'Mooning in Bali

Since yesterday's entry was dedicated to our first few days back in Shanghai, I'll continue in reverse chrono order and tell you a little bit about our honeymoon in Bali. We chose Bali because it seemed like paradise conveniently located near Shanghai. In actuality, the two places aren't that close to one another, and coupled with a two and a half hour delay, it took us 19 hours to get to our destination. But it was worth it. 

Unhappy about the delay

We first traveled to Ubud, in central Bali, and took refuge in the Ubud Hanging Gardens. Perched on the side of a mountain and above the Ayung river, the hotel was gorgeous and its staff members, warm and friendly. We ventured into town a couple of times, exploring Bali's cultural center, its streets lined with temples, handmade jewelry shops and art galleries. Ubud is also home to the Sacred Monkey Forest, to which we, of course, paid a visit. We rode bikes through rice fields and attended a glorious, two-hour yoga session led by a Balinese instructor with sounds of the jungle in the background (just like those sound machines!). 

The second and final part of the trip was spent in Jimbaran for some much-needed beach time -- lounging by and swimming in the Indian Ocean. The highlight there was the three-pound lobster Mike devoured as we sat at a table in the sand with the tide coming in. 

Here are some photos of Ubud, the monkeys, the people, and the beach. 

Back-to-School Time (and more)

We got a lot accomplished today. In the morning, I became a student (and language nerd) again after enrolling in beginner Mandarin classes, which start next week. Mike and I then took a look at our new apartment. It's this great space on the top floor (penthouse!) of this fancy building in the French Concession. The apartment itself is maybe about twice the size of our old San Francisco pad, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and an incredible view of the city. By the way, my goal here is not to brag but to entice visitors! 

View from the living room; five points for naming the site in the background (no peeking)

We also took the next step in securing our permanent residence permit (which means we passed our medical -- woohoo!). We had to go across the river to Pudong to get to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security (sounds serious, huh?). Mike described it as a DMV from hell with three floors of waiting areas and government workers. We signed a piece of paper, they took our picture, and we were done and out of there in less than 10 minutes. Okay, not exactly the DMV.  

And perhaps most importantly, we booked our honeymoon. We'll be off to Bali at the end of September, spending three days in the jungle and three days by the beach at fantastic resorts. I can't wait!