Turned upside down

ME asked me several times, "do you want to move to Shanghai?" I thought, well, why not. We were very fortunate to have had several other expat experiences and very much enjoyed the adventure and challenges of living in a new place and learning about life in other  parts of the world. Our past experiences were in Europe and we fit in as westerners. But SHANGHAI, CHINA, wow,  it would be like nothing we have ever experienced before!

 ME had excepted a one year position to work in Shanghai and had been traveling back and forth for most of the Spring getting her project started. On one of her return trips we talked again about moving, "are you sure?  Do you really want to do this?", she said, "it is completely different there."  

I had been thinking about it for a while, of what it would be like? Could I survive? Did they have cheese there?  What did they have there??? I decided that I cannot sweat the small stuff, this was a once in a life time opportunity. I told her that I was ready, that I am going into this adventure and I am prepared to be turned upside down. New apartment, new food, new language, new faces, new friends, new everything.

Sooo here we go!

I had planned to document our experiences in somewhat chronological order,  but due to some technical issues, to be discussed later, I am going to regress a little until I get caught up.