Welcome to my world

In four weeks and six days time, I will be starting a new life in Shanghai. While I didn't start this blog in time to capture all the will-we-get-there/won't-we-get-there events over the last 4 months, I can at least write now with (almost) complete certainty that yes, we will get there!

I have decided to start with a list of things that I expect I will miss when I get there. Obviously, I also need to have a list of things that I don't expect to miss. I will try to remember to go through this list in three months time...it should be an interesting exercise.

What I don't think I'll miss:

Getting up at 4.50am to go to work
The cat
National Insurance and other rip-off taxes
Television
Spending 2.5 hours every day on the M6 in the dark/wind/rain/roadworks
The nanny state
Waiting 9 months for summer and summer not arriving
Filling the car with petrol
Cleaning out the hamster
Phone calls from people who start by assuring me they're not selling anything
Sell-by dates

What I expect I will miss:

The Trafford Centre
Doing a Function Point count on a nice HLFD
Waking up in a tent on a hot August morning
Photo shoots for Matalan
Looking through the Next directory
Walking into any shop and finding clothes that fit me
Alta Rica coffee
Getting water out of a tap
Central Heating
Waterstones
My car
Reliable internet connections
My tumble drier
Phoning up for an Indian to be delivered
The Daily Mail on a Saturday

I was discussing my impending career break with M, she felt it was a good idea "in case you find you just don't like living there".

For whatever reason, this was not a possibility that had ever entered my head. I put the idea to S, who has of course effectively been living there for the last six months. He looked genuinely mystified before replying, "What is there not to like?".

I shall soon find out!