What we're thankful for...

We're going to skip ahead in the timeline to get a Thanksgiving post up as we want to share what we're thankful for this year. After this post, we'll continue updating the blog as before.

It should be no surprise that we are most thankful to have our wonderful happy and healthy baby who is a constant source of joy and love. We are also thankful for our awesome family and friends in America and in China.

But what we really want to talk about it is a semi-constant topic of conversation here...
The things we're thankful for having in America (even if they are sometimes annoying) ---- or more simply put, some things we miss while in China.  To keep the post manageable, we're just going to mention 5. (Excluding the obvious: family and friends)

1. Enforced traffic laws
2. Drinkable tap water
3. Quality control
4. Fluency in the native language
5. In general, consistent access to the food we grew up with - mainly cheese, coffee and sweets

What about the other way around? Things we're thankful for having in China that we don't have in America. (Again, excluding family and friends)

1. Free music, movies and TV series available as they come out... (except foreign movies which lack English subtitles)
2. Access to affordable healthy food. (Seriously, fresh fruits and veggies are cheap here)
3. Freedom from "needing" to own a car
4. Affordable hospital services [China has privatized insurance just like America, but it won't bankrupt you to need a surgery if you're uninsured. --  Recently a trip to the pediatrician, a follow up with a dermatologist and medicine to treat his rash cost us a whopping 1 US dollar].
5. More freedom with fashion

This post probably doesn't represent the final version of these ideas. I can easily envision us at 4a.m., we'll find ourselves feeding or changing Connor, and remember that "one more thing" that just "has to" go on one of these lists, but I think it's a good start for now.