4 more years! No, just 3…

September has always been good for Will – he was born in September (in the year of the Pig!), he started working for Dell in September and hey, he got married in September to ME. This September was #7 for Will at Dell, Inc. and this past year has been one focused on his job and the possibility of moving into a management position while diving knee (neck?) deep into the Asian culture. Despite a lot of hard work (well at least in my opinion), the management job was just not meant to be. We thought instead it was a sign that maybe a lateral transfer to Singapore was on the horizon. This way we could enjoy another year or two abroad but with a country that boasts pristine air quality and a low crime rate (hey would you commit a crime if you were going to by caned for chewing gum in public? I think not).

However, that serendipity thingy came through again when my friend Patty’s husband came forward out of the blue with another opportunity – to help grow their marketing presence in Asia. I’m probably messing that up because I really have no idea what his job title is – but Will is REALLY excited about it, so I’m of course REALLY excited for him. Okay, so what I’m most excited about is that we are getting a few more of those nice “expat” perks such as a real housing allowance and international health insurance (I no longer have to worry about going to the Shanghai Chinese Medicine University Attached Dragon China hospital to seek care). They also threw in two plane tickets home once a year. I think that was some meaty bait, because then they threw in the spoiler - they want him to be in Shanghai for - sssccrreeeccch - 3 MORE YEARS. OH-YO (that is the Chinese Homer Simpson saying DOH!)

So despite the big lump in my throat that I will not be returning to my US home for a little longer than I anticipated, we decided to forge ahead and create a new home here in China and settle in for the long haul. There is less than a year until the Beijing Olympics and 2 ½ years until the World Expo in Shanghai and continued promises from the Chinese Safety Officer that “our toys will be safe for Christmas.” There’s just that little hold up over differences in how much lead the US vs China considers “safe” to use in paint. It will be amazing to look back on China in 4 years.

So before Will starts his new gig on October 15th, we will move in to a new apartment at the end of the month and whisk away for a much-needed vacation for 2 in Bangkok! I promise, I’ll be digging out my camera again sooooonnnnnn!