We've Moved!

Legend tells of the legendary Beijing dust whose sticking power is the stuff of legend....

 I can now verify that the legends are true! The hard work of cleaning and settling into our first apartment in Beijing has resulted in much joy as we now feel like it is a comfortable and restful place.  We rented it furnished, but there were a few things we needed to purchase, like a desk for Ian, a closet and a bed for Amy. We accomplished a lot with a trip to IKEA the other day, our Internet is now up and running, and next on the list is setting up a fully functional kitchen by adding some cookware and staple food items.

A few of the new experiences we have encountered over the last week:

·        Moving house without the use of a vehicle. We wheeled 20 suitcases about a mile through the streets of Beijing and up the elevator to our 7^th floor digs. It took five trips spread over three days. The first two trips were late at night, and the three daytime treks resulted in some strange looks from passersby (but then, we are getting used to that).

·         Lining my kitchen shelves with the used bubble wrap we unpacked.

First item in our cupboard?

First item in the fridge?

·         Biking (and letting my kids bike) in busy city traffic.

·         Being “dinked” on the back of Rodney’s bike when I forgot the key to my own bike lock. This was a new experience I hope not to repeat unless he makes some serious modifications to his “back seat.” And yes, Rodney found a bike to fit his frame: The Hunter 3.0 with handle bar extensions. It’s a pretty sweet ride.

I sign off now with this photo of our living area. We are excited to see it full of new friends in the future, and hope that we can receive some of you as guests someday as well!