There is almost nothing familiar about China. Besides the fact that McDonald’s french fries will still make you fat! It is amazing how vastly different our lives have become. Our routines have become so different that it truly is like living another life. Here is an idea of our day to day.

We wake up on the 13th floor in the middle of downtown Beijing. We live in a tiny two bedroom apartment, so I walk about five steps out of my bedroom to wake the boys up, who are sharing a room and a bed. (That wasn’t exactly how we planned our first apartment to be, but hey, this is China) We all squeeze together in a little bathroom to brush teeth, fix hair, etc. Just picture a preteen boy obsessing over getting the perfect wave in his bangs and his mother trying to curl her hair without burning the face off said preteen boy. Just getting through this is a victory in and of itself. I begin the countdown to leave at about ten minutes prior to D-time. Because I know. Shoes disappear over night and book bags become invisible. Then throw in the glory of our first real winter together and now we are searching through this 900 sq. ft apartment for hats and gloves too! Then off we go. Out the front door into a hallway that leads to an elevator. It’s very strange and still an adjustment to not walk out the door and be outside. Instead, we exit into a dank hallway making our way to an elevator and a painful reminder that we live 13 floors above ground.

We have to walk a city block to catch a taxi. This is probably the biggest adjustment that we have had to city life. No more hopping in my comfortable Honda Accord to get to work in the morning. No more stopping through Starbucks while listening to my music on the way to work. Our travel to work/school is hectic and sometimes overwhelming. We walk and then have to wave down a taxi. Many taxis will drive right past me. This is one of the perks of being a foreigner. I can’t say I blame them wanting to avoid trying to understand my awful Chinese. Then there is the moment of surprise as you actually get into the taxi. You will get one of three things, a nice pleasant taxi ride void of any odd smells, or a strong stench of cigarettes, or just this smell that I just can’t describe other than it vaguely reminds me of sour baby formula. I can honestly say, I have had a pretty even mixture of these, but when experiencing either of the last two it makes you regret your sense of smell. There is no such thing as a subtle smell in China. Smells here are like a solid punch in the face, but I digress. So, we have made it into the taxi and at this point I am just praying the taxi driver understood me when I told him where I need to go. If so, then we are good. If not, then Lord help us! This is always interesting as I tell him bishi zou (go straight) and you guai (turn right), I usually don’t have the right inflection and end up getting corrected. This is just our morning routine.

This is an idea of commuting in the city. It is amazing. Cars and taxis are bumper to bumper. Giant buses bully their way through crammed with people. Then zipping between all this commotion are the brave ones on their e-bikes. I happen to own one and so does my husband. He is braver that I am…mine has been sitting unused for about a month now!

After school we are faced with the decision to be lazy and taxi home, or take the subway. The subway is about a 20 minute walk and it so packed you can smell each other’s breath. But, it’s cheap…and I like cheap! Usually my wallet wins out and we start our hike to the subway station. If it’s close to 5pm, which it generally is, then people are packed on the subway like a can of sardines. Being short, I am generally right at arm pit level with the majority of people. By the way, those that say Chinese people are mostly short, are wrong! I’m still short in China… unfortunately. Anyway, there is nothing I can say to adequately describe the awkward discomfort of being face to face, sharing breath with a complete stranger. It’s in these moments that I ask myself why am I so dang cheap? In the winter time it is especially miserable, because your are layered up for the cold outside, and then shoved in a subway car with other people that are layered up, carrying bags and children. So hot, can’t breathe, oh my gosh…I’m going to die right now….or pass out….oh god, please don’t breathe on me…why is your arm in my face… why is the person behind me pushing me….I cant move…world is closing in… breathe in, breathe out. This is literally my internal dialogue as we squeal along, underground, in a tiny torture chamber. In all fairness, it is not always that bad, only at these hours when literally millions of people are going home from work.

But, on the flip side Beijing, especially Chaoyang district where we live, has all the conveniences of the big city. Right across the street is the grocery and a 6 story mall, and of course, both Costa and Starbucks. If I’m ever too tired to cook, or more accurately, simply don’t want to cook, food is literally a phone call away. Anything can be delivered, which is amazing. We have found a few favorites. One is Annie’s, which serves wonderful Italian food. Convenience is key when living in the big city. Everything is generally a short walk away. With all the smells, noises, and rush of the big city, there are just as many things that make it enjoyable, especially a place like Beijing.

When you’re living in the city, space is limited. Forget about closets and storage. You’re lucky if you even have a separate room for your washer. Usually it is in the kitchen or bathroom. I’ve never seen a dryer since I’ve been here. Clothes dry on a rack. Usually in the living room or some obnoxious place. You get used to sitting down to dinner and staring at a rack full of drying clothes. But, with the right detergent, your whole place will smell delicious!

Remember, everything is about saving space. This is something new, that I rather enjoy. A drying rack that disappears! So, I might have to stare at my laundry as it dries….but my drying dishes are hidden! In a tiny kitchen, this is a nice perk.

There is nothing similar about Beijing. Lakeland was slow paced, we could walk outside into a backyard with grass and trees, it’s quiet and quaint. But as, we sit in our little living room eating together and listening to a baby crying in the apartment next to us and somewhere down the hall music is playing, I am reminded that we have no privacy, but I am also reminded about how blessed we are to live this exciting life.  We go to sleep to the horns honking below as if singing us a lullaby. In our bedrooms we have huge windows and I lay in bed a look out on the city. Huge buildings as far as the eye can see. I lay there and watch as one light after the other is turned off, as my city joins me in a much needed rest.