25%

Today marks 6 months since we arrived in China. We've completed 25% of the 2-year contract we signed. When I say we, I mean it. Even though Matt's signature technically wasn't on the paper, he to be 100% on board with this move. It took a lot of persuasion, coaxing, and the occasional begging from me, his loving and devoted wife.

After we visited in April 2009 and I asked him how he felt about making the move, he said on a scale of 1 to 10, he was at about a 5 as far as wanting to go through with it. 50% in favor, 50% against.

In the end he gave up his job, his friends – his entire social world! – his outdoor sports, and more so we could “have an adventure” together living and working in another part of the world.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband?! Even Aaron, a guy Matt befriended in Shenzhen, told me last night I “got a good one”.

Recently Matt was asked by someone he used to work for about what his favorite experience has been so far in China. He passed the question on to me, and for a moment I was silent. Long, lonely days, culture shock and frustrations communicating, missing my grandfather’s funeral, the constant question mark hanging in the back of my mind about whether this move was a good decision or not, the guilt of taking Dean so far away from his grandparents, the feeling of being a million miles away from so many loved ones… these thoughts flooded my mind and I could think of nothing else.

But then I remembered this one time on the trip over together when we visited Splendid China, a cultural “village” kinda like a theme park without rides. As far as we could tell we were the only foreigners in a park full of schoolchildren on field trips.

A line of boys about 8 years old in school uniforms walked past us, and when one of them noticed we weren’t Asian, he said “hello!” Another followed, and then another, and suddenly we were surrounded by chirps of “hello! Hello! Hello! How are you TOO-day?! Hello! HELLO!” They were so excited to use this English greeting. A couple even snapped impromptu photos of us smiling and waving at them as we passed.

Matt made hand motions to ask one of the boys if I could take a picture of the two of them together, and in an instant a whole flock swarmed to his side.

For me at least, that moment was a turning point that sealed the deal for my desire to move to China. We were like celebrities! The locals were so warm and welcoming, and seemed excited to meet us.

Matt agreed with me that this was a pretty cool experience, and before we knew it we were rattling off a slew of other thoughts:

Matt – “Buying my first roasted sesame duck on the street was awesome…”

Emily – “Yeah, all the new food experiences are amazing! Except duck feet and pig knuckles...”

Matt – “…and riding a scooter through the streets of Shenzhen is fun…

Emily – “...don’t forget your nun chuck experience!” (note to self, must post a follow-up blog about the nun chuck incident)

Matt – “YES! THE NUN CHUCKS! Oh yeah, and remember the guy that approached us in that noodle bowl restaurant? When he stood in the shadowy entryway with his bald head and robes billowing in the wind with the kung-fu music playing out of the machine in his hand?!??”

(OK, so I embellished this Matt quote just a little…

We later were told this guy was a professional beggar, not a kung fu monk)

Emily – “…YES! Hilarious…. and you know, seeing fishing boats come in with the fisher men and women emptying their nets while the sun rose – especially watching this one lady wearing a straw hat and pearls – was pretty cool…”

Before we knew it we were both smiling. Living in Shenzhen, China has been such an amazing experience so far. We still have good days and bad, and we still miss our family and friends terribly, but we both look forward to more new experiences in the days/weeks/months to come.