Day Two.... Happy New Year!

It is our second day here in Nanjing and so I wanted to provide everyone with an update. I guess let me start with our flight to the Far East.  Things started out a little hectic once we arrived at the airport as we noticed that the car seats were left behind at the hotel.  Not to worry, Nicole and Lisa (my cousins) saved the day and rush them over to us just in time (so thankful for their love and generosity)!  Once we surpassed this obstacle things went very smoothly.  The greatest challenge was getting eight bags checked-in followed by another four carry-ons and backpacks through security.  Cooper and Brady were angels on the plane.  They watched three movies each and then slept the remainder of the flight, love business class on international flights!  Once we arrived in Shanghai our friends (Thank You Turner Family!) had their driver meet us at baggage claim where he then drove our luggage to Nanjing (approximately four hours).  This made the transition to our connection so much easier!  Once we arrived at Fraser Suites our luggage was not far behind.  Adjusting to the jet lag is challenging.  I am finding that we are exhausted by 5pm each day, where the best strategy is to fight to stay awake until 9pm so that you do not rise at three in the morning but rather 6am.  As tonight is New Years Eve and we celebrate 13 hours ahead of all our friends, I am fairly certain we are going to crash early as we struggle to adjust to the time change. 

Day one in China involved Natalie unpacking our belongings (air shipment to arrive four weeks from now and then sea shipment another three weeks thereafter) while I made a visit to the office.  Aside from all the adjustments I am certain to encounter as I start my new position, for now I will try to write about the observations or experiences in the city the first few days.  What becomes very apparent is the rationale for our assignment of a personal driver while in China.  Although there are lines on the roads few chose to drive within the boundaries of the lanes.  It is a continual game of "chicken" as cars work into any open space freely honking horn's to alert one another, vastly different than the Michigander that quickly follows a honk by a middle finger.  However, it is not only the other cars that come into play.  It is the seven million people that are also walking or on motor scooters, same rules apply (see who gets to the open spot first).  We have found the English speaking Chinese which work within our building as a very valuable resource with translation since our driver speaks very little English and we are still learning key phrases in Mandarin. 

Also interesting to note is the fine dust/dirt that covers the city streets and cars.  I am finding that many do not have a strong regard against littering, often witnessing people throwing wrappers, etc onto the ground.  The litter is not that evident since the large population means the communist party seeks to employ many at minimal wages.  On the outskirts of the city, where we live, the dust is not that prominent.  I was quickly reminded of the large city population when I visited the bank to exchange currency.  It was similar to our experience's at the Secretary of State in the US, lots of people waiting for a number to be called.  I had 50 people in front of me however when we (realtor/translator) were told to just wait for an open number to be called (a process I did not understand, why then take a ticket in the first place)?  Perhaps because I was a foreigner they gave me some flexibility? 

For the past few days we have been eating our meals at the restaurant in our building.  We are enjoying the breakfast buffet that we will have daily.  However as the restaurant strives to provide "western" meals they are still a way from what we are used to.  As a result we quickly realized we must grocery shop.  Our first stop was China's version of Costco, called "Metro".  The similarities were the warehouse atmosphere and set-up of the building.  Many of the products are unfamiliar to us, since they cater to the Chinese desires.  There is however a few rows of imported products that we are able to chose from, imagine how excited we were to locate frozen chicken breast.  We then journeyed to another grocery store, however the selection was limited for "western" cooking.  As a result of all this, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our ocean shipment which will have many of the complimentary items for cooking that we have not been able to readily locate.  I noticed in the grocery store many people took great interest in looking at us, not in a rude manner but more of curiosity.  Of course Brady loves the attention and quickly says "Ni Hao (hello)!  It was so funny when we arrived at the Shanghai airport, Brady was walking around at ever person he saw stating "Ni Hao, I speak Chinese"...  LOL!

Our last stop of the day was to a McDonald's downtown, the boys had been bugging us to find one.  They were happy to find the food tasted exactly the same.  I noticed the workers in the restaurant were very busy and quick to fill orders, in addition to the cleanliness not typically seen in all McD's in the US.  It appear many young people used the restaurant as a gathering place.  In addition we were surprise to find out that our meal only cost 60 RMB ($10 USD) for the four of us.

 

Ready, set, blog!

So it is today that I have decided to begin my blog after weeks of procrastination.  If it is grammatical and written profoundness you are seeking, this blog is certainly not going to be for you.  Rather I thought I would periodically write and publish to my family and friends some of the experiences this new adventure brings.  I want to remember/share some of the challenges, the hardships, the culture, and the laughs along the way.  The true challenge will be the longevity of this blog.  So keep your expectations low and I will be sure not to disappoint ;)

Right at this moment I am physically exhausted although enjoying sitting in silence on the floor of my son’s now empty room.  The movers are busy packing all our personal belongings to be loaded the next day in air and sea shipments.  How quickly we arrived at this point.  In just eight days our family will be boarding a flight to Shanghai and then another to our new home in Nanjing, China.  Most recently we have been packing like crazy, this not only included all our possessions but also all the western necessities that we are allowed to bring with us.  I am fairly certain that Natalie is going to be crowned “Costco Member of the Month” after spending large amounts of our bonus preparing for the trip.  We are allowed to ship via sea food and household items that may either be hard to find in China, expensive, or otherwise comforting to us as we ease into our new culture.  As you can imagine this is a challenging task as you must be mindful of expiration dates since the ocean shipment will take 6 to 8 weeks for arrival.  Packing has become a complex process as we sort things to bring in our suitcases, or within the airship and then finally the sea shipment.  This is a great time to thank several of dear new friends located in Nanjing, China; the Darwick, Johnson, and Turner Families.  Without their help and guidance over the last several months we would not be nearly as prepared and optimistic for our move.  Although leaving family and friends is immeasurable, have great new friends for us and the kids is very comforting.

Our first China experience did not include the children and occurred mid-November as we visited for one week to locate housing and school for the children.  We found a place to live that Natalie and I are very pleased with.  Our place is a departure from what we are used to however it has many unexpected comforts.  My best description would be a high-rise condo complex which is full service (cleaning, laundry, pool, fitness, gymnasium, etc…).  Please take a look at my Facebook page for pictures from our pre-trip (“… and the adventure begins!”).  We are also very happy with the school for Cooper and Brady; The British International School of Nanjing.  This is a private school that follows a British curriculum.  All of the teachers and Head Master were very friendly and the school felt like a large family.  There are approximately 15 to 20 children in each class thus we are looking forward to the personal attention each will receive. 

In sticking to my opening statements I also have to comment on some of the hardships we encountered during our first trip.  Our home finding was not similar to “House Hunter’s International”.  Rather we were treated to the unique relationship that the realtor and the landlord have with one another.  You see, the realtor only wants to show you properties that they have a landlord relationship with.  The idea being that they both seek to maximize profits for one another.  The house search process is not organized like here in the US and the challenge is further compounded by cultural/language complexities.  We were shown homes that were already under contract or quickly signed by other international seekers.  Frustrating process, however in the end everything worked out.  In the evenings we were fortunate to have dinner with friends and try the favorite ISE (International Service Employee) locations.  We went to an Italian, Irish Pub, and Taiwanese restaurant.  At lunch we ventured to local Chinese restaurants which were very good.  It is unlikely that either of us will try any street vended food in the near future…  Oh and I need to mention that the driving is crazy!  There are cars, people, scooters traveling in all directions.  It takes some getting used to.

Let me explain a little about the city.  Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions.  With an urban population of over seven million, Nanjing is the second-largest commercial center in the East China region after Shanghai.  We got to spend just a few hours visiting Purple Mountain, at the eastern edge of the city which is home to many of Nanjing's historical sights.  We got to witness the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, revered as the leading force in bringing down the Qing dynasty, who died in 1925.  We climbed the 392 marble steps to the top and took in the beautiful scenery.  It is experiences such as this that we look forward to sharing with the kids.  Aside from all the historical locations we want to visit we are also planning to relax in Thailand, Fiji, etc.. ;)

Our Mandarin lessons are proving very beneficial and I am optimistic we will become more familiar with the language when we are required to use it daily.  Cooper and Brady are doing great learning the language, in fact more recently we sang Happy Birthday to Brady in Mandarin.  We are going to miss our instructor (Sue) as she has been unbelievably patient and armed us with all the basics in our first few months.  We planned to continue the lessons once we become settled in China.  Also, I am looking forward to working with my colleagues throughout Asia Pacific and Africa.  I have obtained my India and Thailand Visa at this point and the entire family has all our passports and Visas.  What a process…  My new position is going to be challenging but building upon the growth in the region is going to be exciting. 

This all brings me back to the empty room where I sit.  We have had many great memories in our current house but we are looking forward to what is ahead.  Next on the immediate horizon is the completion of our packing, handing over the house keys to the new owner, and leaving for China.  The first week will require learning the food shopping process, purchasing cell phones, interviewing for our driver, preparing the kids for school, meeting my work colleagues, and experiencing the Chinese New Year celebrations. 

The coming days are going to be hard as we say goodbye to family and friends.  Thank you to those that have made our final days in Michigan memorable, you know who you are and we will never forget your generosity and love.