Flight is Booked

Pudong, Shanghai Airport

Our flight is booked. We leave July 3, 2011 at 1:00pm and arrive in Pudong, Shanghai, China July 4, 2011 at 3:15pm. Next week the shipping company comes to survey our items we are bringing along. Girls school application is being submitted this week. We are still waiting to hear about the offer on the house.
Exciting, stressful, happy and sad, lots of emotions flying around our house. Jill asks every morning, "are we going to China today?" And is very disappointed when I tell her not yet. We had the girls pick their favourite toys yesterday and told them they can each fill a bin, once the bin is full that's all you can bring. Alexis looked at me with worried eyes and said, "what are you doing with my other toys?" I said, "luckily they get to stay here at home for when you come back to visit". She was much happier then. So then as she chose things to go with her to China she said, "this can stay here for my cousins to play with when they visit Mama & Papa".
Now we have to make appointments for vaccinations. I haven't told the girls yet about that, no need to worry them ahead of time!

 



Home Sweet Home

Looked at two international clinics. First very nice, second awesome. The second clinic is inside the international hospital. Doctors from around the world.

Then we looked at another villa and went back to Xijiao Hua Cheng. It's home! We are making an offer. I feel like I am at Grammy Friess' or Grandma Loschnig's in Florida. Tropical fruit trees and flowers everywhere. Inside is a home when family or friends visit they can stay with us in comfort.

 

The British are coming!

BISS Courtyard

Wow, what a difference two schools can be. British International School and Yew Chung International School were very different. We have chosen BISS. The school is large and very advanced. It was a great feeling. We met Karen (head of admissions) she was born in UK but lived in Canada and had her children there too. Felt really good to know she knows where we are coming from. In the 8 years she has lived here(China) to this day still drinks Tim Horton's coffee everyday.


BISS Puxi Campus

 

BISS Uniform



Looked at more apartments, townhouses and villas. Xijiao Hua Cheng Villa feels like home. Our own fenced yard, patio, carport for Chris scooter (lol). The neighbour even has a grapefruit tree.

A New Day

Going to meet Tracy from Elite 8 and she is going to show us a few apartments. We also get to go to a carrefour (hypermarket, like a Wal-Mart) and a City Shop (where we find imported treats from home). I can't help but laugh everytime I hear a horn honk as we drive. It is like music. Not angry honking just music to let people know "I'm coming up behind you look out" or "I'm turning here hurry up".

Tracy takes us down Hong Mei Pedestrian Street which has 29 restaurants from all over the world including Canada (MooseHead on tap). We had lunch and met Kevin Harding (Elite 8) at The Blue Frog.

Just outside the restaurant is a public washroom, needing to go pee Tracy and I go in. Open the stall and to my surprise the toilet is a urinal laid on it's back in the floor. I stepped back and laughed. Tracy says, "you have not used?" I say, "I've peed in a forest I can pee in a squat box." Look to my left, right??? No paper not even a holder as if there is supposed to be some in there. What, am I supposed to shake it off? Looks like I'm holding it. All in all a great day and experience.

For dinner Chris and I are invited to a co-workers home. Blaine and Melissa with 2 year old Nicholas and baby brother due in June. They are from Canada they moved here 5 years ago. Wonderful family, and great to meet new friends from home. We had steak & potatoes on the BBQ and corn on the cob. At the end of the night I know we made good friends.

Fly Fly Away

Sky Fortune Hotel Lobby

Sitting at the gate waiting to board. Listening to the surrounding Chinese. I have to laugh! Then I think a little more and say uh oh, I can't understand any of it! At least with German I could understand, but this... I can say "Hi" (Nǐ hǎo), "whatever" (wulun zenjang de), "I love you" (Wǒ ài nǐ) and "thank you" (Xièxiè) but that is as far as my vocabulary extends.

I had a bulk head seat thinking, "great". No one sitting beside me even better. But the arm rests don't go up. The flight is so empty I moved back three rows and voila, three seats to myself to lay down. As we took off tears rolled down my cheeks. Thinking about the next time I take this flight, will be with my girls to relocate.

Flight was great didn't seem like 14 hours at all. Driving to the hotel, doesn't seem much different than at home except more Chinese writing everywhere. Chris and I have dinner and I sleep thru the night, first time in a long time.