Speaking of moving...

As much as we were looking to get out of our place, these guys are adamant about staying put.  

Thanks, Jill!

Fatty Tuesday: Shanghai Street Food

It occurred to me that I've written about street food in Chengdu, Hangzhou, and even Seoul, but up until now, have left out Shanghai. It does exists here, and a lot of the time, outside of bars and clubs (kind of like San Francisco's danger dogs). What I find most fascinating about the street food here is the resourcefulness of the vendors whose mode of transportation and food prep/delivery mechanism is not a cart or a truck but a BIKE. Check this out:

Notice the plastic grocery bags of veggies, the makeshift cutting board, the red hose running from a tank of gas to a burner, on top of which sits a wok (being handled vigorously in the upper left). This was the noodle guy.  

Here's another example: a charcoal grill on one side (see it on the right?) and a whole bunch of skewers behind it (from fish-on-a-stick to a whole eggplant), soon to be seasoned and bbq'd. 

To answer the first question on your minds: Yes, we (as in Mike) has gotten a styrofoam container of noodles (with sausage!), and has also eaten a bbq'd eggplant. Both got his seal of approval (I had a few bites; I concur, although not enthusiastically).

And to answer the second question on your minds: No, we did not have to run to the bathroom immediately afterward (surprisingly). 

Apartment Photo Shoot

What a weekend of worldwide love and happiness! Two weddings and an engagement took place in London, San Diego, and Cape Cod. Congratulations to Kim & Alex, Dina & Robby, and Jill & Clay! Although it would have been hard to be in three places at once, it’s times like these that make me homesick and yearn to be closer to friends and family. 

So besides sending our thoughts to loved ones this weekend, we worked on bringing you photos of our new place. Enjoy!

Zhoumo kuaile!

So here's the story: We met our new landlord through our moms (the landlord's and mine), 6,500 miles away back in our hometown (the landlord's and mine). They (our moms) happened to be chatting at the gym one day and discovered that both their children happened to live in Shanghai. One had just finished renovating a 1930s apartment back to its former glory; the other just happened to want to move. 

The old apartment was just never us, as much as we tried hanging our art, putting up our photos, and displaying our treasures (remember the ladders?). The building was cold and sterile, not mention the fact that the ceiling leaked and mold was growing on the walls. 

Full of style and character, the new apartment is done impeccably well. If Mr. Gatsby would have had a small home in Shanghai, this would have been it. It makes me want to get a flapper dress made at the fabric market and take up smoking with one of those stick things (a quellazaire, Google tells me); Mike can wear his tuxedo and call his friends, "old sport." 

This weekend we'll be making a few purchases for the new place and doing a proper photo shoot because it's deserving of one. In the meantime, here's another preview:

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It's all in the little details...

And there are so many details to share. Tomorrow...