I'm social

In my attempt to be the best communicator I can be, I'm on a few different platforms. It's a safe bet that if you're reading this, we're already Facebook friends. I'm also on Google+ and Twitter, but I'm not terribly active in either space (I'm more what they call a lurker). 

What you might be most interested in, however, is Instagram (follow me, I'm lexg519) and Flickr, where I've uploaded Shanghai photos. (Flickr also houses some of my older photos dating back to 2005, in case you're interested and have too much time on your hands.)   

And did you know that you can customize the way you view my blog? Mouse over the word Classic in the upper left and choose which way you'd prefer to see my entries. While you're at it, you should SUBSCRIBE to my blog (it would make me feel special and loved if you did so). Place your cursor on the right side of the page and you'll see the Subscribe button under About Me and Blog Archive.    

Enjoy and be social! 

Have a good weekend

So it turns out that Malone's has this "Bud and Dog" special every Wednesday. Lame. But our celebration of the Fourth was enjoyable, even if we did miss out on fireworks this year. (Mike threatened to go out and buy some, and launch some of our own, but perhaps we'll save that for next year.) We were joined by a couple of my friends from class and their husbands, and drank our Buds as we listened to the not-so-terrible (but not great) cover band that played classics like "Jack & Diane," "Glory Days," and Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A."  (Note the hint of sarcasm.)   

   

Mike left for Tokyo yesterday and will be there until next Tuesday, which means I'm left to my own devices for a whole weekend and more. I'm not terribly thrilled by this, but I plan on keeping myself busy. I may go to the Pearl Market (sounds fun, right?) with Sandy tomorrow, and meet up with friends in the evening. I'm also looking forward to a few phone dates with friends back home, and I don't doubt that the 10 or so pages of Mandarin homework will occupy a good portion of my Sunday.  

                            

                               Celebratory Buds

Wearing our red, white and blue (as best we can)

Happy Fourth!

So, what are you doing to celebrate? Do you only have Wednesday off, or the rest of the week as well? Mike and I were wondering that today at lunch (and what a jip if we happen to miss the year the Fourth lands on a Wednesday with the rest of workweek off!).  

There are a few events around Shanghai celebrating the US of A. One is at a restaurant/bar named glo London. But it just doesn't seem right to celebrate our independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain at glo London. Then there's something happening at De Refter. But that doesn't sound appropriate either. Instead, we'll be heading over to Malone's for today's special -- a hotdog and a cold Budweiser for RMB48 (about $6). God bless America. 

We're not just taitais

There were some annoyances last week with the new apartment, which is often the case when you first move in to a place. It was silly stuff like, the toilet seat hadn't been properly installed and the dryer stopped every five minutes for no apparent reason. Yes, these were somewhat insignificant, but try dealing with them in Chinese. I thank my lucky stars every night for Mike (and his ability to speak the language).   

My frustrations were contrasted with a lovely lunch I had with the ladies in my Mandarin course -- Robin, the American who has lived in Ireland most recently; Ayla, the Turkish-born German; Nannapat, the Thai married to a Brit; and Anna, the Russian engaged to a German. One day after class, we took the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better and grab lunch together. We chatted about our families, our homes, our professions; about the difficult decision to move to China; about the sacrifice we (happily) made for our partners. I looked around the table and saw four smart women, ambitious and adventurous, excited and eager to immerse themselves in their new culture. Even though I had just met them, I felt as if I had more in common with them than my fellow countrywomen, many of whom relish their lives here as "taitais" (=wife in Mandarin, but with the negative connotation of a wealthy housewife). By the end of lunch, they had convinced me to join them for an additional month of Mandarin classes. Although the session will end right as I leave to go back home (for our wedding!), I'm looking forward to spending more time with these seemingly fabulous women.  

Summer in Shanghai

One lesson I forgot to list is, "go back to where you came from in the summer." Apparently, expats flee Shanghai come July and August due to the heat, which is suffocating on its own, but made worse by the number of cars and people in this city (not to mention the pollution). Families split up; wives (in many cases) take their kids (in some cases) back to Europe and the States to wait out Shanghai's summer months. A few businesses even close, and organizations like the American Women's Club cease their activities.  

I'm not sure I could just abandon Mike here, even though stepping foot outside is stepping into an oven -- a stifling 95 degrees today with 45 percent humidity. Don't get me wrong, I love heat, but I love dry heat, especially the kind that includes the occasional ocean breeze. I've been spoiled, what can I say? Extreme heat and humidity just aren't my thing.  

I suppose I shouldn't be complaining with many of my friends and family on the East Coast suffering from their own record temperatures, severe thunderstorms, and power outages. Be safe and cool out there!