Saturday, May 31, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

A week from today, we'll be traveling to Vietnam... but we may not get to leave the country. Our flight back to Shanghai on June 15 got cancelled, and we're now tasked with finding an alternative. You may have heard that relations right now between the Chinese and the Vietnamese are strained at best (click here for the latest from CNN). Well, the whole thing is putting a wrench in our seemingly perfect itinerary:
Friday, June 6: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) 
Saturday, June 7: Explore/eat our way through HCMC 
Sunday, June 8: Fly to Dong Hoi and explore Phong Nha because...
Monday, June 9: At 8:00 a.m., we depart for a two-day caving expedition (wish me luck!)
Wednesday, June 11: Fly to Hanoi 
Thursday, June 12: Depart for a three-day/two-night cruise in Halong Bay (that's what I'm talkin' about) 
Saturday, June 14: Arrive back in Hanoi
Sunday, June 15: Leave Vietnam?  

To be continued...

Thursday, May 29, 2014

China in the News

And now for your China news round-up:


Rest in Peace

I went to sleep last night after learning that the great Maya Angelou had passed. My Facebook feed was flooded with her insightful quotes, but nowhere did I see my favorite poem, one to which I feel particular attachment. Here's the last bit of it:
Don't show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I'm afraid at all
It's only in my dreams.  
I've got a magic charm
That I keep up my sleeve
I can walk the ocean floor
And never have to breathe.  
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Not at all
Not at all.  
Life doesn't frighten me at all.
Her words rang true when Mike and I made the decision to leave the comfort of home and embark on our China-venture. And her words still ring true when I make the decision to leave the comfort of my Shanghai apartment and face the foreign world outside. Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for leaving a legacy of strength, perseverance, and inspiration.

P.S. Did you know that she was San Francisco's first African-American female cable car conductor??

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

It's our second China-versary!

Two years in China. For the rest of my life, I’ll be able to say that I spent two years in China. Pretty cool.

But a small (teeny) part of me wishes those two years would turn to three. After all, it took me about 18 months to really settle in, find my community, and get into the groove. And these last two years flew by at an epic pace.

Here's our last year in China in review:

Some big decisions were made, namely leaving the job I thought I wanted all along. It was quickly replaced with writing City Weekend articles and volunteering as an English teacher (i.e., not following the money).

We moved and added a new member to the family.

We celebrated Year One, as well as Thanksgiving and the Fourth.

And we traveled to some pretty incredible places:

I'm fortunate, I know it.

In five short weeks, it'll be job searching instead of restaurant reviewing, Bart-ing instead of Bob-ing, bill paying instead of trip planning. And yes, I'm ready and excited for the next phase. 

Our first China-versary, if you're interested. 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

Can you believe we only have four more weekends here in Shanghai? For those paying attention, you're right, we're not leaving for another six weeks, but we'll be traveling to Vietnam in June for almost 10 days (our finale trip! More on that later). 

This weekend, we'll likely be making our last trip to the fabric market and the antiques market. Scoring custom-made clothing and old treasures before we find ourselves a whole ocean away. 

On Sunday, I'm helping a friend and fellow yogi with a photo shoot for her yoga clothing line. Unfortunately, we're not going to Maldives for it. 

Friday, May 23, 2014

#NoFilter: Our Trip to the Maldives

A week ago, I was on a plane to paradise. This was the view:
#NoFilter

We arrived late last Thursday night, turquoise waters and white sandy beaches veiled for the time being under a sky of bright stars. Excitement and time change woke us up early enough the next morning to catch the sunrise (we were both pretty excited, but I'll let you guess which one of us really woke up the other). We spent the morning jumping into the water from our bungalow (yes!) and exploring the fish below. There were so many colorful ones right in our lagoon that excitement grew for scuba diving later in the day.

In the afternoon, Mike completed the first of four dives required for his certification. I joined him, and together with a guide, we dove 40 feet deep and swam through schools of fish, eyeing a sting ray and a giant clam.
Not a bad location for your first ocean dive (#NoFilter)

Saturday was dive day. We completed three dives, two of which I did alone with a guide while Mike's scuba skills were getting tested. The first dive was the highlight -- going down to 65 feet and exploring cliffs of coral where we spotted three (!) blacktip sharks, eels, and a sea turtle, the most magical creature of all. I was surprised at how easily scuba diving came back to me, and I quickly remembered why I had fallen in love with it in the first place. It's an amazing feeling to breathe under water and enter the ocean home of so many different species otherwise left alone and unseen.
On the dive boat

Sunday came way too quickly. It was our last day, but we weren't leaving until later that evening. We spent it swimming in the ocean and the pool, drinking out of coconuts, relaxing in hammocks, and frolicking around the resort. Not a bad way to spend your Sunday.
#NoFilter

The trip to the Maldives was incredible. I'm convinced that it's the most beautiful place on Earth, and I'm ruined for life because nowhere else can compare. I feel blessed to say that I've been even though now, it feels like it was all a dream.

For more photos of this paradise, check out my (#NoFilter) album on Flickr.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Putin is in town

Apparently, this leads to:
  • School shutdowns; 
  • Freeway closures; 
  • Jaywalking tickets; and, 
  • The temporary closing of $2 (read: counterfeit/pirated) DVD stores (we have three in our two-mile radius) 

Source: The Telegraph

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

I cannot wait to...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/165296248798415458/

We leave tomorrow for THE MALDIVES!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

China (hearts) Kenny G

This New York Times article made me giggle. It opens with this:

BEIJING — There are many things about modern China that defy easy explanation: parents posing their children next to live tigers, the sight of grown women wearing furry cat-ear headbands while shopping, the performance-art-like spectacle of strangers napping together in Ikea display beds. 
But no mystery is more confounding than that of China’s most enduring case of cultural diffusion: its love affair with “Going Home,” the 1989 smash-hit instrumental by the American saxophone superstar [ Kenny G].

So I may not have seen parents and their kids posing with tigers, but I have seen grown women wear questionable outfits and whole families making themselves at home in Ikea. And as far as Kenny G is concerned ("superstar"? really?), it wasn't that long ago that he made an appearance here in Shanghai. 

I suppose the phenomena in Beijing is similar to my generation's "Closing Time," which always played in bars during last call. But as far as songs on repeat, here in Shanghai it's these two. I'd love for the reporter to look into this quandary next.  

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

Have I kept you waiting long enough?

Here are photos of where we'll be staying:



It'll be my Pinterest board come to life!

I'm SO excited. It's all I've been thinking about, at night in bed and when I first wake up. I'm already dreading leaving a place I haven't yet stepped foot in.

Mike did well. I'm not sure how I'm going to top this one.  

Friday, May 9, 2014

Chinese Hipsters

In case you want to know what they look like... and how they accessorize.


Click here to read more.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Why?

We're being teased with such lovely springtime weather, only for it to be taken away on the most crucial days of the week. 


Teaching Tuesday Recap

It's hard to believe that I only have four more Teaching Tuesdays left. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was telling you about my decision to join Stepping Stones?

In addition to the afternoon massage sessions, here are a few more fun facts about Chinese elementary school students:
  • I think I had PE a few times per week, if not every day. In China, it's one day a year! Last week, kids were called from class over the loudspeakers to go outside and perform certain physical tests, like long jumps and sprints. This was especially confusing for us volunteer teachers who had no idea what was being said and why students were getting up and leaving the room. And as you can probably imagine, energy levels were high and attention spans, limited. 
  • Consequences are dire if you don't do your homework. Apparently, culprits have to spend the entire day standing (rather than sitting) at their desks. 
  • I mentioned paper planes -- the other homemade plaything? A spinning top made from a small cylinder (probably part of a mechanical pencil) and an eraser. I can't tell how many of these I've taken away.  

Monday, May 5, 2014

He spilled the beans!

It just came out, and when it did, I said, "We're going where?!" 

To be fair, I don't know how he was able to keep it a secret for this long. 

Should I tell you? For now, I'll say that I was floored when I found out. Mind blown. Expectations exceeded. So excited.  

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Zhoumo kuaile!

It's a long weekend here in China. Thursday was Labor Day and the Government gave employees Friday off too so they could have three days off in a row. But Sunday is a work day, making next week a six-day workweek. All Chinese holidays, by the way, work in the same way. The system, to my foreigner mind, is flawed. I don't get it and I don't like it. Isn't working on a Sunday sacrilegious or something? Give me one day off and don't mess with my weekends.

In other, more exciting news, Mike is getting the first part of his dive certification done this weekend (thanks to Padi-endorsed Big Blue). I joined him in the pool yesterday to get my certification refreshed and I was a pretty happy to be breathing underneath the water again, if only in an indoor swimming pool in Shanghai.

A couple of weeks from now, we'll be exchanging the pool for a sea or an ocean in a tropical destination -- or so I'm told. Remember my mystery trip? Here are a few more clues I've received since then:
  • Our layover is in Hong Kong. 
  • We're staying in a hotel that's not part of a major chain. 
  • Our return is a red-eye. 
  • It's a country Mike has not yet traveled to (so it could be Thailand since I went there without him). 
Any other guesses? Help me out! 

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Homesickness

Facebook, FaceTime, Instagram and Skype are all decent meds to combat homesickness. Peeking at photos and reading status updates, seeing familiar faces and catching facial expressions has helped make me feel as if I'm not missing out on too much. But modern marvels can only do so much. The fact is, I'm still really far away from some really important people.

There are two instances in the last two years that made me especially sick to be home.

The first is a friend's tragedy and subsequent heartache. I won't go into detail because it's not my story to tell, but during her darkest days, I never felt such frustration over being so physically far away. I kept thinking that if only I were still in San Francisco, I'd have jumped in my car and made the drive down to Los Angeles. It hurt so badly to be so helpless. And though I realize a visit to LA wouldn't have taken away her pain, I would have been there. I would have brought soup. And I would have been present.

The second occurred just this past weekend. A very close friend of mine -- one of my favorites, really -- got married in SF. I was devastated I couldn't make the trip happen. Again, I thought in "if onlys." If only I still worked downtown, I would have gone dress shopping with her. If only we still lived down the street from one another, I would have dropped by with calligraphy'd name cards. If only we still shared the same city, I would have attended the most important day of her life. I would have been present.

And so I won't. Instead, I look forward to being present for the big life moments of the future, looking forward with hope and a smile instead of looking back with regret.