6 Months

We've passed the 6 month mark here in Shanghai! This is a big milestone as most of our culture shock should have passed by this time. I know you're all wondering, "Has it passed?" I'm happy to report that, for the most part, our culture shock has passed and we have settled in.

We've enjoyed visits from several family members over the last month or so. I didn't even really realize we had passed our 6 month milestone because we've been having so much fun! M's sister, my brother, and my parents all came to visit recently. It was interesting to see their reactions to our new city and how those compared with our original impressions and how we feel today. We've definitely come a long way. I met a woman this week who is new to Shanghai. She's been here for about a month. When I asked her how she liked it (and told her not to worry about holding back!) she said something I thought was brilliant! She said, "Every day there are at least one or two kicks in the pants." I was able to tell her that at the 6 month mark the kicks in the pants for me have dwindled down to once per week.

So that's where we are. The weather is improving - it's like May in Michigan. M and I are sure this is helping our attitudes. Also, with my parents visiting, I noticed that my Shanghai skill-set has significantly improved. Here's what I can do at 6 months:

- I know where I'm going! I can "read" my map (it's in Chinese, but I'm able to locate roads based on our vicinity & sometimes the characters) and identify where we're headed and where we've come from.

- A corollary to the first point is that I can tell a taxi driver where to go. (Yay!!) I don't have to take taxis often since we have Mr. Mao, but those 4 times a month or so that I do need a taxi, it's a huge relief to be able to communicate, even if it is only on a basic level.

- I can bargain in Mandarin! I just realized the full extent of my ability while my parents were here. It was funny to realize how impressive I might have sounded to my parents (I remember feeling impressed with the friends that took me on my first shopping trips here), all the while knowing that my language skills are still limited. I can ask the price and with the more patient vendors, can understand the response & negotiate verbally. (When that doesn't work, we just pull out the calculator.) I can tell them it's too expensive or I don't want it. Of course, in two short weeks, my parents were pros at that too!

- Perhaps the biggest thing I can do now is surf the Internet. I know that sounds crazy, but the Internet is different here. There's not a lot available in English and often what is available isn't translated well. I'm feeling so much more confident in my ability to find things online related to my life over here. This is a huge lifeline!

It's hard to believe that in less than 2 months, the kids and I will be back in Michigan for the summer. Stay tuned for what I'm sure will be lots of drama when I step foot into Target for the first time in 9 months!