We interrupt this blog

 (Drumroll.........)

We made it a month. A whole month and we have not lost our minds (or a kid) yet.
We know the most basic Mandarin.
We know how to hail a cab.
We know how to use the money. (They have a paper currency for 50 cents?!?)
We know how communicate with our non-English speaking driver.
We know where church is.
We know where to buy good fruit and vegetables.
We know how to use the washer and the fastest way to dry our clothes.
We know some decent snacks (fried peas! seaweed Pringles!) to make us feel better.
We know how to say, "Back off my kid" in the most appropriate and nicest way possible.
We know which banks will give us money.
We know how to say left, right, and straight to the taxi drivers.
We know which side streets are the safest for walking along.
We know at least 8 places to eat near our apartment.
We know where one park is.
We know what a "good price" is for most food and drinks.
We know where the zoo, Starbucks, and McDonalds are.
We have been all over our huge city.
We know where to get fresh water.

Walking down the streets yesterday, it did not escape me that four weeks ago I was walking down the same street in the same insane, muggy heat thinking I was in some sort of bad episode of the Twilight Zone. And yet, this time while walking I felt almost confident. Time changes everything.

This place will never be just like home, but we are making it one-- for now. If we look closely, we just might find something to love.