Our first two days in Shanghai

That’s it – we made it! After having a mini panic attack at the airport and on the plane as we realised that we’re actually leaving the continent (which feels like moving to another planet) and an 11 hours direct flight, we finally arrived to Shanghai. So far, we love it! It seems to be…

When one door closes…

I can’t even tell you how many times in the past weeks I’ve consciously acknowledged that I’m doing something for the last time – the last Pilates session in my regular class, the last time we went to our favourite restaurant near our flat, the last time I went home to see my family for…

Phew! Flights booked…

For most people this happens rather further in advance. If you’re planning a big holiday, the process of booking a flight early not only ensures the best price but also gives you several months of looking forward to the trip to get excited about. We, on the other hand, are booking our flights only 3…

It’s… almost… Facebook official!

For various reasons, we, and I in particular, have been putting off telling people openly about the Shanghai move. It feels a bit like leaving a party early – a bit… awkward. And due to work and visas and people we might potentially upset, we’ve held out on a public ‘Facebook’ announcement until now that…

All set… are we?

Growing up in the EU, I had completely forgotten (or ignored) the fact, that you actually need to get a working visa if you want to work in another country, that does not belong to the EU. (It will be interesting, or rather daunting, to see, how this will change in the UK after the big…

It’s getting serious

The night before my interview for the job in Shanghai, I started panicking and thinking if I’m really willing to give up our life we have built up together in the UK. The next morning, I had to get up at 5 a.m. for the Skype interview, realising how difficult it would be to communicate…

Surprise!

So, one night I come home from work, pumped from all the exciting events that happened that day. I finally got a German Assistant at work, who will help me grow the German market, but also, who I can chat to in German and get nostalgic about German culture and old habits. Finally back from work,…