And the celebrations begin

We kicked off Year of the Horse celebrations last night with another Factory Five ride. They promised free beer and snacks at the end of a short bike ride so, obviously, I lifted my temporary ban on the Tuesday night rides (crowds and cold weather had kept me away).

Taking off at 9:00 p.m., we rode swiftly through the city, hitting all of the major tourist spots: through the Former French Concession (our neighborhood) to Yuyuan Garden, from the Bund to Nanjing Pedestrian Street. Back at the bike shop, we were greeted with cans of beer, bins of chips, and a hong bao. 

Hong boa ("bow," as in "take a bow") literally means red envelope and is a Chinese New Year tradition, although you also see them at weddings, graduations, and other major life events. Filled with money of varying amounts, New Year hong boas are usually bestowed upon young children and employees, housekeepers, and nannies.  

Last night, one hong bao holder won a new bike. I wasn't as lucky, but I did come home 

$1 richer. 

Recognize two people in the last photo, bottom right corner?

The Big D

Here I am, unemployed once again. About a month ago, I made the tough decision to quit my job – the job that I thought I really wanted, the job that I thought would be bring me purpose and make good sense on my resume, the job that I thought would define me as more than just a trailing spouse. 

You see, that’s what’s been the most difficult. I always thought that I would be the one to get an expat assignment, to be sent abroad, and to make good use of my undergrad degree in French and my master’s in global comms. But instead it was my partner who got the opportunity. I just happened to pick the right guy. 

When I found myself back inside cubicles walls, performing seemingly meaningless tasks day in and day out, I began to question what it was that I was trying to achieve. Maybe I should have thought about this before I accepted the offer, maybe it was all my fault, but I really did think it was going to be the experience I had set out to get. In the end, I felt as if my time was being wasted. And time is precious in general, but especially so when your experience in a foreign country has an expiration date. 

I think my mom said it best when she described this country as the new frontier. Shanghai is full of foreigners following their dream (a dream that often times hadn’t been defined prior to their arrival). From opening up a fixed gear bike shop (Factory Five) to bringing chocolate chip cookies (and its variations) to China (Strictly Cookies), these expats are inspiring. And inspiration is contagious. 

Now I’m not about to set up shop or enter the food and beverage industry any time soon (though anything could happen), but I am choosing to make the best use of my time here. And right now, that means fully committing to learning the language (characters and all) and finding projects that will allow me to exercise my passion. It also means choosing happiness over resume building. Time will tell if I made the right decision, but my gut says I have and I hope he’s right.

Zhoumo kuaile!

The weekend is off to a great start. Mike is the new owner of a beautiful custom Factory Five track bike, and even though he doesn't look it in this photo (courtesy of instagram.com/factory5), he was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning last night when he brought it home.

And today, I found this restaurant review, written by yours truly (!), published in City Weekend, a leading expat mag in Shanghai.  

I had gotten in touch with the editor and got the opportunity to officially review my first restaurant. Here's to my next assignment!

P.S. Aren't these office reminders great? Take them as a hint about a big decision I recently made, which I'll disclose next week... 

Yangcheng Lake Bike Trip

The weekend getaway from Shanghai was fun! Completing about 30 km on bike in total Saturday, Mike and I easily found our way to the beautiful Fairmont Yangcheng Lake (thank you, Google Maps). We had been worried about bringing our bikes onto the train, but apparently, it's no big deal (though you do get stared at a lot). We had taken the train from Shanghai to Suzhou (riding the bikes from home to the train station, and from the station to the hotel), and looking back, we should have stayed on our bikes the whole way (it's not that far and we wouldn't have had to adhere to the train's schedule). Next time ('cause there will be a next time, I think).  

After checking in (to our upgraded suite!), we checked out the grounds, and later ate at the hotel's restaurant, which sources its food from its organic farm.  

The next morning was the ride (race, for some) around the lake (another 40 km). Here we are at the starting line (and before Mike left me in the dust):

The BBQ was awesome, but eating ribs in the extreme heat and humidity took away from the enjoyment of the meal. Regardless, it was a lovely end to another China bike adventure.

P.S. As if 70ish kilometers weren't enough over the weekend, Mike and I joined the crew again last night for a Tuesday night ride, which was neither short nor mellow. I'm tired. 

Zhoumo kuaile!

We're off on an adventure this weekend! Mike and I will help inaugurate a new 42-kilometer bike path along Yangcheng Lake outside of Suzhou on Sunday. The event is sponsored in part by our favorite bike guys (Factory Five), and proceeds from participants support Yan'an earthquake relief efforts. 

As if the event couldn't get any cooler, the ride will be followed by a "Game of Thrones-level feast," an Argentine Asado-style BBQ. I'm not even sure what that means -- apparently there's a three-meter long pit involved -- but I think I'm gonna like it. Especially since the meal will be concocted by some of Shanghai's most famous chefs (Austin Hu from Madison, Brad Turley from Goga, and Hamish Pollitt from M on the Bund; Madison and Goga -- which is short for Golden Gate, btw -- are two of my favorites here and remind me of eateries back home in LA and SF). Profits from the BBQ will go to the The Good Earth Project (remember them from our Chongming bike trip?). 

Suzhou is a quick train ride away, and Mike and I are getting there unsupervised and on our own a day early to check out the city. I think this leg of the trip will be the adventure part... Wish us luck! 

Rides are back

Perhaps I need to follow up Fatty Tuesdays with Wrecked Wednesdays. I'm exhausted after a brutal (but awesome) Tuesday night ride that took us on a 50-kilometer, two-wheel tour of Shanghai. 

The rides are in full swing now that winter weather is gone and we're both in town after weeks of on-again/off-again travel. And we weren't the only ones; I'd say we were 80 to 100 strong last night, traveling in a pack that thinned out as the ride went on... for about two and a half hours.  

A fellow rider (Dirk Steffen) took some great shots last night; check them out here.  Here was the ride:

  

Zhoumo kuaile!

It's the start of Beer Week here in Shanghai, and here's what we'll be participating in tomorrow:

But it's been raining non-stop for the last three days, and rain is predicted for tomorrow -- the threat of cancellation looms. Welcome to "spring" in Shanghai -- where we went from frigid cold to warm rain...  Enjoy the weather wherever you may be this weekend! 

Zhoumo kuaile!

Before I pass out on the couch after a long week of work and a sore throat/stuffy nose/hacking cough, I wanted to wish you all a happy weekend. After a good night's sleep, I'm hoping I'll still be up for this tomorrow -- 

Still Riding

Remember the Tuesday night rides? Although we missed a few these last couple of months for various reasons (travel, illness), Mike and I are still participating and joined the crew last night for another ride across the river and around the city. The group is getting smaller as the temperature drops, and to be honest, I'm not sure how many more rides I have in me this winter -- it's cold out! We'll see. In the meantime, enjoy a new video produced by the bike shop guys (a.k.a. Factory Five). You'll see Shanghai in all its glory.  

Zhoumo kuaile!

Happy weekend, everyone! Big Halloween plans? 

We're off to Chongming Island tomorrow -- on bikes! We're joining Factory Five for the First Annual Chongming Island Crayfish Festival. We'll be riding 30 km out to a place called Baoshan, hopping on a ferry to the island, then riding another 15 km to a sustainable black rice farm cared for by Good Earth Project (GEP)*. 

As a (very nice) reward for our workout, we'll be treated to live jazz and crayfish etouffee, prepared by one of Shanghai's best chefs, Austin Hu. (Back in September, we had brunch at his restaurant, Madison, and gave it five stars.) Dinner, we're told, will be served at tables under the stars and in the paddy fields. 

After spending the night at a local hotel (how bad can it be for one night?), we'll ride back home Sunday morning. Sounds fun, no?   

* I haven't been able to find too much information on GEP, but apparently their latest project is this black rice plantation on Chongming Island. They've worked to make it completely pesticide-free by importing Australian crayfish that live in the fields and consume its insects. The result is quality rice and fattened crayfish. This festival is a celebration of their achievement.