Hazy, foggy days

It's been hazy, cloudy, dreary, foggy -- just plain blah -- for more than a week. It's almost hard to breathe. It's been foggy the past two days due to the warmer temperatures, according to local weather reports. Right now, it's probably a combination of fog and haze (a combination of dust and smog) in the air. It makes me miss the blue skies and relatively polution free air of the U.S.!

On a more serious note, the New York Times currently has an excellent, eye opening series called "Choking on Growth" - complete with video, interactive graphs, and more - on the pollution crisis in China. Before moving here, I was a taken a back to read that the air here has twice as many polluants that L.A. (I'm still able to run outside here, which is good. I think.) www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/12/21/world/asia/choking_on_growth_9.html

The Shanghai haze seems like nothing compared to the toxic fumes millions of people take in daily throughout the country. With the emphaisis on economic growth, there's not telling if these dangerous practices will end anytime soon. A local environmental activist was jailed for calling attention to a deteriorating lake near his home (Part III of the series). It's upsetting and heartbreaking to read about people's working and living conditions here. Hopefully, news stories like this can help bring about some real change.

Christmas in Shanghai? You bet 'cha!

Yeah, you could say Christmas is here in Shanghai...in a very commerical way. It's the music, festive decorations, special set dinners offered by restaurants and hotels, parties, and the holiday promotions at the department stores. Christmas has turned into another opportunity to encourage those with new spending power to buy, buy, buy.

This past week, the basement of the Shanghai Landmark Department store was in absolute chaos. You could barely move with the people digging through bins and racks of sweaters, coats, socks and underware. The really good deals are usually in the basement of most department stories. Almost all the department stores here take up 8 floors. It can be overwhelming at times! (While it's packed in the basement, the other floors - featuring more expensive goods - have more sales people than shoppers. This topic is for another post.)

The other day, I walked through grocery asles of soysauce and sesame oil, pickled eggs, and dried fish to hear in the background..."Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. Next year, to save me from tears, I'm going to give it someone special...special." First, I thought, "Not that song again!" Then I thought, "This just feels strange!" The grocery store, Carrefour, is all decked out in tinsle and lights, Merry Christmas signs, and Christmas deals. Decent wine for less than $20 U.S. dollars. I'll take it! (Josh and I tried a Chinese brand of cabernet last month and it wasn't drinkable. We're also not picky wine drinkers.)

It is a little comforting to experience some form of Christmas here, but I also get that overwhelming sense that something is missing. In the U.S., we can get swept up in buying presents and parties. Usually, we do let things slow down to spend time with family, enjoy family traditions, give to those less fortunate, and for some religious denominations, celebrate the birth of Jesus. You won't get that type of ending here and I wouldn't expect it. The Chinese are simply celebrating Christmas how they see it presented in other countries like the U.S.

I struggle with what the take away message is from all of this. Maybe it's our role to show a more complete picture of what the holiday season can mean. I know, it's something that I'll be thinking about...

Sheng Dan Kuai Le!

...which literally translates to Christmas Happy! When speaking Mandarin, tone is everything to get your meaning across correctly. There are 4 tones in Mandarin: a 1st tone that is high and level (like singing the note la), a 2nd tone that rises (like in far, Is it far?), a 3rd tone that dips down and goes up (like saying So? when you're irratated), and the 4th tone is a downward tone (like saying No! adamantly).

For beginners like myself, this means plenty of laughter from the tutor and those we test our Mandarin on. For the most part, saying something in the wrong tone will mean saying a completely different word. Sheng Dan Kuai Le or Merry/Happy Christmas is all said in the 4th tone. But sheng in the 1st tone and Dan in the 4th tone means "lay eggs." My driver couldn't stop laughing when I said to him this past weekend..."Lay eggs happy!" He then finally told me what I had said. It's tough learning a new lauguage -- a chuckle here and there is welcomed!

On a run

Near by where we live, I feel like the only woman who runs in China. I get a lot of "Are you crazy?" looks as I pass on by for a variety of reasons. The Chinese turn to other philosophies to maintain their health like tai chi. So I gather the disapproving looks might even be, "Why is this Chinese looking women running?!"

A typical run usually consists of a loop along side the cleanest canalway in the city. Cleanest isn't saying much here! The water - opaque, murky with a greenish brown hue - isn't the most inviting. I extend runs by crossing over a bridge to get to the largest city park (347 acres). We have the -ests here since Pu Dong is less populated and more recently developed than Pu Xi.

Swimming in the canal is a common thing, but shocking to us Americans and the locals when we tell them about it ("What! They swim in there?"). Some mornings, there's a steady stream of swimming caps that go back and forth. Running along last Sunday, a man shot me a double take as he stepped into canal in his speedos, flippers and cap. What a moment. We were both confused about the other's activity.

After this, I took a detour to the large plaza area around the Science and Technology Museum. This afforded me the opportunity to get a glimpse into how some Chinese spend a sunny, lazy Sunday afternoon. People watched as rollerbladers of all ages practiced maneuvers around small cones, a group of teenagers had a game of street hockey going, and kite flyers showed off their skills. Dozens of large kites in vibrant colors - some designed to look like butterflys and birds - flew hundreds of feet effortlessly in the sky. Vendors sold their roasted sweet potatoes and corn. One puffed furiously on a cigarette as he placed corn in a small oven on his cart. Running through the crowds, I was already looking forward to walking out there with Josh on another weekend to do some people watching.

How did I finish my run on this pleasant Sunday afternoon? A quick stop at the Hofbrauhaus to enjoy a (very small) tasty wheat beer with some friends. I don't plan on polishing off a beer after every run, but this was the perfect day to indulge. I raise my mug to more interesting and fun runs!

Looking local

Looking Chinese here has been a struggle. Eventually, it'll probably help me find some great news stories, but for now it means confused or disapproving looks when I can't respond to questions. If I'm in a conversation, people come to find out that I'm Vietnamese and Meiguo ren (American). Strangely enough, the Vietnamese thought that I was Japanese when I went there on a 3 week tour.

Being with Josh, this means that I couldn't possible be his taitai (wife), but a "friend" or rather...a Chinese prostitute. Yikes! During our first trip in September, a relaxing late afternoon walk and seat on a bench in Fuxing Park brought on intense stares from every local. A transfixed gaze, maintained by turning their heads back as they walked away.

A conversation with a professor in Chinese history, who frequents the country, revealed what people were probably thinking about us. Josh, the white businessman, and me, the Chinese prostitute! As one friend said, I must be the most wholesome looking prostitute in Asia walking around in a t-shirt, rolled up worn jeans, and mary jane sneakers. Darn, they just don't check for wedding rings around here! Just another thing for Josh and I to get used to and laugh about.

No flakes

After a few weeks of searching, I'm finding out there are certain foods that you just can't find here. Red pepper flakes is one of them. I've been to Carrefour, City Shop and Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart has a full floor of groceries here.). No luck! I used to put them on top of pizza, alfredo, stirfrys, and other various pastas. Hopefully, I'm able fo find some some. I'm also in a search for a tasty bloody mary. Two strike outs so far. I miss those Grumpy's bloody marys!

Tennis in town

Josh and I went to our first ATP men's tennis tournament this past Sunday, which was awesome! The Masters tennis tournament features the top 8 men. After watching it on the tv, it was great to finally see it in person. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Roddick (boo!), but we did see Nadal.

Learning to push back...

Things are different here when it comes to standing in line. You've gotta stand your ground. Last week at IKEA, I let one person in front of me because she only had one thing. This led to another person with one thing get ahead of me without asking. Then this other couple showed me one thing (and they really had 15) and got in front of me. Then....a woman with a cart tried to push her cart in front of me. I had it! I gave her the signal to get behind me with a stern face and she grudgingly got back in line. There isn't what we consider courtesy back at home, something that I need to adjust to fast!

Shanghai kitties!

After a 7 day quarantine, Val and Chloe have been relaxing at the apartment. Things have been going ok so far, but it's a little too noisy around here for them.

On the way there...

(This is from late October, but just posted!)
Now that I finally have the time to reflect on our upcoming adventures in Shanghai, it still hasn’t sunk in that we’re going to be living in Shanghai and what this means for us. With seven hours to go on this flight, my thoughts have been preoccupied with our precious kitties – Valeri and Chloe – and how they’re doing. Shanghai kitties! I dread to think about how they’ve been feeling on this flight and their boredom in quarantine for seven days at a government facility.

My thoughts are scattered from the minute details of our first shopping trip to brain storming ideas for future freelance articles in the U.S.

Oh yeah, the big picture of this all. People have asked: Am I nervous? Excited? Worried? Anxious? This is all I know: Life will be a challenge. Something that I look forward to, but something I’m sure will frustrate me some days. Those days of not wanting to figure out what I’m trying to say at the market, order at the restaurant, or bargaining with a street vendor.

Shanghai, an endless sea of skyscrapers and high rise apartments, boasts statistics that can floor you. Given economic freedoms in the late 80s, it has more skyscrapers than the entire West Coast. A building of 30 stories or more has been completed every 12 days for the last six years.

It’s a place to go to be awed by LCD lit screens and neon lights on busy avenues by night or take in quiet stroll around the lake in its largest park (next to my place!). A place you need to dig deeper to see its history and charm amongst the chaotic way of life. Whether it’s stopping to watch a meijong match unfold in the park, a sunrise walk on the Bund to watch the soothing movements of tai chi, or finding a favorite food vendor off the beaten path.

The city is divided into two areas by the Huangpu River. The more historic Puxi (west of river) is the more desired place to live with its historic architecture, bustling shopping avenues, and close knit housing communities.

Pudong (east of the river), once fields of farmland in the 90s, has quickly transformed with skyscapers lining the river and a vast network of streets and highways. More locals find themselves moving to Pudong priced out or pushed out of the desired Puxi area of the city. Major demolitions are taking place for newer buildings with the World Expo approaching in 2010.

With over 18 million people, it’s more than double the size of New York. Unruly economic progress has its consequences. It’s also double the air pollution of Los Angeles. You can see the layer of smog rising above the city. Look up some more to see the clear blue sky. There’s no rush hour, major arteries are always clogged up.

With all this ahead of me, I can only hope to make the best of it all. Take in a new language, appreciate another culture, and of course, enjoy it with Josh!