Mission Accomplished

It was supposed to be relatively easy.  Drive to Midway Airport (Chicago).  Ride the train into the city.  Go to the Chinese Consulate.  Turn in paperwork for visas.  Do something fun in Chicago.  Go back and get visas.  Take the train back to the car.  Drive home.  All in one day. 

That’s not how it went.  Here’s how it went.  Monday night—try to fill out necessary paperwork on-line.  It won’t work and keeps us up working on it until midnight.  Tuesday—Wake at 2 am.  Leave at 3 am.  Drive to Midway Airport Park & Ride.  Get stuck in 30 minutes of traffic.  Arrive at Midway.  Need to go to the bathroom REALLY bad, but no bathroom available.  Ride the train into Chicago.  Get stuck sitting on a the train.  Pray we make the deadline for one day processing.  Practically run to the consulate.  K goes to the bathroom.  A gets numbers in line.  Sit and wait.  Wait.  Wait.  Wait.  Watch the deadline pass. Wait. Wait.  Get our turn.  Hear that it will be Monday (MONDAY!!?!) when we can get them.  Explain our problem, and get chastised because we never asked for same day or next day processing.  Think in our heads…you never asked and you never gave us an opportunity to ask!!  Apologize profusely to an unsympathetic ear.  Acquire the receipt that says the visas will be ready Wednesday.  Leave the consulate trying to wrap our brains around the fact that we will be staying the night and returning tomorrow.  Call dad for help finding the cheapest hotel available.  Eat lunch at Pizzeria Uno. Try to make the best of it by planning a few things to do for the rest of the day….even though we have yet to have a positive Chicago Experience (and this one is no different). 

We filled the rest of our day seeing some Chicago sights, searching for a map to understand this city that is not on a grid of Avenues and streets (oh, I love New York for that!) and going to a White Sox game.  Someday, maybe I will go to Chicago with a plan, a good map, and I will enjoy the city.  It still is not my favorite, but we did end up having some fun!

Millenium Park 

We called it 'The Bean.'  Actually called 'Cloud Gate.' 

The reflections were so fun to photograph!

Underneath it. 

We sat and listened to an orchestra rehearsal.  The conductor was so animated. 

One of my favorite kinds to watch!

You could sit and put your feet in the water. 

It felt SO good after all the walking!

White Sox Game

68 degrees felt so cold!

Not. Enough. Sleep.

Too. Much. Activity.

The Tigers fans were having a great time! 

It was a great game, with some homeruns and some great plays.

We woke the next morning, got our visas, enjoyed a jamba juice, and went home.  Mission accomplished. 

Back to the consulate on Wednesday morning. 

So happy to have our visas!

Going home!

Who What When Where Why How

Everyone has tons of questions about this move, so I figured I'd answer some of them!

How will you get your things to China/How much can you take with you?  See this huge suitcase?  It's about to hold my life!  I will be bringing two huge suitcases with me, my carry-on and whatever else I need I will buy when I get there. 

Where will you be living?  Beijing, China.  I'll be living with my sister and some others in an apartment near the school where I will be teaching. 

When exactly will you be leaving?  We are planning on flying out the evening of August 11, 2011.....thats a short 17 days from now!

What will you be teaching?  I will be teaching Kindergarten!

Will your sister be able to go with you?  Some of you know that we were wondering for a little while if I would be going on my own, but we have both received the necessary paperwork!

Will you have a kitchen?  I will have a kitchen, but it will by no means the same as the one I have been cooking in these past years!  Say goodbye to the cuisinart, kitchenaid, and the OVEN!!!  That's right!  Chinese kitchen's do not have ovens.  I have heard that some people use toaster ovens, and I may give that a try!

When will you come home?  I will be home next summer....hopefully in time for the 4th of July!

Do they go to school year round?  No.  There will be breaks Jan./Feb and in July/Aug. 
How long will you be there?  That's a good question.  My inital contract is for 2 years.  After that, I will reevaluate. 

Do you speak Chinese?  I can probably count on my two hands the number of words I know in Chinese.  Oh, wait!  I can count!  So, that's double!  lol  I don't really know anything useful, except for how to count and Hello.  I am hoping to learn more! 

Are you going to take any classes?  We would like to take some chinese classes together.  I would also like to take some cooking classes! 

Those are just a few of the questions I have been asked.  If I didn't answer yours, feel free to ask!

Are You Excited?

This seems to be the million dollar question.  And, the answer is.....not yet.  I’m sorry.  Hate to disappoint you, but the excitement shall come later!  There is still so much to do before leaving and my mind is focused on all that needs to be accomplished.  My “To Do/To Buy/To See” listS seem to get longer as the day approaches.  I am more focused on all I need to do to be ready, and the excitement will come later.   

Now, there are definitely moments of excitement!  For instance, yesterday, when I was still sound asleep, someone started pounding on our front door (the one we very rarely use...friends usually use the back door!).  I was sleeping so deeply that I jumped out of bed, wildly looking around, completely disoriented, while trying to determine the source of the noise!  Figuring it out, I searched for my robe or some other appropriate clothing to answer the door!  In my sleepy haze, I found none.  I gave up, yelling down the stairs that someone was pounding on our door.   Mother came up to take care of it.  And, who was at the door?  It was the FedEx man, delivering Visa paperwork.  Now, that was exciting!  Now, add to the To-Do list......go to Chicago and get actual Visa.  You see what I mean about that pesky to-do list!?  :)

Here is something else that was exciting:

 I got my curriculum that I will be uisng this next year!  (Add to do the To Do list.....Start Lesson Planning.  Augh!)

Well, a To Do list is a part of my life......and it just means I have a purpose and life is exciting, so I guess I'm good with it, and I guess I am pretty excited!  ;)