It Ain't DC, but...

Just when we were beginning to feel stable, it seems there's a new city on the table. Dave's boss has a few very good reasons to want him working in the Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong would be ideal for the company, but with the price of living that city would be a tough sell to the budget-makers. As Dave's already turned down an offer in Hong Kong once, they know just how expensive our family would be. Shenzhen is nearby, Uncle H-- has an office there, and the cost of living is considerably less.

So, Shenzhen is now on the table.

And this will be a rush-rush deal. Partly on their side: if Uncle H-- wins a particular contract, the work will begin soon and need Dave on site quickly. Financially, our lease renews on September 1 and school fees in Shanghai become non-refundable as soon as the girls set foot on campus at the end of August.

But most importantly for us, school begins in Shenzhen on August 12th. I'm not able to picture a move from Shanghai to Shenzhen in under 3 weeks - especially as a non-refundable beach vacation lies smack in the middle of those weeks.

I've spent some spare time today looking at schools and housing. It actually seems like a fun place to live. Loads of expats, all living on a bit of peninsula with mountains on the background and the sea on the forefront. Fairies from the local terminal leave for Hong Kong and Macau 13 times daily, and people's hobbies seem to be scuba diving and lying around the beach. The girls will change schools this year either way, and realistically they will only be keeping a few of the same friends with that change. And myself? The next month would be such a whirlwind that I wouldn't have any time to be nervous.

Dave places the odds on this move at 50-50. The boss says we'll know by the end of the week. That timing is absolutely necessary for us to be in the Shenzhen area by the first day of school.

I wonder if many of the applicants to the foreign service - a career where you reliably move internationally every 2 to 3 years - look forward to it as offering stability?