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...