8 days in San Jose

So it's been a week and more since I've landed here with CDG and my brother. And so far, it has been pure purgatory. This has probably got to do with this horrible coughing virus that we all got on the plane here. 5 days of convulsive coughing fits, the sick baby, and add the jet lag for everybody and by day 3, I was seriously thinking of buying my ticket home. That aside, it also will take me a while to get used to life out here in a very safe but dull neighbourhood. This place is like Tuas but filled with business parks, sans malls or supermarkets except when you drive out. There's nothing within walking distance, no shops, cafes, convenience stores, nothing but monotonous blocks inhabited by faceless corporations. I miss home utterly and completely! It is very hard to think that I will have to stick it out here for a year at least before going back home.

Till now, CDG is still sleeping past 10pm every night and it has hard to get him to sleep at the right time without resorting to sleep-training, which I will implement once he has completely stopped coughing and when we do finally buy him a cot. Till then, it's co-sleeping with him on the floor beside his mattress which isn't as bad as it sounds. I miss his sleep by 8pm routine he had down pat in SG.

Instead of ranting about how miserable I have really been feeling, I shall take this opportunity to think of the good things about being here.

1) Family bonding with CDG and D. Really this is the ONLY reason why I am sticking it out here. I try to focus on the quality time D gets with CDG and how they are always so happy around each other. I also think D has a much more active role with CDG here since all the time he gets outside of work is purely with family.

2) Learning how to cook. Abundance of organic food.
3) Depending on God.
4) My brother showing how amazing of a brother he really is. Truly I could not have survived the past couple of days without my brother cooking for me and David and helping out, ditto for the plane ride here.
5) No mosquitoes.
6) Cut-flowers last longer without having to change water.
7) Amazon and iherb. At this point I think it is becoming evident I am grasping at straws here.
8) D getting to work at Google. Ha, this one is a big one. It should belong at number 2.

Ok, CDG is asleep now. Gonna go watching something with D then try to sleep myself.

Verse to start the new journey and the new year with.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Faith is not knowing, yet trusting. Not knowing what lies ahead, and how I will be able to handle it, but trusting in God's grace and provision. Also, one of the things I constantly tell myself so far, is not to look back, only forward.