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...

Wuxi Woes and the Tao of Shanghai

Just back from Wuxi. Mat had to visit the factory and I made a run to Walmart. Nothing to report from Wuxi, it is a dead town. The commute is the pits. Poor Mat--I can't believe he is going to have to brave the train station chaos every week. Chinese train stations are INSANE. Imagine Penn Station in NYC on a Friday afternoon at rush hour but with 5 times as many people, all Chinese, half of whom have giant plaid oil cloth shopping bags strapped to their backs and the other half are jogging at a brisk pace while screaming "wei? wei?" (hello?hello?) on their cell phone. When I lived in NYC, little Chinese women on the subway trains would amaze me. Although they were barely 5 feet tall and hunched over, sure enough, they would expertly dart through the crowd and claim a seat before I'd even entered the train car. Well, now I know why.

There are no rules when entering the train station or boarding the trains in China. Every wo/man for themselves. First of all you have to buy the train tickets OUTSIDE the station at these huge tent like structures. The line is about 50 people deep, but it moves quickly, mainly because the soup nazi's long lost Chinese cousin is in charge of tickets. If you don't know exactly what train you want and cash in hand, she'll abruptly shout out "mei no", which means no, and shove you away. Brilliant husband that I have, Mat typed his request on his blackberry and avoided the confusion. Once we got our tickets, we followed the rest of the salmon upstream to the security check where people literally throw their bags over your head onto the x-ray conveyor belt. Miraculously, we grabbed our bags and the crowd literally carried us up the escalators into the waiting area which smelled of KFC and roasted chestnuts. Kind of made us hungry, but there is no time to eat because the flashing neon billboard is announcing our train is on the platform. Faster than a herd of antelope, all the passengers gallop to the platform. Surprisingly, all is calm once you are on the platform. Each ticket has a specific door that you must enter the train from as well as a seat assignment. When given structure, the Chinese are very rule abiding. Everyone waits patiently and files into their seats neatly. The trains are FANCY--much nicer than the commuter trains to NYC or Boston. German designed bullet trains that are spacious, quiet and even have filtered hot water dispensers in case you want a cup of instant noodles on your trip. Mat chatted with a German guy from Siemens while I slept.

We arrived in Shanghai in about an hour, and were spitted onto the sidewalk of the metro station with a bit more civility than which we had entered by--but it was still a daunting exit. Luckily our apartment is just a few stops from Shanghai railway station and we were at the bar having Tapas and beer in no time. El Willy is an awesome Spanish restaurant that is literally next door. I have a feeling it is going to be "our place". It is recessed from the street and has a lovely garden area. It is there that we finally found peace, and Tao.

Tao is my first link into the ad world in Shanghai. An Aussie who's been in Shanghai for 2 years, he owns a video production company and works with all the major ad agencies in China, mainly on TV commercials. Better yet, he lives in my building! He gave me the low down on all the creative shops in town--it was like a Soap Opera. Agency A has a really good creative ECD but is run by the Taiwanese so they won't work with Agency B....so and so doesn't pay their bills...so and so works with the Mafia....Agency C works 7 days a week and gets crapped on by their US and European offices. Shoots are usually done in low cost no union areas like the Philippines or Malaysia. How cool is that? It was truly fascinating and Mat did notice my eyes were gleaming by the end of our conversation. It's been nice living the life of leisure, but I may need to eventually get my feet wet in the ad world of Shanghai...

My Italian Hero

So I had my first traumatic experience today. I tried to open the front door to the apartment and it accidentally got locked from the inside. I have no idea how it happened. There is a latch on the inside of the door similar to what they have in hotels. It's supposed to only get locked when there is someone INSIDE the apartment, but somehow it flipped to lock when I was on my way out. Of course it's 5:30 pm and the management office with the English speaking staff is closed and Mat is not due back for another 2 hours. So I venture down to the security desk and try and explain via sign language that I am locked out of my apartment. After a good ten minutes of charades he finally gets it and we trek back upstairs where he unsuccessfully attempts to pry the door open with a plastic ruler. I am not too surprised and toy with the idea of taking my frustrations out on a glass of wine at the bar across the street. We go back down to the lobby where 3 maintenance guys show up and start shouting at each other in Chinese. I can only imagine what they are saying. I have a headache at this point so I take a seat in the lounge and watch the ultra hip fashionistas that co-habit my building parade in from work. Gosh, people really dress up here. I make a mental note to not wear my gym clothes so much...I must have looked rather pathetic sitting there, because I attracted the attention of an Italian gentleman who asked me if I needed some help. Of course I immediately gushed out all the grisly details of my evening. We exchanged names, and Vincent explained that this has happened to him as well. He was able to successfully jimmy the lock open with a credit card and saved me from the battling Chinese maintenance team. The kindness of strangers....Blanche was right.

Made in China

November 19th

The Chinese love to shop but in my opinion they are getting seriously RIPPED OFF. The day before my flight to China I was perusing the mall for last minute MUST have items. I felt odd stocking up on towels that were made in China. In fact, almost every item I picked up was made in China, so I felt guilty and put it back. Well, I regret it now, because all that gorgeous home stuff that's made in China is ironically not available in China. The department stores here are HUGE multilevel monstrosities that have everything from dried fish to electric blankets. Not to be crass, but almost everything is CRAP-very cheaply made, decorated with animated characters in heinous colors (why does a bath mat have to have hello kitty on it?) and expensive for what it is. I initially thought that I was going to the lower quality shopping malls, but I checked out Carrefour (FRENCH owned), Walmart (American owned), Tessco and Marks and Spencer (British owned) and they all were poorly stocked and disappointing. I decided I'd rather give my money to locals, so I shopped in my neighborhood. Can't wait for visitors to check out my hot pink plastic serving bowls and fluorescent yellow shower curtain...

Chow FUN breakfast

November 18th 8 AM

We woke up STARVING. Ventured outside and found that we live in the MECCA for Chinese breakfast. Just a short walk down the street to Fumin Lu on any day between 6-9 am and you will find an outdoor foodhall that would make any dim sum lover salivate. I know I know what you are thinking. STREET FOOD? You are eating from the street your first day in China? Are you crazy? Trust me, the friendly fresh atmosphere of the place is too tantalizing to resist. Fresh steamed buns stuffed with leeks and tofu (my favorite) are made right in front of you. Giant Bamboo steamers hold fresh pork dumplings that burst with flavorful soup when you pop them in your mouth. Did I mention this is all happening in the midst of a farmer's market? That's right, all sorts of Asian vegetables and fruit carried in baskets by hand or pulled by smiling Chinese men on bikes. It's absolutely charming, and Mat and I were welcomed wholeheartedly by the merchants. I'll be back again and will definitely post some video.

Our Arrival

November 17th 3:00 pm

I hope this doesn't deter anyone from visiting but there is no getting around it. The flight SUCKS! China is far far away. Thank god for Triazolam--this sleeping pill works great. Peaceful 10 hour nap without waking up with grogginess. An HR rep from Mat's company picked us up. It was her first day on the job (she was clueless but friendly) but managed to get us from Pudong airport to our new home across the river in Puxi in less than hour. Good time considering Shanghai traffic.

We LOVE our new apartment. After looking at more than 30 apartments (some of which had the bathroom in the kitchen!) we were lucky to secure this flat. The complex is called Jia Li Yuan which translated to the Palace and is situated in the former French concession district of Xi Hui. The neighborhood is similar to Union Square in New York. Lots of restaurants, close to the metro, borders an artsy neighborhood but close enough to plenty of retail options. We are on the 20th floor and have mad windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. We overlook the Dhong Hu Hotel, which is a the former residence of a French government official. The apartment itself has two bedrooms, kitchen/laundry, 2 bathrooms and living/dining area. The furnishings are sparse but are well chosen dark woods with clean lines. I am going have fun decorating this place. Can't wait to get some contemporary art for the white walls. Thank god I had the foresight to pack sheets and a shower curtain. We took showers, gobbled some Chinese kebabs from around the corner, Mat set up the Internet, cranked up the heat and slept like babies our first night in Shanghai.

China Bound

November 16th 4:30 am



We are moving to freakin China. Holy Sh$%^t. That's exactly what I was thinking as the taxi cab pulled away from my house--that is my childhood home that I grew up in, in NJ. I never have lived more than 300 miles from that house and now I was off to Shanghai. No more jumping in car on a whim from Boston to visit my Mom for the weekend. My heart pinched a bit at the thought--she was looking particularly vulnerable in her flannel PJs and rain boots waving goodbye to us from the driveway. Mat and I are on to a new adventure. What started out as an idea in May was becoming a reality. We've been married for eight years and have been fortunate to have travelled much of the world, but this move to Shanghai is crazy even for us! Memories of our family and friends' good wishes gave us confidence in our decision, but God only knows what's in store for us this next year. Whatever it is--it's going to be fun and hopefully worth your time to read about it....