Taking the plunge...

Moving to a new place is always stressful. Moving to a new country even more so. Especially if you don't speak the local language. To move to 4 different countries in 7 years is completely crazy! And yet, that's exactly what we've done!!!
Our latest move has brought us to Suzhou, China. Very ironic, considering that just a couple of years ago I had declared that I would move to any corner of the world, but never to China. Well, never say never, I guess! :-) And what better way to share our experiences than starting a blog? Except that its been ages since I've written anything, and this is turning out to be way harder than I thought! :-)
Its been a little more than a month now, and we're quasi-settled in our new home. Luckily, the house is furnished - so while we wait for our shipment to clear customs at Shanghai, we have a couch to sit on to watch TV, a dining table and beds. Considering the amount of furniture we own, its surprising to find out how little you actually need to be reasonably comfortable! Apparently, the bureaucracy and red tape here is just as bad as in India, and customs could take up to 6-8 weeks.
Most of our major services are set up - we have Internet, and more importantly, we have VPN! Satellite TV, with a couple of Indian channels - of course most of our TV viewing is on Netflix or YouTube. Phones took a little bit longer, but we finally have a land line and a mobile phone for my use. I wanted a cheap little phone which can be used to make calls and send SMS, and that's exactly what I got. Manasi was really disappointed - she wanted me to get an IPhone or any other smart phone - because all her friend's mom's have cool phones! Well, I guess she's stuck with a totally uncool mom for the moment!
Manasi's school started on Thursday. This is the first time that our princess has had to wear an uniform, so she is thrilled. I'm just happy that we're not arguing about what to wear to school every single morning! With the new school come a whole new bunch of apprehensions for my little worrier. It's very easy to get caught up in the grown up issues of the move, and forget how stressful it is for children to start in a new school. Simple things like "Who do I eat lunch with?" or "What if I get lost on the way to the Music room?" lead to tears in the morning. Of course, she's going to settle in and enjoy every moment - but meanwhile, it's really hard to step back and let her find her own place in this new world. Baby steps for now, with a lot of morale booster talks at home!
Ajey on the other hand, has jumped into the deep end of the pool, and is doing swimmingly well! Pardon the pun! Even with the stress and the long hours, he seems to be enjoying his new job. And he's doing a really good job of learning Mandarin. He's putting to good use the hour long commute to learn from his driver.
As for me, I'm still trying to find my rhythm here. My days are pretty full, with the gym, learning Mandarin, and myriad household activities. The online library is working out really good, so I always have something to read.
And now, the blog. Hopefully it will evolve into an interesting window into our life here in China, and also serve as a record for the years that we spend here. Having taken the plunge, I'll make sure I keep going!