Eight weeks in deep, dark China and hurrah, we are finally in our own apartment (albeit attached to the hotel…which in all honestly is proving more often than not, a 'godsend')! I've come to the conclusion (relatively quickly) living in the five star bubble is an outrageously indulgent, but highly necessary comfort when one is catapulted into central China. Sure, room service delivered at your beck and call and housekeeping every second day is not to be sneezed at, and a direct line to the hotel chef for groceries is part and parcel of hotel life, especially when food 'as you know it' is unavailable and the local supermarkets are filled with just that, 'local' goods displaying a plethora of puzzling Chinese characters. But more importantly when you're in a strange land and there's an emergency, be it serious or perhaps just the need for some decent coffee, oh how I'm thankful for the five star community. Our first night in our new abode (part of the Westin Residences) we'd spent the day packing and unpacking the few suitcases we have with us until our belongings arrive……(which miraculously seemed to have evolved into a fairly hefty amount of loot!) Unpacked and sorted, we looked around and exhaled - this was our spacious, bright, new and ever so modern 'pad' that would become our home in Xi'an. (BTW, now for no other reason than sheer interest value it might be a good time to mention we live above a RollsRoyce showroom? Oh yes we do! Mind you it's not uncommon with China's current insatiable appetite for luxury cars.) As I placed my one ornament in its lone spot, we stood back and exhaled with as much enthusiasm as we could muster, all the while swatting away the underlying but ever present realization that this meant we could no longer pretend we were on an extended sabbatical. This is real. China is officially home. Any self indulgent, self pitying thoughts though were soon met with an abrupt slap when our small person's fingers accidentally met the hot plate in our shiny new kitchen. Of course every parent in this situation silently prays it's not serious and all will be soothed with a cuddle and a kiss (and a lolly or three)…. Here of all places, I was desperately hoping it wasn't a hospital visit, where I suspected there would be no English and it would be a scene resembling anything that we know to be normal. "Please no," I whispered as I watched the tips of her red raw fingers bubble up before us. It was quickly apparent it was one of those moments where an expert opinion was called for, so through tears and anxious parental pacing (thank God for the long hallway) we frantically called the hotel's weekend Manager on Duty, who instantly knew which doctors did house calls and how to call or more importantly 'what' to say. Within 30 minutes they were on our doorstep, along with two hotel staff to translate. It was just as well - because in a moment of shock, dealing with the surreal experience of these two doctors who arrived - their white mini vans with giant red crosses - like something out of the sixties, marching out in their white coats, silver 'doctor's' cases at their side was more than enough to cope with. As anticipated, not a scrap of English was to be spoken as they crowded around me and my whimpering girl on the bed. I heard the words 'Soy Sauce' and 'burn remedy' mentioned in the same sentence and tried not to look alarmed. Thankfully it seemed it wasn't too serious, and their would be no soy sauce or painkillers issued ("these are unhealthy for the body" I'm told - mind you this coming from the land who gobbles up antibiotics sold over the counter sans prescription at an accelerated rate.) I was silently thankful for the kid's Nurofen stashed in the cupboard. The next day, frazzled nerves now calmed, I had the chance to revel in the number of cupboards it seems I now have access to… in my own. private. space. Or so I thought. But it has become rather apparent, you can't just pick and choose the elements of hotel life you prefer. Nicole! if you want the hotel life, you get all of hotel life. The door bell rang at 9am sharp, someone eagerly letting themselves in - at the ready to clean my rather sparse house. Er…um…. put on the spot and slightly conflicted between my want for privacy and those oh so hard to make hotel heavenly beds. My poorer better judgement prevailed and I sent them away….but they were not to be deterred…..before too long, two elderly Chinese ladies sidled on past our 'floor to ceiling' windows, wielding a large broom, evidently sweeping the already spotless balcony and not without having a good peek inside at us - the foreign species on the block! Taken aback but not too shocked - after all I had started to become used to a lack of privacy in my 5th floor hotel suite where maintenance men, housekeeping, laundry ladies, you name it, regularly knocking twice, walking in before I had the chance to get to the door. But things were about to reach a brand new level at the Westin Residences. The two ladies clearly not satisfied with meandering by, were now crouching down at the window of our bedroom, faces pressed hard against the window, waving furiously and smiling at us… I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Instead, I ran to another room to process (in private) what was unfolding on my balcony, before gingerly peering around to see if my daughter was still being eye-balled. Yes. Yes she was. Um…last time I checked I wasn't a goldfish, had two heads or looked liked Angelina Jolie. I gently closed the curtains with a tight-lipped smile. A couple of days later feeling a little under the weather with a winter lurgy, I had an unexpected snooze in the middle of the day (by now 'snooper' savvy, I made sure my Do Not Disturb button was on) but woke to a knock, ignored it…thinking like in any normal circumstances, they'd appropriately exit the building. But oh no…next thing a loud cacophony of "Ni Haos" echoed through the house. Stumbling into the hallway I found four faces looking at me as if to say, ah hello what are you doing here? Er Me? I live here! Who the hell are you!! It's all par for the course it seems when you take on the machine that is China. Xi'an is a city whose people until a decade ago had one five star hotel in their midst. A city that until recently established as a tourist spot very rarely saw a western face. With 8.5 million people all busily competing for a spot amongst the madness, privacy is respected in the loosest sense of the term. But alas, our curious friends aside, I am thankful for the hotel….heck my laundry is done and they serve wine 24 hours a day, even if most varieties are "out of order" unless it's the hard stuff (namely Bai Jiu) you're after. I'm thankful that (power cuts aside) in the hotel world we get a smattering of English channels like BBC, CNN and Sky News - even if the quality of the picture is influenced by seemingly outside circumstances. I'm thankful that when I've been out of the bubble into a foreign world where your brain is sapped of energy not only by the winter chill and imposing pollution, but by just going about your regular tasks like buying a coffee or a can of hairspray - not to mention fending off the constant stares, touches and chatter of passersby, more often than not chasing you down for a chance photo (yes even at midnight boarding a plane) -- I can return to the bubble and seek out friendly familiar faces to chat to in English (relatively easily) about trivial things and have a giggle at our foreign woes. Thankful that I have a driver(s) even if some of them can''t speak any English to take us where we need to go in the ancient capital that's overflowing with all manner of transport….from rickety three wheelers to luxury limos. Thankful that despite crossing five lanes of maniacal traffic, they expertly whiz us through the mighty Xi'an streets on our morning school run. For all intents and purposes, they greet us with a smile, wait patiently for us and most of all, watch our backs (not to mention teach me a new Chinese word every day). I am thankful for the staff who entertain my daughter in the lavish Lobby Bar while I catch up on some work, with a hot mocha in hand that I haven't had to chant the words 'no cream thanks' in Chinese over and over in my head before they take my order, in case I forget. I'm thankful for an internet signal full stop! Even if it's notoriously patchy and takes me three times as long to achieve anything. And as for the bigger things like visa fiascos, I'm thankful for Hotel's HR staff, fluent in English, who can fill in the blanks between our Qing's (please) and Xie Xie's (thank you's)! It's been a challenging two months, but gently cushioned by bubbles of the five star variety. For that I'm thankful! Cheers! … [Read more...]
Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors: The Largest Jigsaw in the World
Mention Xi'an - one of China's 656 cities and more often than not, you'll (understandably) get a blank look. Followed by: "How do you say that? EX-ee-arn? See-arn?" For the record, the general consensus round these parts seems to be Shee-arn - with a slight T sound on the S... which of course if you're a westerner who's never learned Chinese before, sounds about as foreign as having er, mustard on your toast! Mention the "Terracotta Warriors" though and there's usually a collective "Ahhh oohhh ...yes, yes! I've heard of the Terracotta Army!" There's no doubt this legion of clay soldiers has put Xi'an, the ancient capital of China back on the map. If China's on your bucket list and you love a bit of historical mystery - it's usually Beijing, Shanghai and then Xi'an, for a glimpse of these now, world-famous warriors. Of course it was only a matter of time before I went to check out this global phenomenon myself. I'm sure it won't be the last - have visitors, our clay friends will no doubt top the list of must-see sights! They have been declared the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. (FYI, there are seven 'official' wonders - including the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef - but visiting former French President Jaques Chirac was so impressed, he thought they should be added to the list!) After witnessing the miracle of these majestic warriors on display, I must say I'm inclined to agree! Incredibly, they were only unearthed in 1974 - just 40 years ago. So how an earth did an estimated 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses slide under the radar for a mere 2,200 years? The story goes -- they were so far underground (and most of them smashed into a million pieces) that previous farmers on the land at XiYang Village, east of Xi'an had simply dismissed any fragments of clay found over the years. That is until one day local peasants drilling a well in search of water happened to run into these blokes again… well, pieces of broken pottery along with some pretty impressive ancient bronze weapons! Initially thinking they'd found jars from an old kiln, instead exposing the pottery head of a soldier, they knew they'd uncovered something out of the ordinary and called the village head, who in turn called the government to investigate matters further. And as they say, the rest is history! Exploration and excavation began on what they call the 'first pit' in earnest and one by one this army of troops was revealed; some missing arms, legs, heads, some in a thousand pieces and some still in tact, still standing, perfectly formed!! I'm no history buff, but to put it in simple terms….here's how the Terracotta Army came into being. It was 247 BC and there was a 13 year old boy who'd just became King of the Qin State. (Qin translates to China.) At the time China was made up of seven kingdoms and this young boy who was smart and ambitious set out to unify China. By the age of 39 he had successfully completed his mission, calling himself the First Emperor of China. Emperor Qin of the Qin Dynasty. Clearly as well as being industrious, he also carried a bit of an ego because soon after becoming King he designed his own mausoleum where he would be buried when he died (with a piece of gold in one hand and a piece of jade in the other to protect him in the afterlife)! Bearing an overwhelming fear of death, the Emperor believed that life underground after death was a continuation of life on earth. Thus, his mausoleum wasn't just any old grave, it was the largest tomb in the world! At 56 square kilometres, standing 100 metres high, he drafted a labour force of 700-thousand people to build it. It took 38 years! Constructed between Xi'an's Mount Li and the Wei River for good Feng Shui…it was an underground treasure house. This subterranean palace contained replica rivers and streams in quicksilver; pits of rare birds and animals, bronze chariots and horses, plus precious stones; while his outer coffin was made of molten copper and surrounded by candles made of whale oil to ensure they would burn eternally. Guarding the entrance to this palatial tomb stood the Terracotta Warriors, each one made to reflect individual real-life soldiers. Every single one was different. Made from local clay - that is clearly unique - allowing the warriors to survive to this day -- it's believed the torso and arms of the soldiers were hollow, using thick clay coils in the middle, with the clay moulded around the outside. The legs were solid and the facial features sculpted by sharp bamboo. It's thought they were put into the natural air to dry before being fired at around 1000 degrees. Remember this is 2200 years ago but the technology used has been praised as quite remarkable. Each warrior was painted in bold, bright colors, believed to be a layer of lacquer on the surface and then colored with paint made of minerals. The Emperor's obsession with his mortality, made him determined to find the elixir of life and at 50, he reportedly took a potion to ensure his longevity which ironically contained mercury and killed him! The following year the Qin Dynasty was vehemently overthrown and the Terracotta Warriors surrounding the mausoleum smashed to pieces and burned, submerged for the next 2,200 years…. That is until, their miraculous discovery! Following the discovery of pit no 1, pit no 2 and 3 were also uncovered in 1976. All three pits are five to seven metres below ground level, the warriors lined up in battle formation, standing on paved pottery bricks with a wooden roof covered by layers of thick fibre mats, fine soil and tilled earth to conceal the army. Each pit is different in shape - pit three the smallest at 520 square metres - pit one the largest at 14,000 square metres. First opened to the public in 1979 as 'Emperor QinShihuang's Terra-Cotta Museum', 2000 square metres had been excavated and 1087 terra-cotta warriors and horses were on display. The XiYang Village became world famous. In 1986, the Queen of England came to visit the site and wanted the main founder of the warriors to sign something for her, but as a peasant farmer he was illiterate. From that day on a famous Chinese calligrapher was called in to teach him to sign his name. And it seems he's never stopped. When we visited, the former farmer, now 80, was there signing book after book! Standing inside these massive hangar-like structures (the original site of the pits) it's a breath taking sight. Rows upon rows of life-size warriors stare resolutely forward, in a ghostly manner. Each section of warriors is representative of infantrymen, cavalrymen, archers and charioteers all with varying weapons according to rank, along with different hairstyles and clothing to mark their authority. Seeing them assembled as they originally would have been, it's hard to comprehend this spectacular excavation process. In the beginning there were just two people reconstructing these soldiers, piece by piece, bit by bit. By 1990 there were 24 and today hundreds of skilled men and women from all over the world work on piecing together thousands of clay fragments, in piles waiting for connection. If the workers can find one piece that fits in a day, it's considered "a lucky day!" To complete one soldier it takes around seven years and many cannot be restored. There are no new pieces used. And what's even more incredible? There are still many hundreds of warriors buried, yet to be unearthed. As technology expands, there is a tendency to leave the warriors until more is known. You may remember I said these warriors were painted bright colors, bold blues, reds and yellows? When they have been uncovered, in the past, many of them still wore flakes of colored paint - which in the open air quickly oxidates. It's hoped over time, archeologists will discover new technologies to keep them in their preserved state. Also uncovered near the mausoleum were two sets of bronze chariots, namely the biggest bronze work in the world. A chariot weighing 1100 kilos! It's believed these (modeled at half the size of a real chariot, horse and driver) were to be used by the Emperor when he went on inspection tours in his afterlife. In the last 20 years, it's become the biggest museum in China bringing in 40,000 visitors a day. Considered to be one of he most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, there's no denying Xi'an's gone to the pot! The terracotta type that is! A jigsaw that once completed will surely stand the test of time. Visiting Xi'an? Fast Facts: Where: The site of the Terracotta Warriors is around 45 minutes (or 35 kilometres) east of Xi'an city. When: Open all year round. Costs: CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) Time: Allow yourself at least half a day to see this spectacle. What: Wheelchairs available. BYO child's stroller recommended. Eat: There are tea houses/restaurants plus tourist stalls selling memorabilia. How: Find more information here. Tips: If you can, I recommend hiring a tour guide to take you through the pits so you can understand the fascinating history behind the phenomenal Terracotta Army! … [Read more...]
Living in China: Week One – One Foot in Front of the Other
You know the feeling when you visit a city you've never seen before? That dizzying anticipation, the unbridled excitement, the curiosity and wonder of what lies ahead? Well, can I just say - for the record - arriving in a city you've never seen before to live, is nothing like that! Ok, so maybe that's a little over the top. The lead up to moving to Xi'an, China was like that, but actually arriving in one of the world's oldest cities, home to eight and a half million people (the 12th largest city in China), I won't lie - my heart was in my mouth. It's a short two and a half hour flight from Hong Kong, but it also feels a world away in north western China. As we disembarked and entered the airport, my stomach was in knots, as I tried desperately to keep an open mind, at the ready to embrace our new home! I foolishly found myself comparing right off the bat. (Bad move!) The airport was significantly smaller than I'd expected for such a massive city and ever so slightly primitive (of course this is compared to Hong Kong's modern, state of the art, award-winning complex)! I later found out all entrants from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (China's SARS) come to their own individual terminal, so what I glimpsed was just a minuscule part of the largest airport in the north west! I could feel myself ever so tentatively putting one foot in front of the other as I literally stepped into my new life, in one of China's 656 cities, no less! Driving from the airport was at best 'underwhelming' (apart from driving on the wrong side of the road) it was raining and grey as we sped through a maze of highways and concrete; a deluge of chinese characters beaming out at me in their neon, indecipherable glory! I'm not deeply religious but it was about now I silently had a word to God, hoping James wasn't having a moment of serious delusion when he'd excitedly told me the city was really "quite nice." Meantime, our little blondie Ava was oblivious in all her three year old naivety; her primary concern on the journey, the delightful hotel gift of rainbow-coloured macaroons and how many she could eat in one go! Oh to be so innocent. Approaching the hotel, my spirits lifted… despite the incessant rain, leafy green streets splayed out in front of me and there was a distinct buzz of activity with restaurants, bright lights and traffic mayhem! (We may be in Central China, but it was a comforting sign, I wasn't in the middle of no where, even if I was hanging on for dear life!) The hotel was impressive - it's four stories though, the 'chalk' to the W Hong Kong's 76 story 'cheese.' My grand entry somewhat stifled as Ava's prized macaroons promptly fell out of the car onto the wet hotel driveway and a toddler meltdown ensued. Welcome to Xi'an! We quickly dropped our bags off in what would be our home for the next few weeks (until the hotel residences are finished). A suite that can only be described as embracing the typical minimalist Westin decor brushed with an enchanting oriental flair! With James likely to be bunkered down in his new GM role the next day year, we went for a quick scoot around the hotel to acclimatize ourselves with our new 'home.' We probably could've done with scooters because it's ahem, bloody huge. Unlike Hong Kong, space is no issue here in Xi'an and it's spread out, from a luxurious Lobby Bar, to an intriguing museum (yes, Xi'an being one of the four oldest civilizations in the world means, monuments, relics and artifacts are scattered everywhere, even below this hotel!) - to a grand sunken garden swathed in red cloth. (It's lucky my favorite colour is red, because this hotel is literally bathed in a glow of deep red!) To the beckoning cake shop, the three very different restaurants, Chinese, Japanese and Western….and the (wait for it) Rolls Royce show room! (Ahem just quietly the owner has sold 70 of these babies in just two years! Oh how the Chinese looove their luxury!) So, let the week begin. I think I probably spent 24 hours in a 'blur of speechlessness.' It's fair to say the first week is probably the hardest when you move to a new country. I know I bandy about the term 'culture shock' on this blog on a pretty regular basis, but over four years in HK, even I had forgotten what it's really like. Really like to wake up and your husband is at work and you are staring out from your hotel window into the absolute unknown (rain not helping your imagination) it all seems quite surreal. This is your new life and you know not a single soul. There's no routine, no familiarity, you can't order a comforting Mint Mocha or get a blow dry because you can't find the relevant words and even when you do, they can't understand you. You don't even know what's across the road. It's a new beginning on almost every level. And I won't lie, it's bloody scary. Forget being a big fish in a small pond - you're a tadpole in a giant ocean! For the first few days and beyond, tears sit just below the surface, threatening to spill over at a moment's notice, but then you pull yourself together because you know it's not the end of the world and there is a big adventure that you have been waiting for, wanting for! All I can say, is thank God for technology, even if it is slow and more than slightly intermittent (and I may be on the verge of throwing laptop out the window), Facebook, What's App, Twitter, Email all allow you to stay connected (loosely) with friends, family and familiar faces. You'll be amazed at how comforting it is to know online, nothing has changed. (Thanks to a VPN of course.) What's a VPN? In layman's terms, it's a service you pay for monthly that allows you to download an app which makes it look like you are in another country so you can bypass security blocks and access the likes of Google, Facebook, even my own blog (all banned in China). So deep breaths all round, the key to being in a new city, is to get out! So once the rain calmed, first stop - the shopping centre directly across the road; a very westernized Starbucks with all staff speaking reasonably good English (no Mint Mochas though), a peek at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, you really can't miss. This is what this area's all about and it's what tourists from around the globe flock to look at. A roam around the streets, laced with green trees, striking monuments and waterfalls….it's a little European infused with traditional Chinese architecture. On the way back from another local shopping centre (thankfully sporting Zara and a kid's playroom worth it's weight in gold) I spy a street called 'Bar Street' that we eagerly try out a few nights later. A quirky cobblestoned street reminiscent of a Phuket or Bali or even Melbourne with cute, cottage like bars, side by side…live music, humming with people. A day in the heart of the city, we explore the city centre with the world famous Bell Tower and the ancient city wall - a 14 square kilometre cobble-stoned wall that you can cycle along on tandem bikes or do it the lazy way we did (this time) and jump on a golf buggy and hurtle around the historic fortress looking out across a sprawling city. **Quick Fact: It's the most complete city wall that's survived in China and the one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world! We stumble across quaint markets down idyllic lane ways not unlike a slice of Europe with fascinating artwork and oriental trinkets on display. So far, Xi'an is well and truly surprising us on every level….and slowly but surely it's about putting the pieces together. Working out which way is up. (Map reading is not my strong point!) You start to recognize the occasional landmark, hotel faces, and even more importantly remember a phrase or two of mandarin. Nevermind, that I told the housekeeper to come back to clean the room at 13 o'clock. Better luck next time eh? So a week in, it's been tough and more than likely to get tougher, but it's also the beginning of a once in a lifetime adventure, we'll certainly never forget. She chants the mantra, 'one foot in front of the other……' Proud to share this post over on Seychelle Mama's site for her series #MyExpatFamily … [Read more...]
Stop the Press: We’re Moving to China!
Almost four years on board the expat train in the multi-layered metropolis of Hong Kong, it's time to call it a day. I knew this post was coming… in fact I've known since the day we decided to pull up stumps and relocate from our home in Australia -- that one day it would all come to an end. To be honest with you, the day I stepped foot in humid, heaving Honkers - I already had my eyes on the finish line. I'll give it two years (at best) I thought, then we'll go home. But with time comes acceptance, assimilation and ultimately adoption. I've unexpectedly fallen in love with this intoxicating city, enough to start a serious relationship and call it home - 43 floors up. In fact, I've spent more of my married life in Asia's World City than in Australia and have experienced the biggest life-changing event of all in the city that (appropriately) never sleeps - motherhood! When my toddler asks where she's from it's Hong Kong (Kowloon to be precise) her home is a very tall building called Gwun Lum Tin Ha and she thrives on a diet of dim sum and rice. Truth be told, I've also (surprisingly) become a little bit addicted to expat life. It sneaks up on you. Before you know it, you're hailing cabs like a woman possessed, wielding chopsticks with an element of finesse and crowd jamming with the best of 'em. For the last 18 months though, 'normal' life has been interspersed with a roller coaster ride of emotions - heart racing moments, highs and lows, plenty of what ifs, what next and how the hell?! With a husband in hotels, they like you to progress and conquer, meaning the next role is never too far out of sight. There's an unspoken rule…don't get too comfortable, for soon it will be time to move on. This time it's for 'top dog' -- General Manager -- the very reason we started this expat journey. The ball started rolling as the clock struck midnight 2013! No sooner had we clinked champagne glasses, pondering what the future may hold …the phone literally lit up with calls. (Who needs fireworks!) First cab off the rank (unexpectedly) Sydney! Yes! Sydney!! It wasn't for top dog. But it was Sydney!! Our home. It's like being offered your favourite pair of warm fluffy slippers after you thought you'd lost them or a warm blanket when you've been out in the cold too long. So very tempting to slot back into that old life where good friends, good jobs, a city we love and precious family not too far away, co-exist all in One. Single. Place. Really - what's to think about? Call us crazy (yes the really loopy in the head kind of crazy if you must) but… it wasn't time. It was too soon. We realized then and there, when fate slapped us in the face, we'd changed. The excitement of living amongst a different culture, constantly learning and forever adapting -- being in a place where each day brings new surprises, some good, some bad and some just plain bizarre had caught us in its grip, more tightly than we'd ever anticipated….and so we said no to Sydney -- for now. Then a month later, Wuhan, China came knocking at our door. And just when we thought we were hardened expats, ready to embrace the next big adventure, Wuhan wobbled us off our expat axis…. With two days to decide, we took a frantic flight to the place they call Asia's furnace. I'll spare you the drama, but if you missed it, you can read about the slightly harrowing, yet enlightening experience in my previous post - Do All Roads Lead to China? So, feeling weary and weighed down with the pressure of making the right decision again, we wiped our brow, took a few deep breaths, dusted Wuhan off and carried on enjoying life in the fragrant harbour. Breathing in Hong Kong air never felt so good! Then, about a month later, just chilling on the couch, a late night email came through. This time - the arrow had spun around, landing on - Bangkok! We tried to contain our excitement, hide our smug grins (it is the 'Land of Smiles' after all). This was the prize winning lotto ticket (after Hong Kong). We could do this! No consideration necessary. A quick google search for the hotel… it met all our expectations - perfect for a first time GM. A sparkling city boasting plenty of culture and charisma. As any expat would know, when you get this kind of call, as much as your head tells you sternly not to start planning, you let a little bit of your imagination run away….just a little. You start picturing what daily life in that country might look like. Where you might live. What you might do each day? Imagine yourself walking the streets amongst the Tuk Tuks, temples and famous Thai cuisine. A new culture to explore and conquer. We're in! But we weren't. Disappointed, you tell yourself it's not to be. About now, a little bit of panic sets in. What's next then, will China call again? Brace yourself, you can't say no forever. You also breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing it buys you extra time. Time in your haven where you can almost pretend you're not going anywhere. Life goes on as normal - school run, work, socializing, trips away, shopping….doctor's appointments. But just as you let your guard down, relax and almost convince yourself you're here to stay, the inevitable happens. When my husband comes home from work in the middle of the day, bearing a Mint Mocha, I know it's serious. "How does Melbourne sound?" he says ever so half heartedly. Then more enthusiastically, "This time it's top dog!" My heart skips a beat. We've got 24 hours. 24 hours to make a decision to put ourselves forward as one of three candidates for a role which could potentially change our lives. We talk it through…over and over. We text family… we try to get a feeling one way or the other. It's home but it's not really home. It's still too far from family. It's a great opportunity but is it a great move financially? Great city, but we're not convinced it's for us. We can't decide. There are tears of frustration, heated words. We make a list of pros and cons. We think we should go…but when it comes down to it, we realise, neither of us really wants to. What's happened to us? They joke people (namely expats) get lost in Asia. Is this us? Much to the surprise (shock) of friends and family we decline Melbourne and deep down know this may very well be a decision we long live to regret. But still, we feel OK. We know we've got unfinished business in Asia. If we end expat life now and go home, we'll never know where it may have taken us. Another few weeks go by after the emotional upheaval… and again 'normality' resumes, that is until we hear the top spot at one of the company's other hotels in Hong Kong is up for grabs. Could this be ours? A chance to stay in Hong Kong! Is it too good to be true? Yes it is. This one's got a list as long as my arm and we're not at the top. My husband's getting itchy feet …should we have gone home? Are we going to end up in the back of China? Probably. It's hard to make plans….how long have we got? Do I sign up for that work event? Should Ava start her new school? Should I say yes to that Junk boat invitation next month. Can we book a flight home? Then it happens again, lying in bed one night, another day is over…James quickly checks his emails - a few expletives…then, "The W Koh Samui - They want to put me forward as one of three!" Uh oh.. here we go again….a restless night ensues, simultaneously, we toss and turn. Another long three weeks go by, waiting…waiting - stomach in knots…is this the one? I've never been to Koh Samui, but it's hard not to have heard about it. That famous Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach springs to mind. Amazing location. But an island? - me on an island? Until recently we'd all but ruled-out resorts. Too isolating for us city slickers we'd joked and brushed the idea under the carpet. But after the last six months, lazy days by the pool suddenly sound very inviting. I picture a relaxed, family lifestyle, lots of delicious writing overlooking the powdery white sand and crystal clear waters…life in a variety of techni-coloured sarongs. Am I dreaming? From 7-million to 62,000 people! Suffice to say, I was dreaming, it didn't eventuate. Disappointed, again, we take a collective sigh and try to carry on as normal. The next email comes a month later. The desert heat of Doha is calling. I'm scared because it's the Middle East and it's not familiar, but I'm also keen because I actually know people there. This could work….I start to envisage Arabian nights under the stars, but after a month the project is placed on the back burner and the idea of camel rides in the sand is quickly blown away. Hot on its heels comes Goa, in India! By this point my husband is calmly throwing these locations out there over dinner and I'm usually replying with a nervous half chuckle, too scared to acknowledge it might be the one. I've never heard of Goa but our English friends tell us it's the perfect island city. Again my imagination does a little dance and I think about life on a diet of curries and a place where cows roam the streets. But again I'm quietly anxious. It's a time when India is front and centre in the news for all the wrong reasons… So, maybe it's just as well the powers that be rendered Goa not the place for us. Swallow, inhale, exhale, repeat! At this point I'm stuck between desperately wishing for a crystal ball and just forgetting this limbo land exists! My iPhone weather app seriously can't take any more cities. But it's going to have to. A little town in China comes up called Heifei. Unfortunately a quick google tells me it's one of Asia's 'other' furnaces. This little town has seven million people and it's still considered a backwater! The city's nickname "nowheresville" jumps out at me from my screen. I anxiously read on and discover it's a place where people can't park their own cars. I picture myself being flagged down by rich Chinese in Mercedes and asked to parallel park for them. We say no to Heifei. It's not long before bikinis are back on the agenda. It's Bali but a sideways move for James. We debate the merits and as much as we'd love to dabble in the Island of Gods, it defeats the purpose of this adventure. Relaxing back home over a little Christmas lunch with the family Down Under, the faraway land of Seoul in South Korea springs up! On paper, it sounds oh so very sophisticated, but by this point in the game we barely bat an eyelid… just as well because by New Year, Seoul is off the cards. Another day comes, another Chinese city. ChongQing. The third furnace in China… also known as the 'fog city.' Somehow we narrowly escape this one. Then Macau is placed in our laps and we almost somersault with unbridled excitement! It seems like a done deal and while it lacks the excitement of exploring a new, unknown culture, a stone's throw from Hong Kong it gives us the opportunity to cling onto much of our old life. We happen to be in Macau on a weekend holiday so we snap pictures outside the half built hotel, daring to wonder if this will become a significant moment in our future. But our snaps end up being deleted. Macau is not where we belong. Our brief love affair is over. Then… just when I start to think we might be destined to remain in Hong Kong, along comes a place we realize we can't refuse. Oh yes, it seems the path to China is set in stone (or rather clay) and truthfully we almost sigh with relief at this point. Our new home is also home to those famous Terracotta Warriors. Xi'an means Western Peace and is regarded as one of the fourth oldest cities in the world, along with Rome, Cairo and Athens, although I'm pretty sure it's not nearly as esteemed. But what I'm comforted by, is it has character and it has soul (and it's not the fourth furnace)! The odds are surely in my favour, there are direct flights to the Gold Coast and there's a Starbucks opposite the hotel. Xi'an, you had me at hello! Something tells me this is where the real expat journey begins….(thank god for those few Mandarin lessons….and thank you Beijing Mandarin for teaching me how to order a Mint Mocha in Mandarin today!) So, it's time to say 'thank you' Hong Kong. Thank you for showing me a life I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams. As excited about this new adventure as I am, I'm also slightly terrified! So stick with me, because I'll see you on the other side! Pssst, i'm almost positive you'll have a very good picture of Xi'an by the time we leave, but here's a short video to give you a sneak preview. Anyone interested in the Westin Xi'an.... this is what it looks like! … [Read more...]