The Pudong Skyline as seen from the Bund across the Huangpu River.
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I write this as we are sitting on our flight to Shanghai reflecting on one of the most stressful summers of my entire life. While there is only an hour and a half before we touch down in our new home, Shanghai, I am still second guessing myself. Was I correct to take the job in Shanghai, instead of Bangkok (or Cairo, Saigon or Japan for that matter)? We could only hope for the best at this point.
With all of the stress and work involved in this massive move, we really didn’t have a time to truly become excited about our move to China. It all started in the fall of 2008 when Som and I were going through our annual culture shock of being back in the US after an amazing adventure in southern Africa where we spent three months safariing six different countries. This period of culture shock was pretty normal for us. Every year we left the states for three months and upon our return, we entered extended periods of depression over having to return to such a red-neck and closed minded country. I suppose the drudgery of having to return to work added to the frustration.
We had been dissatisfied with our lives in the states for some time by now and were aching for some more adventure. We had been trying for THREE years to cash out of our house but of course the state of the US economy was so bad that we were only able to attract three showings during all of those years. No one was going to buy such a high priced house. We had long since cashed out the house, so the mortgage payments were literally breaking us. If we were not able to sell the house we would not be able to even come close to making ends meet in the coming year. It was time to do something. We just wanted out of the American dream.
As it became clear that we were not going to be able to sell the house, we were making plans on simply walking out and letting the bank take it, so we could somehow make a move over to Asia and a new life. I had no idea what I was going to do for a job; I just knew it was time to boogie. It was about the beginning of December that I got the idea of looking at international schools and teaching abroad. I heard for years from friends and colleagues of the benefits of such a gig, so I did a little research.
It wasn’t that long before I registered with ISS, one of the many international school job placement agencies, and found myself on a plane to Boston during one of the snowiest and stormiest Februaries in history. Luckily I made it in and out of Logan Airport in-between storms, so all was well. The week I spent in Boston was one of the more emotional and stressful I can remember.
I initially had my heart set on working at the International School of Bangkok, and started a grueling interview process spanning several weeks. While the eventually actually did offer me the job, I declined it for one of the OTHER FOUR job offers I was offered during the job fair!
Shanghai American School simply had the best presentation and connection for me. The kindness and welcoming nature of their interview staff was very convincing. But the clincher for me was the amount of time and detail they spent talking about Cokie’s future education at SAS. I was touched to nearly tears hearing how my son was going to be educated at one of the finest schools in all of Asia.
Shanghai American School Pudong!
Even with all of the perks and benefits of our move to China, I was still feeling all sorts of emotions ranging from regret to doubt to fear to anger over what I had committed to. I suppose all of this is normal. I just wanted to feel excited. Perhaps that will come in the ensuing days. I did feel a bit of excitement when I spent countless hours on the phone chatting with Som and my parents from the bar at Cheers in Boston. But that was the euphoria of a switch in life that had yet to come to fruition. It is one thing to look ahead to a nearly imaginary life change in front of your fourth beer, but it is another thing to be looking back on your decision after suffering one of the most traumatic six months of your life. (Although I have had much more traumatic periods in my life….)
One of my main concerns and worries was what my dad was going to do. We ftried to convince him to come on over to Thailand with us and get started on his retirement there on his parcel of land on the beach, but he opted to head north and spend at least one more year with Marguerite in the frigid Calgary area. I could tell my dad was far from ready to move from Port Angeles and leave the gorgeous Lake Farm house, but he was going to lose his job anyway this year. Was this fate or just coincidence? In either event, it was heartbreaking to see him adjust to the reality of our move and when he drove down the driveway for the last time ever, I wept, as I am sure he did.
Saying goodbye to all of our friends and life in Port Angeles was truly gut wrenching. I had spent nearly twelve of the best years of my life on the Olympic Peninsula and I knew in my heart that I was leaving the one place on earth that I was meant to be. I always believed there was more than just a charmic connection to the Peninsula. There was a spiritual connection for me there. I had lived there before – I know it my heart that this is true. But there was an equally strong sense that my time there was not meant to be forever. Maybe I was to be there to discover this spiritual dimension and grow from it. Maybe I was meant to be there to hone my naturalist, teaching and photographic skills so that I could utilize them for greater ends elsewhere. Who knows, maybe I was meant to live my entire life there and die there again. Hell, I don’t know.
Life is about change, and we are in the midst of the one of craziest and massive changes imaginable. The commitment has been made, and I can feel the plane actually decreasing in altitude so before too long, we will be entering our new routine in our new home, Shanghai, China. We WILL make the best of it.
Hanging with the fam in Nakhon! How many hours have we spent on this table!?
This will be known as the summer when Cokie discovered massages! No longer is he willing to just hang off to the side while we get ours....grrr....
Cambodia
We did plan on getting over to Yala Bala for some wildlifing but were basically too lazy and enjoying our nine-ten o’clock wake-ups in Nakhon too much. I guess that park will have to wait for a future trip… We did get a week in Cambodia though! We had a blast trekking the temples of Angkor once again. This time Cokie was old enough to remember and appreciate the temples (last time he was only two). Although this trip not at all pricey, we were able to view some of the more remote sites like Koh Ker, Bang Malea, Kulin Mountains and West Mebon. We particularly enjoyed the first two sites as they were so remote that virtually no one visits them. Koh Ker is over 120 km away from the greater Siem Reap area and one some dicey roads (we nearly got stuck there in our low-rider Camry). We even got some wildlifing in with some good sightings of some new mammals for me – three species of bats and a squirrel! And oh yah, a band of very aggressive long-tailed macaques….oh fun!
Hanging once again at Angkor Wat, Cambodia!
The Bass Reliefs at Angkor are spectacular!
Cokie hanging at the Bayon!
Cokie making Banteay Srei Temple look good!
Back in BKK!
After a week enjoying Angkor and a couple more days in BKK, we are now at the end of our stressful summer looking forward to our hopefully much less stressful life in Shanghai. I can see the lights of the massive city now from my window so I know that it is now time to wrap this travelogue up. My next entry will no doubt be some of our adventures in China!!!! Or perhaps our planned safari this coming December in India!!!
Cokie playing in the infinity pool of the Admiral Premier Hotel in Bangkok, our new favorite hotel!
The view from the Admiral!
Some Images of our Summer!
The view of the Andaman Sea from Koh Lanta National Park, where we spent a week just relaxing.
The spectacular primary rainforest at Koh Lanta National Park.
We were lucky enough to rock out at the Carabao concert in Nakhon during our last night in town!
Cokie is a going to be major rocker!
Carabao in concert!
Hanging at Soi Cowboy with Daran!
Cokie taking a bath at Kulen Waterfalls in Cambodia!
An amazing sunset at Koh Ker, Cambodia.
Ironically, we had just watched the movie, "The Killing Fields", right before coming to Cambodia to see the real Killing Fields...
Some of the critters seen this summer!
Although it was not a wildlife-intensive summer, we did rack up a few species while we were traveling around. This Gray-bellied Squirrel was seen climbing the trees in Lanta.
Intermediate Roundleaf Bats (Hipposideros larvatus) seen in Koh Ker Temple, Cambodia.
Black-bearded or Philippines Tomb Bat (Taphozous melanopogon ) seen in the eaves of Angkor Wat Temple
Lyle's Flying Foxes are a common inhabitant of Siem Reap, Cambodia!
Long-tailed Macaques were also a common sight in Angkor.
Skinks were a common reptile in Cambodia's temple complexes.
As were Gecko species...
Sadly though, the only place you are likely to see Siamese Crocodiles is in the croc farms on the western side of Tonle Sap Lake...
Our New Life in Shanghai!
The Oriental Pearl Tower and the Pudong skyline as seen from the Bund across the Huangpu River.
Pudong Skyline!
People's Square, Shanghai
Jinmao Tower (right) and the World Financial Center (center) seen during one of our nights out in Shanghai!
Nanjing Road leading from People's Square to the Bund.
Chairman Mao's statue seen in the Bund!
The spectacular Bund.
The Bund.
Our Place in Shanghai!
Our apartment at JingQiao's Green Court, Phase II!
We still have some decorating to do!
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