Arrival in Hong Kong

We have arrived safely in Hong Kong. The flight in was long but we flew over some pretty impressive scenery. We flew over the North Pole and yes, it is still covered with ice. The vastness of the artic even in summer is stunning. It is sad to think that it is changing so rapidly and could be ice free in the summer, within our lifetime. The coast of Kampchatka (spelling) was also beautiful.

Our first views of the South China coast surprised all of us. None of us expected the mountainous landscape. There is a surprising amount of green. As we flew over Hong Kong and Shenzhen, we were able to identify landmarks we saw on satellite views on Google Earth. The contrast between the high rises and the green mountainsides makes a stunning scene.

We are now waiting for the ferry that will take us to Shekou. It will be great to get a view of the area from the water.

Saying good bye and being left speechless

So, to be honest, we really wanted to slip out of Portland without fanfare. It seems ridiculous to pay our trip any attention or notice when so many more important things are happening in the world, both the great big world and our little world of Portland, Maine. We justified the event hosted by my sister, Julie, and best friend, Michele, by saying that it was important for others to be able to say good bye to us. I honestly believed this...
But then we arrived and saw my stepdad frying up clams and scallops for the Maine food table. We met and visited with seven of Vic's colleagues from the lab who came, met our families, and brought photos of his work with teachers. We saw his NY relatives who made an 8 hour car trip to surprise us. We saw friends and dear neighbors from all of the phases of Renata and Luca's lives. We heard my father in law give the perfect toast. We watched my sister run around like one of her hens to make sure that everyone had a cold drink and a familiar person to talk with. People gave us lovely personal and generous gifts and lovely personal advice on adjusting to our new life in China. Michele and Brian wrote and performed a song all about us, for real.
So what did I learn? This party was definitely for us. We are so humbled, again.

7 days and 13 boxes til we get to China

So here goes:
First, the shippers came and handily packed up 13 boxes of "essential items'. I challenge anyone to try to put 15 years of a family into 13 banana boxes. It is interesting what we selected. Luca really wanted the Switzerland poster and the fishing ornament for Christmas. Renata wanted to recreate her room in Shenzhen exactly, so she took photos, carefully removed posters and memorabilia and packed those. For me, even though the weather is HOT, really hot, I wanted my cozy turtlenecks (I am a Mainer, and this is essential wear for Mainers) and my beloved high heeled leather boots. I know, I know I probably won't be able to wear them, but I wanted to them. And the tree skirt that Julie gave us on our first Christmas. Vic wasn't sure if he should take all of his microbial and disease books to teach BIO; he definitely took the Darwin textbooks and novels. Photos of the kids and both of our families made the cut, for sure. So together with R's flute and hockey stick, Luca's hockey stick and kickball, we waved good bye to our 13 boxes of life. See you in September on the other side, boxes....

What I will miss in Portland

We are in this weird liminal period right now, neither here nor there and waiting with a mix of anxiety, excitement, exhaustion, and melancholy. Seems like a good time to post the top 10 things I will miss in Portland. (author's note-- I have excluded any people from this list-- too trite to include real humans)

10. Watching our one tree's leaves change
9. Walking Patch
8. Biking to church
7. the view of the night sky from our porch
6. Victorian Architecture
5. Movies at the Nic
4. the sound of the recycling truck on Monday mornings
3. Snow and lights at Christmas
2. Iced coffee and scones at Big Sky
1. The smell of the ocean at night

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to our blog!
Here you can follow us in our travels throughout China.
On the right side of the page there are links to each of our
individual pages.
Feel free to comment we would love to here from you.
This blog will be updated regularly so keep checking it.