The First 100 Days...

One hundred days…that is how long we have been living in China! It seems like a good time to reflect, take inventory of my experiences - good, bad, and different.  Here is what I came up with: 

In the past 100 days I HAVE…

• met people from all over the world including Scotland, Australia, Korea, Germany, and the Czech Republic (of course China and the US too)
  
• had my picture taken with a dolphin
  
• spent over 36 hours in one-on-one Chinese lessons (and I am making SLOW progress)
  
• drank milk from a box – it has a shelf life of one year
  
• bagged my own groceries each and every time I have shopped
  
• have made my own sour cream and croutons and baked homemade banana chocolate chip muffins – how domesticated am I?
  
• figured out how to communicate almost entirely by pantomiming 
• had only one date night with Mike
  
• appeared on Chinese TV (seriously - CCTV interviewed me - I only agreed because I thought the lady at the event was asking if I wanted to 'spin the wheel' when she was actually asking if I wanted to be 'interviewed' - oh the horror!)
• driven (well, have been driven) to the beach - only 5 minutes from our home
• (on many occasions) seen four adults riding on ONE motorcycle
  
• walked my girls to school
• bought several boxes of Cheerios which cost 85 RMB - about $12 US!
• ordered dinner in Chinese
• read six books
  
• bought fruits and vegetables at the local street markets
  
• used a squatty potty successfully (this means I didn’t pee all over myself)
  

 In the past 100 days I HAVE NOT…

• pumped gas or driven a car
  
• done laundry or mopped my own floor
  
• watched a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond or King of Queens
  
• went through a drive through
• missed being a working mom
• shopped at Target, browsed at a Barnes & Noble, or sipped Chai at Starbucks (and unbelievably I have lived to tell about it!)
• received a piece of junk mail
  
• seen a single cactus or said, "Thank goodness it's a dry heat!"
  
• eaten my mom’s cooking
  
• found a good place to get a pedicure (I have a place but it's just mediocre at best)
• used a credit or debit card (just RMB baby!)
  
• went shopping for clothes or shoes
  
• had a haircut (dark roots, split ends, gray hair, oh my!)
  
• been to a movie
  
• gotten ready in a full-length mirror (I don't have one)
• seen my family :(
  

There it is...100 days and counting in our China adventure.  We are now in the process of counting down until our first trip home.  As of this posting, we have 33 days until we begin our journey home for a two-week visit!  

Here's to the next 100 days...a little adventure, a lot of friendship, and memories to last a lifetime!