Flew forwards to a little bit backwards

So, we arrived, safe and sound, and no one has heard much of us at all, apologies to those of you who have been waiting and wondering. Technology, though it seems to hatch forth from this side of the big blue ball, actually manages to feel a bit backwards when living in the heart of the originator. Thus, internet is slow and finicky and phones are a bit of a hassle to get, though CHEAP as air once you get them (including air time, cheap cheap CHEAP! I am paying a total of 8 dollars for this months phone plan....actually 4 since she gave us half off since the month is almost over, and the phone plan is way better than anything I could get in Canada!)
It is far too difficult to even try to START to explain the last few days, but backwards, as previously mentioned, seems to do it up best, for now. Ben and I have been spending time each day trying to find ways to help us settle into our somewhat palatial two bedroom apartment. The building we are in is brand new.....brand new is a relative term, so that leaves you to imagine a little. But our space is nice, lovely in fact, better than we imagined it would be!
The rest of our time has been taken up with waiting in lines, filling out forms, waiting in chairs, following our chinese organizers towards more line-ups and waits, etc. We have been into Tianjin city (sine we live on the outskirts, TEDA, the developing area, closer to the east coast) and into some other surrounding areas. This morning we spent a couple hours in a doctors office getting final checks that for some strange reason, needed to be done. As we waited, a doctor had a smoke while he talked to a patient, men came frequently to a counter next to where we were sitting to drop off little plastic tubs of yellow liquid, other men and women clamored in line with each other chatting, squabbling, and joking around. Our trip consisted of very little but took quite a while, this has been most of our activities so far here in the lovely Tianjin, China:)