You've Got a Friend

Finding the right place to live in Suzhou was a huge task when we arrived. I knew early on I didn't want an apartment. Nevermind the height and claustrophobia-ness of it all, but I also didn't think it was so great for a family. Not so conducive for meeting neighbors. Royal Peninsula had the physical attributes, what was still to be determined was if it had friendly neighbors. After a week or so we discovered we were the only family from the US, which was fine. There were Germans, Italians, Indians, Brits, Scots, Mexicans, Koreans, Chinese and us. Conversations with these folks was limited to bus stop chit chat and nothing more. The girls played with a few of the German boys and Chinese girls, but mostly kept to themselves. We loved the big house, but were feeling a bit isolated. Don't get me wrong, I went to expat meetings and school events and met some wonderful people. My world view has definitely expanded and my appreciation for things beyond local borders grows everyday. But, every once in a while I missed the casual conversations about inane topics that comes with familiarity and common ground.
Last summer, we learned another US family had moved in. They have four children, three of whom go to Dulwich, and Anne is a teacher at the school. Did I mentioned they are from Greenville, SC? It blows my mind that we travelled half way around the world to end up practically next door to a family that lived thirty minutes down the road.
The twins play with their youngest, Kate, practically everyday, and on some days we don't see our respective kids for hours, but know exactly where they are. Katie and their other daughter, Claire, who is thirteen, swap gossip and video games. We're giving Katie added responsibility, like a couple hours here and there babysitting her sisters. However, Claire is usually called in for reinforcement. Their son, Scott, is a novelty to the girls. They are fascinated with him and he has great patience with them.
When I hurt my knee, they were such a huge help. Anne would bring soup, pasta, muffins and a smiling face. The girls ate so many meals over there, I began to wonder if they were hoping I wouldn't heal. Chris and Larry work long hours and don't get to socialize as much, but Larry has enjoyed talking & venting with someone other than his co-workers.
We joke about being BFFs, but in all honesty, without getting too sappy we've discovered a kinship between our families. Brought together by unique circumstances in a country that can be quite overwhelming, our zaniness compliments each other and reminds us we're not alone.