Home at last!

And, we're back. Sorry for the one week delay but we were busy moving to our new place. We've lived in our new apartment for about 5 days now and amazingly, there have been no problems- imagine that. And, we have discovered that you really can cook a meal in China without the window open and not die of carbon monoxide poisoning. Amazing. Our apartment is 3 bedrooms plus a study/office, two bathrooms, dining room, living room, and a pretty good sized kitchen. It's 180 sq meters (1900 sq feet). I know I mentioned this in my last post, but the complex is a kid's paradise. There is a sand beach the size of 2 tennis courts, 3 huge outdoor playgrounds (which are actually not covered in rust and sharp edges like most playgrounds I have encountered here), and a large indoor playground with a ball pit- think MacDonald's playland. Plus, I'd guess that about 20% of the residents are western so people don't stare at our kids here because they are used to seeing caucasions. Anyway, attached are a few new pictures from our new place. The best part is that the management speaks english and all the signs are in english and mandarin. It's like living in a nice hotel.

The other funny thing about living abroad is that the translations into english are often very incorrect and usually humorous. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said "A shoe saved my life". Attached are a couple of photos from two shops right outside our complex that will help illustrate my point.

The view of our complex courtyard from our balcony (7th floor). Our kitchen.

Our living room & dining room.

The outdoor pool at our apartment.

Funny sign for a restaurant. Somehow, I doubt they paid the licensing fees to use Jerry's picture.

At first, I wasn't sure if this was an "adult toy" store, a baby boutique, pet shop, or office supply store (or a combination of all 4). Turns out it is a pet groomer. Who would have thought?