One thing I like to do when I’m homesick is download the latest episode of Have I got News for You and and eat some Marmite on toast.
Is that still going? Who’s presenting now, used to be a favourite of mine back home. Never Mind the Buzzcocks was another succinctly British gem.
@candj: You’re going to be better off just accepting there’ll be some adjustments, and maybe the odd trip to Hong Kong to breathe a little ‘civilised’ fresh air. I always take my HK trips as a ‘little’ reminder of London.
Staying in touch is easy. You have Skype, Facebook, Gmail, and the super popular Wexin (WeChat) app for free messaging and ‘walkie talkie’ voice messaging. As mentioned, WhatsApp is another that’s more widely used in the West.
Hospitals can be an eye opener, but you’ll always have the forum as a source of advice on where to go for what should you need it. You could always consider an insurance policy if you think it’s warranted.
Chengdu is always adding something new to the mix, so things are slowly becoming more accessible. I always say the same thing, but the best thing you can do is figure a way to ignore the imagined hassles and work on figuring things out. You won’t regret taking the leap of faith.
Good luck to you guys on the jump!