After unpacking all of the boxes this morning (it was a small shipment), I went out to grab some lunch. After over a week of America, it felt nice to walk somewhere. Back in my China life, I haven't had a car for two years and so I walked nearly everywhere I went. Even though the school and the grocery store were both close by in Shenzhen, it still felt nice to use my legs whenever I left home. Living with our parents for the past few weeks, I've been doing a lot of jumping in the car to run errands. So the walk today felt good - and how many things I passed felt even better.
I am ashamed to admit that I walked past a number of little local places and ethnic lunch spots to grab my sandwich at Panera (sidenote: I can type it, but I can not actually adjust to saying that name aloud. In my vernacular, its still the Bread Co.). Taking a leisurely walk back, I picked up delivery and take-out menus at Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese places, also passing a diner, a pancake house, and a micro-brewery. I browsed inside the vintage shop, spent some money at the fabulous toy store, and then ducked into CVS. I'd say my only complaint about the neighborhood is the lack of grocery store within walking distance.
Dave and I walked the other direction last night, where we explored a few parks with playgrounds, and found a strip of Latin American hole-in-the-wall eateries as well as a bike shop, a camera shop, and a small Hispanic grocer. I believe that we also have a public library, a farmer's market and few other parks within walking distance as well. And both a tasty pizza place and a super-tasty burger and milkshake spot are a stone's throw away.
I can use the car to run to Target or do the grocery trip. But I am pleased that I'll be able to walk out to lunch, order delivery for dinner, and take the girls via stroller or bike to buy birthday presents or hang out at the park. I think we're going to like Northern Virginia just fine.
Author's Note: You can tell a few things about the author by what I write.
#1 - That I have posted twice today, and rarely for the last few weeks shows that I've been by myself all day today, and not at all for the past few weeks.
#2 - That I have discussed the apartment and the neighborhood, but not the new job shows that I am the stay-at-home mom and not the now gainfully employed Foreign Service Officer. Dave started training on Monday, is very impressed by all 88 of his classmates, and is looking forward to a quite compressed series of seminars and workshops over the next 6 weeks.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Moving In
After about a month of Moving Out, we have now moved on to Moving In. Now, please don't misunderstand. We have not yet finished Moving Out. We have just also begun to Move In. I realize I've been not posting much lately - not only is Moving exhausting with 3 young kids, but there's also stuff on TV practically all the time!
So, about 2 weeks ago we Moved Out of Shenzhen. The Air Shipment left on a Wednesday, about 250 pounds short of what we were allocated. The Sea Shipment left on Friday, and we spent our last week in Shenzhen eating off of paper plates and sleeping in sleeping bags (thanks, Michelle!). We no longer own anything in China. Well, except two bank accounts, which we could not figure out how to close. But at least they're empty.
Last week, the next batch of Moving Out took place at the culmination of a lovely week in Chicago. The girls got some good cousin time, we all went to a great 30th birthday party, and we filled up a U-Haul and drove to St. Louis. We no longer own anything in Chicago. Well, except some hangers and shampoo.
Next week, we will Move Out of St. Louis, both with professional movers and with a full mini-van driving to D.C. But right now, we own lots of stuff in St. Louis - including all of our children, who are spending the week with Nana and Poppa.
But today, we are Moving In. It relaxes me to feel like I am in my own space, and like I will have my own things soon. And my own space is not so bad. I arrived in DC yesterday, following Dave's Saturday arrival. I'm in our new apartment and waiting for our Air Shipment to arrive, sometime in the next hour and a half. The apartment feels like a spacious hotel room, a bit dark, a bit neutral, and pretty sterile. But also comfortable and a good use of space. We've got a washer-dryer; we've got a dishwasher; we've got weekly housekeeping service who will change our linens; and Annika has her own bedroom.
The movers have just arrived - here we go!
So, about 2 weeks ago we Moved Out of Shenzhen. The Air Shipment left on a Wednesday, about 250 pounds short of what we were allocated. The Sea Shipment left on Friday, and we spent our last week in Shenzhen eating off of paper plates and sleeping in sleeping bags (thanks, Michelle!). We no longer own anything in China. Well, except two bank accounts, which we could not figure out how to close. But at least they're empty.
Last week, the next batch of Moving Out took place at the culmination of a lovely week in Chicago. The girls got some good cousin time, we all went to a great 30th birthday party, and we filled up a U-Haul and drove to St. Louis. We no longer own anything in Chicago. Well, except some hangers and shampoo.
Next week, we will Move Out of St. Louis, both with professional movers and with a full mini-van driving to D.C. But right now, we own lots of stuff in St. Louis - including all of our children, who are spending the week with Nana and Poppa.
But today, we are Moving In. It relaxes me to feel like I am in my own space, and like I will have my own things soon. And my own space is not so bad. I arrived in DC yesterday, following Dave's Saturday arrival. I'm in our new apartment and waiting for our Air Shipment to arrive, sometime in the next hour and a half. The apartment feels like a spacious hotel room, a bit dark, a bit neutral, and pretty sterile. But also comfortable and a good use of space. We've got a washer-dryer; we've got a dishwasher; we've got weekly housekeeping service who will change our linens; and Annika has her own bedroom.
The movers have just arrived - here we go!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Under the Surface
Our family enjoyed dinner with Jane, Tim and Elizabeth a few nights ago. Amid the conversation, Tim asked Dave and I what we will miss most about living China. Lilly didn't miss a beat. "I will miss my friends." Made any other answer I could give seem superficial, and gave a small peek into her heart these days.
This morning, she was listening to recordings of Sandra Boynton's music. If you have young kids, you need to know about Sandra Boynton. Her books are very cute, and her music is catchy and fun. We've got a pile of her board books and one of her albums, but Lilly was listening to some new songs this morning. Off of the Rhinoceros Tap CD, she was listening to So Long, Doggies. Here's a sample of the lyrics:
She pulled me over for the following conversation:
Lilly: Mommy, you've got to listen to this song. Its really sad.
Mommy (absently): Okay, go ahead and play it.
music playing
Mommy: Yeah, that's a great song.
Lilly: Its really sad.
Mommy: Yeah, it is really sad.
Lilly: Its so sad it makes me cry. Why does he have to leave his friends?
Mommy (much less absently - Lilly really is crying): It is sad to leave your friends, but it sounds like he wanted to leave because he had somewhere exciting to go.
Lilly: Yeah, but he sounds really mean. Why does he have to leave? Won't he miss his friends?
Mommy: We all miss our friends when we move. I know your friends in Shenzhen all miss you, and you miss all of them. But we have so many exciting things coming up, and so many friends we're going to see in D.C. Think of William and Jack, and of Layla and Ella. And think of all the friends you'll make once we get there!
Lilly (pausing): Yeah, but what about the puppies?
This morning, she was listening to recordings of Sandra Boynton's music. If you have young kids, you need to know about Sandra Boynton. Her books are very cute, and her music is catchy and fun. We've got a pile of her board books and one of her albums, but Lilly was listening to some new songs this morning. Off of the Rhinoceros Tap CD, she was listening to So Long, Doggies. Here's a sample of the lyrics:
So long and farewell to my puppy dog friends.
We've had some good times, but here's where it ends.
I don't wanna chase rabbits, and I don't wanna play.
I just came here to tell you that I'm going away.
We've been running in circles; enough is enough.
Staying around is just ruff, ruff, ruff!
So long, doggies; doggies, goodbye.
I'm going away, and I'm telling you why.
I'm tired of barking up the wrong, wrong tree.
I've got places to go, and places to see, and that's why
I'm saying so long doggies, good-bye...
She pulled me over for the following conversation:
Lilly: Mommy, you've got to listen to this song. Its really sad.
Mommy (absently): Okay, go ahead and play it.
music playing
Mommy: Yeah, that's a great song.
Lilly: Its really sad.
Mommy: Yeah, it is really sad.
Lilly: Its so sad it makes me cry. Why does he have to leave his friends?
Mommy (much less absently - Lilly really is crying): It is sad to leave your friends, but it sounds like he wanted to leave because he had somewhere exciting to go.
Lilly: Yeah, but he sounds really mean. Why does he have to leave? Won't he miss his friends?
Mommy: We all miss our friends when we move. I know your friends in Shenzhen all miss you, and you miss all of them. But we have so many exciting things coming up, and so many friends we're going to see in D.C. Think of William and Jack, and of Layla and Ella. And think of all the friends you'll make once we get there!
Lilly (pausing): Yeah, but what about the puppies?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Insured
With the last few clicks I just made, our family is now insured for the next month and a half. We got caught in a nasty little health insurance loophole, which was making Dave and I pretty nervous. Uncle H-- provided our family's health insurance for the past 3 years in China. But as Dave is no longer employed with Uncle H--, we are no longer insured. Technically, Dave's on payroll through the end of March, and so we are currently covered.
With most jobs, this would not be a problem. Dave begins work as a State Department employee on March 28th, so the health coverage ought to overlap and keep us healthy. However, our government bureaucracy does not operate so smoothly. Dave will sign up for health insurance sometime during the first week of work, and that coverage will begin once the company has completed all of the paperwork. This coverage is not retroactive.
Most employees can use COBRA for the intermediate time period, and be safe from financial and medical disaster. But as Dave's been insured and employed from China, COBRA doesn't cover us.
The next option is to sign up for Short-Term Catastrophic health insurance. We could pay a few hundred dollars for a high deductible and the process that a car wreck wouldn't bankrupt our family. But no insurance company would accept our family, because we are in the process of adopting. No matter that we will not receive Mei Mei while under their policy - the promise that we could made us too high risk to be insured.
We looked into travel insurance, but that's only available to non-U.S. citizens. You may not know, but only a fool or a poor person would dare enter the United States without travel insurance.
We began to worry that we would have to go without insurance for the next month - a dare which seemed to risky to accept. Then Dave got in touch with an health insurance broker, who found something specifically for repatriating citizens. For $240 a month, our family is covered after the first $25,000 - that is, $5,000 per person. Its a steep cost for peace of mind, but at least we ought not end up bankrupted over an accident in the next month.
The confirmation of health insurance was a big Phew! moment. Other moments of relief today - when we drove our new mini-van off the lot; Dave and I are now the proud owners of a Honda Odyssey. I printed directly from my computer today. I accessed Facebook and Blogger.com from my iPad today. We signed our lease in D.C. today, receiving our new address and home phone number. And we took steps toward securing new SIM cards, thereby making our mobile phones accessible in the U.S. Unfortunately, this process is moving slower than we would like. Still, its a good list for one day.
Makes me feel alright about going to bed at 9:30pm. That, and having been up with Annika from 2:00am until 5 this morning.
With most jobs, this would not be a problem. Dave begins work as a State Department employee on March 28th, so the health coverage ought to overlap and keep us healthy. However, our government bureaucracy does not operate so smoothly. Dave will sign up for health insurance sometime during the first week of work, and that coverage will begin once the company has completed all of the paperwork. This coverage is not retroactive.
Most employees can use COBRA for the intermediate time period, and be safe from financial and medical disaster. But as Dave's been insured and employed from China, COBRA doesn't cover us.
The next option is to sign up for Short-Term Catastrophic health insurance. We could pay a few hundred dollars for a high deductible and the process that a car wreck wouldn't bankrupt our family. But no insurance company would accept our family, because we are in the process of adopting. No matter that we will not receive Mei Mei while under their policy - the promise that we could made us too high risk to be insured.
We looked into travel insurance, but that's only available to non-U.S. citizens. You may not know, but only a fool or a poor person would dare enter the United States without travel insurance.
We began to worry that we would have to go without insurance for the next month - a dare which seemed to risky to accept. Then Dave got in touch with an health insurance broker, who found something specifically for repatriating citizens. For $240 a month, our family is covered after the first $25,000 - that is, $5,000 per person. Its a steep cost for peace of mind, but at least we ought not end up bankrupted over an accident in the next month.
The confirmation of health insurance was a big Phew! moment. Other moments of relief today - when we drove our new mini-van off the lot; Dave and I are now the proud owners of a Honda Odyssey. I printed directly from my computer today. I accessed Facebook and Blogger.com from my iPad today. We signed our lease in D.C. today, receiving our new address and home phone number. And we took steps toward securing new SIM cards, thereby making our mobile phones accessible in the U.S. Unfortunately, this process is moving slower than we would like. Still, its a good list for one day.
Makes me feel alright about going to bed at 9:30pm. That, and having been up with Annika from 2:00am until 5 this morning.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Maintaining Flexibility
When Dave and I went out to DC in January, we took a look at the apartment complex where most trainees are placed. As we'll live in DC only temporarily, the State Department sets it up as a business trip and arranges our housing for us. Dave and I went to the complex and took a look around. The staff even gave us a tour of an apartment. We weren't excited about the size of the 2-bedroom apartment, which was the largest option available. But the community seemed fantastic. Clearly this was housing aimed at Foreign Service Officers and their temporary families. The girls could make friends quickly with other kids in the same situation, playing on the playground in the middle of the complex or swimming in the pool.
We just learned yesterday that we have been moved. We are no longer at the typical Falls Church location. We've been upgraded to a 3-bedroom apartment, also in Falls Church. This is good news for many reasons - the apartment is much bigger, and well appointed. Its closer to the school, and within walking distance of the downtown area. In many ways it seems like a perfect fit for us, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.
But I was looking forward to that ready-made community. I wanted to make fast-friends with my neighbors and see the girls play with the other kids in the complex. I haven't come across any other new families moving into our amended location, which has me a bit nervous.
Mainly, the change just makes me want to hurry up and get there. I want to see the place, and get moved in. I want to see how many families live there, and to check out the neighborhood. I want to gather information and begin to get settled.
Soon enough, I know. But with this change, I'm now itching to go.
We just learned yesterday that we have been moved. We are no longer at the typical Falls Church location. We've been upgraded to a 3-bedroom apartment, also in Falls Church. This is good news for many reasons - the apartment is much bigger, and well appointed. Its closer to the school, and within walking distance of the downtown area. In many ways it seems like a perfect fit for us, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.
But I was looking forward to that ready-made community. I wanted to make fast-friends with my neighbors and see the girls play with the other kids in the complex. I haven't come across any other new families moving into our amended location, which has me a bit nervous.
Mainly, the change just makes me want to hurry up and get there. I want to see the place, and get moved in. I want to see how many families live there, and to check out the neighborhood. I want to gather information and begin to get settled.
Soon enough, I know. But with this change, I'm now itching to go.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
In the Nick of Time
Rumor has it that the May A-100 class has been cancelled.
A-100 is the casual name for the training course Dave begins on March 28th. After the March class, the next class scheduled was in May. However, apparently the lack of a 2011 budget means there is no money for hiring new diplomats in May.
The personal implications of this rumor are dramatic relief. Dave was likely one of the very last people invited to the March class, and he received the call in a last minute batch of invitations. Had he missed that call, we would not be on our way to D.C. anytime soon.
The implications for the Foreign Service as a whole are pretty bad. Staffing at each post relies upon new hires coming in at each class. Our bid list will detail enough positions for everyone in the class. Those positions will otherwise sit empty. I doubt there is a time when diplomats do not fill a very necessary function within a country's government. But in the current international climate, the State Department certainly seems like a place which ought to receive full funding.
A-100 is the casual name for the training course Dave begins on March 28th. After the March class, the next class scheduled was in May. However, apparently the lack of a 2011 budget means there is no money for hiring new diplomats in May.
The personal implications of this rumor are dramatic relief. Dave was likely one of the very last people invited to the March class, and he received the call in a last minute batch of invitations. Had he missed that call, we would not be on our way to D.C. anytime soon.
The implications for the Foreign Service as a whole are pretty bad. Staffing at each post relies upon new hires coming in at each class. Our bid list will detail enough positions for everyone in the class. Those positions will otherwise sit empty. I doubt there is a time when diplomats do not fill a very necessary function within a country's government. But in the current international climate, the State Department certainly seems like a place which ought to receive full funding.
Last Night in China
This is it - our last night in China. Tomorrow we sleep in Hong Kong, and then Friday morning we fly to Chicago. And although Dave and I expect to return to China in 9 months or so to pick up Mei Mei, we may never live here again. And Lilly, Sophia and Annika may never come here again.
We have finished well. We had a comfortable home, good friends and a strong school these past 6 months. We gave up the temporary attitudes, and fully lived in Shenzhen for the entire time we were here. It seems strange that it has only been 6 months, because I feel so fully at home here.
We sold or gave away everything we do not need. We packed the air freight and the sea shipment with exactly what I wanted, and we will leave with less than our luggage allotment tomorrow. The house is clean and the bags are packed. We had Chinese food for dinner, and the girls will have their good-bye parties in each of their classrooms tomorrow.
After much worrying, we managed to move all of our Chinese Yuan into dollars, and will be carrying about $8,000 in cash with us tomorrow. Keep that quiet, though.
I've been wanting to blog about the banking system here for quite some time, because it is absurd. We faced so many problems with the banks, and I could never bring myself to write about it. I could never bring the list of absurdities to a complete story, and I could never separate myself enough from the frustration of dealing with the bank to even attempt the story. But today, all went surprisingly well - as it only can in China.
China is a land of rules, and of people who love to enforce them. But people who are also just as eager to break these rules. We went to the bank on Monday to exchange our cash. Our understanding was that each individual can exchange $5,000 US with no questions asked. On this particular Monday, this was not the case. On this particular Monday, each individual can exchange only $500 US with no questions asked. By these rules, we would be leaving a large amount of money behind when we leave tomorrow, so we explored other options. According to the teller, Dave only needed an official copy of his contract to change as much money as he liked. He sent the request in to Uncle H--'s HR, and waited the two days for the document to arrive in the mail.
Today, the envelope arrived at our door, and we went straight to the Bank of China. We opened the contract, and noticed that they had sent a photocopy without the company chop. The chop makes the document valid - without it, these papers are of no use. According to the rules, we could not possibly change our money. But when Dave told them we will leave tomorrow, the chop was of little consequence. We were soon handed a very large pile of bills, and walked out without asking any questions.
This story is less crazy, and more typical China - and lucky for us. Absurdities include things like the number of forms being used for simple transactions - and the fact that a form must be completely redone if any corrections must be made, including crossing a "t" too darkly. They include things like the bank having a bill counting machine, because the largest bill of 100 RMB is equivalent to less than $15. They have a bill counting machine, but no change counting machines, and picked out by hand the change pile we delivered this afternoon. Absurd in that they have no list showing the Chinese and English names of the banks - so when I completed my form (without errors) and entered the official English name of the bank we needed to wire transfer money to, the teller had to call around a group of friends to try to guess which bank I referred to. Absurd in that I was allowed either a passbook or a debit card, but not both. Absurd in that although each teller has a computer, they only seem to use it to verify my identity (at least they do that much), and that most drawers are filled with scrap pieces of paper for making notes. Oh, I could keep going, but who would want me to?
I am happy we are going to D.C., and I am looking forward to living in America for a while. I have become accustomed to China, and so am excited more about the new destination than about leaving this one. But the banks? I am quite happy to leave the Bank of China behind, with all of my cash in my pocket.
We have finished well. We had a comfortable home, good friends and a strong school these past 6 months. We gave up the temporary attitudes, and fully lived in Shenzhen for the entire time we were here. It seems strange that it has only been 6 months, because I feel so fully at home here.
We sold or gave away everything we do not need. We packed the air freight and the sea shipment with exactly what I wanted, and we will leave with less than our luggage allotment tomorrow. The house is clean and the bags are packed. We had Chinese food for dinner, and the girls will have their good-bye parties in each of their classrooms tomorrow.
After much worrying, we managed to move all of our Chinese Yuan into dollars, and will be carrying about $8,000 in cash with us tomorrow. Keep that quiet, though.
I've been wanting to blog about the banking system here for quite some time, because it is absurd. We faced so many problems with the banks, and I could never bring myself to write about it. I could never bring the list of absurdities to a complete story, and I could never separate myself enough from the frustration of dealing with the bank to even attempt the story. But today, all went surprisingly well - as it only can in China.
China is a land of rules, and of people who love to enforce them. But people who are also just as eager to break these rules. We went to the bank on Monday to exchange our cash. Our understanding was that each individual can exchange $5,000 US with no questions asked. On this particular Monday, this was not the case. On this particular Monday, each individual can exchange only $500 US with no questions asked. By these rules, we would be leaving a large amount of money behind when we leave tomorrow, so we explored other options. According to the teller, Dave only needed an official copy of his contract to change as much money as he liked. He sent the request in to Uncle H--'s HR, and waited the two days for the document to arrive in the mail.
Today, the envelope arrived at our door, and we went straight to the Bank of China. We opened the contract, and noticed that they had sent a photocopy without the company chop. The chop makes the document valid - without it, these papers are of no use. According to the rules, we could not possibly change our money. But when Dave told them we will leave tomorrow, the chop was of little consequence. We were soon handed a very large pile of bills, and walked out without asking any questions.
This story is less crazy, and more typical China - and lucky for us. Absurdities include things like the number of forms being used for simple transactions - and the fact that a form must be completely redone if any corrections must be made, including crossing a "t" too darkly. They include things like the bank having a bill counting machine, because the largest bill of 100 RMB is equivalent to less than $15. They have a bill counting machine, but no change counting machines, and picked out by hand the change pile we delivered this afternoon. Absurd in that they have no list showing the Chinese and English names of the banks - so when I completed my form (without errors) and entered the official English name of the bank we needed to wire transfer money to, the teller had to call around a group of friends to try to guess which bank I referred to. Absurd in that I was allowed either a passbook or a debit card, but not both. Absurd in that although each teller has a computer, they only seem to use it to verify my identity (at least they do that much), and that most drawers are filled with scrap pieces of paper for making notes. Oh, I could keep going, but who would want me to?
I am happy we are going to D.C., and I am looking forward to living in America for a while. I have become accustomed to China, and so am excited more about the new destination than about leaving this one. But the banks? I am quite happy to leave the Bank of China behind, with all of my cash in my pocket.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Sweetly Reminder
We live in a bit of a resort, here in Shenzhen. We are on the far outskirts of town, inside a gated community designed specifically for expatriates. The management here are fully Chinese, and they run the place as such - total dis-empowerment of front-line staff, and no explanation for strange and degrading policies. But they also take care of us as if we are dunces, appropriate for many of us waiguoren (foreigners). A friend referred to China as Wonderland - you can neither predict nor explain what might happen next.
The management delivered this notice to us this evening:
URGENCY
Sweetly Reminder
To: Tenants
From: Management Center
Date: March 15th, 2011
Dear tenants,
Temperatures in Shenzhen will drop to minimum 11 degrees Celsius tomorrow, due to a cold front from the north. The cold will start to affect the city from March 16th, it will be warmer from 17th, the city will see a heavy rain during 18th until 20th, the city's meteorological observatory said. Please put on more clothes and keep warm.
Management Center
Validity: from March 15th 2011 to 20th 2011
Just to be clear, this is an announcement to "put on more clothes and keep warm" because the low temperatures will be in the fifties for the next few days.
The management delivered this notice to us this evening:
URGENCY
Sweetly Reminder
To: Tenants
From: Management Center
Date: March 15th, 2011
Dear tenants,
Temperatures in Shenzhen will drop to minimum 11 degrees Celsius tomorrow, due to a cold front from the north. The cold will start to affect the city from March 16th, it will be warmer from 17th, the city will see a heavy rain during 18th until 20th, the city's meteorological observatory said. Please put on more clothes and keep warm.
Management Center
Validity: from March 15th 2011 to 20th 2011
Just to be clear, this is an announcement to "put on more clothes and keep warm" because the low temperatures will be in the fifties for the next few days.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
I Heart Moving
You may think I'm crazy, but I really enjoy moving. I enjoy all aspects of it - from the change of scenery to the actual packing of boxes. I've run on high energy these last few weeks, managing the logistics of a complicated household move, and thriving on the task. In fact, I'm becoming convinced that moving is good for you. Here's why:
Moving instead of The Gym
As a special treat to myself, and also to help a friend build her business, I had a personal trainer at the gym for the past few months. She's a good trainer, and I felt myself growing stronger and fitting into my jeans better. I ate well, I exercised three times a week, and I had a healthy body.
But now that I've entered into Moving Mode, my jeans are practically falling off. Something about the stress of moving seems to burn calories like nobody's business. This although our kitchen is fully packed, leaving behind plenty of food but no dishes to prepare it with. We're eating a lot of meals out, and in Shenzhen that means we're eating a lot of bad food. My stomach's not always happy at the end of the day, but my waistline seems to be doing quite well.
Moving to Purge
I suppose some people move in a much quicker fashion, where they simply box everything they own and send it off to the next house, where those boxes arrive a few days later. Our move is nothing like that. We have a list of items which can not move in either shipment - this includes food and liquids, providing a great time to purge the kitchen and bathroom of items which have sat on the shelf for far too long. Sadly, we also purge the kitchen of half-full bags of flour and opened containers of food coloring. Still, the clean-out is refreshing. And it goes beyond the perishables. Why move a baby swing when we won't have anymore infants in our family? Out it goes. Why carry around books we have already read? Out they go. We have moved every year, and each time I enjoy clearing out the things that we rarely use.
Moving to Simplify
Purging certainly simplifies, by causing me to think through which items I actually want and use on a regular basis. But this in-between time is a lovely exercise is simple living as well. We're living in our home this week, but as if we were living in a hotel. I've already packed our blankets and towels, all of our dishes, and all of the books and toys. Using the kitchen with only a few spare items, most of which are broken, proves to be an interesting challenge. Watching the girls play outside with sticks, flowers, and socks is beautiful.
Moving to Value Others
Saying good-bye is certainly the hardest thing about moving. And moving regularly makes saying good-bye all the more bittersweet, because we have no illusions of staying in regular contact or living as neighbors ever again. By the grace of God, I have made some true friends in our short time living in Shenzhen, whom I will be sad to leave. I am not callous about this, and I am aware of the challenges each member of our family faces by leaving our friends behind every few years. However, moving provides a pleasant opportunity to express to your friends how much you value them. These last few weeks, I find myself chatting with the same people as always, and enjoying all of our neighbors and companions just as much as ever - I have not really checked out. But I also have no real need for lunches and coffees with people I don't know very well. I am fully aware of who my close friends are, and I am coveting my time with each of those people. Further, I have the opportunity to tell them and to make time for them during a busy season.
Moving to Break Out of that Comfort Zone
The number one reason to move every few years is because we live in an exciting and varied world, and what fun to explore a new place! I am giddy with excitement about living in the D.C. area. So many sights to explore in the district; so many parks, libraries and restaurants to enjoy in Northern Virginia; and so many places to hike, swim or daytrip in the Mid-Atlantic. My only regret is that we won't have enough weekends or gas money to visit all of the fun places! But this regret is well tempered by the place we'll move next. Wherever it is, we'll be studying up on the local sights for months beforehand and hit the ground eager to explore our new neighborhood.
Moving instead of The Gym
As a special treat to myself, and also to help a friend build her business, I had a personal trainer at the gym for the past few months. She's a good trainer, and I felt myself growing stronger and fitting into my jeans better. I ate well, I exercised three times a week, and I had a healthy body.
But now that I've entered into Moving Mode, my jeans are practically falling off. Something about the stress of moving seems to burn calories like nobody's business. This although our kitchen is fully packed, leaving behind plenty of food but no dishes to prepare it with. We're eating a lot of meals out, and in Shenzhen that means we're eating a lot of bad food. My stomach's not always happy at the end of the day, but my waistline seems to be doing quite well.
Moving to Purge
I suppose some people move in a much quicker fashion, where they simply box everything they own and send it off to the next house, where those boxes arrive a few days later. Our move is nothing like that. We have a list of items which can not move in either shipment - this includes food and liquids, providing a great time to purge the kitchen and bathroom of items which have sat on the shelf for far too long. Sadly, we also purge the kitchen of half-full bags of flour and opened containers of food coloring. Still, the clean-out is refreshing. And it goes beyond the perishables. Why move a baby swing when we won't have anymore infants in our family? Out it goes. Why carry around books we have already read? Out they go. We have moved every year, and each time I enjoy clearing out the things that we rarely use.
Moving to Simplify
Purging certainly simplifies, by causing me to think through which items I actually want and use on a regular basis. But this in-between time is a lovely exercise is simple living as well. We're living in our home this week, but as if we were living in a hotel. I've already packed our blankets and towels, all of our dishes, and all of the books and toys. Using the kitchen with only a few spare items, most of which are broken, proves to be an interesting challenge. Watching the girls play outside with sticks, flowers, and socks is beautiful.
Moving to Value Others
Saying good-bye is certainly the hardest thing about moving. And moving regularly makes saying good-bye all the more bittersweet, because we have no illusions of staying in regular contact or living as neighbors ever again. By the grace of God, I have made some true friends in our short time living in Shenzhen, whom I will be sad to leave. I am not callous about this, and I am aware of the challenges each member of our family faces by leaving our friends behind every few years. However, moving provides a pleasant opportunity to express to your friends how much you value them. These last few weeks, I find myself chatting with the same people as always, and enjoying all of our neighbors and companions just as much as ever - I have not really checked out. But I also have no real need for lunches and coffees with people I don't know very well. I am fully aware of who my close friends are, and I am coveting my time with each of those people. Further, I have the opportunity to tell them and to make time for them during a busy season.
Moving to Break Out of that Comfort Zone
The number one reason to move every few years is because we live in an exciting and varied world, and what fun to explore a new place! I am giddy with excitement about living in the D.C. area. So many sights to explore in the district; so many parks, libraries and restaurants to enjoy in Northern Virginia; and so many places to hike, swim or daytrip in the Mid-Atlantic. My only regret is that we won't have enough weekends or gas money to visit all of the fun places! But this regret is well tempered by the place we'll move next. Wherever it is, we'll be studying up on the local sights for months beforehand and hit the ground eager to explore our new neighborhood.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Officially Unemployed
Apparently, its not actually official. Officially, Dave is now on vacation through the rest of the month. But he won't be going into work anymore. He doesn't have a laptop anymore. And he had to turn in his blackberry. Hip Hip Hooray!
It was quite an eventful day, really, as the sea shipment left this afternoon as well. My mom and I handled the movers and the packing list quite smoothly, and I finished the day feeling relaxed and at ease about the whole situation.
The girls are showing signs of stress this week, which means that the weekend is devoted primarily to making them comfortable. Sophia worries about making new friends, and Lilly seems worried about liking her new teacher. The Parental Plan is to take the focus off of the new home in D.C. for now, and bring the excitement around to spending next week in Chicago, playing with cousins, and surrounded by family.
It was quite an eventful day, really, as the sea shipment left this afternoon as well. My mom and I handled the movers and the packing list quite smoothly, and I finished the day feeling relaxed and at ease about the whole situation.
The girls are showing signs of stress this week, which means that the weekend is devoted primarily to making them comfortable. Sophia worries about making new friends, and Lilly seems worried about liking her new teacher. The Parental Plan is to take the focus off of the new home in D.C. for now, and bring the excitement around to spending next week in Chicago, playing with cousins, and surrounded by family.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Ready As I'll Ever Be
The air freight left yesterday afternoon, and is slowly en route to our place in Washington, D.C. Turns out we got screwed out of about 1/3 of our total weight allowance, because the shippers didn't know what they were doing. Bummer - but I got everything that I felt I needed.
The sea shipment gets packed up tomorrow, and this will be a different kind of stress. My weight limit is 18,000 pounds, which I will come nowhere near meeting. So I have no stress about leaving anything behind - that was the fear yesterday with the air freight. The stress tomorrow centers around control. Being a bit of a Control Freak, it drives me crazy that 12 men will swarm my little house tomorrow and pack things wherever they see fit. I've got things packed and washed and sorted, and sitting in very organized piles. The holiday decorations are in a pile. The toys are in a corner. The baby gear is in a clump. My stress level at this point lies primarily in wondering how much those 12 men will care about my little piles.
Because this move is very different from your typical change of house. In your typical change of house, everything piles into a van for a few days. Then you unload it all in the new house. You've got lots of boxes to unpack and damage to inspect, but you're back in control of your possessions again. Easy as that. That is not how this move will work.
When our shipment leaves our house tomorrow, it will move to the port of Shekou and sit there until it can clear customs. Once it has permission to leave China, it will move onto a boat piled high with other containers, and sit in the bay until that boat is full enough to sail. Then it'll make its way slowly across the world to a warehouse in Maryland. My things will sit inside their boxes, inside their crates, inside that warehouse, inside of Maryland until we leave the United States. Once we pack up to go to the next post, wherever that may be, we will give the all clear for each of our boxes to leave Maryland, hop back through U.S. customs and head off on another boat toward another country. Probably about 2 months after we arrive in our new home, the stuff that currently surrounds me will arrive.
Here's where it gets tricky.
Should my container fall off of the boat, should that warehouse catch on fire, or should a few of my boxes be grabbed by pirates en route to that next post (all entirely possible), I need to be able to make an insurance claim. I'll need to be able to tell someone exactly what I lost, and how much money they should give me for it. More than that - I'll really want to document what was lost with a well completed packing list. The packing list serves as proof of what I own.
So tomorrow, my mother and Annika and I may frantically tail 12 men as they pack things into random boxes, doing our best to label them accurately. I do have a complete inventory of our household items (bet very few of my readers can say that!), but I still feel the need for that documentation on the packing list.
This is what's keeping me awake right now. Once it all leaves my house tomorrow night, I expect to crash, and hope to sleep for a long time.
The sea shipment gets packed up tomorrow, and this will be a different kind of stress. My weight limit is 18,000 pounds, which I will come nowhere near meeting. So I have no stress about leaving anything behind - that was the fear yesterday with the air freight. The stress tomorrow centers around control. Being a bit of a Control Freak, it drives me crazy that 12 men will swarm my little house tomorrow and pack things wherever they see fit. I've got things packed and washed and sorted, and sitting in very organized piles. The holiday decorations are in a pile. The toys are in a corner. The baby gear is in a clump. My stress level at this point lies primarily in wondering how much those 12 men will care about my little piles.
Because this move is very different from your typical change of house. In your typical change of house, everything piles into a van for a few days. Then you unload it all in the new house. You've got lots of boxes to unpack and damage to inspect, but you're back in control of your possessions again. Easy as that. That is not how this move will work.
When our shipment leaves our house tomorrow, it will move to the port of Shekou and sit there until it can clear customs. Once it has permission to leave China, it will move onto a boat piled high with other containers, and sit in the bay until that boat is full enough to sail. Then it'll make its way slowly across the world to a warehouse in Maryland. My things will sit inside their boxes, inside their crates, inside that warehouse, inside of Maryland until we leave the United States. Once we pack up to go to the next post, wherever that may be, we will give the all clear for each of our boxes to leave Maryland, hop back through U.S. customs and head off on another boat toward another country. Probably about 2 months after we arrive in our new home, the stuff that currently surrounds me will arrive.
Here's where it gets tricky.
Should my container fall off of the boat, should that warehouse catch on fire, or should a few of my boxes be grabbed by pirates en route to that next post (all entirely possible), I need to be able to make an insurance claim. I'll need to be able to tell someone exactly what I lost, and how much money they should give me for it. More than that - I'll really want to document what was lost with a well completed packing list. The packing list serves as proof of what I own.
So tomorrow, my mother and Annika and I may frantically tail 12 men as they pack things into random boxes, doing our best to label them accurately. I do have a complete inventory of our household items (bet very few of my readers can say that!), but I still feel the need for that documentation on the packing list.
This is what's keeping me awake right now. Once it all leaves my house tomorrow night, I expect to crash, and hope to sleep for a long time.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Air Shipment - Moving day #1
The air shipment gets packed today, and the living room has been entirely disassembled. The girls packed their lunches in plastic bags today, and we're each wearing whatever sat on top of our bags. I feel pretty confident that we can fit in everything we want - a few dishes, a few books, a few blankets, a few toys, and a lot of clothes to fill our little apartment in D.C. for the next year. May have to jettison the bikes, but I believe that all other things are go.
Thank goodness Nana and Poppa have been here for the last week - they will stay until next week. How would I have packed the house, and managed the kids and the kitchen at the same time? Dave's last day with Uncle H-- will be Friday. What a disaster this week would have been!
Thank goodness Nana and Poppa have been here for the last week - they will stay until next week. How would I have packed the house, and managed the kids and the kitchen at the same time? Dave's last day with Uncle H-- will be Friday. What a disaster this week would have been!
Monday, March 07, 2011
Moving Right Along
All is moving according to schedule, and thank goodness. After a relaxing weekend in Hong Kong with the parents (where we stepped off the bus right into this protest), we came back to jump right into a busy packing week. We're dealing with customs and with things going three different directions, and so today I'm tearing apart the house to prepare to packers to arrive tomorrow.
Dave finishes work on Friday, just as the last shippers leave the house. We'll fly out next week, after a crazy week of camping out in the house, eating off of paper plates, closing out bank accounts and seeing friends for the last time. A good-bye party in each classroom, and then we'll be off.
So far, Sophia is showing quite a few signs of struggling but everyone else seems happy and well-adjusted. We'll see how a broken down house effects them. But as it means they'll all be sleeping in our bed for a while, I doubt anyone will mind too much.
Dave finishes work on Friday, just as the last shippers leave the house. We'll fly out next week, after a crazy week of camping out in the house, eating off of paper plates, closing out bank accounts and seeing friends for the last time. A good-bye party in each classroom, and then we'll be off.
So far, Sophia is showing quite a few signs of struggling but everyone else seems happy and well-adjusted. We'll see how a broken down house effects them. But as it means they'll all be sleeping in our bed for a while, I doubt anyone will mind too much.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Our first destination
Apparently this article was front page of the Washington Post this morning. Although we are not yet traumatically displaced, this is not only the lifestyle we are stepping into but also the Virginia address and school.
Children of diplomats displaced by strife often caught between two worlds
By Kevin Sieff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3, 2011; 12:57 AM
With each regime that teeters, each uprising that forces a U.S. embassy to be evacuated, more American diplomats, aid workers and their families seek shelter at a nondescript Falls Church apartment complex with a nondescript name: Oakwood. The only hint of its connection to international affairs is the United Nations flag flying overhead.
Most families are there to enroll their children in Northern Virginia's smallest school district, Falls Church, and to wait for the world's uprisings to subside before returning to their foreign postings or deploying to new ones. The surge of recent arrivals began with an exodus from Ivory Coast in January and was followed last month by a group from Egypt - 33 students and their families from Cairo alone. A wave from Libya began landing over the weekend.
During their stays at Oakwood, named for the national corporate housing chain that owns it, children leave each morning for classes at Falls Church schools. Parents take shuttles that run between the complex on North Roosevelt Boulevard and the State Department's Foggy Bottom headquarters.
"It's like the State Department ghetto," said Rob Rose, a development consultant who left Cairo for Falls Church with his wife, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee, and two daughters.
Such moves are jarring for students who are scrambled out of global hot spots and delivered to this placid corner of suburbia. Oakwood's modern, furnished apartments are part of a complex of four brick buildings sandwiched between a cemetery and a busy street.
"Someone asked me the other day if I speak Egyptian. They ask if we ride to school on camels. I don't think they really understand us," said Hadley Rose, 13, who is in the eighth grade at George Mason High School.
Oakwood has been a landing spot for displaced U.S. diplomats since at least 1998, when about a dozen arrived after the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi was bombed. The relationship was formalized in 2006 when the State Department contracted with Oakwood to house diplomats passing through Washington. They pay $5,400 per month for a two-bedroom apartment, and that fee is covered by the government's housing allowance.
Oakwood officials at the apartment complex and corporate headquarters declined to comment.
Falls Church is known in the diplomatic corps for its small, high-achieving schools. With 2,100 students spread across a high school, a middle school and two elementaries, the midyear arrivals get noticed.
"As soon as I saw the images from Egypt, I knew it was only a matter of time," said Lois Berlin, the district's superintendent. "Whenever there's unrest, we expect an influx of students."
The Cairo group arrived after violence in that city's normally quiet diplomatic neighborhood had kept families in their homes for nearly a week. "It didn't seem that bad at first. But then we started hearing gunshots. The tanks started rolling closer," said Liam O'Dowd, a high school junior.
Families watched as police officers who protected their apartment complex disappeared, and they listened for updates on an embassy radio station until the evacuation order arrived.
The students left Cairo American College, the city's preeminent international high school, in the middle of cross country season, a few months before Advanced Placement exams and days before the performance of the semester's musical. Less than a week later, they started classes in Falls Church.
The diplomats' children expected to stay briefly, just long enough to wait out the revolution's fever pitch. But three weeks later, they were still biding time in a school system that feels at once foreign and familiar. Although they're American citizens, this is the first time some have attended school in the United States.
"I'm just ready to go home," said Phoebe Bredin, 17, meaning Cairo. "We lived through the beginning of a revolution, and now we're here waiting in the suburbs. It's weird."
Bredin learned that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down during a college visit to Virginia Tech. When she jumped and squealed in the admissions office, "people looked at me like I was crazy. But this is something I really care about."
Some of these students wear high school athletic uniforms with the word "Cairo" emblazoned on their chests. Some refuse to change their watches from Egyptian time. They get news through friends' Facebook pages, where Egyptian classmates have posted photos from Tahrir Square and exultant messages in Arabic.
"There are a lot of rumors: We could go back next week, or next month, or it could be much longer than that," said Arden Rose, 16. "I just wish we knew for sure."
Falls Church isn't the only school district that has received students fleeing unrest. Fairfax has received 28 students from diplomatic families based in Egypt, and other Virginia districts have enrolled some, prompting the Virginia Department of Education to send a statewide message to school officials about how to handle American students who have returned to the United States, sometimes without parents or housing.
The State Department uses the term "third-culture kid" to describe young people who live the Foreign Service lifestyle - often jolted between postings and hemispheres, not entirely adapting to the cultures of their home nations or adopted ones.
That description feels stale to some of Falls Church's newest students, for whom the amalgamation of cultures at Cairo American College hardly seemed unusual. So what if cross country practice takes place in a dried-up river bed not far from the Nile? So what if they find themselves in U.S. history classes with the grandchildren of Mubarak and Anwar Sadat?
Even though most of the students have adjusted academically - many say the workload in Falls Church is more manageable than in Cairo - their frustrations are mounting.
The seniors in the group are particularly eager to return. In June, they are due to graduate in front of the Pyramids of Giza, dressed in red and white robes. They hope to get their diplomas, grab hold of the limestone - normally off limits - and climb the base of the monuments, posing for photos that might one day decorate college dorm rooms.
"It's something we all look forward to," said Phoebe Bredin, 17, "graduating with all of our friends, in the middle of such an amazing place. I just hope we're back in time."
Children of diplomats displaced by strife often caught between two worlds
By Kevin Sieff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3, 2011; 12:57 AM
With each regime that teeters, each uprising that forces a U.S. embassy to be evacuated, more American diplomats, aid workers and their families seek shelter at a nondescript Falls Church apartment complex with a nondescript name: Oakwood. The only hint of its connection to international affairs is the United Nations flag flying overhead.
Most families are there to enroll their children in Northern Virginia's smallest school district, Falls Church, and to wait for the world's uprisings to subside before returning to their foreign postings or deploying to new ones. The surge of recent arrivals began with an exodus from Ivory Coast in January and was followed last month by a group from Egypt - 33 students and their families from Cairo alone. A wave from Libya began landing over the weekend.
During their stays at Oakwood, named for the national corporate housing chain that owns it, children leave each morning for classes at Falls Church schools. Parents take shuttles that run between the complex on North Roosevelt Boulevard and the State Department's Foggy Bottom headquarters.
"It's like the State Department ghetto," said Rob Rose, a development consultant who left Cairo for Falls Church with his wife, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee, and two daughters.
Such moves are jarring for students who are scrambled out of global hot spots and delivered to this placid corner of suburbia. Oakwood's modern, furnished apartments are part of a complex of four brick buildings sandwiched between a cemetery and a busy street.
"Someone asked me the other day if I speak Egyptian. They ask if we ride to school on camels. I don't think they really understand us," said Hadley Rose, 13, who is in the eighth grade at George Mason High School.
Oakwood has been a landing spot for displaced U.S. diplomats since at least 1998, when about a dozen arrived after the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi was bombed. The relationship was formalized in 2006 when the State Department contracted with Oakwood to house diplomats passing through Washington. They pay $5,400 per month for a two-bedroom apartment, and that fee is covered by the government's housing allowance.
Oakwood officials at the apartment complex and corporate headquarters declined to comment.
Falls Church is known in the diplomatic corps for its small, high-achieving schools. With 2,100 students spread across a high school, a middle school and two elementaries, the midyear arrivals get noticed.
"As soon as I saw the images from Egypt, I knew it was only a matter of time," said Lois Berlin, the district's superintendent. "Whenever there's unrest, we expect an influx of students."
The Cairo group arrived after violence in that city's normally quiet diplomatic neighborhood had kept families in their homes for nearly a week. "It didn't seem that bad at first. But then we started hearing gunshots. The tanks started rolling closer," said Liam O'Dowd, a high school junior.
Families watched as police officers who protected their apartment complex disappeared, and they listened for updates on an embassy radio station until the evacuation order arrived.
The students left Cairo American College, the city's preeminent international high school, in the middle of cross country season, a few months before Advanced Placement exams and days before the performance of the semester's musical. Less than a week later, they started classes in Falls Church.
The diplomats' children expected to stay briefly, just long enough to wait out the revolution's fever pitch. But three weeks later, they were still biding time in a school system that feels at once foreign and familiar. Although they're American citizens, this is the first time some have attended school in the United States.
"I'm just ready to go home," said Phoebe Bredin, 17, meaning Cairo. "We lived through the beginning of a revolution, and now we're here waiting in the suburbs. It's weird."
Bredin learned that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down during a college visit to Virginia Tech. When she jumped and squealed in the admissions office, "people looked at me like I was crazy. But this is something I really care about."
Some of these students wear high school athletic uniforms with the word "Cairo" emblazoned on their chests. Some refuse to change their watches from Egyptian time. They get news through friends' Facebook pages, where Egyptian classmates have posted photos from Tahrir Square and exultant messages in Arabic.
"There are a lot of rumors: We could go back next week, or next month, or it could be much longer than that," said Arden Rose, 16. "I just wish we knew for sure."
Falls Church isn't the only school district that has received students fleeing unrest. Fairfax has received 28 students from diplomatic families based in Egypt, and other Virginia districts have enrolled some, prompting the Virginia Department of Education to send a statewide message to school officials about how to handle American students who have returned to the United States, sometimes without parents or housing.
The State Department uses the term "third-culture kid" to describe young people who live the Foreign Service lifestyle - often jolted between postings and hemispheres, not entirely adapting to the cultures of their home nations or adopted ones.
That description feels stale to some of Falls Church's newest students, for whom the amalgamation of cultures at Cairo American College hardly seemed unusual. So what if cross country practice takes place in a dried-up river bed not far from the Nile? So what if they find themselves in U.S. history classes with the grandchildren of Mubarak and Anwar Sadat?
Even though most of the students have adjusted academically - many say the workload in Falls Church is more manageable than in Cairo - their frustrations are mounting.
The seniors in the group are particularly eager to return. In June, they are due to graduate in front of the Pyramids of Giza, dressed in red and white robes. They hope to get their diplomas, grab hold of the limestone - normally off limits - and climb the base of the monuments, posing for photos that might one day decorate college dorm rooms.
"It's something we all look forward to," said Phoebe Bredin, 17, "graduating with all of our friends, in the middle of such an amazing place. I just hope we're back in time."
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Coming to America
According to the NYTimes:
"With the current law financing federal agencies due to expire on
Friday, the measure — approved on 91-9 vote — postpones a potential
shutdown and gives lawmakers time to negotiate a plan to keep the
government running through Sept. 30. But lawmakers and top aides are
already predicting that at least one more temporary measure will be
required, because the two parties remain divided on how much spending
to cut and on which programs should have their budgets slashed. "It is
hard to believe we've reached the point in Washington where we are
going to fund our United States government two weeks at a time,"
Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/us/politics/03congress.html?_r=1&hp
What this means for us is that we are definitely coming home! We have flights and movers arranged, all scheduled to happen before March 18 (the 2 weeks from now Dick Durbin references). Should the government actually shut down, at least we will be stateside when it happens!
Speaking of
** text from an actual conversation this afternoon **
Lynne: ... and then we'll stop by the photo store.
Sophia: Speaking of dinosaurs, Victor pretended to be a T-Rex this afternoon and chased me all around the playground.
Lynne: What fun! But I wasn't speaking of dinosaurs.
Sophia: No. I was.
Lynne: ... and then we'll stop by the photo store.
Sophia: Speaking of dinosaurs, Victor pretended to be a T-Rex this afternoon and chased me all around the playground.
Lynne: What fun! But I wasn't speaking of dinosaurs.
Sophia: No. I was.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
The Great Firewall
The geographic boundaries of China lie within a great firewall, one that keeps many people inside this nation from viewing websites that the Chinese government deems inappropriate. Sometimes what makes it through the firewall surprises me. News stories about Libya and Egypt came through last week, as well as news stories about China's reaction to them, and recent crackdowns on dissidents. In retrospect, maybe the government has an interest in that combination.
Sometimes what does not make the cut surprises me, too. I can not access imdb.com, and I can not always shop at Target.com. Other things are standard, and well publicized. I can not get to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia or Blogger.
And so, those us of with means and with an interest, simply skirt the firewall with a personal VPN. Our VPN is located in Virginia, and although I do not understand the technicalities about this technology, I do know that when I turn on my VPN, most websites believe I am accessing the internet from Virginia rather than from China. I pay $4.95 per month for this privilege. Interestingly, VPNs are legal in China. They don't mind some people accessing the broad spectrum of communication on the world wide web.
Here is where the Great Firewall of China impacts you, dear reader. After I lost my wallet, I canceled my credit cards. This includes the card which GoTrusted billed every month to pay for my VPN. This being the first of the month, my VPN has been canceled. As I've got less than 20 days less under the firewall anyway, I'm just leaving it be. Posts may be a bit less frequent, and posting will be a bit more creative.Dave is posting this for me from Manila, where he has been the past two weeks. An upcoming trip to Hong Kong, and visits to friend's houses will allow more access. Still, if the impending move and the arrival of my parents as house guests were not enough of an excuse, please understand why I may not post often for the next few weeks.
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