After a month in China, I already have a few dozen anecdotes and stories to tell as practically every day brings with it new experiences. Adapting to life in Wenzhou means getting used to being stared at, having my shopping cart examined and my purchases copied, getting used to their habits and adapting my own so that I don’t offend, learning a few words of Mandarin to get by, and changing our cooking and eating styles to incorporate the local foods.

We had a pretty good idea of what to expect from having traveled in China for nine weeks a couple of years ago. But setting up a household is very different from passing through so we’re having our share of misadventures and misunderstandings. Most are resolved easily enough but there are times when the frustrations of different languages, cultures, ways of thinking, and ways of doing things can get to you. more…