Is this the Last Medical Stuff????

Today we went to the Texas Instruments Doctor for our US Expat Exam.  Contrary to our China Health Check ... we were not in and out in an hour.  This exam was as much about arming us with  information as it was an exam.  We learned all the potential health issues we might be exposed to while visiting not only China, but the other countries on Michael's work agenda. 

We were issued our expat kits... which are pretty cool... better than any first aid kit I have seen.... the tag labels it as an 'Adventure Medical Kit'.   The contents:  An N-95 face mask, tissues, eye wash, insect repellent, sun block, hand sanitizer, Rolaids, cough/throat drops, antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone cream, various sizes of Band-Aids, various types of pain relievers, some kind of after bite towelette, moleskin for blisters, and the best two things  for last.  A visual communication card so that IF something happens and one needs to make a non-English speaking medical professional understand your ailment...  point to the pictures.  The final item... a book... 'A comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine'.  Here are just a few how-to-handle topics included: Gunshots and arrow injuries, how to perform a cricothyrodotomy, setting broken bones, hyperthermia, and a multitude of other medical emergencies that one might encounter in the wilderness.  My sincerest hope is that I never have to consult the book!!

After learning about potential travel maladies... most folks are familiar with the most common travel illness... Montezuma’s Revenge... but in the more rural areas, malaria.  Contracted from those lovely biting insects... mosquitos!  Although we most likely will not be spending a lot of time in the country, we are ready for it with our drug.... 'Larium'. 

Once we were warned to not drink the water, and we should carefully and thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, it was time for the dreaded list... and you ask... what list?  The shots list!!!  And a list it was!!!  WE endured five..countem’ up... five shots... followed by a TB Test.... which clearly involves a needle... so maybe we actually got six. Let's list them off...

1.  Meningococcal
2. MMR
3. Polio
4. Tetanus Toxoid
5. Typhoid
6. TB Test

I took 3 in the Left arm and the right arm got 2 and the TB test... I am typically not squeamish about shots and today was no exception, however the ones with the thicker serums were a bit 'rough'.  Of course, my big brave husband, totally hates shots.. most of the color drained from his face after about the second shot.  He does not do well in these situations.  But he made it though.  Unfortunately, he did not get his red sucker for being such a good patient!

Well… both of us are now dragging our arms around… both arms feel like dead weights.  I had to reach up on a shelf and thought I would cry… note to self… never get this many shots in one day!!!!

What I failed to mention is that once we get to China, we must find a local recommended doctor and start the Hepatitis A and B series.  We simply do not have enough time to get started here.  That is 5 more shots over a six month period of time. 

I remember when my younger brother, John, was in the first grade.  He contracted Hepatitis.  We believe he got it from a food handler in a local place we ate.  All of our family had to go for the inoculation.  That was, without a doubt, the most painful shot I have ever received… and it was in the hip.  Even though I was in the third grade at the time… man the shot was terrible.  John was really sick and out of school for a six weeks… if I remember correctly.

I guess it could have been worse… but I am really ready to end the medical stuff now… Now I need to read through the 38 page print out of the International SOS China Country Guide…. It discusses everything you need to know, but never knew you needed to know about China!!! I think this might need to wait for morning… the time changes have been tough on us. Our sleep patterns are still messed up!!  I figure about the time we get back to normal it will be time to leave…   Oh well......

BTW.... you DO NOT have to have all these shots to come for a visit!!!!  We are going to several countries and will be there for a long while... but anyone coming for a visit does not need to worry...

What is an Expat?

My eldest daughter, Marcy, suggested that I explain what an expat is.  Frankly, before Michael was asked to go to China, I had never really heard the term either or if I did, it just passed through my brain and did not register.  But now Michael will be an expat and I will just be along for the ride... which is ok with me. 

 According to the dictionary...
An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence. The word comes from the Latin term expatriātus from ex ("out of") and patriā the ablative case of patria ("country, fatherland").

In its broadest sense, an expatriate is any person living in a different country from where he or she is a citizen. In common usage, the term is often used in the context of professionals sent abroad by their companies, as opposed to locally hired staff (who can also be foreigners). The differentiation found in common usage usually comes down to socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn more money might be labelled an 'immigrant'. There is no set definition and usage does vary depending on context and individual preferences and prejudices.

In the 19th century, Americans, numbering perhaps in the thousands, were drawn to Europe—especially to Munich and Paris—to study the art of painting. Henry James, for instance, was a famous expatriate American writer from the 1870s, who adopted England as his home.

The term 'expatriate' in some countries also has a legal context used for tax purposes. An expatriate living in a country can receive a favorable tax treatment. In this context a person can only be an expatriate if they move to a country other than their own to work with the intent of returning to their home country within a period of no more than 5 fiscal years. This number of years can vary per tax jurisdiction, but 5 years is the most commonly used maximum period.

That is probably way more information than you ever even thought you wanted to know.  I personally think... the connotation of 'expatriate', taken literally,  sort of implies that one is no longer a patriate of their home country.... but by this definition that is not the case.  But when you go back to you home country... you are considered a 'repatriate'... So there you have it... Probably the shortest post I have done to date...yee ha!!

Back Home... what a whirl wind trip!... so much to do ...so little time

After 14 and a half hours on an airplane from Shanghai to Chicago, we stood in a line that wraps around about 25 times... for over 2 hours to get through customs.  Then we retrieve our bags and THEN re-check them for a re-booked flight to Dallas because we have missed our flight home.  Finally pulled up to the house at 1:30am... some 36 hours since we started our day in Shanghai. 

We unloaded only the bags we needed the stuff to wash faces and brush teeth...... the rest will have to wait.  We collapse into bed...OUR BED... a bed with a good measure of padding.  It was total bliss!!! And ...if Kendall and Brooklyn had not called at noon we would have still been sleeping!!!  But alas... we reluctantly got up and prepared for all the family to arrive.  We finished unloading the luggage... gotta get those goodies we brought back for everyone. 

The Tanner's were the first to arrive.. then later the Kemp's.  We shared the apartment pictures and the stories of the week's adventures... everyone is getting more comfortable with the impending move... which is only 3 weeks away.  The goodies were passed out...  It was wonderful for us all to be together and I suspect we will have a lot more togetherness over the next few weeks.  It will not make up for the year we will be gone, but I will take advantage of any and all I can get!!

There is a ton of stuff to do in the next 3 weeks. I was reeling before and now it gets even crazier.  It is crunch time now... pull out everything that is going to China.  The movers are here on Friday to size the move.  That means make decisions and everything has to be out on display.  Now that we have been to China, I know better what I can get there or want to get there, verses the stuff from home I want to take.  Try planning ahead for a year... summer clothes? Kitchenware? Stuff to make a home for a year?  Oh My...   the list gets longer by the minute.

What to pack and take is only half of this equation... what about all the stuff that has to been done while we are gone?  It is really starting to hit home with the kids.  What about the vehicles?  the house? the ranch? the apartment?  paying bills?  and so on and so forth....what about..what about... what about.....?  and that list goes on and on. 

I have been noting stuff in a notebook as I thought about it for the last few months... so they have a bit of a cheat sheet.  But I never claimed to have a complete list.  Some things are just rote.  We will work them out as we go. 

I am chaperoning Kendall's GT field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art this week. There are two awards assemblies this week as well.  I want to attend as much of the grandkids stuff as possible and make it for lunches with them before we leave.  I will miss all their school and sports activities.  They will send me videos and pictures, but it won't be the same.

Stay tuned .... the chaos begins!!!

January 21, 2011 – Off to the health check appointment!!

Part of our entry into the country is a health check in China.  All of these requirements for the relocation are being handled by a contracted third party in China. They have scheduled us for 8:30 am to have a health check.  The only instructions we are given is to not take food that morning, so we are figuring blood tests.  Our driver speaks no English so for the whole ride we had no idea where we actually going.  It turns out the hospital is on the west side of Shanghai and it takes about 45 mins to get there from our hotel. We are met by another representative, Monica, who walks us through the process… thank goodness.  The process is actually quite efficient.  The entire exam took only 1 hour… we are called by number, one at a time, and sent through the various rooms.  Check your modesty at the door….

Stop 1 – sit at a desk and paperwork… and they take yet another picture. ( I have had my picture taken more in the last 30 days then in the last several years)

Stop 2 – move over one desk and more paperwork

Stop 3 – pay… RMB697 for the exam… makes it about a $100 USD.

Stop 4 – Weight and height… change into a robe… now remember the Chinese are a small people.  Michael’s robe does not meet across his chest...mine bearly comes together… so I go through the process clutching my robe to stay covered.

Stop 5 – blood drawn

Stop 6 – blood pressure taken.. lay on a bed and check for scars or identifying marks.

Stop 7 – Eye check

Stop 8 – sonogram… making sure we have all our parts…I guess.  They turned me several ways but were focused on the mid sections.

Stop 9 – chest  x-ray

Stop 10 – EKG

Stop 11 – get dressed

Stop 12 – pay for the certificate, RMB25, and address an envelope to have the results sent to.

Then out the door… no chit chat… no fanfare… it was over.  The driver picks us up and we are headed back to PuDong District and the hotel.

January 20

It is snowing again this morning… there is a blanket of white on everything.  I can see the flakes in the street lights thick and velvety.  Yesterday was rain, and today snow… the weather, if nothing else, is unpredictable just like Texas.  We have nothing scheduled for today and had hoped to make it a day of exploring on foot.  When the snow lets up this afternoon, perhaps we can still recover part of the day.  We are told Shanghai is experiencing record snow fall.

We decided to strike out in the snow to the ‘Super Brands Mall’.  It is a big fancy mall and it has a supermarket in the lower level called Lotus.  We figured we could kill the afternoon and check out the fare.  So we hopped a cab and off we went.  We strolled through 5 of the 9 floors that make up this super-size mall.  Then we hit the Lotus to really check out what you can get.  What I found was that there was a lot of candy and cookies and sweet stuff.  In and around the Lotus were pastry and bread shoppes…bakeries. The produce section was fantastic… becoming a vegan looks promising.  All the fruits and vegetables were individually wrapped and beautiful…but pricey.  I looked at some wonderful red grapes… prepackaged… not sure the weight… but a nice stem…. $10 USD!!! No matter the cost…we have to eat! Just maybe not those grapes!  I saw that there were Land O Lakes butter, Philly cream cheese, Del Monte can goods and Post Cereals…among other things.  So one can get brands that are recognizable, however there is no guarantee they came from the US or even taste the same… but it does give some comfort with the familiar.  So… Wade… MawMaw is not going to starve!!!

It was getting late and we stopped at the Subway to grab a sandwich for lunch/supper.  It was pretty tasty and hit the spot.  Now it is time to head back to the hotel.  The snow fall had slowed so the timing was good… we hurried through the crowds to get outside to hail a cab.  We encountered our first situation where we, the American tourists, were a target of dishonest taxi drivers!!!  It is freezing cold and lightly snowing and this guy thinks he has a sucker… we got to the mall for RMB19 and this guy wants RMG50 to take us back!!! I told him too much and walked away.   A second man did the same thing.  I am sure they must have thought we were desperate.  Angry at the situation, Michael and I, armed with a map, bundled up a little tighter and decided to walk back to the hotel.  Yes …we were totally nuts!!!  But we were determined at this point to make our way back on our own.  So we set out… we get a block and have the map out… we think we have our bearings and set out again.  A couple of more blocks and we are still a bit confused which way to head so we ask a security guard… do you speak English?  He grins and waves us off… not doing so good… we walk a little more and stop a young girl… she speaks English but doesn’t know where the street we are looking is, so she speaks Chinese to a guy and sends us off in a direction with instructions to stop after a few blocks to ask someone else because it is a long way to where we want to go.  More determined than ever, we set off again. We have been in this country only 4 days.  We get to another intersection and realize we are clearly lost… so we have the map out and are plotting our next move. 

Suddenly a mini-van rolls to a stop and a well-dressed Asian fellow hops out and asks if we are lost… the Lord was watching out for us today.  His driver hops out too and they are discussing how to best help us.  He offers a ride but said he understood as we did not know him and might be afraid to accept a ride from him.  At the very least, he would help us get an honest cab.  We were cold and lost… and an angel stopped.  We thought about our options and decided this man was kind and we would accept the ride.  Well come to find out, he is originally from Japan, educated in California at USC, his sister lives in Dallas and he is an expat in Shanghai too.  He dropped us safely at our hotel and a couple of grateful Texans thanked him.  He would not entertain taking anything from us for his trouble although we offered to pay him or at the very least for his gas, but he would not hear of it.  He said he knew what it was like to be new to Shanghai and feeling lost… and just wanted to help.  I am sure we looked pitiful, standing in front of a construction barricade on a street corner staring at a map in the cold and snow.   What on earth were we thinking???   As we went safely inside our hotel and he was pulling out of the drive, we realized that we did not even get the man’s name.  Dear Lord, Thank you for watching over us today and bringing this angel into our lives to help us… please bless this kind man in immeasurable ways… Amen.

January 19 - Another Day in Shanghai

We have just returned from our final apartment hunting visits.  We have our short list of apartments… we have put our first three choices in our want priority… there is no guarantee we will get the one we want. Each apartment is owned by individual landlords, so there are negotiations that will occur with the landlord, then all the corporate signatures…..so wish us luck.  It is a great apartment and even has a deck so I can do a bit of gardening… maybe even have some tomatoes and other container veggies.  It would give me some of the things I like to do… digging in the dirt!!!

Here are some snaps from our first choice.. It is really different from my style and decor.. most of the apartments we visited were very modern and contempory.... a real change for us.

Well… we made it to Walmart this afternoon.  The email was not far from the truth.  We did not see any crocs with melons in their mouths… perhaps they are not in season.  We also did not see anything that looked like the table of ‘Guess What?’   But there are open cases of unwrapped meat and lots of seafood that I was not exactly sure what it was… and the signs were in Chinese.  There are a number of displays of foods that I had no idea what I was looking at… clearly cuisine of the Chinese culture.  But one thing was for sure….it was bustling like our US Walmart’s at Christmas rush times.  It was a two story Walmart.  The food was on the lower or main level and everything else was upstairs.  You had a wide selection of appliances and motor bikes in addition to the normal fare available.

We left the local Walmart and headed to the other side of the river to west Shanghai.  We will be living and working in the PuDong District which is the east side of Shanghai just across the river.  So we headed over the bridge to see the older side of Shanghai. Shanghai, although one would think it is an old city with lots of Chinese architecture, it was occupied by the French until 1814, I am told.  The driver took us to an old Shanghai market… it looked like what you expect China to look like, with the pagoda type architecture of reds and gold.  It was a cluster of shops filled with Chinese clothes and people that follow you around trying to sell you something or show you something.  I had a lady follow me a block and a half trying to sell me a RMB10 watch…. That is Chinese currency and with an exchange rate of about 6.5, the watch was dirt cheap! 

The highlight for Michael was that he found a Dairy Queen….yes that’s right…. a Dairy Queen!!!!  He was in hog heaven…. A Blizzard with his name on it… Much to our surprise… our guide said that there are Dairy Queen’s all over Shanghai…. Who would have guessed that, particularly when we do not have them in the northern states. But this discovery sealed the deal with Michael!!

January 18, 2011 – Day 2 in Shanghai

It snowed all day today.  I think it surprised even the locals.  But that did not dampen our apartment hunt.  We have looked at about 20 apartments in the last 2 days and have a few more to see today and we will be taking a second look at our top 4 from the last 2 days.  Apartment hunting is an adventure in and of itself.  In the US, landlords clean the apartments once a tenant vacates the apartment.  Landlords want to present the best possible view to potential tenants.  In China, landlords do not clean until they have a tenant signing the lease.  Sooooo… you really have to look past the nasty left by the previous tenant and pray the landlord does a thorough cleaning.  It is a bit challenging.  But I remain hopeful!

We also did a very quick tour of a shopping mall and a couple of local grocery stores.  It is not all that different from the states.  I recognized many stores that we have in the US in the mall.  There are Best Buys, StarBucks, Niki, Tommy Hilfiger, and many others.  Wade has been especially worried about what we will eat.  I took pictures that I emailed so that he could see… there are Pizza Hut, KFC, Papa John’s, Subway, Burger King and McDonald’s to name a few.  What I didn’t tell him is that the menus look really different from our fare back home.  It is clearly tailored to the Chinese palate. 

Pizza Hut was our destination Monday for lunch.  We chose the high road and had a veggie pizza with a Pepsi.  Even the soft drinks have a bit of a different flavor.  My favorite meals are breakfast at the hotel.  There is a wide variety to choose from so I make breakfast count.  We had Chinese food for lunch on day 2… it was really good, but different from Chinese in the states… I equate it to the differences in having Mexican food in Texas verses Mexican in Mexico.  All food is tailored to the region and the tastes of the people that live there.  I will just have to get used to it.

What I have also learned from my house hunting is that everyone has a bottled water dispenser in their homes.  No one drinks the water in China, not even the locals.  So there are many different brands of water available… the hotel offers s Coca Cola Specialty product called Ice Dew which is mineralized water.  It tastes much better really cold… but when you drink as much water as I do… anything is better than nothing.

Well…. You are probably wondering why I have not mentioned our dinners.  We have yet to make it out for dinner.  We have come back to the hotel each afternoon and reviewed the notes and pictures… then a little nap… that has typically lasted 6-8 hours.  Then we get up between midnight and 1.  We have been thankful for my snacks I brought along for the trip.  That has ended up being our dinner.  Ah…cheese cracker and Oreos and nuts… and of course chocolate.  We have a bit of a carpet picnic then go back to bed.  There is always fresh fruit in the room daily… so we have that too.  We are struggling with the time change… 14 hours difference.  It has us really messed up…but we decided it was OK… since we would be headed home Saturday.  But when we make the move in February… we gotta get straight on the time.

Did I tell you we opened a bank account at the Bank of China?  We found it interesting that there is no notion of a joint bank account.  Soooo… Michael is the only one that has a bank account… not me! It is really strange.. but it’s just another aspect of China that I will have to get used to.

Images from a local shopping area in Shanghai.. Starbucks...Pizza Hut...

My First Glimpse of Shanghai, China

Can you say overwhelmed???   From the moment we stepped off the plane, we hustled to register as a visitor, then to baggage claim, then to customs, then through a route that more than 150 people lined the roped off area and all of them had a sign with someone’s same on it.  It was a sort of organized madness.  You could not possibly read them all even if you tried.  An to make matters more interesting, you are dog tired from a 14 hour plane ride from Chicago… and for us… our day started Saturday at 2am so basically it has been 24 hours of non-stop travel.  We shared a ride to the hotel that cost us 500 RMB.   It is tough to do the math on the conversion in your head when you are tired and they want you to decide now…  but we probably overpaid. It was roughly a $75.00 USD ride. 

The RIDE… let’s just say… lanes are a suggestion, the more lanes you can cross in a minutes time must be a bonus… and the horn must work… and pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way.  I did not realize how tensed up I was until I got out of the cab at the hotel.  I even let out a few ‘yikes’ on some really close calls… I was scared to death and vowed at the moment I would not be driving while I am living here.  Michael agreed that it would not be a good thing for me either. 

Let’s just say I am in awe!  The city lights at night are incredible.  The signs are written in both Chinese and English… even more incredible than New York.  The closer we get to the city center of the PuDong District, the more it is sinking in …How are these Texan’s going to manage living in this foreign city?

We finally arrive at our hotel, the St Regis Shanghai.  It is huge and inviting to a couple of weary travelers that have been up for over 30 hours.  We get checked in and make our way to our room.  The room does not disappoint us… it has a bed call our names.  We unpack and break out the laptops.  I want to see if we can connect and bring up Skype.  Since this will be our method of communication, gotta make sure we can rock and roll.  And much to my delight… we connect and on the other end are Jennifer and the kids!!! Yee Ha!!!  Success….we are talking!!!

At this point, we are not interested in food… the airline pretty much OD’d us on food… just a real bed is all we want at this point… nighty night!!

Our House Hunting Trip

Getting ready to leave for one week in China was worse than preparing for any vacation I have ever taken.  And I had soooo much help from my other half.  I had laughed and told friends that he would basically get in the car and ask if I was sure I had everything.. and I did not miss that prediction far.  By the time I coordinated his clothes, I had little time to pull my stuff together.  It is one of those times when you have to just roll with the flow and figure if you forgot something that you probably subconsciously did not really need it anyway.

We did test out Skype with Jennifer and the grandkids to make sure it worked for them.  The grandkids thought that was the best.  I walked around the house with the laptop showing them how I could share the views and other things I was seeing once in Shanghai.  I wanted them to understand they would be able to see our apartment and the skyline views.  We would be able to share a little bit of daily life with them up close and personal.  Austin and Wade were really loving it.  So, once we arrive in Shanghai and get settled in the hotel, we will call them via Skype.  It will be early morning in Texas. Marcy and the girls will all be on hand for our first Skype call from Shanghai.  This should be good.

At the last minute, the relocation service in Shanghai had a list of documents we need to have with us when we arrived.  When I said last minute… I am talking Thursday and we were leaving at 5:45 am Saturday morning. We scurried around and made copies of everything we could find… this is one time that Michael really did help.  He crawled up in the attic and went through boxes looking for documents we needed.  We made a valiant effort, but could not get everything.  I guess scanning and faxing will have to do once we get back home.

 We had decided that it would be easier on us if we stay with our best friends in Frisco… they are only like 20 minutes from the airport.  By the time we were packed up and everything was taken care of… we left home about 6pm…. which is the time Connie and Dean were expecting us at their house AND…. we still needed to stop and have more passport photos taken… nine more to be exact.  We needed 4 for the China health check and 5 more for the residence and work visa’s.  By the time we arrived at the Randolph’s I was completely frazzled. 

By my calculations, we needed to be up by 2am to get ready and rearrange packed stuff and get to the airport.  However, we sat up and talked until 11:30… so that meant only 2 ½ hrs until time to get up.  Can you say dragging? 

Saying goodbye to all the kids, both adult and child, was tough… and we are only going to be gone a week.  Everyone was puddled up and crying… so I can only imagine what it is going to be like when we leave in February.

Back to the story… we lug our bags and get checked in at the airport and as luck would have it.. they change our departure gate… in a different terminal.  I need coffee!!!!  That is the only way I am going to make it this morning.  We ride the Skylink to Terminal  A and what should be the first thing I see… it was like a dream… Starbuck’s!  But the gate was only half way up… but signs of life inside.  They open at 5… 15 more minutes!!!  We went to the gate and Michael stood watch with the bags as I hurried back to the Starbuck’s.  When the gate went up… I was there… first in line… victory!!!

We got to Chicago and had a couple of hours to wait… so Starbuck’s got a bit more of our money and we passed the time.  So far all is going well.  We depart DFW on time… and now we are departing Chicago on time.. what could be better… knowing that we are traveling in business class on a 777 aircraft.  This is 14 hours in the air… and we are in a sweet plane.  These seats are the kind that lay out into a bed with personal movies and tv… and they have been shoving food and drink at us since we boarded.  This is definitely the way to ride for a looooong plane ride.  Each seat is outfitted with plastic wrapped pillow and quilt, your own personal amenities pack.  Now that was great.. socks, sleep mask, dental products, wet wipes and tissues and a tube of Burt’s Beeswax lip balm and lotion.  Did I say this was sweet… or what?

I am sitting here typing this in Word so that when I get to an internet connection I can post it.  I have now read, watched 2 new release movies, slept and eaten… I needed something else to pass the time, so I write while the memories are fresh. 

The flight attendants have been so wonderful… I had quite a nice chat about what to see and expect in Shanghai.  She does this route and I look forward to catching her on our return flight.  The more I find out about what it is like in Shanghai, the more my anxieties are calmed.  In about 5 more hours I will begin to see for myself.  We are expected to arrive on Sunday at 2:53pm… that is still 5 hours from now… maybe it is time for another nap.  Remember when you fell asleep traveling as a child and the time passed more quickly.. I am really counting on that now!!!!

An Email - Images from Shanghai WalMart

The grandkids have told everyone at their schools that MawMaw and PawPaw are going to China... Wade's 2nd grade teacher sent this to Jennifer... and of course she forwarded to me... it has been the source of much discussion regarding 'What are you going to eat MawMaw????'  This has worried Wade since we first told them we were moving to China.  I think this might have only caused more angst for him... he is a picky eater to begin with... these images only made it worse.  Although we have not confirmed that this is indeed the Wal-Mart in Shanghai, it does appear to be a Wal-Mart.  Once we check it out with our own eyes next week... I will let you know how much is for real...

We thought our Wal-Marts had it all Crocodiles. Bulk Rice. Mixed Meat for the choosing. Orange Juice And Cooking Oil. Turtles and other stuff. You guess! Walmart Brand Spirits Rib Cages. Assorted Dried Reptiles. Beautiful Boxes of Liquor. Frogs. A Large Selection of Chopsticks. Ducks on a rack. Great Value Brand Beef Granules. Pig Faces. Antibacterial  Bikini Underwear For Men. Diet Water. Meat Water. Specialty Pickles. 100% Powdered Horse Milk (no ponies!). American Wal-Marts only have crazily dressed people ! ! ! !

More of the same... what to take ...

It seems that the fun just keeps on coming... 

Electrical currency adapters.... I have learned more about the different kinds of adapters in the world than I ever dreamed there were... oh ... and converters ... and transformers.  I am an electrician's daughter.. and this made me crazy.  China has 7 different kinds depending on where you are.. and to add to the complexity is the fact that we are going to many different countries along the Asia Pacific Rim ..well it just makes my head hurt.  We will also be taking a vacation to New Zealand and Australia.. since it will be so close..only 3900 miles.  That is just one place we are committed to get to.  We would like to travel to Bangkok and Tibet, among other places that border to China. But after many hours of web surfing... finally came across the best site!  It asks where you are going and gives you the adapters you need... yippee!!! Ordered and now waiting on their arrival!  Check!

I ordered a new digital camera too.  This one is wonderful, but most of you may have already discovered that the latest digital still cameras also make videos.  That is so cool to me... no more lugging around a camera and a video case with all the accessories.  It is perfect!!  Up until now, I have never had, nor taken the time, to really just check out what new electronics and gadgets are on the market... I am  like a kid in the candy store... I want...I want... I want!!!!

And... cruising through the stuff made just for travelers, it is amazing all the gadgets and products available just to make your traveling easier and more comfortable. I travelled alot for work, but always could pass the time with work and a magazine.  It will be hard to make a 18 hour flight more comfortable, but I will take a look.  I actually found that the little travel pillows I bought in Canton at First Monday were better and cheaper... yea!!! And all those gimmee  fleece throws that every vendor gives away to customers work really well.. no need to purchase any of those either.. we have about 10 laying around the house ...advertising headhunter firms to blue jeans.. we are equal opportunity when it comes to freebees!! 

But we did find some things that we thought might be useful, not for the travel on the plane, but once we are on the ground.  Michael will be walking to work.  Our plan is to find an apartment within walking distance.  He is supposed to have his papers on him so he needed a convenient way to carry a passport.  We found one of those 'carry all your valuables around your neck' things... and it is RFID protected... seemed like a deal to me.  You may not be aware, but the criminals have figured out how to steal your identity with a little machine that just collects all your info from you as you pass by them.  Credit cards and passports have a chip embedded and their little machine harvests your personal data stored on it.  Making sure you have your cards in your possession is not really all  that safe anymore.  So now we have a special wallet that block the frequency.  Score one for the good guys!

We leave Saturday morning for our house hunting trip.  We will be gone a week.  In that time, we are to figure out where to live and check out all the local shopping to determine what we have available there and what we need to make sure we take with us.  Can I take everything?  Everyone is so helpful in forwarding tidbits about China.  The latest email illustrated the new Wal-Mart in Shanghai.  I almost died when I saw the product offerings.  I am definitely becoming a vegan!!!!!!  Whole crocs with some kind of melon in its mouth...YUM!  Counters of mystery meat.. just out there with no coverings of plastic to protect you from the thousands of hands touching and sorting through the offerings of the day!  And a big table of ????? ... it does not say what it is... but whatever it is...I do not want any of it!!  So needless to say, we want to go to the local Wal-Mart and see if any of it is true! 

I have looked at apartment listings until my eyes are blurred.  One thing for sure, there are a lot of what look to be very nice apartments within the budget.. which is a good thing!  They are all very western looking with nice kitchens and bathrooms and are all fully furnished.  These are buildings that target the expats, so they provide the amenities expected.  Although ovens are not in every apartment, there should be enough to look at that have them.  I am told that you should take sheets with you.  That the quality of linens is very low and it is a comfort you should take with you.  Wonder if the beds are the same size?  I see from the pictures in the rentals that most are a platform with a mattress, but hard to determine from the pic if it is true queen.  I have not seen very many king beds in any of the pictures.  I read in some of the books that the beds tend to be hard.... like sleeping on the floor hard. We might have to buy a mattress!!  I have a few more pressure points for aches and pains than I used to..not saying I am getting old or anything... just that I have grown accustom to a softer sleeping surface.  Things just need to be  a bit more cushy these days...just saying.

Oh.. by the way, just to reiterate... we are looking for a 3-4 bedroom apartment.. so anyone wanting to come to China is welcome ...and encouraged...to stay with us in Shanghai.  Not often does an opportunity to visit a foreign country come around...but we would love to have visitors. I know that there will be some homesickness going on... but to have the faces and smiles of my friends and family would certainly make the blues turn into a little bit of sunshine!  We have done some checking on airfares and across the various airlines... you can get a round trip fare for about $1500.  You just need a passport and a visa... and if you have any airline miles... well... that would make a visit pretty affordable.  My offer is sincere!!

It is most important that we mention the services that TI have provided to us to make the assignment as smooth as possible.  We have the most wonderful international assignment consultant that is guiding us through the expat waters.  Her name is Martha and she is spending countless hours working with us to make sure we have a smooth transition and move to China.  She has been a blessing in this time of many many questions and lots of uncertainty. She tells me we will go through many stages as we transition culturally.  As a matter of fact, we will go through a full day on one on one culture training to help prepare us for the drastic differences in our cultures.  Recognizing and understanding these stages will be the key to making our assignment in China a success. So... knowing we are going to have the ups and downs... to have a visitor(s) from back home will be even more special and precious to us. 

Martha asked me if I had thought about doing a blog... and I shared with her the URL to this blog I had started.  I told her I did not know to what level I could share the emotional stuff..it is pretty tough to share the real lows.  She encouraged me to share it all.. that not only would it be good for me... but it would be good for anyone else that is going through a similiar experience.  So.. here is me sharing one of my more recent emotional lows....

Brooklyn, my youngest granddaughter, was here the other night.  She crawled up into my lap and whispered into my ear... 'It is almost time for you to go to China.  I am going to miss you so much.'  Before I realized it.. I was hugging her so tight and the tears were running down my face. Even as I type the words here the tears are streaming down my face.  I think we are all avoiding talking about the actual leaving time.  I am excited to get to experience this one in a life time opportunity, but when I think about actually being gone... well it is scary as all get out.  My family has lived in Texas... and in the same general area since the late 1800's.  My Dad was raised within a mile of where he lived most of his life....where I was raised too.  This is huge.  My daughters have always lived within 45 minutes of me... and now they live across the pasture from me.  My grandkids walk to come hang with us.  When I allow myself to go there...the tears ...the fears... well... it is hard...OK.. enough... I am embracing this adventure and going to make it wonderful.  I go into this knowing that I am going to miss my kids and grandkids.. and my little Maggie... that I am going to have periods of saddness and tears missing them, but that we can see and talk to each other using the webcam and Skype... technology is a wonderful thing!  And...I know that God will keep us safe and keep my family safe... and the time will fly by.  The one thing I want to make happen.... I want them to have the opportunity to experience this also. During our time there, I am going to make it happen that they can come for a visit too.  They might not get this opportunity otherwise.

Well.. back to the logistics... we just got our passports and our visas back in our possession...so all set to legally go to China on the 15th... I have already started a check list of what to pack for our visit... which includes lots of snack for the plane ride and... just in case we have a problem finding food to our liking... it will carry us over for that too.  A good country girl is always prepared... or at least is trying to be...

Bible...check
snacks...check...check...check
first aid...check
new camera with 32 and 16 gig flash cards...check
umbrellas, coats, gloves and scarves....check
toiletries... check
necessary clothes for a week....check
Kindle....check
laptop, movies, headsets, converters...check

things I have not thought of yet??????

Wish us luck... I will blog while there if I get a chance...otherwise when we return...





 

Getting Ready to Go

Oh my.. never did I actually consider what it would take to get ready to leave for a year... and NOT take all your stuff.  I have been spinning.. not to mention they changed our leave date from March to January 3 to February 11.  It would not have been so bad, but I found out right before Thanksgiving it would be January 3.  By my calculations that is not nearly enough time to get everything together to be gone that long.  But then the new date was set and I felt an artificial sense of relief.. because I still had to get through the holidays. 

First question that came to mind... I don't speak the language there.. going to be a bit tough to do everyday things... SOoooo.. ah ha!!!  Rosetta Stone!! Yes.. that's the answer...supposed to be really easy..right!  Sure ..I can do this.. I am a college educated person.. well... let's just say... I am working on it!  And praying that once I get there it will be easier to remember all those words and phrases that I keep running back through the Level 1 trying to remember.

What I have also learned is that if you are larger than a small or medium.. they do not have clothes or most likely shoes that will fit you.  And both my husband and I are a tad bigger... to put it mildly.  So how do you know what you will need for a year and none of my fav stores ship outside the US... and if they did...ca...ching!  So in addition to Christmas shopping... I have done the internet shopping proud... pants, jeans, underclothes, shirts, sweaters... you name it... I have purchased it.  Then let's talk about the everyday essentials.. soap, shampoo, cosmetics, vitamins, prescription drugs and the other stuff you reach for in the local Ulta or WalMart or Target... What are you willing to give up?  This is a country that manufactures a very large variety of products for export to the US... but not much of our known and loved products make it there.  And if they do... big bucks to purchase.  So I am using all the coupons and discounts to buy up in advance... only to find out that there might be a limit on what I can take in... cause I might want to sell it to others!!!  No no no... not my shampoo or other precious personal creature comforts that will help me overcome the homesickness!!! I have even had to reassess my hair color... of course beneath all the wonderful blonde hair that I have sported for more years that I care to admit... is pure white.. of which needs to remain covered... it is that vanity thing you know...  Now tell me... how many blonde Chinese have you ever seen?  So... reckon the hairdressers there have much experience with blonde highlights?  My hairdresser, Melia, who has done my hair for at least 10 years, will take me to a single color of brown and has armed me with enough brown dye to last a year and keep the gray roots at bay.  My sweet husband is going learn the art of touching up roots!! Watch out world.. I may be in trouble!!!

Another thing to consider.. only a hand full of western doctors.  So make sure you have everything checked and tuned up before you go... and pray you stay well for a year.. oh and make sure you take a years worth of prescription drugs with you... not likely to find them there. So I make all these appointments for as close to leaving time as possible... nothing like staying in a dead run right up until the time to leave.  I'm counting on it paying off in the long run.

Ok.. are we having fun yet?  This has been really stressful so far.  The amount of documentation required for all the visas is a bit overwhelming.  So one by one I have a box that is filling up... we need a visa to get into the country.. then once we are there, we need work visa and residence visa.. so all that has to go with you to prove you are who you are... the days of just a passport are long gone... she says like she has done this before???  OK...ok.. it is not like a quick trip to Mexico or Canada... I know...

A facebook friend had a few books on China she lent me..  One in particular was very enlightening.  The name of it is 'Riding the Dragon'.  I read with lightening speed... realizing that I will need to watch my frank mouth. I would never  intentionally say something inappropriate.. but it outlines in an entire chapter... 'when no means yes and when yes means no'.  It is all about saving and giving face.  That one I will have to seriously work on.  It also gives lots of tips on what to take..and just about any other questions one might have on making this kind of move.  If you are curious, pick up a copy and check it out.

I guess you might be asking yourself.. what is she going to do with all those animals she talked about in the previous blog?  Well, Coco, the bird, is living in a new home with my cousin.  He loves birds and Coco is the kind of bird it is hard not to love.  She is a talker and very smart.  It was easy to tell that this was going to be a wonderful home for her... she went to him immediately ...birds know these things.  Here is the back story on the bird.  She belonged to my Mother... who raised her from a baby... and spoiled her unmercifully.  She had scrambled eggs and cereal for breakfast and mixed vegetables and fruit for dinner... or anything you were eating.  When Mom passed away in 2002, the bird adopted me.  She has been with me ever since... and by the way,she liked my husband better than me.  We know she is a she... as a year or so ago... she presented me with 3 eggs.. you can imagine my surprise!

Then there is Maggie... Maggie is a totally spoiled weiner dog that allows us to live in our house and sleep with her in our bed... recognize the type?  I am struggling with leaving her.  She is our baby.  We got her in June 2004 when she was barely weened.  We would take her, but it would be tough on her with our living in an apartment in a huge overcrowded city.  We will also be traveling to other locations in China as well as other countries along the Pacific Rim.  Dogs are a food source in China and I would be destroyed if anything happened to her.  So, for her protection, she will be staying on the ranch in Texas and living with Jennifer, our youngest daughter, and her family.  I will miss her so, but when I Skype with them, Maggie will be able to see me and hear my voice.  I am guessing she is going to be really mad at me when I get back to Texas.

And the outside animals will continue to live at my house and the kids will feed them.  Not to worry about them in cold weather.. they have heated beds and heat lamps.  They are quite well cared for.  I have had friends and family tell me they want to come back as one of my animals.

My grandkids are worried about what we will eat while we are there and where we are going to live.  I am not at all worried about where we will live, however what we will eat is another story.  No mystery meat for me... and certainly no horse, dog, cat, snake, or any other critter that God did not intend for us to eat.  I had decided it would be a great time to shed a few pounds anyway.  And I laugh that by the time I get home I may be a vegan.  Then Michael got news from someone at work that eating the veggies can be dangerous too.  You must soak fruits and vegetables for a couple of reasons.  The regulations on chemicals is not like it is in the states AND.. worms!  You must soak stuff long enough for the worms to float to the top... yuck!!!

There are western restaurants.  However I am told they are pretty pricey, so not something you could do on a nightly basis.  Besides, I would get sick of eating out all the time.

Did you know that the Chinese do not bake?  As a matter of fact, finding apartments with ovens is a rarity.  Some of the building that cater to the expats come with ovens, but you must ask for that as a requirement for your apartment hunting criteria. And if they do not bake... they do not have baking pans or spices or any of the other prereqs for baking.  I am told to bring them with me.  Oh yeah... I can see me bringing a years worth of ingredients with me... Right!  Aside from the fact that I have been told by the movers that I can not ship food.  That implies the only other option... pack it in my suitcase.. or should I suitcases.  I will add that to the other stuff that must go with us personally...like the vitamins and prescriptions ..oh and clothes enough for 6-8 weeks.  That is when with any luck our shipments will reach us and get through customs.  Did I mention that nothing leaves the US until we have a lease on an apartment and all the visas?  Well it doesn't.