Crazy for Shanghai

Photobooth part deux

2010-01-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

We may have gone a little nuts at the photo shop tonight but they're just too darn cute to pass up.

And It's my last week in China so I'm splurging.

To Be Free

2010-01-13T07:12:00.001-05:00

"It is in all of us
to defy
to go into the world and
to be brave
and to want, to need, to hunger for
adventures
to embrace change and chance and risk
so that we may breath
and know what it is
to be free."

I thought this was wonderful. I have felt pretty free this year. it's been good.

xx

Another reason why I love China.

2009-12-21T22:40:00.006-05:00

This is just about the most adorable thing I've seen in a while. Enjoy!

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/none/three-yearold-chinese-hiphop-star-087117

xx

Brrr

2009-12-20T23:48:00.003-05:00

Dear China,

I love you. Really, I do. Our love affair has been going on for the better part of a year and I’m afraid if I don’t get this off my chest, well, we may just have to take a break.

You see, I’m cold. Really, really, cold. Those summer days we spent together were truly wonderful. Why can’t we hold on to that heat? Why must you submerge me into cold nothingness? Did I take advantage of you? Did I give you the cold shoulder and forced you to turn the heat off completely?

Or perhaps you are just trying to give me a lesson. I get it. Your lack of central heating is one way or another saving the world from Global Warming. Along with the non-existent diapers you are really saving the world from completely cooking itself into oblivion. Yes everything you do has some effect on the world whether you know it or not... But there are other ways to save on energy! Maybe you could try recycling? Or perhaps stop using gas that potentially has cyanide in it. Or another option would be to stop triple-wrapping everything from cookies to bananas? I get it, packaging is fun but wouldn’t you want to be warm instead?

It takes me longer to walk to school now – heavy with layers and skin prickling with the promise of frost-bite. Yes I do get that wonderful rosy-cheeked ‘je ne sais quoi’ look that’s all the rage now with the kids, but common! I can’t be cute when I’ve got a drippy nose now can I? And I’m pretty sure the teachers aren’t calling me cute when they point at my chopstick skills which have gone down the drain since my fingers are frozen stiff, and holding onto anything small requires the concentration of a magician (incl. chalk!).

Going to the grocery store is becoming a danger to my health. I need to wear two sets of gloves if I decide to pick up any fruit for fear of instant frost-bite. Even the clerks are doing jumping jacks in the aisles to keep warm. It’s not fair China – We get it: You’re cold.

Oh China. I love you like Canada loves snow but you have to believe me when I say that this No-Heat business you are running here is just keeping you behind in the ages. I have decided that I won’t let you hold me back any longer. Enough with the bum facials when I pee in the Turkish toilets at school, or the potential frost-bite on my behind if I sit on a regular toilet. Enough with the triple layers of clothing. Enough with the permanent frozen fingers and toes.

Enough enough enough!

But let’s stay friends.

Noemie xx

Fastforward.

2009-12-18T00:29:00.002-05:00

4 weeks of teaching left. crazy.

So This Is Christmas...

2009-12-14T10:20:00.002-05:00

Winter has come to Shanghai, and you know what that means; ’tis the season to be merry folks.

I wasn't sure what to expect out of Christmas in China - the pendulum could have swung both ways but it seems that it has rocked itself into a tizzy and both extremes have found home here. I mean, do the Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, the answer to this question is both YES and NO. In China, it's mainly Christians who celebrate Christmas, although the commercial aspect of the holiday is spreading. For everyone else, the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the big event of the season.

Of course different cities celebrate differently; Hong Kong for example was a British colony until 1983 and this had a large impact on the cultural uniform of the city – Christmas is celebrated (in varying degrees) by a large percentage of Chinese there. Shanghai so far shows an appreciation for the commercial aspects of the holiday and I’ve seen most of the western additions of the city adopt the Christmas attire, whether it’s having a big Christmas tree or just a few snowflakes on the windows.

All in all, I’ve enjoyed and appreciated all attempts. Here are a few examples.

Louis doing a good job with the lights.

A fantastic "Christmas Carnival" tree right downtown.

I love this one. The next day that 'A' was missing.

A more modest approach in a cafe on the pedestrian street.

A beautiful card from one of my Grade ones. Adorable!

I start teaching Christmas this week with my kids. Will keep you updated.

Love!

Xox

For you Dad!

2009-12-07T09:25:00.002-05:00

This one's for you dad - China's very own Home Depot: B&Q

I found this amongst other "big box stores" when I went out to find the Carrefour out near the highway to Shanghai. Strangely enough it looks as though this is a British company but has made its way to China.

Chinese handy-men can now rejoice and build a shed or install a wood floor just as any would around the world!

Even the signs are similar to those of Home Depot!

I wonder if the prices compare?

Here's the website: http://www.diy.com/

Love xx!

The Shanghai Museum

2009-12-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

Went to the Shanghai Museum last week with Marie during her stay in Shanghai. The 4-story museum houses ancient Chinese art and is situated on the People's Square. It also has free entrance which is a nice draw.

I'm not a huge fan of Chinese art, but there were many beautiful jade peices and some interesting old money as well. Definitely worth a look if you have a few hours to spend.

Old coins - some thousands of years...!

Stamps mean it's official money.

A few examples of carved Jade. Most of the peices were smaller than the palm of my hand.

An old stamp. You can see how the red ink completely saturated the rock.

A great lion-shaped stamp - probably weighs 10 pounds.

An example of an imprint from a stamp.

A fantastic porcelain dragon

Love xx!

In case you were wondering: They do BBQ in China.

2009-12-07T06:54:00.001-05:00

And it is outdoors over hot coals... but slabs of steak or chicken won't be anywhere in sight.

I was invited out to Zhujiajiao again over the weekend, but before we headed to the quaint canal town, they surprised me by telling me we were headed to a BBQ. Now I've been to plenty of BBQs in china - mostly in the form of a Korean BBQ restaurant. So imagine my surprise when we pulled up to an outdoor park with dozens of public stone BBQs coupled with stone picnic setups? And in December no less!

Of course I had a few chuckles once they started pulling the selection of meats out of the cooler. And this wasn't before the entire table was covered in a thin plastic sheet, turning it into a giant plastic wrapped cutting board. I didn't really see why they'd need to do this until they started preparing the meats right there on the table. Everything from itty-bitty sausages to luncheon meats were pulled out and stuck on skewers. And yes I did say luncheon meats - the thin chicken kind you stick inside a sandwhich. It almost reminded me of a certain frat house-esq cuisine I was exposed to back in university. hmmm.

They did get some things right; There was pepsi and chips and some kind of bbq/fish sauce to dip everything in. Seems that there are a universal BBQ must haves for any true international barbeque. Unfortunately no one ate with their hands; we were all given plastic gloves and toothpicks to pick the meat from the plates, which is probably why they only bring lunch meats and sausages... You just can't pick up a thick juicy slap of steak with a toothpick now can you.

Here are a few shots:

Scallops on the left, fondue beef (the closest things to steak!) bottom right, mini sausages on top along

with pre-cooked corn, lunch meats in bag...

Preparing the table

Tables and Barbeques (And yes they do

leave all their garbage behind like this)

The Barbie!

See the raw chicken on the bottom there? My dear friend here was dipping her sausage into the sauce she had put into the frozen chicken wing tray. Clearly no worries of Salmonella here. eep.

No tray needed to bring the cooked meat back to the table, no siree when you have a plastic cup you're all set!

Clearly pepsi and lays are must haves for any international BBQ... even if those are blueberry and cucumber chips.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

xx!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-07T05:07:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is definitely not a holiday the Chinese celebrate, but you can bet the Canadian and American expats will! I was lucky enough to get an invite from an expat who was kind enough to host Thanksgiving at his place this year (Thanks Annie's Brother!) While there wasn't any turkey at the table, there was delicious Chicken, two kinds of mashed potatoes, gravy and all the fixin's !

mmm xx!

The Spouse Market aka Marriage Market

2009-11-25T00:52:00.003-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8063777.stm

In Shanghai it's good to know that there is a market catered to all of your needs, wants, and uttermost desires. From fruits and veggies, to fake bags and shoes, bedding, fish, crickets, fabric, electronics, and even nuts and bolts... Shanghai has it all.

On a regular weekday you can get a custom sequin dress made for you in the fabric market, and then take a 3 dollar taxi to buy a Gucci clutch in another market, of course you can grab some chicken in another market for that supper you'll be making for the blind date your grandpa hooked you up with in the Marriage market. Oh yeah, you heard me...Marriage Market. Like I said there is a market for absolutely anything your little heart desires.

The average young Chinese person works 6 days a week. And if they aren't living at home with mom and dad, they're living in unisex residences. If you think it's hard to find a hot date back home, just imagine yourself working 60 hours a week and only having one day off a week. Oh yeah, and you share a room with 4 other people.

In China, the average girl is expected to marry in her early 20's and the men before their late 20's or early 30's. Also consider this one: It's frowned upon to date during high school and even sometimes, during university as well; mom and dad's only hope to a good retirement is that one kid and you pretty much have to pull straight A's to get that prime job after school. And you're also competing against a billion people. So when are you supposed to find this dreamboat you say? What to do?

Well, don't worry about it: Mom and Dad know just where to go! In comes the Spouse Market in People Square:

Every Saturday and Sunday, Mothers, Fathers, and even Grandparents post up little advertisements of their kids and then wait for a bite. These posters include the all important details: Sex, Age, Height, Schooling information, job description, and of course, salary. If one mother is interested in another’s daughter they’ll sit, discuss, and arrange a blind date. All the kids need to do now is meet up and see if they are each other’s eternal loves.

Call it strange, or materialistic, or even depressing. I call it amusing, if not even romantic. In a world where material possession is all that matters, at least some people are out there with their hearts on their sleeves and hoping for a little bit of love. Who says romance is dead when you’ve got mom and dad as cupid!

Check out the link I added at the top. Great information there as well as fantastic photos.

"Female, 30 years old, 162cm tall, works at FedEx and makes 11,000rmb a year, has her MBA and is looking for a man between 29 and 35 years old."

The waiting game.

Parents also pay agents to take care of it all.

Love! xx

MoCA

2009-11-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

Amy and I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday. What a little gem this place is, right in the middle of People Square.

The exhibit this month is "The Fifth Dimension-Art of Fiber and Space", where the creative works of each artist was supposed to "touch the area of visual sense and psychological experience, which traditional sculpture doesn't capture". I'm not sure if the pieces "touched my area of visual sense" as well as affected my "psychological experience" but it was certainly well worth the 20rmb entrance fee (so cheap!)

Check out a few peices that I liked or found interesting.

If you ever get the chance to go see, go!

xx!

Halloween in China!

2009-11-16T20:51:00.001-05:00

Halloween is not a holiday in China, although some of the western restaurants in Shanghai had a few decorations to impress their foreign customers a few weeks coming up to the actual date. Many western holidays are starting to infiltrate Chinese culture and Halloween is coming around, albeit still dragging its heels.

I had the joy of teaching Halloween to my students this October. I was a little daunted at first; not knowing how to approach or introduce the topic but soon got into and had loads of fun with the kids.

And I'm pretty sure they just loved learning about/ acting out the scary monsters.

They learnt Mummy, Vampire, Ghost, Pumpkin, Black Cat, Bat, Witch, Mask, Candy, and of course, Trick or Treat, for which I actually had the kids Trick or Treat for real sweets! Dangle some candy and Canadian pennies in front of class and watch 50 disciplined kids go crazy...!!

Here are a few shots:

The kids and their masks. I printed some blank masks and they coloured them in, cut them out, and tied some string around them. Cute!

The masks I made and used as examples for the kids.

Mmm cheap chinese candy!

These were obviously their favourite! Canadian pennies!

Themed stickers

Scaaary flashcards!

More masks!

Love! xx

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2009-11-16T03:46:00.003-05:00

It's official. Summer is long gone and the cold winter rains have washed the last of the warmth out of the air.

I must admit, Shanghai's summer heat and humidity can be a little suffocating sometimes but I still loved it and now wish it would come back as the chill sets deep into my bones. I find myself reminiscing of the hot summer days that seem to have been stolen away by a cruel winter witch and think back on a few things that will remind me of China Summers for a long time: Summer Fruit.

I have already gabbed on about the Waxberry, which I'm sure I'll probably go crazy looking for back in Toronto, but there have been a few other "star fruits" that have been a great treat these past warm months.

Pomegranates were a big surprise here in Shanghai as I always thought they looked a little under ripe with their yellow-pink skins, but I took a couple home with me one day and discovered that their light skins revealed light pink fruit on the inside that I can only describe as "blush". Not as tart as the ones you find in your typical North-American superstore but much lighter in taste and faintly sweet. From that day on I was eating one or two a day until they went out of season.

Blush coloured fruit on the inside. Delicious!

Pomelos were (and still are!) one of my favourites as well. The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit - it has very little or none of the common grapefruit's bitterness. I think it's also the only citrus fruit that has its segment's membranes removed before eating. I can go through a whole pomelo in a couple of days, although a few segments would be the equivalent of a large orange.

As big as your head!

The flesh without any skin. mmm

As fall comes to an end and winter completely takes over, I'll try to find a few more seasonal fruits as they appear. Lets see what comes up shall we?

Love! xx

World's Greatest City: 50 reasons why Shanghai is no.1

2009-11-16T02:53:00.001-05:00

CNN recently rated Shanghai as the world's greatest city. Of course I have no objections and couldn't think of a more wonderful place to live in right now.

Check it out:

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/none/worlds-greatest-city-50-reasons-why-shanghai-no-1-590704/?pks=ggl+Shanghai+No+1

# 4 sums it up I think:

"Shanghai’s energy is what makes it one of the greatest cities around -- it's the American Dream “a la Chinoise” where everything and anything is still possible."

love!

Shangri-la/ Zhongdian (June 30 - July 2)

2009-11-01T22:43:00.006-05:00

Zhongdian County was renamed Shangri-La in 2001 to attract tourists. It’s still known as Zhongdian to most locals but everyone recognizes the new name because of the infamous book it was named after.

“Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. In the book, "Shangri-La" is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world.”

Situated over 4500 meters above sea-level on the old Tibetan border in China, Zhongdian is, in every sense of the word, breathtaking. The town still held much of its old character but the best views were outside of town where I found myself in the middle of majestic mountains and ancient Tibetan monasteries.

On day one I was lucky to meet up with a couple I had met in Dali and they quickly told me that I should absolutely see a monastery that was 3 hours outside of town. This proved to be the highlight of my trip to Shangri-la and I could even say that the trip itself was the best part. Rolling evergreen mountains covered in clouds cleared way for gold tan hills and crisp blue skies as we neared the monastery and I was struck at how much the landscapes changed drastically within a few miles. From lush to dry, from green to gold, from humid to dry as a desert.

Once we arrived, my group and I wandered around the village of the monastery. Everything from upkeep to food was the responsibility of the villagers. Everyone lived around the monastery and made their life about it. It was incredibly humbling and was the kind of experience that makes you wonder why and if you even need all of your material possessions. Things like Community, Faith, and Spirit are true possessions that can’t be attained through monetary means, but hard work, purpose, and strength of mind. These people living in the monastery were probably far richer than I will ever be in richness of heart, mind, and soul. I know that I’ve learned to live much simpler now, and realize that sometimes a want is merely a need for something deeper. Maybe this feeling will stay with me. Maybe it won’t.

My remaining time in Zhongdian was spent exploring the old town around my hostel. Small temples and places of worship littered the streets and although most of the Tibetan-style buildings had been converted to little shops catering to foreigners, people’s smiles were still authentic and the food was still cheap. I still hadn’t gotten accustomed to the higher altitude there so most of my exploration would be intercepted with small breaks to give my legs and lungs a break (less oxygen in the air = more cramped legs) but this just added to my experience.

Within a few days I had seen most of what Zhongdian had to offer and the cold weather and rain shooed me out and I was off to Lijiang.

At the Tibetan monastery

Into the wild Clouds rolling off the mountains

xx!

Dali (June 26 - July 30)

2009-11-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

I left Kunming a day early and decided I was going to make my trip to Dali in an overnight train. This proved to be a little less fun than anticipated and I spent most of my time trying to fall asleep with the lights on and to the hum of Chinese chatter that went way late into the night. Lesson learned: I was going to stick to buses where at least people fell asleep.

So upon arriving in Dali, I quickly noticed how really lovely this little town was. The city consisted of a few touristy streets within a town that was still holding on to its old heritage: Ancient buildings, city walls and the old city moat are the sites most frequented by visitors. The area is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and has the Erhai Lake in its center which I spent a day biking to.

Oh, and did I mention the Ganja? Yeah, that's sold here like any other souvenir...

I met a good group of people there as well. It seems that we were all looking for a break and some fresh air, which is exactly what Dali gave us. The hostel I stayed in was fantastic and even had peanut butter and jam for my toast which I grew to love every morning with a pot of jasmine tea (I can still smell its sweet perfume to this day! Mmm)

I’ll remember the old stone houses that crumbled but held on to their foundations even hundreds of years into their existences, and the fresh markets that sold scallop the size of my fist, and of course Foreigner Street that sold beautiful hand-dyed Batik fabrics. I will definitely remember biking all day to Erhai Lake, through rice and corn fields, and watching the mountains follow us the whole time. It was a good little place that offered blue skies, great pictures, and some piece of mind.

Old good-luck charms on a door

One of the great Dali gates

The farm ladies still carry all of their goods the 'old-fashion' way... She probably walks over an hour with her goods slung over her shouler like that.

xx!

Kunming (June 24 - June 25)

2009-11-01T20:56:00.007-05:00

I stopped here after Yuanyang for a few days and originally planned to stay longer, but the sheer lack of things to see cut my time here in half. (This is fact turned out to be a blessing since I then made time to go to Shangri-la)

Kunming is a relatively medium-sized city and the capital of Yunnan province. Like all capital cities it's clean and safe. And well, that's it...! I can’t say that there isn’t a thing for everyone. Some people do love this city but I was going for character and this city lacks the old charms of so many other smaller cities.

What Kunming did do, in fact, was show me another side of China; one of day-to-day charms like markets and community bonding rituals like the great Chinese past-time of Mahjong. As I noticed before at the bus station on my way to Yuanyang, Kunming seems to be the gateway of modernity in a province that is still grasping on to its roots, and while other cities like Shanghai are tripping over themselves trying to race for an invisible finish line, Kunming is happy to be prancing and whistling while it enjoys the run.

The great game of Mahjong

Yuanyang (June 21 – June 23)

2009-11-01T08:53:00.005-05:00

I arrived in Kunming, which was my transfer city to Yuanyang, at around 7am. The bus taking me to Yuanyang was leaving at 10am so I had a bit of time to spare. I had had approximately 3 or 4 hours of sleep on the bus so my exhaustion compelled me to stay in the station and just wait patiently.

I saw dozens of families move their entire life’s belongings from city to city through that bus station, business men from small towns hoping to make some money in The Big City, and drifters making a few dollars by selling pens and gum to travelers.

I finally found myself in the bus that would get me to Yuanyang and it was on that ride that I met Baptiste and Marie – both French speakers but Baptiste was French and Marie was Canadian.

We finally arrived in Yuanyang after having dealt with an 8 hour ride, trench-like “toilets”, cockroaches, sick Chinese passengers, and a strange sour smell we quickly connected with a cardboard box that was leaking meat juice from meats that had thawed albeit being frozen at the beginning of our journey. And yes that box had been placed under the bus along with all of our backpacks, and we definitely laughed all the way to the hostel trying to determine whose bag had marinated in the meat juice because the smell followed us all the way up.

Soon after checking into our hostel we secured a driver who would chauffeur us around the terraces the following day, starting at 6am. We then met up with a few other travelers that Marie had previously befriended in Kunming and we grabbed a good supper at one of the local restaurants and shared some beer before heading to bed before our early start the next morning.

I woke up early the next morning to the sound of rain and my heart sunk as I thought of the rainy and wet day that lay ahead of me. What would happen to the beautiful landscapes I was so looking forward to? Fortunately, the rain spit out its last few drops as we drove up a hill to our first terrace and my spirit once again regained its enthusiasm.

Although we had arrived in the middle of season and the rice was already half grown, I was still left in awe for most of the day as we toured the hills and were presented with mountains that seemed to have been carved by the gods themselves. It was with constant reminders that we would remember that these mountains had been shaped over hundreds of years by the Hani people, and were left with an intense appreciation for human tenacity.

Were they in a more accessible part of China these terraces would already have been heavily developed for tourism, and no doubt lost much of their appeal. Perhaps then it is a blessing in disguise that by accident of modern geography they lie in Yunnan, a province so abundant in natural beauty and diverse scenery that these rice terraces have so far been overlooked to a certain extent... Most of the information on this area I had to procure through blogs on the internet!

If anyone is interested in going, please feel free to contact me. I’ll try and help as much as possible, everyone should be lucky enough to witness such outstanding beauty. It was a true privilege that I saw these hills and hope to remember them for the rest of my life.

An older Hani woman carrying water up to her village

Sunset views at one of the lookout points

The small village we stayed in.

xx!

Sorry, No Internet Today.

2009-09-29T22:56:00.001-04:00

It looks as though the powerful and oft annoying Red Hand has waved it's magical censorship wand once again. This time to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the PRC. Many a foreigner have been able to find loopholes in the previous wave of Internet censorship but the good 'ol PRC has found a way to strangle every last good Proxy website and now we are left with no way of sharing our opinions with the world.

Unfortunately I can't check to see if this post has made it, and I am hoping that it eventually finds light back home in Canada. Facebook and the like have all been erased from China's web as well so for those of you who have been wondering where I disappeared to, well don't fret I am still around, but China has locked me away and thrown away the keys.

Please contact me through email if urgent, or as always, through Skype.

Love! xx

Jinghong – Xishuangbanna (June 16 – June 20)

2009-09-10T08:08:00.003-04:00

It never felt like I was on vacation until I got to Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai with my e-ticket in hand. I was off and although it was going to take a few stops to get me there, I was excited. I had spent a good few weeks going through different options for the summer and found that Yunnan had the best of everything I was looking for: beautiful landscapes, interesting people, and great food. My first stop was the tropical city of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna at the southernmost tip of Yunnan.

I got into Jinghong at around 5pm and immediately felt the tropical humidity and muggy air as I climbed down the stairs from the plane. Finally some real summer! Thailand, this is not, but the weather certainly wouldn’t tell you. Coming in from Shanghai I had had my fair share of hot weather in June but there was nothing comparable to the kind of hot I felt in Jinghong. The heat has also left an influence on the way of life here as the city would come to a stand-still between 1-3pm when the sun was at its hottest (Avg weather there was around 33+ ) and the citizens of the city would literally nap wherever they found themselves - at first I found it amusing but I soon found myself needing the break and rest from the intense heat too. It was no wonder that the shower at my hostel didn’t have any hot water either since anyone would just crave a cold shower the minute they’d come back from any outing.

Jinghong didn’t have much to showcase other than it’s intense blue skies, friendly people, great food, and scenic hikes – and that is exactly what drives people to come here. I definitely took advantage of all it had to give me. My first few days were spent exploring the city: The wonderful and sometimes bizarre markets, the botanical gardens, the palm tree lined streets, the delicious Thai food. The markets were my favourite seeing that I could spend hours looking at everything. The vendors also had a great time trying to sell me everything from frogs to pigeons, fish heads to chillies, from cow insides to chicken gizzards.

I also took the opportunity one night after a full meal of Pad Thai to have a full-body massage done at a blind-massage center, which isn’t something I would normally do but heck I was on vacation!!! I had to! That was an experience on itself only because I had no idea what to expect. It took me a while to find the place (I had by the time I left Jinghong, accumulated 3 maps, and all 3 were wide of the mark...) but once I got in I was told to pick a treatment and a number; each masseuse is assigned a number and if you are a returning customer and liked your last massage you can pick the same “number”... Because I had never been there I was just given a random number and told to go into the first room to my left.

It was a very plain, beige room with three beds and no lights. My “blind” masseuse followed me in and just pointed to the bed (hmmm ever see a blind man point?). Apparently I was to lie on the bed, face down with my clothes on. Hm, ok I thought so far not so scary. He then draped a white sheet over me and at this point another client came in with her masseuse on the last bed in the room. At least now I wasn’t alone under a white sheet with a blind massage therapist.
A few minutes later he was working on my shoulders over the sheet, and I was in heaven. I also caught him checking his watch a few times so maybe he had been only a little blind but I left satisfied and incredibly relaxed. 40rmb well spent if I should say so myself.

I was picked up the next morning at 8am along with two American girls and driven out deep in the Xishuangbanna hills to do a one day trek. We had gone through a little company owned by a brother-sister duo who specialized in treks, and for a small price we were driven 2 hours out of town and hiked along a stream that sliced through rice fields and into the thick forest towards a little waterfall. We spent the majority of 6 hours trying not to get eaten by tropical mosquitoes, hopping from slippery rock to slippery rock in the currents, and climbing over and under fallen tree trunks. It was rousing to be going through tropical forests deep in Xishuangbanna and alone amongst the woods, and we felt pretty darn privileged… Even covered in sweat and mud.

My time in Jinghong ended that evening after having a delicious meal at a local Dai restaurant with my new friends, and after having finished packing I made my way out to the bus station to get on my first sleeper bus. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having heard many different stories I had a few ideas of what I would find but lo and behold, I boarded a brand-new bus – I had gotten lucky! This particular bus had two aisles separating three rows of very narrow bunks and my assigned bunk was the very first on the door side which meant that I wouldn’t have to worry about any of my belongings getting stolen as no one would venture openly to the front of the bus where the driver and “hostess” were located to go through a foreigner’s things. After laying down and making sure all of my things were secure, I buckled myself down and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately the ride did not agree with an older Dai lady directly behind me and she spent most of the night throwing up into little plastic bags. My attempts at sleep had now become attempts at blocking out the sounds of empty gags.

Luckily my bunk was located against the windows and I was able to look out into the night sky and noticed something I hadn’t seen in ages having been in Toronto and Shanghai – Stars! Millions of little diamonds dotting the blackest sky I had ever witnessed. I don’t remember ever seeing so many and I’ll forever remember these skies that led me to Yuanyang.

The airport in Jinghong

Some ducks lined up at the market

Trecking in the Jinghong hills

Catching up

2009-09-10T07:57:00.000-04:00

I still can’t believe that it’s been over 3 months since I left for my summer holidays and landed in Xishuanbanna , starting a trip that would take me across Yunnan province and all the way to Nepal and then back here to Shanghai.

The summer has since been filled with different cities, foods, people and memories and as I get ready for the new school semester I try to recall all of these in enough detail to describe to you all how great a time I had.

Hope you all enjoy!

Xx

Namaste from Nepal

2009-07-27T06:11:00.003-04:00

Here I am in Nepal, having added a good 10 days to my trip and I thought you all might want to see a few samples of what this beautiful country has to offer.

I'll have a full review of my travels thus far once I get back to Shanghai and have 1) better internet access and 2) photoshop to clean up some of the pictures.

Thank you for being so patient... After all, "Good things come to those who wait"!

Enjoy!

Spices in every colour imagineable in Old Town

The world's largest Stupa: Bouddha.

Colourful berries in Nagarkot

On top of the world on a hotel terrace in Nagarkot

World Peace Temple in Pokhara

Miss you all,

xx

Summer Plans

2009-06-15T00:36:00.001-04:00

*All pictures have been taken from Lonely Planet.

Dear friends and family,

I am officially on my summer holidays!

My plans are to travel through the south-west province of Yunnan and then fly to Kathmandu to visit some family while exploring the ever-beautiful Nepal.

I'll be doing a lot of traveling within Yunnan as it has been described by some as having some of the most "magical and diverse scenery in all of China; there are endless trekking opportunities in the south's tropical rainforests, and in the north, snow-capped Tibetan peaks hide dozens of tiny villages and temples rarely visited by tourists."

Yúnnán is also home to a third of all China's ethnic minorities (nearly 50% of the province is non-Han) and despite the best government efforts, numerous pockets of the province have successfully resisted Han influence and exhibit strong local identities, which means I'll definitely have a good taste of what else China has to offer other than skyscrapers and neon lights!

Here are the cities I'll be visiting in Yunnan:

Jinghong: My first stop will be to soak up the Southeast Asian atmosphere in the capital of tropical Xīshuāngbănnà. I was originally planning on reserving a lovely tree-house type hotel room in the middle of an elephant reserve but they were closed this season due to renovations so I'll have to content myself with a trek instead. (I'll be spending approx 3 days here)

Yuányáng: I've heard of this magical place through coworkers and can't wait to watch the sun rise and set on the magnificent Yuányáng rice terraces. It's the middle of the season so the terraces will be a lovely shade of green but in the fall when the terraces are filled with water the sun rises and sets while leaving a rainbow of colours that stretch for acres on the waters in the paddies. Do a Google image search for "Yuányáng rice terraces". You won't be disappointed. (I'll be spending approx 2 days here)

Kūnmíng: Kunming is the capital of Yunnan and has become a thoroughly modern Chinese city with wide, palm-lined roads and sky-scraping modern buildings. There are a few interesting markets and temples there that should keep me busy for a few days. (Will probably stay here 3 days)

Dàlǐ: Dali is known as a backpacker's paradise but the title is quickly being placed on Lijiang instead. Where Dàlǐ does come out ahead, however, is with its stunning location sandwiched between mountains and Erhai Lake (Ěrhǎi Hú). There's fascinating possibilities for exploring and getting to know the region's Bai culture. I'm hoping to get my hands on a rented bike and get out of town where all the beauty still lies. (I'll be spending approx 4 days here)

Lìjiāng: Lìjiāng will be my final destination before flying out to Nepal. The maze of cobbled streets, rickety old wooden buildings and gushing canals makes it one of the most visited sites in northern Yúnnán. But, apparently its popularity has grown faster than its ability to absorb the microphone-toting tour groups.

There is a debate amongst travelers between Lijiang and Dali as to which is more authentic. I find that it's a shame that people have to debate whether a city in China is deemed authentic enough. But to be honest I have seen how tourism has turned cities into mega money machines and it is becoming harder and harder to see what is still real anymore. In any case I'm in China and I can't deny that it's all still authentic to me. (I'll be spending about 4 days here)

As for Nepal, I'll be visiting Jason's lovely family for 3 weeks who have generously accepted to take me in and show me an insider's guide to Nepal. Nepal has been said to be a real shopping heaven and I've already made a little shopping list of things I need to bring back home – Silver, Paintings, Fabrics, Prints. Along with shopping I'm hoping to get around to seeing the historic downtown Thamel area and Old Town.

Nepal is a mystery to me; I have come to learn much from Jason and his family but until I actually step foot in Kathmandu's busy streets I don't think I could ever come close to understanding.

"Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, Nepal is where the ice-cold of the mountains meets the steamy heat of the Indian plains. It's a land of yaks and yetis, stupas and Sherpas and some of the best trekking on earth. The Himalaya's most sophisticated urban cultures took shape here, in the three great minikingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley - Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur - home to a world-class artistic and architectural heritage."

Here's more information on Nepal: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal/kathmandu

Well, I will leave you with this for now. I'll try and keep you all updated but I'm at the mercy of old computers and wonky internet connections in hostels.

Much love and Happy Summer!

Fashion in Shanghai

2009-06-13T10:15:00.001-04:00

I have finally found a blog dedicated to the fashion scene in Shanghai. Shanghai is known for many things but unfortunately its Fashion Scene is not one of them.

Beleive me it was hard to find this blog but for those of you interested, click on here: http://thestreetaholic.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Summer Fruit

2009-06-13T07:01:00.001-04:00

The start of summer means an introduction to a many new fruit here in Qing-pu. You can always tell what is in season by what the street carts are selling. For about two weeks now, along with a light green peaches, watermelons, and lychee there was an interesting - if not bizarre, looking fruit that seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. I can only describe it as a round raspberry with really small drupelets. Unlike a raspberry it isn't hollow on he inside but does have a pit, much like a cherry.

They are used here to sweeten wines or are eaten dried, but I was introduced to them plain and simple - washed and eaten whole. One of the grade 1 teachers brought them into the office on Friday and gave me a bag full along with simple instructions if I were to purchase some myself: Wash them and soak them in salt water for about 10minutes.

They are hard to describe, but perhaps the raspberry analogy is fitting enough, although they are a little fleshier and not so soft. They come in shades of dark red to a deep purple and I can say with confidence that they are my new favourite summer fruit.

The name for them in Chinese is yángmé but in English I've come into two different translations: The Bayberry or the Waxberry. Since the fruit is a little waxy on the outside (not so much that you taste it) I have adopted the Wax version.

here's some more information on the fruit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrica_rubra

If you ever come across these interesting berries, purchase a few, wash them, and soak them in salt water for around 10 minutes. You won't be disappointed!

Blossoms in Shanghai 2

2009-06-13T06:25:00.001-04:00

I bought a couple of bouquets for some of the Chinese teachers on my last day before the summer holidays. Flower bouquets are a huge industry here in China and flower shops dot every street in a ratio of about 2/10.

Each shop opens at around 7:30-8am and I've caught a few of them receiving some of their flowers in the "rough" and getting them ready for bouquets. Roses seem to be the most labour intensive since the stems have to have their leaves and thorns stripped before they are used for anything else. Thankfully shop owners have a special tool that looks like something you would use on wiring to remove plastic coating and thorns and leaves are removed in one swipe.

The average price for each bouquet is between 40-100rmb depending on the flowers used and I picked up a beautiful lily bouquet for 80rmb and a purple flower bouquet for 50rmb. Popular choices for are roses, lilies, carnations, and mini plush toys (yup... imagine a bouquet but instead of flowers are little stuffed cows!) Generally you can just walk up to a shop and the bouquets are placed on one side of the shop but you can also pick from an array of flowers and pay a little more for a custom piece.

It's also custom to wrap every major stem in coloured gauze or tissue as filler instead of using foliage, which honestly I've found to be a little tacky, but heck, that's just how it's done here! Every bouquet is then finished off by wrapping it completely in coloured tissue. Bouquets are quite the serious matter here!

Enjoy!

Xitang Old Town

2009-06-02T06:16:00.000-04:00

A couple of the local teachers took me to Xitang Old Town about an hour out of Qingpu.

Xitang is known for its bridges, lanes, and ceilinged corridors. There are 104 bridges of varied structure; some of them looking like rainbows over the river, and others like long flutes.The lanes are paved with stone planks, polished by the feet of pedestrians as well as hundreds of years of weathering.

Here are a few pictures.

Enjoy! xox

Umbrellas and Split Pants

2009-05-31T04:52:00.001-04:00

The aforementioned umbrellas and split pants.

xx

Summer in China (Among other things)

2009-05-31T04:24:00.001-04:00

Summer is officially declared in China when there are 10 or more consecutive days of 30 degree Celsius weather or more. Well, summer was declared last week when the city baked in temperatures of 35 degrees and higher. Now that’s hot!

The Chinese are incredibly intuitive when it comes to their weather; it must come with the fact that weather and seasons have been studied in detail for thousands of years and it’s a huge part of their culture.

Coming from Canada, where weather is always part of day-to-day conversation but never goes past the obvious “Well it’s a hot one today”, I am constantly surprised by how much they know here. I always relied on weather forecasts in Canada to tell me how to dress and when to plan for things but as we all know, the weather guy on TV is never always right.

The Chinese teachers at my school have gotten into the habit of telling me what kind of weather to expect and they have been spot-on every time. “It will be a hot day today, but tomorrow I think it will rain and be cool”, and of course, a scorcher is followed by a cooler day with showers. My own personal weather forecast!

Here’s a link to some more info on Seasons here in China. So far it’s been right-on.

http://www.geocities.com/zhen_qi/02chineseseasons.html

Along with their knowledgeable weather conventions, the Chinese follow slightly funnier ‘seasonal’ customs that sometimes make me giggle.

Among one are the umbrellas. This is one of those everyday necessities that the Chinese have with them at all times. They use them to protect themselves from the rain and of course, from the sun. The Chinese, or more respectively, the Chinese women are incredibly careful not to darken their skin during the hot summer months. They even go as far as purchasing skin-whitening lotion to enhance, or create certain “radiance”. And they take it very seriously... I have yet to find skin lotion without bleach in it. Yuck.

This must come from the fact that the middle class is a new and growing population within China and they are very adamant about separating themselves from the large working class population that spend their days working outdoors.

Another funny custom is the use of split pants for toddlers and infants. This is something that is used all year long but it much more popular in the summer months. Known in Chinese as "kaidangku" (literally "open-crotch pants"), the principle is clear: no-fuss waste disposal. They're split down the middle-in front and back-and provide what many parents say is maximum convenience with minimum coverage. For one thing kids here are potty trained in half the time as they literally have the streets to practice on. As soon as children learn to walk they are taught to pee just like they would on a squat toilet. I must admit the first time I saw this I was a little uncomfortable seeing a child pee on the side of the road like a pet dog but one of my teachers mentioned the incredible speed at which a child is toilet trained, as well as the amount of waste that is saved from Chinese parents refraining from using diapers. As some of you might know, diapers are a huge concern in terms of the environment because they don’t decompose. Can you imagine how much waste is saved due to the Chinese population choosing to have their children squat and pee instead of using diapers?

Much like their knowledge of the weather, the Chinese follow a certain number of rules when it comes to seasons as well. I remember pulling out my sunglasses back in march when the sun started to shine a little stronger and asking one of my teachers why I never saw anyone else wear them. Her answer to this? “Because it isn’t May yet. Summer is not here yet”. You must be able to imagine my confusion because coming from Canada; the majority of people wear their sunglasses for sun protection... and not just in the summer. If it’s sunny, you wear your sunglasses! No need to have anyone tell you when and how right?

This was also the case with open-toed shoes. We had a few hot days last month, some exceeding the 30 degree mark and so I took out some of my open-toed shoes and started to wear them around school. Well, the looks I got from those shoes were anything but puzzling. “Noémie! Aren’t your feet cold? You will get sick!” said one of the Chinese teachers at my school. It was 31 degrees outside but because we were still in April, it was still designated as spring weather which meant that open-toed shoes were inappropriate!

These are the moments I came to China for. As confusing and nonsensical as they might be, I love to see how other cultures react to mundane things like the weather, or potty training, or even sun protection. These are sometimes the little things that some foreigners become increasingly frustrated with in China if they can’t assimilate, but I think that if you have a sense of humour you can turn anything into a good story.

(This post was originaly set to be up around May 10th)

Love you all

xx

China's Censorship

2009-05-31T04:14:00.001-04:00

So a few weeks ago I discovered what most have already: China's Mighty Censoring.

Along with Youtube, I could no longer access my blog.

China seems to be intensifying their controls of the growing numbers of bloggers using the internet to lay bare their thoughts and politics, most probably because of the increased interest in China due to the Expo which is being held next May. I only cringe to think of what will come next as time draws closer to the opening date.

Until then I will keep blogging when possible using Web Proxy Blockers that enable me to bypass The Great Wall.

Thanks for keeping up with me and sorry for the wait!

Lots of love xx

Breakfast

2009-05-08T10:48:00.002-04:00

Some of the older students that I speak to during my lunch hour "English Corner" brought me a delightful surprise this morning: Breakfast! The Chinese eat dumplings, rice, or bread for their morning meal and these dumplings are seriously some of the best things you will ever have a chance to taste.

What a treat.

xx!

Watering trees

2009-05-07T08:41:00.008-04:00

I've been visiting the park here in Qingpu every so often and have noticed that the caretakers water the larger trees.

I don't know why they do, but at certain times of the afternoon when the sun shines just right the water coming out of their hoses fall like little diamonds from the leaves and the sunshine streams through the branches like soft veils.

Oh what a sight.

xx!

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) for May Day

2009-05-07T03:46:00.021-04:00

May 1st was Labour Day here in China, and like every other Chinese person here, we packed our bags and headed out of the city. Huangshan was our destination, and despite having the worst luck actually getting there, I was so happy we did.

Let’s rewind back to April 5th.

We were on our way back from Qingdao, melancholic about having to go back to work after a beautiful break in a sea-side town, and in hopes of correcting our mood we determined that there was only 4 weeks until our next holiday. Hoorah! And what did we decide to do? Huangshan of course! Kate and Heather had planned to go during the April weekend but as luck would have it they couldn't find any available hostels to house them so the plan was delayed. Of course we thought this was perfect as we could then purchase our tickets early, book the right hostels, and have a fantastic trip in one of China's most majestic locations.

Well, it didn't turn out EXACTLY as planned. As the first week passed after our Qingdao Excursion, Kate and Heather went down on a Saturday to purchase our train tickets. We had decided that taking an overnight train would be beneficial in two ways: One; we would get to Tunxi (The neighbouring town of Huangshan) early on Friday as we would take the late train on Thursday and sleep through the 12 hour trek, and two, we would be experiencing the quintessential “Chinese” mode of transportation . Common, you can’t live in China without taking the train right?

Wrong!

Now this is where reality hits and suddenly you are corrected from thinking that China is a modern country equipped with a convenient, practical, and well thought out railway system. Yes Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing offer serious advantages in terms of in-city metro service, but comparatively, China as a whole is still far behind when you consider the population and recent growth of this country.

For one thing, tickets are only released for a maximum of 10 days before each departure date. This meant that our train tickets to Huangshan were only going to be released 10 days prior to our trip... yes we were going to have to fight with 1.8 billion Chinese for our Soft Sleeper tickets. Gulp!

Fast forward to April 23 and the tickets still hadn’t been released. Now this is where we started to pull our hair out because at this point our trip had been planned and the hostel was booked so we just needed to get our hands on those damn tickets.

Well, we never got onto that train because when I went down at 12:30pm on Friday April 24th to buy our tickets, they were sold out. Yes between the time the station opened in the morning until 12:29pm those dear tickets were bought up. Now I have to hand it to the booth lady as she still tried to get me some “Hard Seat” and “Standing Room” tickets. Yes, you heard right, STANDING ROOM train tickets. Now I know I said I wanted to experience all things “China”, but heck, I wasn’t that desperate. 12 consecutive night hours standing anywhere is bad, never mind on a HOT crowded train.

The next day we rushed to the bus station to see if we could get our hands on some Friday morning tickets. Needless to say, we got our hands on some one-way tickets to Huangshan, and yes I said one-way because there is no such thing as RETURN tickets in China (I’m not kidding, you buy your ‘going’ ticket in your original city, and the ‘return’ ticket in the destination city...)
So a few high-fives and a week later we were on a 5 ½ hour bus ride to Tunxi. Upon arriving, we were picked up by the incredibly well connected owner of the hostel we staying in, and despite it having a different name than the one on the website we booked it on, we decided to stay and just try and enjoy the city before our 5am wake up the next day.

Tunxi has a wonderful Ancient street that holds some of the most interesting buildings I’d seen in a while and where we found a lovely little French-style cafe in which we sat and relaxed for a couple of hours before heading back to the hostel to get ready for the next day. It was really the break we needed after the rush we had experienced getting to the city.

We were picked up at 6am sharp the next morning to be driven an hour to the base of the mountain where we would then get on another bus that would drive us to the entrance of the mountains. Two hours later, we had gotten to our destination, purchased both entrance and cable car tickets and were climbing our first steps towards boarding the cable car.

I’m a bit of a dreamer – you could even say “a romantic” and I tend to exaggerate ideas a bit and there aren’t many things that meet those embellished expectations. But going up that cable car, through the glass windows that started collecting fat drops of rain, I saw peaks jutting up through wispy white clouds like giants reaching up for the skies. It was magical.

“Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China', was acclaimed through art and literature during a good part of Chinese history. Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers who come on pilgrimage to the site, which is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.
Mount Huangshan, or "Yellow Mountain", is named after a legendary Chinese sovereign Huang Di, also known as the Yellow Emperor. It is said that he became a hermit on this mountain and searched for enlightenment and immortality.

The stone steps took over 1500 years to build. There are said to be more than 60,000 in total. They are called "the hundred steps into the clouds".

For more info: visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/547 and click on the video link. You won’t be disappointed.

It took us eight hours in pouring rain to get from one side to the other, and I’ll be honest, there were moments when we would reach a peak and look out and see nothing but white fog, and in those moments we would just think “What the hell are we doing here???” but it was in those rare times that you would catch those oceans of clouds with jagged peaks jutting through that would just catch your breath. Everything would be worth it then. Those were the moments that made you remember why you were up there: you are thousands of feet in the air in heaven.

By the time we reached the bottom, we had spent 3 consecutive hours going down hundreds of steps and my legs felt like they had been hit a few times in the knee with a crow bar, and all we wanted to do was get back home, take off our soaking wet clothes and take a hot shower. We had climbed Huangshan for over 8 hours in pouring rain on nothing more than peanuts and bananas and by the time our heads hit our pillows that night, we were out. It was the nicest sleep I had had in a long time.

The next day we decided to take it easy and just stroll around the city before our 3pm bus. I purchased some Chinese shoes because my running shoes were still dripping from the day before and Kate and Heather found a few bracelets to bring back home.

The transportation was a nightmare, the hostel was less than perfect, the rain dampened our spirits, but the mountain saved our trip and I got away with great pictures and the fact that I can check it off my ever increasing to-do list. All in all, a good trip!

Here are a few memorable pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2230002&id=172005214&l=121fe9d11c

For some good black and white pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2229822&id=172005214&l=b0ba99f248

the entrance of Ancient Street... with construction of course.

I love the character
the little cafe that we had supper in on Friday and lunch on Sunday
Silk worms being milked at a silk shop
hello beautiful...

stairs thousands of feet in the air

magic...

peaks coming through the clouds

a hotel on the top of the mountain coming through fog

heaven at the end of the stairs

on our way down, about two hours before i thought my legs were going to fail me.

Hope you enjoy! xx

The Fabric Market in Shanghai

2009-04-27T08:04:00.011-04:00

I decided to follow Kate and Heather to the Fabric Market when they needed to pick up some summer dresses they had made and I soon realized something that I thought wasn’t possible: Shanghai CAN get better!

After checking on their dresses we walked around and I checked out a few stalls that had some good jersey. Along with silks, leathers, furs, and even sparkly metallic fabrics, I found a few places that would probably copy some cute skirts I was fancying. I’ll have to let you know how it goes.

The Shanghai fabric market is officially called the Shanghai Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market. (Don’t ask me the reasoning behind the name, I don’t know haha) It’s located in a slightly slummy area of town, and I couldn’t stop thinking that by the time I leave Shanghai the houses in this neighbourhood may not be around anymore due to all of the new condos popping up and down.

At the multi-floor indoor bazaar, hundreds of tailors man stalls, all selling cashmere, silk and cotton copies of runway designs from the likes of Giorgio Armani, Prada, and Chanel. You can have anything copied as long as you bring a picture or an original for the tailor; from what I can see on the web, you should expect to pay about $45 for wool jackets and $60 for cashmere--after you bargain, that is.

It was strange to see so many tourists in one building, and most were from Germany from what we could tell. I’d like to think I could bargain great prices but seeing all of those tourists made me wonder how far the bottom line is and how close I can get to it if all of the silly foreigners are negotiating terrible prices. I guess we’ll just have to see ;-)

Wish me luck!

Here are a few pictures I found online. (Please note these aren't mine.)

Some ladies checking out some fabric

Everything you could ever want. Buttons, Zippers, feathers, and Fur !

Just outside the market

Jin Mao Tower, aka "Golden Prosperity Building"

2009-04-26T11:46:00.011-04:00

Heather, Kate, and I needed to make out way down to downtown Shanghai to purchase our bus tickets to Huangshan on Saturday morning, and I decided to backpack on their trip to the Fabric Market and then on Heather's skyline photo shoot in Pudong.

Pudong is officially known as the Pudong New Area (quite literally because it is so new, i.e. 20 years go there were only rice paddies and farm fields...)

"Since the beginning of its development in 1990 when plans were first announced, Pudong has become a New Open Economic Development Zone, and has emerged as China's financial and commercial hub. Pudong is home to the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and a skyline that includes the symbolic Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, reflective of Shanghai and China's rapid economic development." (More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudong)

I constantly remind myself how lucky to be in China at this time in its history, and even more so in Shanghai - a city that is essentially a representation of China's new development and race for modernisation.

Standing there in the middle of Pudong; in its new streets and looking up at its steel and glass giants reaching for the sky; I really had to remind myself that this had all appeared less than 20 years ago... A skyline that has taken North American cities like Toronto and New York decades to develop just suddenly 'appeared' across the Huangpu River in Shanghai.

It really does leave one in awe as China unapologetically sweeps the old under the new and removes all evidence of its past by erecting shiny new buildings in its place. Of course this was only possible because of the incredibly cheap and abundant labour. Migrant workers come from poorer farming provinces where labour is lacking and live on site and only go back home once the job is done; which means the job gets done quickly as both boss and worker want to get the next job started ASAP.

Apart from the sad state of China’s disappearing culture and history, Pudong still does make quite the impression in terms of wow factor. As much as one could argue the need for China to show off its new wealth in such an obscene manner, you could also learn to appreciate the enthusiasm and speed at which they can get The Job done. No other country has enough of an inferiority complex to pull this off and all you can do is join in on the party and take as many pictures before newer and taller buildings take place of the “old” ones.

Having been here for nearly 4 months, Heather and I decided it would be a good idea to get to the top of the Jin Mao tower and look over new and old Shanghai while it was still a potpourri of architecture. We probably didn’t spend more than 20 minutes
On the 88th floor but we definitely got away with some interesting pictures.

Hope you enjoy!

The Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center to it's right.

Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and the new Shanghai Tower being built on the Left... This new building will trump both the Jin Mao and SWFC in terms of height and size.

A view from the 88th floor of the Jin Mao Tower

Can you believe this skyline is only 20 years old??

New and Old Shanghai, seperated by the Huangpu River

So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin, open up your heart and let the sun shine in!

2009-04-17T00:49:00.009-04:00

Well it has definately been a quiet few weeks for me.

I was hit with a bout of strep throat a few days after arriving from Qingdao and while it was certainly debilitating, I took it as a learning experience for me here in China.

I originally found a lump in my armpit - which from what you hear out there, is never something comforting to find. A few days later the fevers and chills started and at this point I started to panic, because all of a sudden Lymphoma started screaming over and over in my head... A lump and intermittent fevers is a sure combination of cancer. So here I was thinking, “CANCER IN CHINA...Whaaaa???”

Fortunately, between going to classes in the morning and crashing in bed in the afternoons, I started to feel that my swallowing was becoming a little bizarre, so I looked in and sure enough, the tell-tale white spots of Strep Throat were right there, hibernating in the back of my throat, nuzzled in my tonsils. 24 hours later my throat was on fire and swallowing was a chore.

At this point I had contacted my coordinator to ask him how to get to the hospital and what documents I needed to see a doctor and get a prescription for Penicillin (I had strep as a kid so I knew what to ask for and had everything translated in Chinese). What I didn’t expect and was for my coordinator to tell me to avoid the hospital as they were going to overcharge me and write me up for a bunch of unecessary prescriptions, and that he was going to get me the medicine I needed. I ws groing increasingly frustrated and decided to take this into my own hands and brought the symptoms that I’d written out previously to the pharmacist. All I needed was some Qingmeisu (Penicillin) and all would be good in the world again.

The pharmacist took one look at me when I said “Wo xiang yao Qingmeisu” and uttered the dreaded “Mayo La” (Don’t have)... I started thinking that I was going to die in China of a simple case of strep throat, at which point my eyes must have welled up with tears because she reached back again and placed two boxes in front of me. One read Amoxicillin and the other Cefalexin. These sounded familiar so I went back to my residence and looked them up. Sure enough they were exactly what I needed and I rushed back to purchase the drugs that would make life bearable again. All hail the pharmacist god.

With a little more research I decided to take the Cefalexin, took my first two pills, and slept through the whole weekend.

Here I am, a full week later and the last two pills have been swallowed along with lunch. Life is good again, my armpit lump is gone, the sun is shining and swallowing has once again become something I don’t have to think about.

And what is it that I have learned through all this? Well, for one thing you do not need to see a doctor to get your drugs here. Also, drugs are also ridiculously cheap. The boxes of Amoxicillin and Cefalexin set me back a whopping 25 kuai (5 Canadian dollars).

China is great.

xx

Qingdao - The one where the girl drinks beer out of a bag

2009-04-07T06:18:00.009-04:00

It’s been two months since I started teaching here in Shanghai and my first long weekend came and went like a flash. Qingming (pronounced Ching-ming) is a statutory public holiday here in mainland China and Tomb Sweeping Day is its most common English translation. For the Chinese, it’s a day to remember and honor one's ancestor’s grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, and/or wine.

I was originally going to stay in and do various touristy things in Shanghai (which would have been fine but I probably would have felt like an idiot for staying when I had three magical days to do whatever my heart desired) - and then randomly on Thursday night, Kate and Heather (Fellow BSKers) knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to join them on their trip to Qingdao. The obvious answer was “Of course, why not”? Twenty minutes later we had our flights and hostel booked and we were anxious to get going the next day.

Qingdao (pronounced Ching-Daow) is a coastal city on the Yellow Sea, about a 15-20 hour drive north of Shanghai. It’s famous for its German history and Mt Laoshan, but I’m sure that the most popular reasons people flock to this city are its beautiful beaches, and for the fact that it’s home to the Tsing-Tao Brewery. I have been a fan of this beer for the past couple of years and have been very lucky that it’s one of China’s most popular brews. I urge any of you to pick up a few bottles the next time you are at your local LCBO... I think most of you will like how light and refreshing it is as a summer beer.

What I found interesting was it's fascinating history; Did you know that between 1898 and 1949 Qingdao was occupied by both Germany and Japan (Germany between 1898-1914, and Japan between 1914-1922 and 1925-1949)? I bet you not! It was 50 years before the Chinese even had control back of the city - which might be why this is one of the more efficiently run and cleaner cities in China... ;-)

For more info on Qingdao: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingdao

Our trip was packed with all kinds of excitement – from beach strolling, to mountain climbing, to drinking beer out of a bag. (Yes drinking beer out of a bag.)

There were clean beaches and amazing German houses, buildings, and churches - but we found our favourite part of Qingdao down a dirty side street a few minutes from a giant German church. What we found there was no other than Beer in a Bag. Now I’m not talking about any old fancy bag; I’m talking about lowest of the low; the thin, flimsy bag you might use for lettuce at the grocery store. Of course it wasn’t really us foreigners who found the beer, but really the beer who found us: As we turned down this street, we spot this giant keg on the side of a store and before we even realize it, the Chinese beer lady smiled and started to pour her beer into one of the flimsy bags.

How nice to know that the Chinese know us so well as to start pouring the beer before we even know that it’s beer! Once we all have our very own 2 kuai (35 cents) Bag o’ Beer, she passes out the straws and we proceed to laugh hysterically at what now looks like cheap bags of pee with straws sticking out of them.

It was- as much as it could be- my favourite bar in China. There is something about sharing a ridiculous moment with people, realizing it’s a moment that - for the three of us - is probably going down as one of our most hilarious. And while we spent our afternoon drinking and laughing, my guess is that we all had a few quiet seconds to ourselves where we thought “how did I get here??” Because I can promise you this - only the luckiest of people can say they got the chance to sit in a park on a cold afternoon, sipping beer from a bag...

Drinking the famous Beer in a Bag

Gambei! (Cheers! )

Of course the whole weekend wasn’t spent drinking beer out of bags (although come summer if could have been different story. 0.35cent bags of beer on a beach? Common, why hasn’t Canada taken on to this idea???)

Apart from walking around town, we strolled the boardwalk for 4 hours on Saturday and climbed a mountain on Sunday. Both of which have given me great pictures and even better memories. The beaches in Qingdao are surprisingly clean and the waters are a beautiful blue-green. And even though it was only 15 degrees there were even a few brave Chinese who made it out for some chilly polar bear dips.

Morning mist over New Downtown

One of the many beaches in Qingdao (6 all together!)

Beauty defined

A man and his son enjoying the water

A family enjoying the views

A family remembering loved ones who passed on by throwing flowers off a cliff.

A sculptor sculpting a portrait - much like a sketch artist in Canada (but better!)

Gloves? check. Socks? check. Itty Bitty Blue Bikini? check.

She sells seashells by the sea shore

Fisherman taking advantage of the beautiful weather

Mt. Laoshan is a gorgeous mountain known for its great views, sea air, and “magical powers”. The hour long bus ride to the mountain was as scenic as it was long but definitely had us appreciating the mountain once we arrived. This mountain has been dubbed the birthplace of Taoism, which surprised me since there were only a few temples - although to be honest, getting a temple up on this mountain is a feat in itself.

Gorgeous views on our way to Laoshan

Boats off a little fishing village

The cable car we took to get up to the top of Laoshan

Taoist charm hanging off a wishing tree

Lovers' locks off a bridge

Waterfalls

The Laoshan Dam

Of course, not all of it was great - we did find ourselves in a hostel with walls decorated like a frat house, and with no A/C (in chinese this means no heater!) so the room was incredibly cold. Thank heavens for the lovely heated sheets that came with the beds though - sleep came easily in those. And of course we couldn't figure out the shower head and cleaning turned into a bit of an acrobatic act on the shower floor, but this only made this weekend that much more memorable.

Come monday morning, we were sad to leave this city we had had such a good weekend in. If only all weeks had three day weekends and if only all cities had beer in a bag. I think it would be a much nicer to place to live in :-)

The Qingdao Airport

Miss you all. Happy Canadian Easter! xx

Another reason why I love China

2009-04-02T11:15:00.004-04:00

I've been seeing a ton of these little shops with photobooth-like machines that take your picture and all the girls here get them done with friends or boyfriends, so I thought, why can't I? 20 minutes later I had gone through 6 catalogs of background images, posed a few dozen times, and had 2 sets of glittery fabric stickers and a dvd of the proofs for the bargain price of 40rmb. The plain paper pictures would have cost me half but I had to go all out, haha.

You can also find an extra sheet of my pictures posted on the door of the store. Apparently having an example of a foreigner using your shop is good PR.

Here are my results. And yes I am posing "a la chinoise" (Chinese style).

Only in China...

2009-03-19T10:19:00.000-04:00

This says so much doesn't it?

Life in China...So far.

2009-03-15T07:06:00.004-04:00

Alright so it's been nearly two months since I've arrived in China. How time flies - it's truly amazing.

February was a month of firsts:

Flying over international waters and getting my passport stamped for REAL (Cancun Mexico is not "real" traveling. sorry.)
Being in a country where I actually can't figure out the language
Being in a country with a 12 hour difference with home
Jet Lag
Eating certain animal body parts that aren't ever on a Canadian menu
KTV (chinglish for Karaoke)
Using Chinese banks and ATMs, using Chinese money and convincing myself that it's NOT monopoly play money
Chinese transportation systems
Working for a mostly Chinese company
Teaching, in general
Teaching within the Chinese School System - and in a Chinese school
Shopping, bargaining in Chinese
Being long away from loved ones
Blogging!

I can't say that life here has had too many surprises. I don't know if it was the large amount of research that I did beforehand, or maybe it's just my general carefree attitude that has made the experience easier than anticipated. And to be honest, I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. One of the reasons for coming to China was to expose myself to a different world - its customs, foods, people, habits, etc.

I blame Toronto for warming me up to the experience (i.e.: china town!), and for the media in north America for creating a skewed image of this country that I thought was going to be more "shocking". Of course, this makes me blame myself for being yet another Westerner who thought she could run off to this developing country and have it fascinate her with its crazy foods and crazier people. So far the disappointment lies in the fact that China has proven itself much more similar to Canada than anticipated.

Of course, I am in Shanghai and as a cosmopolitan city; it may not be as provincial in terms of reflecting the same virtues, attitudes, and interests as the rest of China. Hm. I must get out of this city soon and explore the rest of China!

Anyways, let’s get into the teaching as so many have been asking me about it.
Please check out this website: http://www.middlekingdomlife.com/guide/chinese-education-system-students-english-teacher.htm. If offers a great overview of the Chinese school and education system.

I teach primary kids, some as young as 5 and have found that I need to be as entertaining as educational in my classes to keep their attention – which in turn can be very tiring. Conversely, as the only foreign “oral” teacher here I have more freedom in what I can teach – as long as I can stick to broad themes I am good to go. I teach them vocabulary and useful lingo they can use in their daily lives, with a focus on speaking and listening. There is nothing better than a student being able to practice their English in front of family as a great motivation to learn English.

Anyhow, Discipline has not been a MAJOR issue yet so I’m glad I haven’t had to take out my stink eye. I work on a points system which usually keeps them in tow, or least gets them quiet when I need to bring back some focus to the main subject when they find something too exciting. That and stickers are worth their weight in gold ;-)

School life is also simmered down, although the students are definitely more comfortable around me and go through everything on my desk and board. I’ve had to start locking the doors during class time because the odd student will try and come in to say hello in the middle of a class, which I do not appreciate at all. There is nothing like having a whole class lose focus when someone barges into a class. It’s also frustrating more so because they would NEVER do this to one of their Chinese teachers so I try and demand the same respect from them as I would if I were a Chinese teacher, although I don’t reprimand if they give me a wrong answer. It’s a difficult balance.

My co-workers at school are incredibly friendly and constantly ask me out which I’ve come to accept only half the time (I’m a strong believer in keeping my work life separate from my social life) and they always try and show me a good time which I appreciate. I do love having a life outside school though and try and socialize with the other English teachers as much as I can, in which case I am out in Shanghai enjoying the big city life there.

The weather has warmed up considerably since I arrived (it has been the wettest spring here in many many years, or so I’ve been told) and ideas of travelling are popping up left and right in my mind. I’m finding it harder and harder to stay in for more than a few hours and the pressure of being in this new country sends me out to explore whenever I have a moment. I’ve always been a person who has tried to do the most with her time but I feel as though it is slowly developing into a neurosis and I often feel guilty if I don’t do enough with my free time. This is something that I need to relax on and force myself to enjoy the quiet moments here in China.

Well, it looks like it’s time for me to log off. More on this later.

xx

Blossoms in Shanghai

2009-03-15T06:49:00.007-04:00

Shanghai is home to some of the most beautiful flowers. Here are a few that I've been able to capture so far.

magnolia. amazing.
plum blossoms
pink plum blossoms

You know you're in China when...

2009-03-15T00:00:00.006-04:00

You may have shorter legs but are still walking ten times faster than the rest of the population
Toilet paper costs more than a bowl of noodles.
You bargain for a taxi, and then discover you just bargained for a ride on a motorcycle (don’t assume the taxi he’s standing next to is actually his!).
Umbrellas are used for protection from sun and rain, as well as to enforce personal space.
“No Smoking” might more appropriately read “Please Smoke Here”.
He who persists longer wins.
Your mattress rivals Home Depot’s lumberyard.
People eagerly try to make you feel comfortable while practicing their textbook English.
You leave the insanity of the main street and turn down an alley, enter a world of peace, tranquility, laughter, and food.
You still understand nothing.
You have experienced, used, and actually meant the phrase “It’s all Chinese to me.”
All modes of transportation beget spiritual behavior (prayer, more prayer).
Try as we might to avoid Western creature comforts, you find yourself munching on Oreos andLays Chips more than you'd like to admit.
You can judge the popularity of the karaoke music videos (played on almost all long-distance buses, along with C-rated Kung Fu movies) by the number of schoolgirls and elderly women singing along.
You now understand why Singapore implemented a “no spitting” rule.
Cell phones work absolutely everywhere.
You've heard it so many times, that you actually begin to believe “Hellooooo” might be a word in Mandarin.
English menus never fail to entertain. A few of my favorites: “strange tasting pork”, “fish flavored meat”, “questionable meat”, ham (may mean hotdog), “Red Ox” (Red Bull), and “Mixed vegetables” always seems to mean bok choy mixed with…. more bok choy.
Even after two months, you still understand nothing (Or you just think you understand things, which gets you into even more trouble). "Wo Ting Bu Dong" (I don't understand) is your most used phrase.
You yourself start staring and pointing at foreigners.

Let there be light!

2009-03-08T08:28:00.005-04:00

I woke up today to the most beautiful sunshiney day. I think spring has finally made it's way here...

I'm in love!

Women's Day in Qingpu

2009-03-08T08:22:00.002-04:00

Happy International Women's Day! Some of my students brought me flowers in celebration of this Holiday. How sweet!

Revolution Propaganda Posters - The Mao Cult

2009-03-05T06:40:00.010-05:00

"Everything that Mao Zedong says is the truth; every statement he utters is worth 10,000 sentences."

I have been looking for some propaganda posters since I arrived. You can find everything with Chairman Mao's face here but my luck with posters has been a little less than lucky -until I saw these in Old Shanghai.

I've always been fascinated with Cult Personalities, whether it was with Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or even now with Obama. It's still truly amazes me to see a society completely envelope it's ideals, hopes, and aspirations into one god-like being. Many of whom 'worship' them in a manner that is almost on a religious level. During the peak of these regimes, these leaders are presented as almost infallible. Their portraits hung in homes and public buildings, and often with artists and poets legally required to produce only works that glorified them.

Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong), despite his many faults and now ill-repute, is still one of those god-like, infallible creatures here in China. My kids still wear pins with his face on them, my co-workers at school still have Mao charms hanging from their rear-view mirror, and everyone still praises his legacy.

Anyways, I was glad to have found these. They definitely aren't originals (although sold as...) but I will still treasure them as cultural artefacts nonetheless.

From a design perspective I think they are genius. I love the two-tone, simple graphics with minimal use of text. I love the line work and blocks of colour (good use of positive and negative space!) and they truly do reflect the current ideologies of the era, which can only appreciate with time.

for more info on these posters and many others: http://www.iisg.nl/landsberger/

xox

Old Shanghai, aka "Old Town"

2009-03-05T02:54:00.015-05:00

I don't know whether I should love, or really hate Old Town.

I went last weekend because I heard that it was a "must-do" in Shanghai and thought, why not? Seeing as the City was tearing down everything old to replace it with anything new, I really wanted to see something authentic before it would be torn down. Oh, and heard the shopping was interesting too.

The Old Chinese City was the first part of Shanghai to be settled in. During the colonial era when Westerners had their own concessions, (The French concession, for example) it was the main Chinese district where foreigners almost never ventured.

Unfortunately, it's more frequented by foreigners these days and Nanshi District; with its narrow winding streets and old houses, is apparently still one of the least explored areas in town. I visited the Old Town Bazaar with all its tourist attractions, hoping to get from it a sense of traditional life around the old Chinese streets. Entire sections of the district are being torn down and replaced with new developments as quickly as this is being written, so I really wanted to take advantage of it still being around and took a quick look see.

Upon first seeing the place I really liked how ‘Chinese’ looking it was. And don't get me wrong, Shanghai is so Chinese, but sometimes I wonder about its authenticity; new and old are almost indistinguishable. Even Grand View Gardens, which I really loved, was only 20 years old. Chinese history (cultural as well as architectural) goes back thousands of years but there seems to be no remnants of it other than a few leftover bad habits.

Unfortunately, the more time I spent there the more it felt fake and commercial. Of course I wasn’t expecting anything that was outstanding but maybe something with more character. I was mesmerized by the lights and the buildings and the crowds, but soon those lights looked tacky, the buildings looked generic, and the crowds suffocating.

I looked to my travel book for advice and soon found myself following one of the many tours within its pages. An hour later I was still running circles and the sites it brought me to were just as generic as the last, so I stuffed the book back into my purse and just followed my gut. I can see how a travel book may be of some help to others but I would just rather be plunked somewhere and discover it myself instead of being told how to enjoy it. I was soon enchanted by all of the small streets that slowly exposed themselves to me.

The real streets of Shanghai showed me how the other half of the city lives. Buildings with 4 foot by 2 foot doorways, no plumbing whatsoever, communal kitchens, clothing hanging from any and every possible line. The colours are brighter, the smells stronger, and the very best part: it’s so so quiet. There are moments where I have to remind myself that I am in a city of over 20 million because I find myself in these little quiet nooks where there seems to be an invisible glass bubble built around the neighbourhood. Sound is sometimes a friend AND a foe here and it’s nice to know that there is often a quick escape by just turning down a single street.

Here are a few pictures from Old Town:

One of the first streets I saw in Old Town.

Inside the Bazaar... ie: Chinese Disney Land.

The Bazaar by day.

Crazy Markets

Just outside the walls of the Bazaar... real Old Shanghai

A gorgeous old doorframe

Anyways, I'm still deciding whether I loved it or hated it. There are definately aspects that I loved more over others, especially the REAL streets of Shanghai. But the commerciality and generic fakeness of the Bazaar, once seen for more than 5 minutes, can loose it's shine very quickly.

Will add pictures of my finds later on.

xox

14 days and counting...

2009-03-04T06:59:00.003-05:00

These are some flowers I received on my birthday, Feb 18th...

Yup. 2 weeks and they were STILL going strong. Makes me wonder about the food if flowers last this long. ick

WANTED: shengjian !

2009-03-04T06:46:00.004-05:00

If you know where to get them, please bring me some. I can't find any in Qingpu and they are quite tasty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shengjian_mantou

And this is why I do this...

2009-02-24T03:44:00.003-05:00

A little boy came into my classroom today during one of the morning breaks and handed me a folded piece of paper. This wasn't so new to me as many kids come and ask me to write anything on peices of paper so they can learn how to spell it or show it off to their friends. If I have stickers I'll put a few on, if not, I'll draw a happy face. I didn't think much of it when he first handed it to me and then as I unfolded it, soon realized it was something else entirely. What was inside was a typed letter, about two paragraphs long, and seriously put a huge smile on my face.

"Dear Noemie,

You may feel suprised at this letter -- a strange letter from a stranger. (At this point I was thinking, wow, this kid can write...BUT...) I feel so sorry if I bother you too much, but I am here writing to you only to express my gratitude for your kindness to my son Peter (--the little boy now must be standing in front of you, wondering what will happen magically next). You can't believe how excited he was when he came home from school yesterday afternoon! He told me everything that happened between you and him, so happily, proudly, and confidently! To tell you the truth, he didn't show much interest in learning English last semester, but now, all have changed. So thank you very much for your encouragement!

At last, Would you please teach Peter how to read your name? It appears to be a French name, doesn't it? We know little of French, so I was not able to teach him the correct pronunciation. What a shame!

Yours,
Echo (Peter's Mom)"

It's funny how sometimes the smallest thing - like this letter, can make such an impact on a person. I hardly said much to the boy the day before as he really just wanted me to write out my name on a peice of paper. I tried to get a few words from him, but he had been so shy I didn't think much of it. There are days when I think no one cares about what anyone does. There are even days when I get angry at people and the rude carelessness that happens day to day to day. I've always been the kind of person who tries to make others happy because there just isn't enough of it around. Smiling, listening, believing in the goodness in people... Small acts of kindness that are all too overlooked in this world. The stuff that makes us human.

I guess what I am trying to get to, and this may just be verbal diarrhea, but it's the fact that kindness goes a long way, and I saw some proof of it today.

I felt like I was going in the right direction, not with what I was doing, or where I was going, but with who I was in this world. I was happy that despite the world we are in, I was still able to find the time to smile and convince Peter that he didn't have to be afraid of strangers.

I know sometimes I may be too "nice", or care too much, or even put too much time into things, but at the end of the day, I like who I am.

xx love!!

Venice on a Saturday afternoon...

2009-02-23T03:02:00.029-05:00

The Venice of Asia that is!

There are a few cities in Asia that have been given the title "Venice of Asia", mostly because these cities work on, or have many canal systems like the european Venice. Bangkok, Suzhou, and Zhujiajio are all famous for their Canals, and now that I have been to Zhujiajiao I can almost cross Venice (the real one) off my list. This small city is quite similar to Venice, right down to it's Gondolas. The only real difference is the language, the people and, unh, the location... haha.

Iwas picked up at 8am sharp on Saturday morning and had already been told that we were headed to Zhujiajio (roughly pronounced jew-jyah-joe with soft j's) but that morning, they decided to start me off at the Grand View Garden.

The Grand View Garden was built in 1984 around one of China's famous love stories "Dream of the Red Chamber". The park itself is massive, spanning just over 13 hectars, and shows fantastic examples of chinese architecture. We arrived early enough to miss most of the tourists and I couldn't help but unwind and listen to the trees rustle in the wind... it was so peaceful and so beautiful.

To read up on Dream of the Red Chamber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber

Beautiful Architecture

Amazing use of colour!

I want to live in a house with a roof like this...

Part of Grand View Park was it's beautiful Plum Blossom tree park (Mei Yuan). They had three prominent species - a pink, a green, and a pink variety, and they were all incredibly pretty and fragrant.

In March, when plum blossoms are in full bloom, the Mei Yuan is a stunning sight. One of Mei Yuan’s scenic areas, Meiwu Chunnong, is already known as the best place in Shanghai to see plum blossoms.

Here are a few shots:

Located on the banks of Dianshan Lake in the western suburbs of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao covers a total of 138 sq. kms, including an ancient-town area of 2.7 sq. kms. It was found almost 1700 years ago, and there are numerous rivers criss-crossing the town, 9 long streets run along the river, thousands of ancient buildings stand on the banks of the rivers with more than 30 old bridges adding to the beauty of the town and every bridge is unique and has its own story to tell.
We didn't spend much time in the actual town of Zhujiajiao, but focused mostly on the old town within it.

The first stop was Fangsheng Bridge (Setting-fish-free Bridge), which the longest, largest and tallest stone bridge. I've been told that to visit Zhujiajiao without seeing the bridges means that you have not really been to Zhujiajiao at all, and ever bridge in the town are distinctive and old, built during Ming and Qing Dynasties. The old town is thoroughly connected by 36 delicate spans in different shapes and styles, from wooden to stone to marble.

There are many sellers trying to sell you fish to "set free" on these bridges, mostly Fangsheng Bridge, and I almost purchased two for 5rmb (just under a dollar) that I could throw off the bridge and "set free". Unfortunately, I was told that the bridge is lined with nets underneath the water and those poor fish are just caught once more to be thrown off again. I didn't want to stress out the poor fish so I skipped that idea.

Once we crossed the bridge, we were welcomed into the small alley-like streets that make up most of this small town. Many street vendors have stalls and sell anything from knicknacks to silk, to tea, to candies, and other speciality items. I fell in love with modern paintings that depicted scenes in Zhujiajiao but the artist didn't want to sell his paintings for less than 80rmb each, and I wanted a few so it just wasn't meant to be. If I go back I'll try my luck again and see if I can find something similar for less.

We spent the afternoon enjoying the scenery and one teacher was generous enough to give us a tour of the school he worked at nearly 30 years ago. He had been posted there after working the fields during the revolution, mostly because he could speak a little english and was told he would be a benefit to this small community. He has been teaching ever since.

Here are a few pictures:

Fangsheng Bridge

Gondolas!

Fishermen selling their catch of the day

Beautiful little canals and gondolas

Little alley way with tons of things to buy...

Beside the tree that mr. Zhu planted when he taught at this school. The school has since been turned into a museum of sorts. The red ribbons are wishes that people have left on the branches and roots.

Riding the Gondola

More beautiful views from the vantage point of the gondola

Hope you've enjoyed this... (I certainly did... )

love! xox

Sheng ri Kuai le to Me!

2009-02-18T02:22:00.010-05:00

I celebrated my 25th birthday yesterday.

I'm officially a quarter of a century old.

Somehow some of my coworkers found out about this last week and told me that they would take me out to a nice restaurant. Of course this sounded great and I was grateful for the gesture.

What I didn't know, and what I never expected, was for the news to spread like wildfire through to every student and teacher at school, and to then be presented with well wishes, notes, presents, cards, flowers, and treats by nearly every one there. It was incredibly humbling to be so well thought of, and it definitely left a lasting impression that will stay with me for a long time.

My most prized possessions are the hand-made cards from various students (most of whom I never even taught!) because they made sure to spell my name correctly and each wrote a nice note wishing me health and happiness, and of course, eternal beauty (a favourite of theirs).

That evening for supper, I was taken to the "Pretty Red Fish" restaurant. They specialize in Seafood and the food is indeed delicious and very fresh, as it's the kind of place you walk into, go straight to the ‘aquariums’ and pick your meal while it's still alive.

Of course they had pre-chosen the dishes for this occasion because they wanted to make sure they had "only the best" for this evening. This included the restaurant's best wine, and two GIANT cakes which I was to bring home to share with the English teachers in my residence.

20 teachers shared the table and ate at least 15 different starters, 25 different plates of food, 10 different desserts, and a few bottles of wine. The most amusing thing I’ve come to notice is how they drink their wine and beer here. It isn’t sipped on like in North America, but rather, taken like a shot of liquor. You basically go around the table, Cheers a fellow friend, and chug-a-lug. It was definitely a different way of doing it and I appreciate the enthusiasm they have for this. They especially loved saying Bottoms Up or I Love You before inviting someone to a shot.

Not only did I enjoy myself, but I was able to try a few traditional and regional specialities: frog, jellied pork, some kind of seafood cartilage, clams, jellied crab, and a handful of other tasty treats. .. I don’t know that I would eat most of those dishes again, but I am quite glad to have tried them.

By the end of the night, I had done various beer and wine shots, had eaten things I never knew existed, been sung Happy Birthday a dozen times, had been given two flower bouquets, a multitude of cards, gifts, and eaten cake with Chopsticks; not only do I think I was so lucky, but I am also proud to say that it all happened here in China.

To cap off the evening, I came back to residence and had a beer with my fellow English teachers while we munched on my second cake and talked about life here in China. It was a pretty perfect end of night and sleep welcomed me by the time we were done.

Here are a few pictures from that day.... and yes, I am bragging just a little bit here.

Enjoy!

Singing frames, cellphone toys, scarf

Roses and a goodie bag

A beautiful card

My second bouquet of roses... see how they dress them up?

A card from a girl named Sweet.

Bling Bears, hand-made necklace, earrings

Cheers! (Gambei!)

Dragon chopstick holders

Crab

Local fish

Local crab

Dining in Qingpu

My 1st cake...

Bob, world traveller

Dennis and Sophie, cutest couple ever

In front of my second cake...

xox love!

Chinese morning exercises and Eye exercises

2009-02-18T01:51:00.002-05:00

So I haven't taken any videos of this yet, but take a look at the videos I found on Youtube... They are pretty much exactly what my kids do at my school. The morning exercise happens after the first two classes, at around 9:15am, the eye exercises happen once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayQyDWuCmkc&feature=channel_page
Morning Exercises (Think large though, there are between 2500-3000 students at my school)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r7kChKTaMo
Eye Exercises

Enjoy! xox

The Bund & Pudong

2009-02-14T21:00:00.013-05:00

I went back into Shanghai proper yesterday; mostly for some sightseeing and to meet up with a fellow teach whom I met during orientation.

My main objectives were to re-visit Nanjing lu while I walked towards the Bund on Zhongshan lu. My last attempt at Nanjing was mostly in and around the area but I never finished Nanjing lu east so I thought this would be a good start to the day. I then was going to head South towards YuYuan Gardens in Old Shanghai (Nanshi) to get a better view of 'Old China''. (Of course this area is much more of a tourist trap than anything but the buildings are authentic and well kept.)

We took the bus from Qingpu to Shanghai Downtown around 10:35 and arrived a little after 11, which was good considering it was a Saturday. Of course by the time the bus arrived at our stop it was standing room only and we were left to hold on while the bus went barrelling down the highway. The good thing about a bus packed like a can of sardines is that when any bump or sudden stop kicked in, we were all too wedged in to really notice much.

I was glad to see that our final stop in Shanghai was very close to People's Square and easy walking distance to Nanjing Lu E. The unfortunate thing was that the weather was a tad chilly and I had dressed for slightly warmer weather... All the more reason to get going and start walking. Once Bob showed me the directions, I was off on my own.

Having seen much of Nanjing before, I was able to really focus on what was around me, the things that I remembered, and things that were still new. Saturday was especially interesting because it was Valentine's Day. This holiday has recently become popular with the younger crowd and is even beginning to show more importance over their traditional love day which happens on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Of course this means that tacky floral bouquets were all over Nanjing, being sold by many sellers hoping for a quick buck.

Towards the end of the road, I happen to fall into an underground commodities market. It was brimming with small knickknacks and little souvenir bobbles but as I went lower into the building, I soon noticed that there was much more: I had found myself in a huge fakes market. I had been to one in New York, where they would take brazen tourists down small alleys into dark rooms with ''the best'' counterfeit goods you could buy. This was like that, but much bigger. Of course I was like a mouse to a hawk and I was soon assaulted with many different options ‘‘Miss Miss, bag for you?'', ''pretty lady watch fo your boyfend?''

The trick is to ask for their best stuff, which is usually kept in the back somewhere. This particular seller's things were in the back, down many little alleys and into a room full of stock. I was then shown the ''good stuff'' hidden behind some bags. Needless to say, I picked up a nice Montblanc and was able to haggle the price from $112 (''Best price for you!'') to $35. I know that I overpaid by at least 15 dollars but I was growing tired of the back and forth and left it as is. I don't even want to know how much a native speaker would have been able to get the watch for. Around 10 I'm assuming.

This is one aspect of shopping here that I can't stand, but it's the price that I pay for being a foreigner.

Once I had had enough of the heckling, I left with my prize and made my way out, back towards the bund. It was a particularly cold day and the humidity was around 55% which meant that there was going to be a lot of fog. Fog here is a mixture of water and dust as the thick humid air holds allot of whatever is kicking around. As I came closer to the water's edge, I could see the outlines of Pudong's new skyline, and when I turned around to where I came from, I could see the old buildings of the Bund. To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in seeing these attractions as they are incredibly touristy and overhyped but I was interested in its history.

Before the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949 (which ended western imperialist rule but also caused the economy to take a sharp dive for the worse for about two decades,) the Bund (or Waitan in Chinese) had been the financial, political, commercial and cultural center of western powers in Shanghai.

After Shanghai was opened as one of five "Treaty Ports" in the Treaty of Nanjing (I looked this up) that ended the Opium War in 1842, the Bund became the financial and political center of the international community (and indeed of much of China). It was China's ''Wall Street'', as Shanghai's financial market became the third largest in the world. The twenty-four major structures that make up The Bund have changed little externally since the 1930s. All were constructed in western-inspired styles --classical, Gothic, renaissance, eclectic and modern, and have been called a ‘museum of international architecture’.

Because of this I was expecting so much. Unfortunately, once I arrived the buildings themselves looks a little old as not much restoration work had been done and some of them looked pretty miserable. China, and especially Shanghai, is in such a mood to catch up to the rest of the world that it soon forgets it's old buildings, its charm - the Thing that gives it character and history. Now the only thing you see in Shanghai is the struggle between new and old, where new is demolishing old and replacing it with ''modern'' steel structures. I am glad I got to see some of it before it's completely destroyed. One example of this is Pudong. This part of Shanghai used to be rice paddies just 10-15 years ago. It's now an ever expanding farm of steel structures that loom over the city.

I didn't step more than 5 steps onto the deck of the Bund area before I was asked to have a picture taken with someone, this soon followed with two more requests, then three. At this point I was comfortable enough to ask someone to take a picture of me and Pudong, which they happily did. Thinking back I really wished I started charging for pictures... I would have made a killing. This is something else that I really have not been able to get used to - the fact that I am this foreign. I long to go places anonymously and sometimes think of buying a black wig just to get around without being bothered or stared at.

Oh dear, that will be for another day.

By the time I made it across the Bund, I had developed quite a headache and decided that what I needed the most was sleep. I had been fighting a cold for a week now and the last thing I needed was a night out and no sleep. When I got to the pickup area for Qingpu buses, I had no way of finding out which was the milkrun and which was the quick bus, so I just took a guess, jumped on, and 1 hour and thirty minutes and a scenic drive later, arrived home.

Old Shanghai and a night out will just have to wait.

xx love.

Pudong Skyline

Pay close attention to all of the buildings... so many!

Chinese Tourists

Look closely... this is a restaurant on a boat.

Yours truly, thanks to some new friends haha

One of my fans... had to get a picture.

Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road)

2009-02-10T07:15:00.011-05:00

One of Shanghai's many shopping streets, Nanjing Lu is the one where everyone heads first.

It caters for a mainly Chinese clientele rather than tourists or expats, and so I found it to be a good place to watch the Shanghainese at play. There's also an open-area stage for live music and promotions, although nothing was going on when I had been, other than a small band playing music and people dancing to it. very cute.

This place is literally the Vegas of the Orient and I found it a little too overhwhelming, especially because I was grabbed a few times by overzealous sellers and beggars.

I don't mind the repetitious ''Lady Lady, bag watch shoes purse???'' but when my personal space is invaded, I get a little annoyed. Not only that, but I was almost taken for a lot of money with a Tea Ceremony scam. My only recommendation is that you go with a group of friends and that you don't trust overly friendly people, because in this area of town, they are most likely after your money, not your company.

Other than that, it is quite the scene. I loved the amount of information that is forced in front of you. I loved the colours, light, and energy. And I suprisingly loved the large amount of people that surrounded me.

Here are a few pictures:

Nanjing by day

Doors replaced by flaps to keep the cold out.

xx!

Shopping in Shanghai

2009-02-10T06:27:00.005-05:00

So when I was still in Shanghai proper last week (Qingpu is a district, just outside the main city) I had a chance to see a bit of what Chinese Shopping really had to offer.

Well, it offers alot actually. If Shopping was a sport, China would get the gold medal.

I needed to buy a camera battery charger as I'd forgotten mine at home in Toronto so another teacher and I headed out to one of Shanghai's many Electronic Markets. The markets in Shanghai consist of large multi-level malls with many many stalls selling the same products. It can be both overwhelming and exhilarating when you think about how much time you could take looking for the perfect gadget at the perfect price. And yes, I did find my perfect charger at the perfect price of 100rmb(15CAD), compare that to 100CAD back home and I had quite the deal!

When we left the mall, we walked around and walked through the main strip where there were many other malls waiting for a rifling, but I had found what I came looking for and so we went out to the french concession to meet up with a few of her friends for a meal and some drinks (I stuck to drinks since we had just eaten)

Here are a few pictures from around the electronics mall on Xanjahui:

The inside of one particular mall. Many levels.

Just outside, across the street.

Mall entrance.

xx!

So far, an update.

2009-02-10T05:17:00.005-05:00

Yup, it’s official, I've been here one week and I'm still alive.

I had my first day of classes yesterday, what an eye opener. The school I am teaching at is a public elementary/middle school combination. When I say public school I mean that I am part of the actual staff here at Yi Yang School... I don't work at an ''English school'' but rather, am part of a public school's actual curriculum.

And yes, when I realized this, it was really scary.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very lucky how that worked out. I get to see how the Chinese school system works and how they create those oh-so hardworking ''Workers''. (I say worker because when you ask a child what his parents do for a living, they will simply respond: ''My father is a worker''. There are no clear definitions of what middle class employment is.)

Things I have learned about the Chinese Public System since yesterday:

The schools are giant. My school has no less than 3000 students (I have 12 groups of grade 1 students...!)
The Chinese teachers are GOD. As students, you do as they say, no more, no less. If you go outside those boundaries, you will get punished. Punishment ranges from insults, to yelling, to embarrassing comments, and even to hitting... yes hitting.)
Because of this, it's very hard to get an answer out of a student if they aren't sure what it is. It sometimes takes me to up to a whole class to get an answer out of any one student. Once they realize I'm not going to smack them, they loosen up. At least a bit.
They all have uniforms (Public or private. This includes arm badges that tell you what grade they are in.)
Lunch is served cantine-style on metal trays. Everyone eats the same meal.
They have 15 minute breaks between each class, and every two classes they do eye exercises. I haven't seen this yet.
After their first two classes, they do their Chinese Exercises. This consists of students lining up in endless lines and doing a choreographed stand-up routine. This has been the highlight of my experience at this school... It's bizarre but it's yet another example of this state-run system in which they basically train students to do, say, and think all alike. It was really quite the sight. I'll get a video of this later.
They had EVERY kid memorize my name because to this school, I am a valued guest and should be respected at all times. I get allot of HELLO NOAHMEE's while getting to, being at, and leaving school.
There is no central heating in schools, or anywhere for that matter. You just wear your coat indoors. I can't wait for summer.

Classes so far are going well. I have 12 groups of grade 1 students that I see twice a week and then I have ''Teacher Discussion Time'' twice a week. From what understand, this consists of me talking to various teachers in the school to help with practice. They've literally BUILT a new English Center for this purpose and I’ve already picked a paint colour for it. Yeesh!

--

Apart from school life, Qingpu is my new home and so far I couldn't be more foreign if I tried. I live in a Teacher's College residence along with 5 other BSK teachers (Two of whom haven't arrived yet) and I'm only now getting used to the stares. I get allot of HELLO's and HOW AW YOU's and many many pointing fingers. Most are from kids but I get allot of attention from men and very curious chatter from older folk who can have an endless conversation with me even though I don't say much more than hello, how are you, and thank you.

I also find it amusing, albeit slightly insulting, when they laugh uncontrollably when I use chopsticks or say anything in Chinese.

Oh well.

More to come later.

Much love!

My place until Saturday

2009-02-06T08:52:00.003-05:00

For those of you interested in seeing what a cheap hotel looks like here in Shanghai...

It's pretty cute and costs around 250rmb (CAD50 ) per night. This is what my company is rooming us in.

Nihao Shanghai

2009-02-04T04:25:00.008-05:00

I have arrived in Shanghai, China.

I met some friendly people during my flights and honestly don’t know how 23 hours of travel ended up feeling like 2. My 14 hour flight between Korea and Shanghai was in a Korean Air plane. Gorgeous and fully equipped with personal TVs and free ‘adult’ drinks :-)There is nothing better than good movies, good conversation, and cold korean beer to make the time fly by.

Now, about Shanghai: This place is huge, vast, unreserved, busy, noisy, dirty, and beautiful. I’ve come to realize that Shanghai - and perhaps this is the case with all of China - leaves a definite impression of organized chaos... And by this I mean that it runs like a well oiled machine, but the individual parts are muddled and sometimes don’t make complete sense. Things get done in such a quick manner that I sometimes wonder if they aren’t missing any steps somewhere. In any case I’m in love and it will have fun documenting my time here.

A few things I’ve learned since I arrived last night:

). Blogger, YouTube, and Wikipedia all work on the internt. I’ve even looked up Tibet and there seems to be no censoring. Hmmm, interesting.

). Shanghai is not as big as you would think. Yes it is home to millions of people but it’s spread out and the variety in buildings make it look smaller than it really is. .. So far, New York had a Bigger ‘Big City’ feel to me than Shanghai because of the enormity of its Sky Scrapers.

). Drivers are crazy. Literally CRAZY. There are no driving accidents ever, but 2 people died from being run over last year. yikes.

). Things ARE cheaper: 15 cents for bottles of water, a restaurant meal for three came to 11 dollars, a bus ride goes for between 15 and 43 cents a ride.

). It’s warmer – between 10-13 degrees a day now BUT it’s a wet cold and no one has any central heating... people wear coats indoors. (My apt and hotel room are equipped with heaters... thank god.)

). People are really helpful. When I got on the bus and showed the driver the address I needed to get to, he proceeded to ask if anyone could assist us in finding out where I needed to go. 4 people then got up and looked at the card I was holding. There was then a lengthy and loud Chinese discussion between the 4 passengers and driver which resulted in one passenger showing me in fingers the number of stops before my stop... And then continued the countdown with his fingers until I arrived at my stop. So sweet.

). People love to say hi just for the sake of saying hello and then act slightly embarrassed when I respond with a friendly smile.

). Medical Examinations are ridiculous and if you have a sense of humour, can be quite funny. There is nothing like having x-rays and ultrasounds in a Shanghai Medical Clinic.

). I’ve only been here for about 20 hours and can’t imagine the depth of exploration one could make here, I must have walked for hours, in and out of alleys and streets and buildings looking for an idea of what this city is about. More on this later.

Also: I will be starting my orientation tomorrow, and this will go on for three days. I am moving into my place on Saturday and then start work on Monday...!

Will also post pics for you soon as well.

Much love. xx