What a difference eight hours makes.

We are now in Finland, an eight hour flight from Shanghai and it feels like we are on a different planet. The hustle and bustle of a megapolis is gone. The lack of people is puzzling. The sky is bright and seagulls are reminding us that the ocean is just minutes away. Everything is just so different.

The kids have not missed a beat. They landed as if they never left, immersing themselves to all things Finnish. Raili has been playing outside on the yard with neighbor kids. She is so proud of her independence; the ability to just spend hours and hours outside with friends without an adult hovering over. Kai has renewed his love for bike riding and splashing in the cold swimming pool at the park. Even the change in food seems to be fine. Well, the only thing they both still detest; mashed potatoes. The texture, the taste....they can't down it even if douced in butter. Ah, so they too have limits.   

I must be going through some sort of a culture shock, a good one I think though. I can't believe we can actually drink from the tap. And use it for washing veggies; clean water just flows out of a tap! The selection at the grocery store is mind baffling. I have fresh fruits and vegetables. Even avocados that don't cost seven bucks each. Two avocados: Euro fifty. I almost cried. Cheeses, meats, chocolate. I suspect I might need to buy a new wardrobe by the time we fly out to Minnesota.

I can access all websites, even facebook and youtube. Have you seen it? :) Videos galore. AND you can view them without a VPN streaming it in one second segments over the entire evening. Brilliant. The internet access that my parents have is five times faster than the one in our office in Shanghai. And about bezillion times faster than in our apartment. I have heard of people watching TV series on their computers...haven't tried it yet. Seems so, "out there".

My mind is still quite a mess. I am yet to internalize we are not going back, that I don't have to hoard stuff at the stores for all things missing in China. I will write about our departure, all the last minute chaos, crying, packing, saying goodbyes to friends, colleagues and our ayi. 

But that will be later.