Morning Walks and Soup

So I am finally feeling like a resident of Shanghai. What have I been up to? I know I am long overdue for an update. I apologize for neglecting the blog, but life is getting into a comfortable rhythm here. The Shanghai that once seemed so mysterious to me, has now become somewhat ordinary. Mat spends much of the week far from Shanghai in Wuxi, so I am on my own. I've been taking Chinese classes, hanging out with the other wives at all the cool restaurants and bars in town (I am a Shanghai socialite-no shocker there), started dancing again (Bellydancing! My instructor is a gay Chinese man named Elvis! I am the best in my class. Granted, Chinese girls lack hips) and even picked up some freelance work at a boutique advertising firm called Thread (still not missing working FT though...). It's been busy but good. When the weather is agreeable (which seems rare--it has been cold and rainy here since mid Feb), I go for a long morning walk. The morning is just delectable in Shanghai. The Chinese savor their morning time and all its preciousness. There are several expressions for morning in Mandarin to delineate early, mid and late morning. Between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. the Fumin Lu wet market is a bustle of activity. Many housewives, affectionately called "tai tai", don't even bother to change out of their pajamas and slippers. They head straight from bed to the market where they skillfully bargain for the freshest vegetables and produce of the day. The pajamas they wear are very puffy and bright colored. They look like giant marshmallows running down the street. It's hilarious. The food sellers are friendly and very resourceful. I buy the freshest, juiciest ginger from a little old man who sells his goods off of baskets attached to his bike. It is very satisfying. Next I head to Xiangyang or Fuxing park, where the community is in full swing with morning exercises. There
are groups practicing Tai chi in unison, ever so graceful and with such peace. On the main pathway couples showoff their ballroom dancing techniques. It's incredible to watch, and reminiscent of the roaring dance scene Shanghai had in the 1930s. Lots of retired folks hang out in the park all day playing cards with their friends, practicing calligraphy and simply enjoying the freedom of just sitting in the park.
Until 1945, Fuxing Park was closed to Chinese citizens and only foreigners could enter the compound. Trust me, the Chinese are making full use of their park now. Xintiandi is my next stop. I like to wander through the lanes and old houses, Shi Ku Men style buildings. These are stone arched houses built closely together in a mixed style of East and West. These century-old buildings used to be the most typical housing for the middle class. Now they are quickly being replaced by brand new skyscrapers. I don't know many Chinese characters, but I do recognize the character for "destroy" which is marked in red on many of these buildings. It's sad to see so many communities being replaced with modern skyscrapers. It's sad but seen as a necessity by many, as the city is bursting at the seams with people. My walks do come with a price though. I have a persistent and annoying "Shanghai cough". It's chronic respiratory distress, unfortunately caused by the severe pollution here. When I look out my window all I see is a soupy white haze, even on a dry day.  It's thick and I shudder at the thought of what it is---- what is it exactly that is preventing me from seeing a blue sky?  I find that if I am out more than a few hours a day, my sleep is severely disrupted with fits of coughing. I've been told this is normal for first year residents in Shanghai and to drink a lot of Chinese soup. Soup for Soup. This place is crazy.

Back from Downunder

Just back from AUSTRALIA!!! Mat and I had a glorious time.  I feel so spoiled- I have literally been on vacation since December 15th.  Mat's company decided on a last minute shutdown for a few weeks during Chinese New Year (probably due to the recession but who knows? His New Year's package included two weeks off, 2 gallons of soy sauce and 5 liters of oil.  Beats fruit cake a suppose.    He seized the moment and splurged on last minute tickets to Sydney.  I only had five days to recover from India before escaping the firecracker ridden streets of Shanghai! So many great memories! Here are the highlights:

TOP TEN FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT OZ:

1.  Sydney Opera House and Harbor--it is more stunning than you can imagine.  I was so happy we were able to visit it several times.  We were fortunate to stay with good friends in Sydney. Mat's closest friend from college, Rohit, and his wife Kaamna and baby boy Karam have a fantastic place in the oh so posh, Potts Point.  We could walk to the harbor from their place.  We packed it in-- surfed on Bondi, celebrated Australia day in Hyde Park and attended Karam's naming ceremony where we met some very cool people--funny enough their neighbor is a friend of a friend of mine (Rosa Rivera).  Such a small world!         

2. The people--Aussies  are some of the most fun loving, friendly people I've met.  Plus you gotta love their accent.  They are ridiculously polite and easy going.  No-one even honks their horn there.  It actually took us a while to get used to!     

3.  Grass-fed beef--HOLY COW--it is amazing, especially the hamburgers which they garnish with beetroot.  Believe it or not, it is quite tasty. I think Mat had one almost everyday.

4.  The beaches-- Definitely the highlight of the trip!   We rented a car and drove down the Sapphire coast from Sydney to Melbourne and discovered some isolated beaches which we had all to ourselves.  The water is so clean and blue--it took our breath away.  

5.  Wildlife--Kangaroos, Koalas and Seals.  So cute and plentiful!  Koalas just hang out on trees in eating Eucalyptus, and the posture and hopping of Kangaroos is a evolutionary phenomenon.  We took a snorkel trip and swam with seals on Montague Island.  It was amazing!  Mat was more courageous than I, he swam within 20 centimeters of them.  Great experience, although I got very sea sick on the boatride and lost my lunch at sea...that was the end of boats for me. 

6.  Swimming Pools--This was a major highlight for my husband.  We all know how obsessed he is with swimming, and virtually every town that we visited had an Olympic size pool.  Our favorites were the the Aquatic Center in Melbourne, where  the Commonwealth Games were held, and the salt water pool on Bondi Beach which allows lap swimming adjacent to the shore.  

7.  Melbourne--We arrived the day of the Australian Open men's final.  We watched Nadal champion over Federer in Federation Square with several hundred people.  It was an unforgettable experience and the good behavior and friendliness of the crowd impressed me.  We also attended a music festival, Chinese New Year festivities (how ironic!) and at at Jamie Oliver's restaurant during our stay.  Melbourne is an elegant city well equipped with Trams and wonderful walks that really invites visitors to discover the city.      

8.  The Great Ocean Road--About an hour south of Melbourne is Australia's rebuttal to Highway 1 in California.  Mat and I were skeptical, after all the Pacific Highway is our all time favorite drive in the U.S.  Australia did not disappoint.  The drive is spectacular, dotted with cliffs and amazing beaches throughout.  We stayed in the sea side village of Apollo Bay which was only 40 minutes from the 12 Apostles,  magnificent naturally formed stone formations floating in the water of the Tasmanian Sea.         

9.  Wine --Wonderful way to start and end every evening meal.  We visited Hunter Valley which was picturesque but our favorite wines were from Yarra Valley in Victoria.  

10. Hugh Jackman--need I say more?

10 THINGS I LIKED LEAST ABOUT AUSTRALIA: 

1. Driving on the left --so annoying to keep reminding yourself that's it's okay to be on the WRONG side. 

2. Portion sizes in restaurants--American portions are dwarf in comparison.  Steaks literally hang off the side of your plate.  Luckily they call appetizers "entrees" in Australia, so we were unknowingly able to con troll our intake.    

3.  Bugs--Huge, persistent and ugly.  Worse than India.  I had welts on my arms from the vicious flies.  It was painful.

4. The severe weather--Cyclones prevented us from visiting the Great barrier Reef and we had to maneuver around the HOT HOT weather.  We stayed on the coast a few extra days to avoid the extreme heat.  It reached 50 degrees Celsius in Melbourne, which is 122 degrees Fahrenheit!    

5.  The accent--Charming, but very difficult to understand at times.  Especially when you are lost and trying to get directions on the phone!  

6.  Trailer Parks and Backpackers--They are literally everywhere. I hated seeing the trailer parks right on the beach.  It seems like a very popular vacation option for Australians but staying in a metal box two feet away from each other is a bit too shabby for me.  Granted Australians are the inventors of backpacking and the Lonely Planet, but it was infuriating to meet so many twenty somethings  who were taking six months to travel the continent.  They live in vans and just camp and surf until they run out of money.  I was soooo jealous. When I was in my twenties I was working my ass off in corporate America.  

7.  Kangaroos at night--Our car almost collided with a huge grey Kangaroo who I swear was as tall as a giraffe.

8.  Dress code--Barefoot for dinner in a high end restaurants?  Are you serious?  Put on some shoes, mate.  And ladies, can you pull down your skirts a bit?  No need to see your underwear when you strut your stuff. 

9.  Music on the radio--It's terrible.  They just talk over electronic beats.  Not really singing if you ask me.

10. Country size--Australia is just too big to see in one trip.  We drove through endless kilometers of cow country.  But the rewards are priceless.  I hope to return soon!   

Happy New Year from India

Kerala. The motherland. (sigh)...it's so wonderful here....Mat and I arrived shortly before Christmas and are enjoying the tropical sunshine, cool mango cocktails and the scenic back water views from his Mum's house in Cochin. I've deliberately stayed away from the computer so apologies for the blog delay update.

The Christmas holiday is not really observed in China. Very few people are given the day off. In fact, Mat's company was open on Christmas day. However, the Chinese retail industry has embraced the commercial aspects of Christmas, and the timing is conveniantly close to Chinese New Year's, so Shanghai shoppers have no better excuse to hit the pavement. And trust me they do. It was absolutely insane before I left. I literally had to karate kid chop my way through the crowds to make it to my apartment. Granted, India is credited to have the world's second largest population, and the crazy driving, crowded streets and pollution can easily compete with China's, but somehow we feel at peace in our oasis on the Arabian Sea.

Incidentally, China's influence is ever present in Kerala these days. The Communist party is currently in majority rule, and red flags bearing the sickle and hammer abruptly greet you at the airport. Mao, Marx and Lenin photos and socialist propaganda are plastered on billboards, motor vehicles and highway walls everywhere you go. I found it very ironic to see these idealist figures of socialism in "God's own country", Kerala's commercial tourist slogan. Moslems, Hindus and Christian live side by side and are generally tolerant of each other's beliefs.

We flew through Dubai to get here. Geographically speaking, it was not the most efficient route. We literally flew over India from China (9 hour flight) and then caught a connecting flight that made a southern descent down India's coast from the Gulf (additional 4 hours). Long journey considering we were already in Asia, but we saved $1000 USD. On a positive note, we had a overnight layover in Dubai and got to explore the place. Dubai reminded us of Las Vegas, only bigger and more decadent. The construction is booming and the skyscrapers downtown seem to soar to heaven. Dubai is the most liberal of the Gulf countries, but Islamic traditions are still observed. There are prayer rooms scattered throughout the airport, and the loadspeakers come on full blast when it's time for prayer. Sheiks in their crisp white robes and head dresses monopolize the walkways, their eyes almost always shielded by designer metal rimmed aviator sunglasses. Their wives and family follow close behind and are always inpeccably dressed. Even the burkas are bejeweled with swarvoski crystal, and often enough you can catch a glimpse of Christian Louboutin or Monolo Blahnik under all that black cloth as the women walk.

We stayed at an awesome hotel, the Palace (thanks Elaine for the recommendation!). It was a beautiful Arabic hotel and we had a great nap. We woke up and headed to the Dubai Mall. It was the biggest mall I've ever been to, with every luxury shop you could possibly imagine, an aquariam with a tank bigger than Monterey's, an ice skating rink and mile long gold souk (market). We had an amazing Lebanese meal at the food court for $20USD. Funny enough, Taco Bell was the most popular stall there. I guess even the richest oil tycoon needs his gordito fix. With our stomachs full and shopping bags in tow, we headed to Dubai Old Town. It was a cool relief to walk the narrow sandstone passageways and sip tea in an outdoor cafe.

Surprisingly enough, we were exposed to a massive amount of Malayalee (Kerala) culture in Dubai. Most of the labor force in Dubai are of Indian heritage, and Malayalees make up the majority. We strolled down streets populated with sari shops, dosa restaurants and newsstands selling periodicals from Kerala. It was quite fun. On the downside, most of the men employed are on two to three year contracts and are not permitted to return home to their families during that time. They live in humble quarters and work long hours usually in the desert heat. The money they earn abroad is far greater than the salaries they would be earning in India. But it saddened me to learn of their sacrifice. Upon arriving to India I learned my own cousin, Jeffrey, was assignment in Saudi Arabia for two years as a mechanic. We would miss him at Christmas.

In Kerala, we have been spending much of our time going from one relatives house to another, sharing meals and chai with loved ones. Some days we visited more than three families and had multiple lunches. Indian hospitality requires that you eat something before you leave. I hope I don't gain too much weight! My favorites have been curried fish, sambar, dosa, and idli.

Mat's Mom was thrilled to have a full house with both her sons in town. There is a new member of the family, Chandu. He is a six month old Bassad Hound who is absolutely adorable and follows my mother-in-law around like a small child. We spent New Year's together at the family's country house, the Chinese Hills Estate. It was my first visit there and well worth the seven hour car journey to the Western Ghat mountain range in Tamil Nadu. The estate is located on a 17 acre tea plantation surrounded by a protected forest and is one of the most scenic, awe inspiring peaceful places I've visited. The house is perched at the top of a mountain and there are no neighbors in sight. Mat's brother, Zubin, is coordinating a major renovation that includes a man made lake and modern updates to the villa. It's going to be a fantastic tourist home when it's done, and I hope you all have a chance to visit it one day. The clouds and mist greet you in the morning, the sunshine lights up the scenery during the day and the evenings are perfect for star gazing. One night we sat on the enclosed veranda and waited for leopards and tigers to show up. There is a reserve nearby, but no luck this time. We did see unusual black and bishop monkeys as well as some wild elephants though. I took tons of pictures, too many to post. I'll send an update on that later.

Mat is back in China now. He had to return to work. I miss him already. I'll be here through Jan 16th. I am planning a trip to Hyderbad this weekend to visit my cousin. I initially planned on going to an Ayurvedic/Yoga clinic during my solo stay. The consult I had with the practitioner was discouraging though. Mat and I went to the clinic with an open mind (well maybe not Mat, he is very skeptical of alternative medicine). The practitioner accused my mother of being neglectful for not treating my rheumatic fever when I was young (granted I never had this fever as far as I know) and insisted that all my health troubles were due to an abundance of "hot" blood in my body. He insisted that I rid my body of this bad blood. This reference reminded me of the blood letting practice that was popular during Henry VIII's rule in England where physicians slashed you with cuts to and let you bleed to cure illness. I was outta there in a heartbeat. This guy was obviously a hoax and when we got the medicinal potion estimate for $14,000 Rupees (this is A LOT of money in India, you can buy prescription drugs for $1000) Mat politely thanked him for his time and we exited. So no transcendental India experience for me this time. It seems that all the genuine ayurvedic treatments are housed at the luxury spas and hotels mostly reserved for non-Indians. Kind of annoying from my perspective. I'm going to get my teeth whitened instead.

Radical Sabbatical

I took a break from my endless search for house supplies, and traded what would be my third subway haul to IKEA in a week, for a cab ride to attend the American Women's Club of Shanghai annual Christmas luncheon. (Incidentally, IKEA is pronounced A-Key-Ah in Chinese. It's five times more crowded and crazier than it's equivalent in the U.S. and a barrell of laughs at checkout, hearing all those odd Swedish names being pronounced with a Shanghainese accent and watching hungry shoppers devour their signature meatballs with chopsticks).

I arrived at the ultra chic "M on the Bund", which is one of Shanghai's swankiest restaurants with a knockout river view, and was immediately asked for my passport to gain entry. Apparently, the Chinese government has strict regulations about membership in expatriate clubs, and last year's luncheon highlight was a police raid that left several ladies without proper documentation out in the cold. Can you imagine? Luckily, I had been forewarned by my friend, Anna, who was able to get me a coveted invite to this exclusive party. I was excited and initially at ease. The gathering reminded me of Barnard reunion event. Well dressed women sporting designer bags and name tags, chatting away about what books they were reading, latest restaurant finds and how behind they were on Christmas shopping. For entertainment, there was a Japanese Fashion show going in the background (not sure why, since we were in China afterall). As I sipped my third Mimosa and settled into my assigned banquet seat, my observations shifted a bit. Granted, when you get 150 women together, clicks are inevitable. But, this little gathering gave much insight into the social structure of American's in Shanghai.

The premier seating area next to the panoramic window views was reserved for the "aristocrats". These women were some of the most powerful in Shanghai. Most had been in Shanghai for over five years, and their resumes included significant time living abroad in some other Asian financial center such as Tokyo or Singapore. They all held officer titles in the club, and from what I could tell, have made an impressive career as an expatriate wife. Afterall, they were sitting with Beatrice Camp, who had just arrived in September 2008 for a three-year posting as U.S. Consul General Shanghai. It was quietly pointed out to me that most of their husbands were high ranking officers for the Asia division of a Fortune 500 and they lived in ultra exclusive American compounds on the Pudong side of town. Think Texas big, with members only golf courses and beaches.

There are 25,000 Americans in Shanghai, second in expatriate population ranking, (Japan ranks No. 1)and it is no small feat that these women have claimed a territory for themselves in this buzzing metropolis. They may not have jobs in the traditional, "I sit in a cubicle and stare at my computer all day" sort of way, but their opinion and committee work on schools, charities, real estate, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment in Shanghai is very, very influential. I sat back and chuckled as the young Mom's click quibbled over the best way to get their kids into private school and which American International School had the best ranking in Shanghai. I admired their perseverance, but was a bit thankful that I wasn't at that point in my life yet.

My table was way in the back, about as far away from the aristocrats as you could get. I was sitting with the twenty and thirty somethings most of whom were fairly new to Shanghai. They were a friendly bunch and I was eager to introduce myself, although I sheepishly ended my spiel on an apologetic tone, commenting that for the first time in over 15 years I was unemployed and frankly a little lost with what exactly I was going to do in Shanghai. Charlotte, who has the southern charm of her namesake, quickly stood up and grabbed my hand. "Welcome to your Radical Sabbatical! We all have been here for several months and have left our careers back home. Trust me, you'll be busier than ever in Shanghai!"

"On a Radical Sabbatical" seemed to be the motto of this click. I was in good company of some very smart women who had taken a break from being a nurse, physician, banker, publisher, teacher, scientist etc., to come to Shanghai with their husbands for a year or two. No path intended but to self discover and reinvent. I left the party with a pocketful of contact names and plans for the rest of the week. We met up for pole dancing (yes, like the strippers do, it's the latest craze in Shanghai) and a dance club opening later that week. I had a BLAST! I felt like I had finally arrived in Shanghai!

Thanksgiving

So while my family was enjoying a Thanksgiving feast in lovely Harrisburg, PA, I was lost in Pudong. Pudong, AKA "pu jersey" is located on the other side of Huangpu River. Mat and I live on the Puxi side, which is a densely packed urban grid, similar to Manhattan. Pudong used to be swampland, isolated from the rest of Shanghai. In the past 20 years, it has gained popularity, mainly for it's wide open spaces and boulevards. It is now home to a booming financial district and sprawling housing developments (some that are scarily modelled after Essex, England and Livingston, NJ!)

The 2010 World Expo will be in Pudong, and, in preparation, the Chinese government is erecting funky glass buildings, sprawling parks and subway lines in record time. (The BIG DIG should have hired these guys for Boston!). The scale of it is so overwhelming, no wonder I got lost! Mat was still at work and joining me later, so, I was on my own. After aimlessly wandering around for 40 minutes guided by a map that was obviously NOT to scale, I swallowed my pride, and walked into the Sofitel with hopes that the concierge would have mercy on me. This is my new trick for navigating in China: when lost, wander to the nearest hotel and find the concierge. They are usually very helpful and respond well to a dame in stress.

After a short cab ride later, I finally made it to the Thanksgiving party, which to my surprise included a Butterball turkey and homemade pumpkin pie. It was hosted by several American families, most of whom had children. It was encouraging to see how much they loved living in Shanghai, felt their children were getting a good education and that they too were initially shocked at paying $12 USD for a box of Frosted Flakes . It was great to meet people from back home.

On a sad note, Mat and I spent much of Thanksgiving day glued to CNN and the Internet watching coverage of the Bombay attacks. We were relieved to hear our friends and family were okay but shocked at the devastation of it all. For the first time it really hit us. We are far, far away from home. The Chinese perspective of the horrific events--the media coverage, government response and public reaction were not clear to us and made us wonder about what we would do if (god-forbid) something similar were to happen in Shanghai. I think I may pay a visit to the U.S. Consulate today to officially register as an American living in China.....

Arrested Development

We spent the morning at the police station. No, no, we haven't been arrested. In order to get a long term visa in China, we have to apply for official residency at the local police. Since Mat's company is based in Wuxi, we are at a provincial station. It's located in an alley off the main road in an old concrete building with plexiglass windows, buzzing with people carrying armfuls of leather bound ledgers and dated carbon copies (similar to the Ditto copies we had in elementary school).

We made quite the entrance. I don't think the Wuxi station has ever had Indian visitors before. While Mat's HR rep filled out the paperwork, we were escorted into the back room, told to "zuo" (sit) and were quickly surrounded by onlookers. Mat and I chuckle at how perplexed the locals get when meeting us . We are Meiguo (American) but don't meet their preconceptions that all Americans are Caucasian. So they are initially baffled. Nevertheless, there are not that many Indians in China, and the Chinese seem very curious about the "other" Asians, their neighbors from the subcontinent to the west. Thus, the onslaught of spectators. I was showered with compliments for my eyes and told that I was lucky to have such big ears. Lucky ears, who would have guessed? Mat was stared at like some sort of Hindu superhero. His bi-ceps attracted a lot of attention. We had a good laugh with everyone. It was really sweet and a good opportunity for us to practice our Chinese (although it was very broken and enhanced with wild hand gestures).

We wrapped things up and headed to the Wuxi No. 2 hospital for our physicals. This was my first experience in a hospital in China. Mat had the unfortunate luck of getting an asthma attack here a few months ago, and had already been given the all curing, "just give him an antibiotic IV drip for three days" consult from the Doctor. The hospital looked like something out of of a Stanley Kubrick film, it was shockingly sterile, white walls, white ceilings, white floors and all white furniture, with bright lighting. The nurses sported powder blue pantsuit uniforms that were very tight--especially around the derriere. They wore their hair and make-up the same and had smiles plastered on their faces. It was pretty surreal. We were whisked one room to another, and we passed all our tests with flying colors. Mat and I were given the "safe and healthy" stamp of approval for our long term stay in China.

Rain on me

Note to self. When in Shanghai, and it's raining, stay at home. It's been raining since yesterday, and this vast city of 20 million is in turmoil. Forget about getting a cab. It's virtually impossible. You could wait more than an hour. You are better off walking, similar to San Francisco, motorists can not cope with the rain and traffic just necks along. However, you will have to battle the army of designer Burberry umbrellas. I was poked in the head at least once every block. Despite the bad weather we had a GREAT first weekend in Shanghai. Yesterday we met a friend of a friend (thank you Beth V for the intro!) in Tai Kung Lu. Jon has been living in China for the last two years and is a walking talking travel guide of the city. Great to get some inside tips and strolling through Tai Kung Lu needs some guidance for sure. It's a labyrinth of back alleys and traditional Chinese houses that are now home to a plethora of bars, coffeeshops, boutiques and art galleries. A few years ago it was "undiscovered" and the heart of bohemian culture in Shanghai. However, the tourists soon flocked to this enclave, and every inch of the space is now commercialized. Don't get me wrong, it is still charming. But similar to the rest of the world, when there is a buck to be made, authenticity is sacrificed. Thumbs up to China's social market economy...