Whirlwinds are atmospheric phenomena that occur all over the world. They include tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils. Over the past few weeks, it has felt like we were caught in one. Almost immediately after our return to China, we enrolled in Mandarin classes again, began looking for work, and started searching for a new apartment. This may not seem like a lot, but if there is anything we learned during our first stint here, it is that even the most routine things take on a new dimension in China. For instance, our Mandarin class is for only about two hours. Easy, right? Not so much. The first class in which we enrolled, was so difficult that after fifteen minutes I told Amanda I wanted to go to the remedial class. She and the teacher talked me into trying it for a couple more days. After day three in that class, I felt like going to the back of the classroom, curling up in the fetal position, and sucking my thumb. Instead of doing that, during the break, I asked to be put in the special needs class. I felt better about quitting that class when a day later Amanda also tapped out. Now, we have a great teacher, but she insists on giving us tons of homework. So those two hours of class usually turns into at least four.
The other thing that has really consumed our time has been searching for an apartment. We did not expect things to be so difficult this time, because our language skills have improved and we knew what we were looking for. What we didn't know, however, is that the price on apartments have gone up and that we needed to be more specific on what we wanted. How so? You know how in America if you want to rent a place to live, you can expect certain things? Things like doors, a floor, a kitchen, a toilet, etc? Well, that is not always the case here. We were actually shown places without these things. In one such place, the landlord had the nerve to call me cheap when I said we would not rent it without them! If there were a rule book for living abroad, the first rule would have to be, don't take anything for granted. ANYTHING! You know, it is like Dorothy said after the tornado dropped her in OZ, "Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore." Eventually, we did find a suitable place, and should move into it pretty soon. Once that is over and as we continue to get used to school, hopefully things will settle down for us. After our time in America, Beijing, and Seoul, it is time for the winds to abate. It is time to enjoy the calm after the storm. - Frank
