Gotta love a good bag

I got a new bag today to add to my collection of handbags. I will think of all my peeps in the Detroit Metro Area ☺ when I use it!

It's on like Donkey Kong!

For the past 2 days Michael and I have had cultural training, which has been extremely helpful.  It is going to help Michael know how to be a good "Chinese" boss at work and it is helping me see what one of my challenges is going to be.  And that is to break down some walls.

I was hanging with my girl Aimee tonight and telling her about our training.  One thing our trainer pointed out is that Chinese people do not really have a problem with racism, like some Americans do.  But Chinese are very classist.  There is a very clear hierarchy of who is "above" who.  And especially since Michael and I are going to be in a city that does not have many Westerners it will be even more apparent than say Shanghai, that is more modern.

Our trainer was telling us how if we get an Ayi (maid), well actually no he is pretty much telling us that we definitely should get an Ayi.  Anywho, he was tell us there are many positive reasons, especially when we are first there, that an Ayi would be beneficial.  They will grocery shop and cook, all of which I can watch her do, so that I can learn how to do it.  And our trainer was saying that both our driver and potential Ayi can help with many other daily living things like paying utilities, which have to be paid in person at like the post office or some other government building because the government controls all of those things.  And since we do not speak Mandarin it will be difficult until we learn how.  Our trainer said those are things that our driver or Ayi can do as well, which is very helpful.  They can also show us best local places to shop, eat, get clothes tailored, etc...  So that is very useful.  It definitely made us thing that we probably will get an Ayi.

The thing I did not like is that he said that it is inappropriate for me to eat lunch with my Ayi and driver at home because of the hierarchy in China.  That I could fix my lunch or the Ayi will and then she will clean up and she can have hear lunch break and then rest.  Most of the western houses have a room for the Ayi to keep her belonging..purse, etc... And then it is very common in Chinese and other Asian cultures to rest after lunch.  For example, it will not be unusual for Michael to see his coworkers taking a short nap after lunch.

When our trainer told us that eating lunch together is not appropriate because of the different status of myself from our Ayi or driver for example, it was all I could do not to say something.  I totally understand it is a different culture and I respect that.  This is the Chinese norm.  When our trainer talks about it, it seems like no big deal.  But this idea of hierarchy is like 100% opposite of what I am about.

God has made it very clear to me in the past few years, as I was soul searching and trying to figure out what God wanted me to do with my life, that my purpose on this earth is to be a servant.  God has given me a servant's heart.  He has given me a passion for serving others, especially those people who are looked down upon in our society or people who are hurting, etc... I know that I have not been put on this earth to be anyone significant.  I was put on this earth to serve others.  I can say that I gladly accept that this is what God created me for.  I do not do it perfectly, nor do I pretend to.   And as long as I am on this earth I never will.  There are many hours I waste doing nothing, shopping, thinking about myself, sleeping, whatever....but I do try and I do have a desire to serve and volunteer.  And I praise God for His grace and mercy and patience with me.

So as much as I understand I am not going to go to China and change the class system.  I do know that in my house I can make changes.  I will eventually eat right along side my Ayi.  And I will make it clear to her that she is just as important to me as anyone else.  I don't know how this will happen.  And I know I need to be respectful of cultural norms.  But I know God will open the door when the time is right.  So my Ayi and driver might be there to serve me, but believe me I am going to serve them right back! ☺Because that is what God has called me to do.  So stayed tuned for the adventures of Kim Kim and her Ayi!
 

Will they ever end...

As I have mentioned before we have had to get some vaccinations before we move to China.  Actually, we did not have to get any.  All of them are optional, but even though I hate shots, I hate getting sick and dying even more.

So far we had Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Tetanus and Polio.  I thought I got out of Hep B because I had it years back when I was a volunteer in a hospital, but when my doc, who is awesome (if anyone is looking), checked for the Hep B antibodies and could not find them recommended I get the series again.  It is a series of 3 shots.  I went and got my second shot today.  Overall the shots have not been as bad as I make them out to be in my head.  The pokes have been barely noticeable.  It has been so easy that when the nurse pokes me we laugh and exchange pleasantries.  Well, not today.  It burned like a marshmallow over a bonfire.  And it is never good to hear, "Oh, we got a bleeder."  That is the first time I heard that since getting shots.  Oh well, we are done for now.  We do not have to get our 3rd Hep A and B shots for 6 months.

Oh but wait, we are not done.  While in China, we went to the SOS International clinic to be introduced to our doctor.  It is a great facility and I felt very good about the care we will receive in China.  But the doc recommended MORE vaccinations.  Now we need to get Meningococcal A+C, Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies.  Yep, Rabies folks.

When we came back and talked to the doc at Michael's company,  he did not feel it was necessary.  He said we are low risk unless we pet random animals or something.  And guess what, I pet random animals.  I love animals.  Especially stray cats and dogs.  While I was in China I did pet a stray dog or two.  Actually, when I would see a cute little stray dog, I would call for them and if they did not come I would try and chase after them, so when the doctor said it was low risk unless you pet random animals, Michael was like, "Yeah, my wife needs to get the rabies shot."  He knows me well!

We do not have time to get the shots here, so we are going to get them when we go to China.  I figure it is better to be safe than sorry.  I guess you get Japanese Encephalitis from mosquitoes who go and bite a pig in the country and then come back and bite you in the city.  So for sure I am going to want to be vaccinated against that.  I'm thinking the likely hood that I will get bit by a mosquito is probably quite high.

So there are more shots to come, but I would rather get a shot than let's say RABIES!  I don't think Michael wants me to be more rabid than I already am! ☺

Dreams do come true!

I am blessed to have such a great husband who is making all my dreams come true.  God gave me the perfect husband for me.  He is kind, generous, patient and loving.  

I always hoped to live overseas.  I just think it will be a great experience for many reasons.  After getting married I kind of thought that would never happen.  Michael loves his job, is at a great company and I saw myself in Detroit for the long haul.  And that is not being said in a negative way because I love the life God has given me in Metro Detroit.  But I just figured there would never be any reason for us to leave because the industry Michael is in is predominately Detroit based.  

So when God opened this door for us to live in another part of the world I could not believe it.  I am seeing my dreams come true and that is an awesome thing.  It makes me cry whenever I think about how God has blessed me because I know I am a flawed human being that does not deserve God's love and mercy.  But that is the awesome things about God, He gives it to us anyway.  

So I thank God for my husband and I am looking forward to our adventures in China...TOGETHER!

ahhhh!!!!!

So Palmer, our moving company just came to assess how big of a container we will need to ship our stuff.  We also set a date for them to come and take our stuff so they can ship it to China. 

SEPTEMBER 14th is D-day!!!!

or I guess MOVE DAY!!!!! but it just seems so soon.  That means after Sept 14th we will be living out of our suitcases.  AHHHH!!!!  Luckily we are not taking our bed because it is old and going in the trash when we leave, so we can at least sleep on that in our empty house. ☺

Time...

For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to a hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. -Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

This has always been a favorite verse of mine.  I believe in it to my core.  I believe my life is going to be filled with good times, bad times, times of plenty, times of want, times of sickness, times of health, times of happiness and times of sorrow.  I believe that if I am living the life God intended me to live that I will experience every emotion, not just good and not just bad.  For me believing this verse has given me peace in my life when changes come.  I trust that what God says is true so big things like moving to China don't shake me... too bad.  It does not make it easier to say good bye to friends and family.  But it has made this whole moving process easier.  I think that believing this verse and that God is in control of my life has given me the peace to move to China with my whole heart and hopefully make an impact for God in China.  

I believe that is why God is moving me there...not be a lady of leisure or a lady who lunches, but  He is moving me to China to be a lady who takes the grace, mercy and light God has given me and spread it to others, not keep it to myself.

 So I praise God that He has blessed me with the ability to quit my job early, because this packing and house cleaning is no joke!  And I know that not everyone would be able to do that.  I know that it is a blessing and I praise and bless God for blessing me with the gift of time right now.  It is something that I am trying to use wisely, by spending times with friends and family and then also packing and cleaning.  So please remember to praise God in the good times and the bad times because He is with us all the time. 

p.s. here is an updated picture of my packing!  added 4 more boxes today, even had to move our big green chair to make way for more boxes! ☺

Hurry...Quick...

You better get to Borders before I buy everything!  Since they are going out of business and it is not going to be easy to get English literature in China, I have been trying to stock up on some new reading material.

My pile of Goodies!

Quality not Quantity

I was shown this weekend more reasons why I will miss my home here in Michigan.  One of my best girl friends Aimee, who I met pretty much when I started going to our awesome church Genesis, has 2 awesome sisters.  Olivia who I know well and their older sister Debbie, who I know, but not quite as well.

It is the running joke between Aimee, Liv and I that no one at church can tell us apart.  And it is actually not a joke, people really get us mixed up.  Not sometimes...most of the time.  So they have become my Asian "sistas" because we are all Asian...but not the same Asian. ☺  Anywho, I hang out with Aimee pretty much weekly if not multiple times a week and Liv quite often as well.  They are beautiful on the inside and out.  They are kind, generous, funny, patient, and pretty much the bees knees.  I have know idea what that means, but I like the way it sounds.

They make me be a better person because I want to live up to the same qualities they have.  I think that is what good friends and relationships should do, make you want to be a better person.  They should bring you up, not down and that is what all my girlfriends do.  They have helped me grow spiritually, which has helped me be able to go to China with all my heart, ready to serve God and the people in China.  And that is a priceless gift.

Anywho, I kind of went off on a tangent.  Back to the reason why I was shown this weekend while I will miss my home in Michigan.  I was at a great restaurant Sweet Lorraine's with Michael and my parents and Aimee's older sister Debbie and her husband stopped by our table to say Hi.  We exchanged introductions and said hi, how are you, etc... and as they were leaving Debbie was like oh, we have this coupon would you like it.  Of Course we would!  Who doesn't love saying money.  So that was super sweet.  Then all after they had gone, a few minutes later the waitress brings this awesome dessert and we were all looking at each other like they must have the wrong table.  But the waitress was like this is from your friends who just left.  I seriously almost started crying.  I mean I am in an emotional state these days with the move and all and I am a frequent crier anyway.  But it is gestures like this that make me realize what great friends Michael and I have here in Detroit.

Michael and I have made friends who will last a lifetime.  Debbie and Romel, people who we have met a handful of times but always treat us like we are old friends, reminded me that we have friends here who are QUALITY!  In an time when quantity usually trumps quality, they showed me how gestures like giving us a coupon and buying us dessert can bring a grown woman to tears because I can only hope and pray that we can meet friends like this in China.

But I think even if I don't, I won't complain because the friends I have made these past few years have given me enough love and support to carry me to China and back.  That is a priceless gift!

Thanks Debbie and Romel for reminding us what great friends we have!

If I keep up this pace..

I should be packed by our leave date Sept 24! I really could just leave the packing for the movers, but I wanted to get a head start.  Our place has been a hot mess for a while now, so I wanted to start getting some stuff in boxes and out of the way.  And I would rather not have mover packing my undies and such.

My parents came into town this weekend to help fix up some stuff around the house.  So while my dad and Michael did some handy work around the house, I packed 1 box of bedding, 1 box of winter coats and jackets, 1 box toiletries and 2 YES 2 boxes of handbags.  I know, I know, I have an addiction. It's better that I am addicted to handbags rather than crack though, right? ☺ I also took my mom to Catching Fireflies, Yellow Door Art Market and Borders.  I think I am moving right along. I mean, all Michael and my dad did was fix the chimney on the roof, patch a hole in our ceiling, paint the ceiling in the bathroom and hang some siding on the garage. ☺ I think that is about an even days work!

my LOVELY handy work!

Sushi Go-round

Michael and I got to eat at one of those cool sushi places where the sushi goes around in a circle and you just grab what you want and eat it.  We had only seen such a place on T.V. or in the movies, so it was cool to experience it in person.   I took a little video to share with you.

I can survive!

While we were in Nanjing for our look see, our realtor took us to stores like IKEA and Walmart so we could see what they had.  We also went to a few malls, they have a lot of malls in Nanjing.  One night while Michael and I were out walking, I could not believe what I saw before my eyes...aaaaahhhhhhhhh!

my home away from home ☺

 

 

I love Sephora so much, I had checked on their website to see if they had stores in China and the only one that came up was in Shanghai.  Oh it was a beautiful sight!  Forget Walmart and IKEA, as long as I have eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss and good skin care I can survive anywhere! ☺

Let the Madness begin!

I went to Palmer today, our moving company, to pick up boxes to start packing up stuff we will not use between now and when we leave.  Our place has been messy for the past couple months, but now it is going to be a hot mess! ☺  Luckily neither Michael or I are neat freaks, so the clutter is not going to kill us.  But it should be interesting trying to maneuver around boxes for the next month!

But I praise God that we have a moving company who will be helping us pack a lot of stuff and get it to our new home in China.  Please pray that our stuff gets to China, safely and without damage.  Thanks!

Jelly Fish

On our first night in Nanjing we came across these jelly fish.  They were in front of a mall or department strore.  I cannot remember.  Downtown Nanjing has many department stores and many malls but they are expensive. I took a video of the jelly fish...ENJOY!

Home sweet Home

It was a long week looking for housing.  And I am very tired right now, still waiting for my flight home.  We will not have a lot of good pics because the place is still under construction.  So when we move we will have to post more pics of our home when it is completed and clean.  But I thought I would post a couple of pics now to give you a sneak peak.  I will post pics later.

The entry way..notice the 2 stone turtles, a good sign because we call my dad a turtle because he walks slow, so I felt like it was a good sign when I saw the 2 turtles welcoming us into the home!

From the dining area...looking down into the living area.  Sorry it is not a great pic, it was dark in the house.  The is a ton of woodwork in the house, which is I love! but it makes the house a bit dark.

 

 

Pic taken from the living room looking up to the dining area

Nathan

This week our Realtor/do it all man took us around to find housing.  He also, picked us up and dropped us off at the airport.  He took us to malls and American style grocery stores. He guided us around the city and ate lunch with us.  He took Michael to work and while Michael was at work, Nathan took me shopping at a popular place to get bargains and did all the bargaining for me.  We told him he should not be called a realtor he should be call relocation specialist or jack of all trades.  He was kind and patient and very nice to be around.  We also had a driver with us the whole time, who could not speak english but was nice as well and an EXCELLENT driver.  The traffic in Nanjing is AMAZING.  I say amazing because our driver could maneuver cars, buses, people, scooters and anything else that happen to be in the street like no ones business.  At first I was a bit freaked out, but by the end of the week I got used to having pedestrians stand so close to the car I could smell their breath, yet we managed to not run over their toes.  Now that's amazing!

I am stuck right now in Korea, my homeland, waiting for my flight home to Detroit.  I have a long layover...about 6 hours.  So I might be making multiple posts because I have absolutely nothing to do, but surf the internet, eat the delicious food, and drink white wine in the first class lounge. ☺ So I leave you with a pic of Nathan and our driver and I will probably be back with another post soon.  Or maybe some pics of our food that will be under the food tab.

Nathan is on the left..driver is on the right..Yes Nathan is young, 24 but looks like a teenager.  The food in the pic is Chinese Hot Pot. MMMMM!!! Delicious.  I will post more about Hot Pots later.

The smog has lifted!

We have come to our final night in Nanjing and we are sad to leave.  The smog that was hovering over Nanjing in a previous post, has literally lifted and we have seen some blue sky. Both Michael and I are happy to be returning next month for a MUCH longer stay.  Michael keeps saying how the city has exceeded his expectations.  That is exciting!



a blessing tree at Confucius Temple, see the blue sky☺


I have heard and read the information about moving to a foreign country...the ups the downs, the honeymoon phase, etc...  So Yes, I know we are in the honeymoon phase.  But I have to say I have never been a person who is afraid of change.  I have always wanted to live overseas.  I know the friends I have in Detroit will not forget about me.  (I hope♥)  I love experiencing new things and I really love to travel and I do believe that home is where the heart is and Michael is my heart, so as long as I am with him I can make it anywhere.

People might be reading this and say, Oh Kim has her head in the "smog" right now.  She will not feel this way in a few months or a year from now.  But I have to say, I am fully aware I am going to probably have a break down or 100 break downs.  People who really know me, know I am emotional.  I cry at the drop of a pin.  But I am trusting God to be my strength.  And I overall am a person who has a positive attitude.  I believe my glass is three quarters full! ☺I know I will miss my family.  I know I will miss going to Krista's every week and playing with Lukey and J.J.  And being able to talk to Krista and share stories and meals and drinks and everything.  I will miss shopping and eating out with Aimee.  I will miss being able to drive myself around. I will miss going to church.  I will miss many, many, many things in Detroit.  If you could see me now I am crying while typing this.  I told you I was a crier.

But I am truly excited to call Nanjing my home for a while.  As we have gone out and about in the city this week, we see how much the city has to offer.  We have has many friendly encounters, Wonderful food, AMAZING shopping, Great culture and much, much more.  I hope many friends and family will be able to come and visit and experience it with us. 

So overall this has been a great week.  Michael and I thank God for blessing us with this opportunity.  We both pray hope and pray that we can continue to honor and serve God in Nanjing.  Because in the end there is nothing more important to us than that.

What did I just eat?

Michael and I have already been taking language lessons and we thought we were doing ok.  Well not so much.  Mandarin has many different tones and depending on which tone you use the same word could mean something different.  Our language instructor is awesome.  He has given us so much more than just teaching us the language.  And he was trying to prepare us with words that we would use on this trip.  Things about eating, drinking and how to bargain when we shop, but we have learned talking to our language instructor is much different than, let's say trying to talk to a waitress and order food in Nanjing. 

We have been trying to speak Mandarin or I should say Michael has been trying.  I am a bit more timid about using the language.  I need to build up my confidence.  I have cards with words that have the Mandarin translation on them so I have usually defaulted to finding the right card with the word or phrase I want to say and just pointing. ☺It works pretty good!  Michael has been brave and tries to speak, but people usually just have a confused look on their face.

Our first night in Nanjing, we ventured out to eat a random restaurant and they had pictures on the menu, but no Pinyin translation.  Pinyin is the Latin way to write out Chinese characters, so that we Americans can read them.  So we pointed to pictures, but the waitress was still asking questions.  Of course we had no idea what she was saying.  Then more people came over.  I think more waitresses and maybe the hostess came over trying to help out. They all thought Michael and I were quiet amusing.  They were smiling and laughing with us or at us☺but they were being very kind and patient. 

I was trying to order some beef and we know the word for beef and when I said it they would nod their head yes, so I hope that is what I ate.  Michael just pointed to a random dish.  He is a more adventurous eater than I.  He was not sure what he had...maybe some fish dish with noodles.  He liked it.  I thought it was a little fishy.  I tried ordering some asian vegtables by pointing to one of the pictures.  That took like 15 minutes.  I pointed to the picture on the page, I thought it looked like Chinese broccoli, but they kept asking me something and I was not sure what they wanted me to say.  But in the end that dish was amazing.  Just some green vegetables in a really nicely flavored sauce....yummy yummy. 

So despite our efforts to learn Mandarin in 4 weeks, it did not work out so much.  But in the end we got what we wanted...for the most part.  But we realize we really need to practice up on our Mandarin.  But we also realized that we are going to survive here in Nanjing and even though we may not always know exactly what we are eating when we order out in restaurants.  We are not going to starve. ☺ As Michael told me, "Just don't think about what you're eating and you'll be fine."

the veggies that I ordered that were AWESOME!

Michael's noodle dish that he loved!

First Impressions

We made it to Nanjing, taking the high speed train on Monday.  It was awesome!  Super Super fast!  It takes about 4-5 hours if you drive from Shanghai and we got there in an hour and a half.  I have taken the Amtrack from Royal Oak to Chicago and it takes just as long as it does to drive,  if not longer if you get stuck somewhere waiting for another train to cross.  So it is nice that we have the option to take the high speed train around China to do some sightseeing around China.  Saves on time and gas, because gas is expensive in China as well.

We flew in to Shanghai, so Michael could meet with his HR rep and do some paperwork.  And we were pretty impressed with Shanghai.  A lot of people seemed to speak english and it not as smoggy as we expected.  It seems like a really nice city. 

Then we took the nice fast train to Nanjing and Nanjing is not Shanghai.  It is still a nice city, don't get me wrong.  But no one seems to speak english and the smog is pretty bad.  Sad more than anything.  Because as I was looking out my hotel room, through the smog, I was thinking the people that have lived here and never left might think this is just what the sky looks like or maybe they have never seen the milky way or the big dipper.  We are always amazed when we go to my parents, who live in the country, how many more stars you can see because you don't have the light from the city.  It is amazing and awe inspiring.  Michael and I and my brothers like to just look up and admire how many stars are in the sky.  It is sad to me that there may be someone here in Nanjing who has not had that experience,  because for me it is in those moments that I think how amazing God is. 

That being said, Michael and I both have said that we really like this city though.  There are going to be a lot of things to experience and see.  There is a lot of culture in Nanjing, since it used to be a capital city.  So lots of sight seeing to do.  And I have this friend who used to move a lot and when she moved to Detroit she said people always felt bad for her.  But she lived by that motto that places/things are what you make of them.  And she found great friends in Detroit and rather enjoyed her time in the D.

And that is the attitude that I have tried to go through life with.  Nanjing might not be the "coolest" city to live in.  And for sure it is not cool in the temperature sense of the word.  It is really really really hot or rather it is super super humid.  But when I think about the heat and the smog and anything else that might be challenging.  I realize that Nanjing is going to be what I make of it.  And I know that our situation, thought it might before a few years or more, is still temporary.  We will eventually go back to Michigan one day.  And if people can live a lifetime here.  I can live a few years here.  Because what makes a place is not the weather or how dirty of clean it is.  What makes a place is the PEOPLE.  And we have already experienced the warmth and welcoming nature of the Chinese people.  Even though we cannot speak their language they are patient and kind with us.  I know this may not always be the case, but I choose to believe that if given the chance people will choose kindness over being mean.  I choose to see the best in people.  A lot of times people really do not have positive things to say about Detroit and I have loved my time in Detroit.  I will really really miss home.  God has blessed Michael and I with friends who have become like family and that is something that is priceless.  And even though I am leaving Detroit, I am taking those friendships with me.

What I hope you take away from this blog post is that,  LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.  I believe that attitude is everything.  And if you go into a new, scary, challenging situtation with a bad attitude, that is not going to help the situation.  Even after seeing Nanjing and realizing I might not see a blue sky for a while.  I can live with that because some people have to live a lifetime with it and I do not deserve more than any person I will meet in China.  There are some people who have been given some really hard lots in life, losing spouses, children, cancer and other terminal diseases, going through natural distaster and losing their homes and you always see stories of hope and light in the media of people who have lived and live with tragedies and don't feel sorry for themselves.  And they still have hope in their heart and a smile on their face and I hope to have that same kind of attitude with any challenges that I face, with God's help of course.

So what I hope to take away from Nanjing is the same things I am taking away from Detroit. I hope to make great friends here and form lasting relationships, that I will take with me even when we no longer live here.

sadly this is Smog not fog...but this is my new home for a while and I choose to love it!

We made it!

So we made it to China and thank God it was a very easy trip.  No drama, easy breezy!  Typhoon Muifa did not stop us!

I have to say I can get used to flying first class.  Actually to be honest I think that I can never go back to coach again.  Just kidding, I will have to go back to coach someday, but for now I am going to enjoy first class while it lasts!

Right now we are still in Shanghai and it is a really nice city.  We are off in a little while to Nanjing, so I will try and post again once we get there.  But right now enjoy a few pics from the start of our China Adventures.

comfy cozy

me watching the office

Let the adventure begin!

So we are setting sail for China this weekend.  I cannot believe it.  It seems like it has been a long time coming.  We are just going to look for housing, so we will be back and leave for good in September.  Well, not for good, but for a few years. 

We are not even in China yet and the adventure has begun.  Typhoon Muifa is set to hit Shanghai, pretty much exactly when we are supposed to get there.  We are thinking we might get hung up in my homeland, South Korea because that is where we fly into and from there head to Shanghai.  It will cause some headaches if we get delayed because we have a tight schedule.  So please pray for safe travels and that we both remain patient with each other while traveling. 

One awesome thing that will ease some of the headaches that come with traveling is flying business/first class!  I am really excited about that.  It might seem like something silly to get excited about, but I am.  I feel lucky to have the experience.☺  So I thank God first and foremost for blessing us with this opportunity, but it is also because of  Michael's company because they are footing the bill, so thank you to them as well.☺  We for sure could not afford this on our own.  I will post pics and video so you can all share in our experience. 

To Ayi or not to Ayi?

Ayi in Mandarin literally means aunt, but when speaking it also means maid or housekeeper.  Not sure why, I will have to ask Michael, my language instructor.  So the title of this blog post does not exactly make sense, but you get the gist.  Michael and I have decide whether or not we are going to get an Ayi.  There really is no need for me to have one.  I am not going to working, at least not for the foreseeable future.  So I do not need anyone to help me cook and clean and really I do not want anyone to help me.  Well, really what I do not want is a stranger in my house.  I am pretty private and at times paranoid.  And our language instructor has already informed us, that it is hard to find a trust worthy Ayi and that we would for sure need a safe for our valuables.  And he also made it very clear that we not only need a safe, it needs to be bolted to the floor.  That makes me feel better. ;o)

The thing is pretty much everyone who is able to has an Ayi.  Labor is cheap in China and it is really seen as helping the local economy.  And they cook and will grocery shop, which will help me out, especially in the beginning and really I would not mind going with our Ayi, if we get one, to see how to buy stuff and what to buy.  But I am not sure if that is weird or not or maybe be uncomfortable for her, so I am going to ask my language instructor when he gives us cultural training. 

So we'll see.  It seems excessive, but also "normal" in China.  I will keep you posted because for sure if we get one, I will have many stories for my blog.