Some of you might remember one of my posts from just before we moved to China.
I played a round of golf with a good friend and shot the best score of my life to that point - a 4 over par 75. At the time, I was confused at what the golf gods were trying to tell me... was it good messages and vibrations as a send off to a really good decision to move to China? Was it a cruel attempt to rub in the fact that I would be moving to China where golf takes 7 hours (including transit time) and costs $150/round - effectively limiting my ability to play regularly?
I never did figure it out... Then it happened again... As I am abount to head back to PRC I played one last round of golf with a friend here in the great Northwest.
Even par through 8 holes, I bogeyed #9 to shoot 37 on the front. Then I shot 38 on the back for a 3 over par 75, my newest 'best round ever'.
The golf gods are no friends of mine!
Cheers,
Joe
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Home for the summer...
It's the end of July and I am headed back to China in a matter of days... One more weekend at the lake with Steph and the girls, then I am on a plane to Shanghai where I will be a 'bachelor' for about 10 days while Steph and the girls finish up their time in the US.
It has been a great summer! Even with all the different beds and the living out of suitcases - it has been fabulous.
Steph and the girls flew into Seattle and spent a week with our friends Mike and Karmen. They had a good visit and the girls had a comfortable environment in which to get over the jetlag. Steph says it took them 4 nights of being wide awake in the middle of the night to get acclimated.
Then I flew in (convieniently after everyone had adjusted) from Europe, as I had been there for a week meeting with customers in Germany and the UK. (Side note - Europe, and especially the UK) is atrociously expensive right now with the value of the dollar).
We spent the week of the 4th of July at Stephanie's family cabin at Lake of the Woods in Southern Oregon. It was a great week of sun, family, good food and golf! Our friends Brian and Lisa (and their 3 kids) and Shelly and Ray (and their "kid" Jack) were down as well... It was a fabulous time.
Then we packed up the family and drove back to Portland (at over $4/gallon). I worked for the week and Steph ran errands for a few days before she jetted off to New York City for a long weekend as a celebration of her good friend Lisa's 40th birthday. We were able to stay with our good friend Gary - to whom we are eternally grateful for openning his home to us for part of our 'home leave'.
The girls and I headed back down to the Lake at the end of that week for a 2nd week of vacation, and my mom drove out from Wyoming and joined us. It was a great week of the girls catching up again with Gram, enjoying the lake - swimming and 'crazy driving' boat rides.
Then it was back to psuedo-reality for me. Steph and the girls stayed at the Lake for 2 more weeks while I have been working in Portland. I did escape to Seattle for the weekend to spend some time with Mike and Karmen and play a little golf with Mike.
So here I am, finishing up my last week in the states, readying myself to head back to China. Steph and the girls will have another couple weeks (10 days actually) in Oregon before they head over to Shanghai.
I was originally concerned about the girls getting back to the US and falling in love with home again and being hesitant about going back. Our friend Kathy asked all of us at dinner one night, "what are you looking forward to about going back to China?"
Much to my delight all 3 of my girls came up with answers easily. Then Kathy put me on the spot and asked me, even though I was purposely trying to duck the question. You see, as it turns out, the assignment in China hasn't been the greatest experience for me... Potentially I was niave in my expecations.
I get up everyday between 5am and 6:30am. I am in the car between 5:30am and 7:00am every day. I drive an hour to the office while I work, since I can't really talk with the driver (his limited English and my complete lack of Mandarin). I work on a difficult program every day, get in the car at 5pm and work in the car for an hour to an hour and a half (one day 2+ hours). I get an hour or two with the girls (dinner and some play time) before they are in bed. Then it's a little more work, then to bed, then a few hours later I do it all over again.
That's a lot of complaining - but to be honest, PRC is not a hardship posting. We have a wonderful apartment, we have a driver to get us around a 'traffic-crazy' city, we have some good friends we have made in the last year, I have a crew of guys I play hoops with. It's just not the adventure I had expected.
That being said, it looks like we'll be in PRC for an additional 5 months! The next generation of product I am managing development of is a 'late launch' meaning it launches after my scheduled repatriation date. So while in Oregon this week, we close don the fact that I should remain in China until we launch - and since I don't want to move the family in the middle of the school semester. This means the Welsh family is likley to return to the US in December of 2009!
This extends the window that people have to come visit the Welsh family in China. We are always interested and available to host guests!
Cheers,
Joe
It has been a great summer! Even with all the different beds and the living out of suitcases - it has been fabulous.
Steph and the girls flew into Seattle and spent a week with our friends Mike and Karmen. They had a good visit and the girls had a comfortable environment in which to get over the jetlag. Steph says it took them 4 nights of being wide awake in the middle of the night to get acclimated.
Then I flew in (convieniently after everyone had adjusted) from Europe, as I had been there for a week meeting with customers in Germany and the UK. (Side note - Europe, and especially the UK) is atrociously expensive right now with the value of the dollar).
We spent the week of the 4th of July at Stephanie's family cabin at Lake of the Woods in Southern Oregon. It was a great week of sun, family, good food and golf! Our friends Brian and Lisa (and their 3 kids) and Shelly and Ray (and their "kid" Jack) were down as well... It was a fabulous time.
Then we packed up the family and drove back to Portland (at over $4/gallon). I worked for the week and Steph ran errands for a few days before she jetted off to New York City for a long weekend as a celebration of her good friend Lisa's 40th birthday. We were able to stay with our good friend Gary - to whom we are eternally grateful for openning his home to us for part of our 'home leave'.
The girls and I headed back down to the Lake at the end of that week for a 2nd week of vacation, and my mom drove out from Wyoming and joined us. It was a great week of the girls catching up again with Gram, enjoying the lake - swimming and 'crazy driving' boat rides.
Then it was back to psuedo-reality for me. Steph and the girls stayed at the Lake for 2 more weeks while I have been working in Portland. I did escape to Seattle for the weekend to spend some time with Mike and Karmen and play a little golf with Mike.
So here I am, finishing up my last week in the states, readying myself to head back to China. Steph and the girls will have another couple weeks (10 days actually) in Oregon before they head over to Shanghai.
I was originally concerned about the girls getting back to the US and falling in love with home again and being hesitant about going back. Our friend Kathy asked all of us at dinner one night, "what are you looking forward to about going back to China?"
Much to my delight all 3 of my girls came up with answers easily. Then Kathy put me on the spot and asked me, even though I was purposely trying to duck the question. You see, as it turns out, the assignment in China hasn't been the greatest experience for me... Potentially I was niave in my expecations.
I get up everyday between 5am and 6:30am. I am in the car between 5:30am and 7:00am every day. I drive an hour to the office while I work, since I can't really talk with the driver (his limited English and my complete lack of Mandarin). I work on a difficult program every day, get in the car at 5pm and work in the car for an hour to an hour and a half (one day 2+ hours). I get an hour or two with the girls (dinner and some play time) before they are in bed. Then it's a little more work, then to bed, then a few hours later I do it all over again.
That's a lot of complaining - but to be honest, PRC is not a hardship posting. We have a wonderful apartment, we have a driver to get us around a 'traffic-crazy' city, we have some good friends we have made in the last year, I have a crew of guys I play hoops with. It's just not the adventure I had expected.
That being said, it looks like we'll be in PRC for an additional 5 months! The next generation of product I am managing development of is a 'late launch' meaning it launches after my scheduled repatriation date. So while in Oregon this week, we close don the fact that I should remain in China until we launch - and since I don't want to move the family in the middle of the school semester. This means the Welsh family is likley to return to the US in December of 2009!
This extends the window that people have to come visit the Welsh family in China. We are always interested and available to host guests!
Cheers,
Joe
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