Hello, Chengdu! It's Nice To Finally Meet You!

This is us. The one showing lots of shoulder (in her Chengdu, China Marine Ball ball gown!) is the EFM who writes this blog. The one wearing a tux (James) is the employee who moves her (and their two sons) around all over the world. The red link, below, is how you can get in touch with me...

The time in Chengdu, China

Chengdu: city of fabulous food and beautiful Buddhist monasteries!

In Our Same Boat (with State)

Beyond the Cornfields
Brand-new State Department family in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Love their two little girls (she just recently had a baby while being posted in Dhaka), horticulture, traveling and adventure!
Email From The Embassy
State Department family formerly in Beijing, China, and recently posted to Amman, Jordan. A trailing spouse, she's also a writer, and frequently publishes articles with major news sources. A very experienced State family, this new post is something like overseas post number six or seven for them.
Just US
A beautiful family of seven - they have arrived at their new post: Jerusalem! They just finished off an unaccompanied tour to Iraq and are very much looking forward to sightseeing around the middle east.
Our Life
State Department family on their second post...Tijuana, Mexico. It's their first overseas assignment and they have two little boys. They love Tijuana so far and post pictures frequently! They also get to enjoy the best of both worlds for they can sneak over the border into San Diego when they want to!
The Dinoia Family
State Department family formerly in California, now in DC for a DC tour. Next, the husband will do a one year unaccompanied tour. A very experienced State family (formerly in Iceland and Caracas) with a blog that has been around quite a while and has great archives. Jen has a sweet heart and a lot to give!
The Perlman Update
State Department family formerly in Chennai, India, who then did a year-long unaccompanied tour in Iraq. They are now on a DC tour and after that will do another unaccompanied tour (Afghanistan). She totally tells it like it is and doesn't sugar-coat what life is really like. Witty, snarky, funny and down-to-earth. Look elsewhere if you want fake. Read if you want REAL.
Where in the World Am I?
State Department family formerly in Bujumbura, Burundi and now in Hyderabad, India. They just had their first baby this summer - a beautiful little girl- (there's a separate blog about this) and she also eats gluten-free (with a separate blog, also).

One of the most intriguing things about Chengdu is that it is a seamless blend of ancient and modern... all together, side by side.

Can't Live Without (non-State)

Crass-Pollination: An ER blog
The best ER nurse blog EVER!
Doctor Grumpy in the House
The best doctor blog EVER!
In Which...
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of seven. Her darling daughters are, goshdarnit, probably too young to be hoped for as my future daughters-in-law.
The Crib Chick
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of five. Hopefully two (Any two! I'm not picky!) of which are my future daughters-in-law.
the underwear drawer
An anesthesiologist who is possibly the most talented & entertaining writer ever. I've read her blog ever since she started medical school. No, don't know her in real life. Wish I did.
The Bloggess
This blog is both hysterically funny and hilariously irreverent. I actually let my 17 year old son read it (who loves it as much as I do!), but wouldn't even CONSIDER letting my 12 year old son read it. Which is about all the description it needs!

The grounds of Chengdu monasteries can be very, very peaceful...even though they are smack dab in the heart of a city of millions of people.

Specifics

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10/06/2011

Hello, Chengdu! It's Nice To Finally Meet You!

After umpteen zillion years of training (okay, maybe not THAT long, but it feels like it!)... we're HERE!! At our first overseas post! In China!

Can you tell that we're excited?!

After some stopoffs between Florida and Chengdu (I'll totally have to write about those later), we landed almost exactly a week ago at our new post.

Pictures (I assure you, I have tons) will unfortunately have to wait, because we do not yet have any internet in our apartment and I'm sorta kinda stealing internet right now just for a minute or two and not on my own computer. Nor, actually, do we have much ability to call back to the US from our apartment right now, so HELLO, FRIENDS AND FAMILY! WE LOVE YOU ALL! WE'RE SAFE AND FINE AND HAPPY AND ALL IS WELL!

We may not have internet or phone, but we are reveling in a plethora of blessings.

For example, we LOVE our assigned housing. Our son Zachary (age 12) has so many friends around to play with now that he is, indeed, happier than a pig in mud. Going overseas actually shows me how very lonely it is to go domestically to a field office (like when we went to Houston). REALLY LONELY. But here? Built in playmates for my boys, for which I am insanely grateful. Seriously.

Furthermore, we have insanely awesome sponsors. Which, I'm starting to think, can totally make or break the experience of coming to a new post. Just in the first few days, they introduced us to various AMAZING restaurants (ohmygosh, you guys! The food here in Chengdu is to die for!), many places to shop, etc., etc., etc. Really helped us figure out which end was up and, of course, where to go for the staff of life, such as food/laundry detergent/ cleaning supplies... you get it. I've heard tons of sponsor horror stories, and so I know that we are very, very fortunate to have the experience we do.

I don't know when we'll have internet and, thus, phone, but since I had this chance to kidnap internet from another source, I had to jump on and say hello. Tune in later, when I can post pictures and really give y'all a good run-down of what life is like for us here. Suffice it will to say: Chengdu is BIG (sort of like living in downtown Chicago? But with spicy food everywhere? And the signs being in Chinese? And not so cold?), we're settling in nicely (with great sponsors, and we're making other friends along the way), and all is well.

Posted on 10/06/2011 at 11:32 PM in Chengdu, China, Moving with State, Travel, Zachary | Permalink

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You are so right. A good sponsor is worth more than his/her weight in gold. So when you get settled and know everything be a sponsor like the one you had! We love sponsoring people as it gives us renewed enthusiasm for our "home" and also we get to have a part in making someone's tour a good one. A good adage is that people will discover the bad stuff on their own soon enough so front load all the good stuff so that when the bad stuff comes, it won't be SO bad. I'm saying a prayer of thanks for those wonderful sponsors of yours and for friends for your kids. When the kids are happy everything goes much smoother!

Posted by: Amy | 10/06/2011 at 11:55 PM

Glad you made it in! I hope you have an absolutely fabulous tour there, and that you VISIT ESTONIA!

Posted by: Digger | 10/07/2011 at 12:25 AM

WooHoo So glad you made it and isn't lovely that that there are built in playmates for the boy? Here's hoping you have a fabulous first overseas posting.

Posted by: shannon | 10/07/2011 at 01:33 AM

Hooray! You've been on my mind the past couple of weeks, and I've so been looking forward to the "we're here!" news!

So glad you like your housing and Z has friends right away!

Posted by: TulipGirl | 10/07/2011 at 04:09 AM

Wonderful! I am glad you have good sponsors. Best of luck and enjoy!

Posted by: Becky | 10/07/2011 at 06:33 AM

I am so glad that you have made it safely, and can't wait to see pictures of your new country. Love it!

Posted by: Emily | 10/07/2011 at 07:58 AM

I'm so glad you made it there and all is well. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

Posted by: TSB | 10/07/2011 at 08:34 AM

You, visit Estonia? What the heck is Digger talking about? Jordan is much warmer and sunnier and more full of, well, me!

Glad you made it safe and sound.

Posted by: Donna | 10/07/2011 at 12:31 PM

Congratulations! Being at post is amazing. Yours was one of the first FS blogs I started following, and it's really great to see that you guys have made it. Can't wait to read your observations on life in China.

Posted by: AMS | 10/07/2011 at 02:59 PM

YOU MADE IT! Congratulations!!! Can't wait to hear about your adventures and observations. There is so much to see and to love! How much of your Chinese have you been able to use so far?? And that EFM position? I know you've just hit the ground, but I am hoping that all your options are just sitting there waiting for when you are ready.

Posted by: Nomads By Nature | 10/07/2011 at 09:24 PM

Congratulations for finally making it to Chengdu! It sounds like you're settling in well and looking forward to all of the Sichuan food (but if you ever need Tex-Mex, go to Peter's. It's seriously amazing.) Jia You!!!
p.s. I <3 Say Yes to the Dress. It's so addictive!!

Posted by: Bridget Lines | 10/10/2011 at 06:30 PM

i am delighted to hear all is going well. keep exploring and enjoying your new home. :)

Posted by: Claudia Lewis | 10/13/2011 at 12:59 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.

James loves me. And our sons. And his job. But not having his picture taken. In 2011 he finished up over a year and half of training, and in the fall of 2011 we got to our first overseas post - Chengdu, China!