Our experience: Living as an expat in china!!

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June 21st 2014

Published: June 22nd 2014

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Lindsay2011

Don't blink or you will miss them!!!

Jam jar with baby fish inside!!!

(part 1)

This is our second time living as an expat. Our first place was in Ghana, West Africa - we were there 2 years. It was a totally different experience to here in China. For starters we did not live in an expat community. This was very hard as we stood out being the only white family living there - everyone knew us!! we lived in a big house, all one level. But we had no running water or electricity so had to rely on a very noisy generator. It was not a safe place for me to drive around. I used one of the drivers from my husbands company once a week but the rest of the time I spent at home with Matthew who at the time was 6 months old, 2 years by the time we left. There were a few things we wished we had packed to take out with us but didn't for example enough clothes and shoes for Matthew to last 2 years)this was the hardest thing to but in Ghana). It was an amazing adventure and we saw some great places and met some great people there.

We then moved back

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to England for 4 years, had William, I was working full time as a nursery nurse until William arrived then I worked part time. I worked early mornings, Andy would race to get boys to the childminder for 7.30am then when I finished work I would race to go get William then school run. Andy had an hour and 20mins (on a good day!) to travel to work. By the time he got home, boys would be going to bed so didn't really spend much time with daddy. Which I know a lot of families have this problem to, its life! But we said with our move to China we will be able to spend more time as a family, this was a big plus to moving here.

So, moving to China we knew what to expect and planned much better second time round! I find life much easier out here! I am able to get around and am much more adventurous, jumping into a taxi and off I go!! I amaze myself sometimes, I don't even do that in England!!! Andy only has a 30 min drive to work (he goes on a mini bus as its not

Fish!

safe to drive out here!!) and gets home by 5.30pm. He has time to play with the boys, help Matthew with Maths homework and sit and have dinner together without having to rush for bed time. Its a lot more relaxed.

I said to myself, this time round I want to learn something new, make the most out of my time here while I am not working. William goes to nursery 3 days a week so I am able to help out at Matthew's school which I love doing. Back in England I was not able to do this due to hours I worked so Matthew missed out. I have been taking Chinese lessons and have also started a Chinese writing class which is so much fun. Its just me and the teacher. She plays some lovely relaxing Chinese music and has nice smelling candles - its a nice quiet mummy time. My teacher Dora has taught me so much already - I have learnt how to write some Chinese words and how to draw a goldfish and bamboo. I'm not great at it, I have only had 2 lessons so far but I'm learning many new skills. I