L--, S-- and I had lunch with a nice group of women this afternoon. We met in one woman's home - a beautifully renovated old lane house in the French Concession. She picked the girls and I up in her car and drove us over. L-- rode in a car seat, and I felt strongly that we need to hire a driver. This taxi thing is just not safe.
There were about 8 women, all mothers. Most of them had known each other for a few years, and one other woman arrived in Shanghai from the states on the same day we did. Everyone was very down to earth, and most of the children were quite young. We had a very nice time, and most people offered their help with anything as I left.
I look forward to making some close friends and having people to lean on. It goes without saying, that will help. But witnessing how these women lived their lives, I do think that as we figure out how to live in Shanghai, life will get easier by leaps and bounds. Right now, outings are quite difficult. But once we've moved, we'll learn our boundaries for outings or we'll decide to hire a driver. Right now, keeping both the apartment clean and the kids happy feels nearly impossible. Once we're in our own home, we'll figure out routines and baby-safe play areas, or we'll hire an ayi to help out. These things will all sort themselves out within a few months or two.
No comments:
Post a Comment