The Norwoods in China
Shanghai Surprises
Guilin, China
Summer 2011 · Comment ·
Hiking the picturesque rice terraces in Guilin, China, offers the Norwood family a welcome reprieve from the frenetic pace of Shanghai. “The tiered terraces are gorgeous and give you a chance to interact with the people who live there,” says Sharon Norwood, who earned a social work master’s degree from UT Arlington in 1999. Sharon and husband Curtis, who completed his master’s in engineering management in 2008, and their children, Madison and Ellion, moved to Shanghai in November 2010 when Curtis became the group managing director for Martin Sprocket & Gear in China. If you’re an HGTV fan, the Norwoods may look familiar. They appeared on an episode of House Hunters International that aired in February and chronicled their relocation from Arlington to China’s largest city. They settled on a lakeside house in a U.S. Southwest-style neighborhood with a large and social international population. They’re learning to speak Chinese and adjusting to relying on a driver for transportation. And they continue to be amazed at the region’s vitality. “Shanghai is a vibrant, growing city,” says Curtis, whose assignment in China is for 3–5 years. “If you can dream it here—business opportunities, new hobbies, etc.—you can do it.”
Congratulations Sharon!!!! Remember when I had to eat fish pie and you had strawberry shortcake in Madrid, Spain.