Phoenix Rising
What a difference a week makes.
On the drive back home from the first day at work out here, it struck me that out of the chaos of last week, there was the feeling in me of a Phoenix Rising – a feeling of renewal, that from the ashes something good was being reborn. And so the week has panned out…better than expected…
With a little digging, the Phoenix Rising reference brought up everything from Greek mythology (a long lived bird that is cyclically regenerated, arising from the ashes of its predecessor), to Shakespeare (Henry VIII, Act V, SceneV – “the maiden phoenix, her ashes new create another heir”) & Chinese mythology (the Fenghuang – the Chinese Phoenix – only appears in places that are blessed with the utmost peace, prosperity & happiness)
And so this Phoenix has risen again… To a place of peace and happiness…for now…
– with a new job, in the ‘old’ firm – that I have just loved this week. Part time, people focused, the ‘newbie’ who knows a little of what to expect, but with the scope to just ask questions and work out what’s really needed. I’m not sure I could have designed a better position if I’d really, actively tried… (Thank you boss!)
– with the beginnings of a global women’s network being put in place, of which I get to be a founder member. I have been lucky enough to be ‘gifted’ a group of talented, inspirational females to help support me on my current journey – with the hope that I get to spread the energy and connection here in Shanghai in the not too distant future (and this is said with love and awe at the potential for this – even with 0230 am weekly discussion calls… to which I say ‘thank you hubby’ for understanding my need to be involved…)
– with the benefit of tech to keep me in touch with my very best friends – who keep dealing with the fact that I keep running away. In the words of The Littlest Hobo “Maybe tomorrow, I’ll want to settle down…”
– and with a little exploring with the family, to remind me that that’s exactly why we came here – to see somewhere entirely new and different, and enjoy it. So we did – we spent yesterday wandering along the Pudong Waterfront, staring over at the (much more crowded) Bund… we looked up at all the tall buildings, and stared in awe at the space age Pearl Tower – seriously, I mean – who ever approved that design? It’s crazy…
And then the comedy parts of the week
So, Saturday night, and Sherpa’s again… a Thai takeaway. Nothing too unusual there you might think.. Except we get a phone call 20mins after placing the order… There’s a problem… The restaurant has run out of rice… Really? Had no one noticed that they might need any on a Saturday night? And was there nowhere in the vicinity that they could get some more? Really?
Internet Banking… or not. It’s taken a while. But we now have bank cards. And PIN numbers (no mean feat, I can assure you…) And we have some bills to pay… So Hubby dutifully sits there and enters all sorts of details (and leg measurements) into the Bank’s online payment system… only to be told, at the very end of the payment process, that his daily limit for making payments is… ZERO. Right then, so, not the most useful Internet Banking system ever. Off to the branch I go tomorrow…
And Saturday night footy… It’s 10pm, it’s Saturday night… That must mean the chance to watch Southampton play, at Emirates (round the corner from the old flat)… Can it really be easier to watch the Premier League out here? Shame they lost but…
Onwards and upwards