train. It seems to be some weird joke by the Chinese transportation system, and I will admit – I have double over laughing several times at the insanity of me and my husband carrying Colten in the stroller with a full basket down two flights of stairs only to find ourselves at a conveniently placed escalator or lift, also known as an elevator in the U.S., its enough to drive one mad! Chinese humor – I don’t get it.

High Heels: The Chinese sneaker. We walk everywhere, and even if we get a taxi somewhere or take the train, you can believe it only lessens our steps by a few… maybe I should get a pair of six inch stiletto boots to help me get from point A to point B, that’s what the Chinese women seem to do. Fashion is so important here in China and even if you are not dressed to the T, you better have some hot shoes on! I have tried to where heels here, and I am luck I didn’t twist my ankle in the process – maybe I have weak American ankles from sitting all day and driving everywhere my whole life – who knows but, one thing is for sure – these Chinese women are rockin’ the heels… Maybe that is why foot massages are so important here.

Click to see our pictures

Pack it up, Move it out

So far we have done alot of things to prepare for our trip. I have made list after list to ensure we are maximizing our time and luggage capacity.

For our flight we are allowed 2 checked bags at 50lbs each, a 20lb carry on and a personal item (for the 4 of us with a paid ticket). Colten has an infant ticket, we only paid the taxes on it, and he is allowed a 20 lb checked bag and stroller.

Originally we bought eight 29" bags... I don't know what we were thinking except that they were a great deal! However, I had an epiphany and we took four back and bought four 25" and four 21" bags. Keeping in mind that our apartment may be small, we will be able to max out at our allotted travel weight and also nest the bags inside each other for storage - taking up less space. Here are the bags we purchased. We also used space bags when packing so that we could neatly fit more into each case.

Almost everything is packed and ready to go, we have had to move ounces from one bag to another to ensure that we are hitting the weights just right for each one. It seems like a lot of luggage and weight but let me tell you, when you are packing for a year, you begin to notice how many ounces a pair of socks weigh and what a difference it can make.

We also bought a new stroller, a Graco Urbanlite. Not only will it come in handy at the airport but we expect to need it for getting around the city and going to the market. We chose this one because it is a newer model of the highly reviewed Metrolite. It weighs less than 20lbs, folds flat and has a big under basket. We recently test drove it and it is wonderful - very smooth.

To date we have all had our teeth cleaned (of course it can be done there but we pay insurance here now - and its free), the kids have been updated on any shots needed. We have purchased common medicines and first aid items as well as toiletries - some we need, some we like. My thought is that we can get all of the same items at the Wal Mart in Nanjing but I am not sure we will be up to that experience as soon as we arrive.

The kids are getting alot of great quality time with their grandparents, who have helped us out tremendously by getting the kids out of our way while we do all of this stuff and stress out here & there.

Wow, it's all coming together and we only have a few days until we take off...

Ok, so our big news is…

Before I spit it out let me just say, we have not made this decision lightly. We have spent days and nights searching, comparing, making lists of pro/cons, having long conversations, making more lists, and re-researching everything we may have previously decided on. We have strategized and planned for every detail we could think of and this is what we have come up with:

We are moving to China.

Yes, you read that correctly. China: C-h-i-n-a.

Andrew was offered an opportunity to teach English at a school in Nanjing China. Now, what makes this so unique, not just for us but for many of the Chinese schools he was in contact with, is that not very many families do this type of thing - especially 3 children families.

Something funny to think about is that in China you are only allowed to have one child, any more than that and you must pay a fine to the Government. So, the Chinese mindset is that those who have two or more children must be rich. My first thought in hearing this is that in America if I see a family with a lot of children I think “man, they must be broke!”

We have made a few contacts and friends already in China who have given us some invaluable advice. The biggest thing for us, and we understand and accept this, is going to be culture shock – to include language barrier. We do plan to hire an ayi [pronounced ah-yee]- a Chinese nanny, who I hear, is the “must have” in China. They help care for the children, cleaning, shopping and cooking. Who wouldn’t want that?

So, we have told close members of our family and only a few friends. The reactions were mixed but mostly everyone has been supportive and excited for us. While moving out of the house we were renting we sold all of our furniture and any other items we could. We sorted through toys and clothes then finally let go of stuff that we haven’t looked at in years but were somehow tethered to. That is an awesome feeling – to be free of so many ‘things’. We did keep a few items- some art, family photos, some other random stuff that in a year we will probably look at and wonder “why did we keep this”? but, it all fits nicely in a 10x10 storage room so, considering the ‘before’ I am ok with that.

Yes, I am leaving my “great job in Macon”. As I recently told someone when asked, I am too young to be stuck in a life I don’t want. I am able and capable of so much more. There is a huge world to see and I want my children to know “you can do it, there is nothing or nowhere in the world that is unattainable if you really want it”. So there! My plan is to spend time destressing from the corporate world and getting to know my family again while furthering my education.

In this global economy, the best gift we can give to our children (and ourselves) is the opportunity to learn Mandarin and prepare for the future where perhaps China will be the economic super power. Politics aside, this is an adventure and we are ready! It’s only a plane ride away – Atlanta has three nonstops to Shanghai every week.

In my next post I will tell you what we have done to prep for our trip and what we still need to do.