Settling in to life in China

 I know this post is long overdue, so here goes with hopes of keeping up with consistent entries to share our experiences with you. So much has happened in the past 4 weeks that we have been living here as a family... Our flights went well, they felt long but at the same time it is pretty amazing to travel to the other side of the globe in less than 24 hours. Our first week was a blur of new sights, sounds and smells amidst adjusting to the time difference of 13 hours and catching up on much needed sleep. I have discovered that there is no "wading" into the culture here, it is a jump in with both feet kind of response that allows for enriching opportunities and increased confidence. Not only do we have to learn our way around a new culture and lifestyle, but also big city life in general...all new for this prairie girl. We feel that this is where we are supposed to be and have embraced this path we will be journeying down over the next 2 years.

One of our favourite past-times as a family has been exploring. Joe and I have both bought eBikes which has brought us the joy of mobility. Besides cruising the crazy streets on my own wheels, I have also learned to take a taxi and ride the metro (subway) successfully. Shopping is another thing I have learned to do on the fly, which has been a bit of a challenge considering I do not know much of the language. They seems eager enough to help out, especially if they see an attempt to communicate.

We are getting used to all the attention we receive when we go out. The area we live in has less expats than other areas and I would venture to say that some of the locals here have never seen white people, let alone little blond kiddos :) We have learned the phrase for "I don't understand" but it doesn't seem to phase them, they keep chattering excitedly at us, rubbing the kids' arms and hair. There is much to learn about this culture and China seems so very different than life in the Western Hemisphere.

Thanks for joining our blog and we hope you continue to follow us on our adventure!!