I have been thinking about writing so many times during the past several weeks and everytime I sit in front of the computer, something happens and the blog remains stagnant.

Our life in Shanghai on the other hand is everything but stagnant. Since coming back from Tokyo, life seemed to kick on fifth gear as Summer approached. The weather got super hot (yesterday it was still 35C or 99F at 9pm on our balcony with a slight breeze), Raili finished her school year, Kai turned three (he makes the peace sign plus pinky when showing how old he is), Raili turned five and both seemd to have developed fins for legs with the amount of time they spend in the neigborhood pool. Raili also learned to rollerblade like the "big kids".  

We also passed our one year anniversary of arriving in Shanghai. Can't call ourselves newbies anymore although every now and then there are days that still seem to take us back to square one. Sometimes ignorance is even bliss. David and I spent an evening reminissing about our first few months out here; me trying to buy groceries with Japanese Yen; Raili surviving Chinese school on her own and Kai thinking that it's normal to bounce around the back seat of a taxi without seatbelts or booster seats. We've come a long way, baby!

We are still enjoying our adventure and look forward to another year of surprises. We have at least one more year to go with an invite to stay longer if we'd like. A house that seems to clean itself, meals that appear from nowhere and an occasional foot massage to top it off, what is there not to like?