Hey everyone! We finally posted some pictures of our life in Shanghai. Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2441024&l=2bf5f&id=2209008
You can see pictures of where we're living, where I work, and the city we've seen so far.
I'll post more as I take them, but it's a little bit difficult with the internet connection we have. I'll do my best.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Thoughts on living in Shanghai and a couple recent stories
Despite all this, life is not easy here – for two main reasons. First is the weather. Shanghai is hot in August. And I mean really hot. We’re talking average temps in the 90’s with 100% humidity. Imagine walking outside and into a steam shower and you start to get the idea. Perspiration is immediate and intense without any physical exertion. Start walking or pedaling a bike and you feel as though you’ve just climbed out of a pool with all your clothes on. I can’t say I’ve ever sweated with this much ferocity before. Apparently, the heat doesn’t break until October at which time it gets cold and rainy. Then things heat up again around April and stay hot all summer. I can’t tell yet if it’s better than MI.
Even worse than the weather is the pollution. There was no way we could have possibly been prepared for the extent of the pollution here. There’s simply nothing like it anywhere I’ve ever travelled. Every day, the city is choked by thick, acrid smog that hovers over the metropolis. It’s caused by a combination of local traffic exhaust (much of which is unregulated) and nearby factories and power plants that spew chemicals into the air. The smog is thick enough that I haven’t seen the sun shine uninhibited since I arrived. Imagine a medium thick fog, color it a sickly yellow-brown and you have an idea of what the city looks like during the day. Looking at it is the least of our worries though. Stepping outside in the city brings an immediate discomfort in the back of your throat. It starts as a light tingle and the occasional cough comes a few minutes later. Pray that you don’t have far to go, or that you’re doing something remotely athletic because the irritation amplifies the longer you’re outside. I made the mistake of spending the afternoon walking the city the other day and was rewarded the next morning with a solid sore throat and a good, itchy cough. Then, just yesterday, I was on a bike trying to keep up with a friend of mine on his moped – not an easy task anywhere – and breathed in plenty of car exhaust fumes and other wonderful chemicals in the atmosphere. My cough has gotten deeper and more persistent and the only way to fight it is to stay indoors as much as possible. At least being outside is unpleasant anyway. There’s just nothing short of sucking on a tailpipe that compares to the heat and pollution in the air here.
Alexa has done a great job keeping everyone up to speed with our quotidian happenings but there are some gaps I can fill.
Some of the highlights of the past few days:
Friday night, Nancy and Lauren took us to meet an American friend of theirs who lives here in Shanghai. His name is Steven and he’s been living in China for about 3 years. We met him at a local Japanese place that he frequents for some great and very authentic tepanyaki. He is a wealth of knowledge about getting settled in the city and has already been helpful in translating for us over the phone. He’s very industrious and has made an interesting life for himself here. He said that there’s a fairly strong demand for foreigners to be models and he’s been doing that for the past couple years. It pays decent money for a side job and we had him connect us with his agents to see if we could get in on the action. I got in touch with his best agent who referred me to a photographer to get some professional portraits taken. So, on Monday evening, Alexa and I went to the studio and got some pictures taken. We did a couple different outfits (business, casual, etc) and got some really good shots. I’m posting some of the best ones here. We don’t know if it will result in any real work, but it was fun (and cheap) nonetheless.
Just yesterday (Tuesday), I was planning to meet a Chinese friend of mine for lunch. He works here at the community clubhouse and is a genuinely nice guy. He was the first Chinese person Alexa and I met who spoke some English when we arrived and we had had a nice talk with him at the restaurant where he works. His English name is Jimmy. At about 8:30, he called and woke me up wanting to know if I could meet him for breakfast. I obliged, thinking that we would simply substitute breakfast for lunch. I blitzed through the shower and hopped on the bike to meet him at the front gate. When I met him, it soon became clear that he had plans for us for most of the day. Now, don’t get me wrong, he’s a very nice guy but his English is only moderate and there’s quite a bit lost in the language and cultural gap and it gets tiring to be around him for more than an hour or so.
He had a moped and I had a bike. He also apparently has nerves of steel. All I could do was keep as close to him as I could and pray that I wasn’t run down by any of the cars and busses we skirted by. We rode for nearly 20 minutes and ended up at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I can almost guarantee that I was the first foreigner that had ever been there judging by the looks I got as I walked in. the menu was all in characters so Jimmy ordered for the two of us. He said that we would have a traditional Chinese breakfast. Now, I had just gotten off a bike after pedaling hard, sweating like crazy and breathing in the aforementioned pollution – all on an acutely empty stomach. Needless to say, I’ve felt better… The food arrives at our table and it’s two steaming bowls of bean curd soup and 3 baskets of steamed dumplings. Hardly the tall glass of orange juice I was wishing for. Under different circumstances, the food could have been good but given my condition and the food’s temperature and spiciness, I was less than satisfied. Add the fact that whenever he talked, bean curd spewed forth from his mouth and you start to understand the breakfast experience.
We continued on that day to see an apartment for Alexa and me to rent but it was in the wrong district and too small. We took the metro downtown and met Alexa for lunch and headed home. We picked up the bikes at the metro stop where we’d left them and Jimmy gave me directions to get home. Unfortunately, he mistook the street we were on for another and I ended up lost for the better part of an hour. By the time I made it back to the house I had inhaled more than my fair share of garbage and was feeling lousy. I cleaned up and enjoyed my newfound respiratory maladies. Not quite the best day of my life.
Over the past few days, Alexa and I have been looking at apartments. Almost all that we’ve looked at are brand new, modern and very impressive. Because of the relatively recent and explosive surge in productivity and capitalism in China, many of the buildings are newer and nicer than their equivalents in the US. They’ve also adopted US style prices as well. The new and nice apartments we’ve seen are quite expensive. We’ll probably end up in a 2 bedroom with a location near a metro line. As we’re coming to realize, commute time is very important to us. If we could walk or ride the metro to our respective work places, we could save a lot of time and money. The cabs are cheap here but the cost would certainly add up. We have to remember that we’re not earning dollars here… we have to adjust our spending accordingly. We’re not in a hurry to get into an apartment though. We’re living rent-free in a mini-mansion for the next month so there isn’t much of an incentive to leave.
Well, it’s 1am and I’m off to the American Chamber of Commerce tomorrow to drum up some new leads for jobs. I have one offer at the moment with another couple of opportunities in the works, but I’d like to have the luxury of choosing between as many offers as possible.
Sorry to be a downer today. I guess I’m just venting some of my frustrations. As Alexa and I always say, “No one said that moving to China would be easy.” I just couldn’t predict how difficult the climate is to deal with. I’m sure I’ll have more positive things to say next time. Just letting off some steam.
Ups and downs
I’m finding that my experience living in China is much more up and down than my experience living in France. Sure, there were some very frustrating parts to living in France (Ryan’s carte de sejour debacle, the FAC teachers, etc), but I never wanted to just give up and go home. The rewarding parts were always so much greater. It was easy to take pleasure in little things in France like a hot croissant in the morning or waking up to sunshine streaming through the windows. In China, I’m finding that my highs are smaller and short-lived. And there have been several points where I’ve felt I wanted to go back to the States.
To be totally honest, until Ryan finds a job, it’s up in the air. I mean, the visa regulations are such that expats usually need to go home to apply for a work visa and then return to China. Only if there’s some serious guangxi (networking relationships that are mutually beneficial – they mean everything in China), can Ryan stay in the country and apply for his Z visa. And even still, it’s not a definite. Otherwise his tourist visa will run out in 60 days and he will be forced to leave the country. If this happens, I can’t imagine myself staying no matter how much I like my job. I don’t want to be without Ryan, especially in China. It’s just more important for me to be with him.
My job is getting better. It’s been a very steep learning curve with the Salesforce system and I’m still learning as I go. I’ve only gotten a few leads to the interview stage. Mostly I’ve been calling people around the world (Japan, South Africa, Canada, the US) and leaving messages. I have my first official interview with a candidate tomorrow morning. I’ve asked my immediate boss to sit in on it with me and give me feedback afterwards. I’m a bit nervous, but as my colleagues have been telling me: the candidate should always be more nervous than the interviewer.
And I think I’ve finally figured out a routine. I leave for the office around 7 am to avoid the elevated road traffic. Andy, Nancy’s driver, picks me up and I get to work about 7:20 (this is lightning speed compared to the hour it would take in traffic). I answer emails and make calls to the US during the morning hours when there’s no one around. It’s so nice to be in the office at this time. Then Ryan meets me for lunch around noon and we head just next door to the gigantic Raffles mall food court. After lunch I answer more emails and search for leads. I can call the UK candidates starting at 4 and then it’s time to leave at 4:30. Andy picks me up and I snooze on the way home. When I get home I’m usually exhausted, but I try to get up enough energy to go to the gym and eat dinner. And sadly, I’m asleep by 10. When I have to wake up at 5:45, I just have to sleep.
So, that’s my life right now. I’m so excited for the weekend when I get to spend the entire day with Ryan. I feel like I barely see him. Welcome to the workforce, right?
To be totally honest, until Ryan finds a job, it’s up in the air. I mean, the visa regulations are such that expats usually need to go home to apply for a work visa and then return to China. Only if there’s some serious guangxi (networking relationships that are mutually beneficial – they mean everything in China), can Ryan stay in the country and apply for his Z visa. And even still, it’s not a definite. Otherwise his tourist visa will run out in 60 days and he will be forced to leave the country. If this happens, I can’t imagine myself staying no matter how much I like my job. I don’t want to be without Ryan, especially in China. It’s just more important for me to be with him.
My job is getting better. It’s been a very steep learning curve with the Salesforce system and I’m still learning as I go. I’ve only gotten a few leads to the interview stage. Mostly I’ve been calling people around the world (Japan, South Africa, Canada, the US) and leaving messages. I have my first official interview with a candidate tomorrow morning. I’ve asked my immediate boss to sit in on it with me and give me feedback afterwards. I’m a bit nervous, but as my colleagues have been telling me: the candidate should always be more nervous than the interviewer.
And I think I’ve finally figured out a routine. I leave for the office around 7 am to avoid the elevated road traffic. Andy, Nancy’s driver, picks me up and I get to work about 7:20 (this is lightning speed compared to the hour it would take in traffic). I answer emails and make calls to the US during the morning hours when there’s no one around. It’s so nice to be in the office at this time. Then Ryan meets me for lunch around noon and we head just next door to the gigantic Raffles mall food court. After lunch I answer more emails and search for leads. I can call the UK candidates starting at 4 and then it’s time to leave at 4:30. Andy picks me up and I snooze on the way home. When I get home I’m usually exhausted, but I try to get up enough energy to go to the gym and eat dinner. And sadly, I’m asleep by 10. When I have to wake up at 5:45, I just have to sleep.
So, that’s my life right now. I’m so excited for the weekend when I get to spend the entire day with Ryan. I feel like I barely see him. Welcome to the workforce, right?
Monday, August 18, 2008
A better day
Yesterday was a really nice day. Ryan and I woke up late (8:30!) to say goodbye to Nancy and Lauren. Nancy was leaving to go on a month-long trip to India, various locations in China and then back to the States for her eldest daughter’s wedding. (I guess I should mention that I finally met a woman who travels more than my mom! Nancy works for TRW, a company that makes auto parts. She travels all the time for work throughout Asia.) And Lauren was going home for good after living and studying in Shanghai for six months. She couldn’t get a work visa. It makes me feel like I’ve got the golden ticket right now.
After that, we went to the gym. I finally got to work out after like a week! It was really nice. The gym’s small and sparsely-equipped, but it has TV in English and a few decent weight machines. We watched a segment on CNN about pollution. They were interviewing Dr. Gupta from Beijing and he was explaining how poor air quality affects the body. Not very uplifting stuff (as I cough…). It thickens the blood and constricts the airways. Oh well, no one said moving to China would be: healthy.
Later that night, we went to the International Pearl Market in Hongqiao. It is unbelievable. The first floor is like a maze of stores selling cheap handbags, shoes, luggage (amazingly cheap, quality luggage) and sunglasses. I bought a really cute white bag. It’s much needed since the Longchamp I bought in Paris is fraying at the edges. The second floor is literally all pearl vendors. They sell pearls of all shapes and sizes. It’s amazing. Lauren bought a five foot strand of fairly nice pearls (to wrap around her neck several times) for like $13 before she left. I kept thinking how Betty, Ryan’s sister, would love it. She loves bangles and things. And it’s all so cheap! The third floor is a mix of vendors, tailors and artists. You can buy anything from DVDs to tailor-made tuxedos to antique Chinese furniture. Part of me can’t wait to get an apartment and buy a couple of pieces. I’ve already heard about a couple of warehouses where you can get gorgeous wardrobes and chests for like $20 a piece. And they paint them any color you want. Ryan’s excited to buy a new suit. I might get a coat made when it gets colder.
After that, we walked across to Hong Mei Lu (this really cute pedestrian road with a bunch of outdoor restaurants) to get something to eat. We popped into a Chinese restaurant called Annie’s. As the hostess lead us up stairs, she shouted the English equivalent of “Two foreign devils on their way up!” The Chinese word for foreign devil is “laowai.” Perhaps a long time ago it was derogatory, but now it’s really more tongue-in-cheek. We are often called names here. Little kids follow us around saying, “meiguoren” (“American”). But, it just made me laugh that the hostess like announced it to the restaurant. We sat down and ordered dumplings and a bowl of Shanghainese noodles, which are fried and covered in a sweet brown sauce. It was one of the better meals I’ve had since I’ve been here and it only cost us $10 for the two of us, including drinks! Ryan suggested it become “our place.” I agreed. Then I saw the squat toilet and thought, well, almost perfect.
We caught a cab home and I looked up the weather. At 8 pm, it was 90 degrees, but the weather channel said it felt like 107. Sounds about right. We turned on a bootleg copy of Casino Royale that was lying around. I was curious to see how good the quality would be. Surprisingly, it was really good. In fact, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference except for the fact that the picture was slightly tilted. I think it cost $3. From what I hear, foreigners are stuck buying these DVDs because the Chinese play only 2 or 3 Anglophone movies throughout the year. I recently heard that Space Jam had just been released. Yikes.
And now today, I’m at work. I’ve been responding to and sending emails all day. I did get the chance to listen in on an interview that my boss, Michelle, was doing. It was déjà vu because it feels like it was just yesterday that she was interviewing me. As she was talking to the guy and selling EF, I was getting excited about China. She was talking about all the things there are to do: cultural events, massages, travel. It really made me want to come to China. And then I realized, I’m already here.
After that, we went to the gym. I finally got to work out after like a week! It was really nice. The gym’s small and sparsely-equipped, but it has TV in English and a few decent weight machines. We watched a segment on CNN about pollution. They were interviewing Dr. Gupta from Beijing and he was explaining how poor air quality affects the body. Not very uplifting stuff (as I cough…). It thickens the blood and constricts the airways. Oh well, no one said moving to China would be: healthy.
Later that night, we went to the International Pearl Market in Hongqiao. It is unbelievable. The first floor is like a maze of stores selling cheap handbags, shoes, luggage (amazingly cheap, quality luggage) and sunglasses. I bought a really cute white bag. It’s much needed since the Longchamp I bought in Paris is fraying at the edges. The second floor is literally all pearl vendors. They sell pearls of all shapes and sizes. It’s amazing. Lauren bought a five foot strand of fairly nice pearls (to wrap around her neck several times) for like $13 before she left. I kept thinking how Betty, Ryan’s sister, would love it. She loves bangles and things. And it’s all so cheap! The third floor is a mix of vendors, tailors and artists. You can buy anything from DVDs to tailor-made tuxedos to antique Chinese furniture. Part of me can’t wait to get an apartment and buy a couple of pieces. I’ve already heard about a couple of warehouses where you can get gorgeous wardrobes and chests for like $20 a piece. And they paint them any color you want. Ryan’s excited to buy a new suit. I might get a coat made when it gets colder.
After that, we walked across to Hong Mei Lu (this really cute pedestrian road with a bunch of outdoor restaurants) to get something to eat. We popped into a Chinese restaurant called Annie’s. As the hostess lead us up stairs, she shouted the English equivalent of “Two foreign devils on their way up!” The Chinese word for foreign devil is “laowai.” Perhaps a long time ago it was derogatory, but now it’s really more tongue-in-cheek. We are often called names here. Little kids follow us around saying, “meiguoren” (“American”). But, it just made me laugh that the hostess like announced it to the restaurant. We sat down and ordered dumplings and a bowl of Shanghainese noodles, which are fried and covered in a sweet brown sauce. It was one of the better meals I’ve had since I’ve been here and it only cost us $10 for the two of us, including drinks! Ryan suggested it become “our place.” I agreed. Then I saw the squat toilet and thought, well, almost perfect.
We caught a cab home and I looked up the weather. At 8 pm, it was 90 degrees, but the weather channel said it felt like 107. Sounds about right. We turned on a bootleg copy of Casino Royale that was lying around. I was curious to see how good the quality would be. Surprisingly, it was really good. In fact, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference except for the fact that the picture was slightly tilted. I think it cost $3. From what I hear, foreigners are stuck buying these DVDs because the Chinese play only 2 or 3 Anglophone movies throughout the year. I recently heard that Space Jam had just been released. Yikes.
And now today, I’m at work. I’ve been responding to and sending emails all day. I did get the chance to listen in on an interview that my boss, Michelle, was doing. It was déjà vu because it feels like it was just yesterday that she was interviewing me. As she was talking to the guy and selling EF, I was getting excited about China. She was talking about all the things there are to do: cultural events, massages, travel. It really made me want to come to China. And then I realized, I’m already here.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The daily grind/grime
I guess not much has happened over the last few days. I've been going to work. Thursday was my official first day. I had several training sessions during which my colleagues walked me through the hundreds of steps it takes to work Salesforce, our system that organizes all the applicants who apply to be English First teachers. I can tell it's going to be pretty tough to remember all the intricate steps. I'm feeling a bit discouraged to say the least.
But, 9 of my colleagues and I went out to lunch on Thursday, which was nice. It was to celebrate my first day and a guy named Daniel's last day. Daniel is moving to Cairo. And here I thought I was cool. This guy's moving from Shanghai to Cairo. Anyway, the lunch was amazing. We went to a vegetarian restaurant and ordered like 15 dishes for the entire table to share. I could eat everything! My favorite happened to be the faux Peking duck. It was unbelievable.
On Friday I decided to go into the office at 7 so that I could avoid the traffic (or at least the crippling traffic - there's always a jam on the elevated road, no matter what the time). It was so nice to be in the office by myself for a couple of hours. I answered emails without all the buzz around me. My immediate boss, Michelle, comes in early as well, so I could still ask questions. I can see that the biggest challenge will be to find candidates that match the visa requirements of our four main cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Each one has different age and experience requirements and they're constantly changing. I won't actually start communicating or interviewing the candidates until next week or even the week after, so I've still got some time to learn.
Yesterday (Saturday), Ryan and I went out with a Chinese friend named Christine (she works at 51jobs - the monster.com of China and an affiliate of Blanchard) to look at apartments. We saw some nice ones, but they were all pretty expensive. I can't say we've found "the one" yet, but at least we're not really in a hurry. After that, we walked through some markets off Nanjing Road. I ended up buying a really beautiful teal silk robe. It was a very busy Saturday in Shanghai. It seemed like everyone was out with their families. Ryan and I kept pointing out the cute kids we saw. There's just something about Chinese children. They are so captivating and often rip-your-heart-out-cute.
Last night we went out to dinner with Nancy, Lauren (Nancy's daughter's friend) and a new friend named Steven. Steven's got an amazing story. He graduated from St. Andrews and then worked in London for a while in marketing. He moved back to the States, established himself there and wanderlust got the best of him and he moved to China. He's been here for three years now, teaching and learning the language. On the side, he acts in Chinese TV commercials! I'm really happy that Nancy introduced us to him because he knows so much about Shanghai and China in general. I know we can learn a lot from him.
So, that's the scoop.
Highs:
- Learning Chinese words for right, left and water with ice, please
- Meeting new friends
- Cute Chinese kids
- Learning our way around the city
- Faux meat
Lows:
- Coughing from pollution (It's so bad that I got excited when I could see the shape of the sun yesterday. Usually, the sky is just bright. You can't even see the sun.)
- Being tired all the time from the daily grind
- Feeling dirty all the time when you walk outside
-Alexa
But, 9 of my colleagues and I went out to lunch on Thursday, which was nice. It was to celebrate my first day and a guy named Daniel's last day. Daniel is moving to Cairo. And here I thought I was cool. This guy's moving from Shanghai to Cairo. Anyway, the lunch was amazing. We went to a vegetarian restaurant and ordered like 15 dishes for the entire table to share. I could eat everything! My favorite happened to be the faux Peking duck. It was unbelievable.
On Friday I decided to go into the office at 7 so that I could avoid the traffic (or at least the crippling traffic - there's always a jam on the elevated road, no matter what the time). It was so nice to be in the office by myself for a couple of hours. I answered emails without all the buzz around me. My immediate boss, Michelle, comes in early as well, so I could still ask questions. I can see that the biggest challenge will be to find candidates that match the visa requirements of our four main cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Each one has different age and experience requirements and they're constantly changing. I won't actually start communicating or interviewing the candidates until next week or even the week after, so I've still got some time to learn.
Yesterday (Saturday), Ryan and I went out with a Chinese friend named Christine (she works at 51jobs - the monster.com of China and an affiliate of Blanchard) to look at apartments. We saw some nice ones, but they were all pretty expensive. I can't say we've found "the one" yet, but at least we're not really in a hurry. After that, we walked through some markets off Nanjing Road. I ended up buying a really beautiful teal silk robe. It was a very busy Saturday in Shanghai. It seemed like everyone was out with their families. Ryan and I kept pointing out the cute kids we saw. There's just something about Chinese children. They are so captivating and often rip-your-heart-out-cute.
Last night we went out to dinner with Nancy, Lauren (Nancy's daughter's friend) and a new friend named Steven. Steven's got an amazing story. He graduated from St. Andrews and then worked in London for a while in marketing. He moved back to the States, established himself there and wanderlust got the best of him and he moved to China. He's been here for three years now, teaching and learning the language. On the side, he acts in Chinese TV commercials! I'm really happy that Nancy introduced us to him because he knows so much about Shanghai and China in general. I know we can learn a lot from him.
So, that's the scoop.
Highs:
- Learning Chinese words for right, left and water with ice, please
- Meeting new friends
- Cute Chinese kids
- Learning our way around the city
- Faux meat
Lows:
- Coughing from pollution (It's so bad that I got excited when I could see the shape of the sun yesterday. Usually, the sky is just bright. You can't even see the sun.)
- Being tired all the time from the daily grind
- Feeling dirty all the time when you walk outside
-Alexa
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
We have arrived!
As I sit here in luxurious suburban Shanghai watching Myth Busters on the Discovery Channel, I finally have some time to reflect on the last few days.
We flew to Shanghai on Saturday. After a two-hour car ride to LAX, my dad and Susan dropped us off at the curb. We checked in and learned that if we could redistribute our stuff in the luggage, we could save $510. They were seriously trying to charge us $330 for every bag over 70 pounds, of which we had two. So sweating and cursing, we wheeled our overweight bags and moved things around, thereby completely thrashing our organizational system (we packed some bags to be opened right away and some were packed to be opened when we moved into our apartment). Luckily, we only ended up paying $150. Just the cost of doing business I guess. “No one said moving to China would be: cheap.” Our bags weighed 49, 65.5, 68 and 70 pounds - a total of 252.5 pounds. Insane, I know. I’m not proud of it.
We flew to San Francisco and then connected to a flight to Shanghai. The flight was long, 11 hours and 26 minutes to be exact. We were in coach. Ryan had the window seat and I sat in the middle of row 53. A super nice Taiwanese man named Daniel sat in the aisle. There were four movies, none of which were worth watching.
When we started to land, Ryan couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. We were both so excited. Deliriously tired, but so pumped. We landed and made our way through customs. It was a breeze. At the passport control counter, there was a little machine where you could rate their customer service. They let me in the country, so I pressed the “extremely satisfied” button.
We collected our bags and headed to the exit. We had to put all our bags on a scanner before we could leave the terminal. There was a huge line and since the conveyor belt was so short, it was impossible to catch your bags on the other side before they crashed to the ground. I didn’t get it.
Outside the terminal, we found our driver. Nancy, the woman we are staying with, had arranged for Mr. Lu to pick us up. We followed him out to the van. We were knocked over by the humidity when we got outside. On the ride to Nancy’s out in the Hongqiao district (it’s in the west while the Pudong airport is in the northeast), we had our faces pressed to the windows, in awe of our new hometown. It was like the density of New York, as sprawling as Los Angeles, but with the lights of Las Vegas.
When we arrived at Le Chateau complex where we would be staying with a woman named Nancy, we were simply giddy. The place completely exceeded our expectations. After we made it through the security gate, we passed row after row of huge houses. It was like a subdivision in Rancho Santa Fe. The house we’re staying at is like 6000 square feet. It’s incredible!
The next day (Monday), I woke up at 5. It was already light outside (a consequence of China, a country the size of the US, being on only one time zone perhaps). I watched Friends and ate some Italian bread toasted with Skippy peanut butter. It was like I never left the States.
That day Ryan and I had to go to the police station to get a temporary residence permit. It was a bit crippling to not speak any Chinese. We basically handed them our passports, they handed us a form and that was it. As we were sitting there, Ryan told me how he regretted that we didn’t take more Chinese classes. Strangely, I felt more comfortable than I did in France where there was always this pressure to speak the language. In China, I just simply don’t and people don’t really expect me to.
That afternoon we walked to the subdivision’s clubhouse. The walk over there was blissful. It was sunny and warm, but not too humid and there was blue sky! I remember thinking, this isn’t as bad as everyone says. Michigan heat and humidity is worse than this! And the air seemed fresh. I wasn’t the least bit vexed by the weather. But the secadias are almost deafening at times. They’re like the size of my palm! The clubhouse looked like a five-star resort with a concierge, an Olympic-sized pool and restaurant. Always scavenging for food (we have yet to go to a grocery store), we decided to eat there. Ryan had nachos and pizza for his first meal in China. I at least ordered spring rolls. Our waiter, Jimmy, ended up becoming our first real Chinese friend. We talked to him about China and the world for 45 minutes over lunch.
That night we ate with Nancy and Lauren (Nancy’s daughter’s friend who has been studying Chinese and is living in the house until Sunday). We had macaroni and cheese. So Chinese, right? After dinner, Nancy suggested we go get massages. We took a cab to this little hole-in-the-wall massage parlor. For an hour, we had neck, shoulders and foot rubs for only $7 a piece. Any day that ends in a massage can’t be that bad. I was beginning to like China.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Ryan and I went out looking for an apartment. I had of course, gotten sick. It’s just a little cold, but it was enough to wear me down. I had expected this I guess. Anyway, we had seen some ads online (craigslist Shanghai, Shanghai Expat, etc) and had made some appointments to see the apartments. When we called a cab from Nancy’s, the driver couldn’t read pinyin (Chinese words written in Roman letters). That sucked. We ended up driving for over an hour after he got us lost on the road we needed to be on in the height of rush hour traffic. I wanted to go home at this point. But Ryan, picking up the optimism pendulum, encouraged me that the day would get better. And it did. We saw apartments in six different complexes with a bilingual real estate agent named Sam. I could have lived in any of them. They were all two-bedroom apartments, fairly new, in good neighborhoods. Some even had state-of-the-art gyms – I mean better than I’ve seen in the US. They had yoga classes with instructors form India, indoor pools, treadmills with satellite TV, the works. But, the whole time, I couldn’t help but feel that the prices were too high. That’s the thing about China for me right now. I’m always asking myself if I’m getting ripped off. It sucks feeling taken advantage of. Sam seemed like a great guy, but we’re still foreigners.
Last night we watched the Olympics on TV and I went to sleep at 8. I just felt sick and tired. My sinuses felt like someone stuffed feathers up my nostrils. Welcome to Shanghai!
Today (Wednesday) was my first day at work. Ryan came into the city (we’re living 45 minutes outside) with me and dropped me off in front of the building. 666 Fuzhou Lu (road) – I had read and spoken this address so many times. It was surreal to be there. I walked in and met my boss, Katie. She gave me a tour of the office, including an introduction to the Star Recruitment team, of which I will become a part. I met so many people. After a whirlwind tour, I was off in cab to my medical appointment, which I need to apply for a residence permit, back in Hongqiao (where I live). I hadn’t eaten anything since 7 and it was already 1:30. Strangely enough, time flies by here for me. I wasn’t even hungry, just dazed. It was really hazy today. I’d never seen anything like it. It was like California during the fires, but with no ash in the air. In the cab that morning, Ryan suggested we move to Geneva next. To go from here to Switzerland would be a dream– I think I might need to after this year.
The medical exam was extremely thorough and efficient. I was seriously impressed. They took blood (the most painless blood draw I have ever experienced in my life), checked my eyes, did an EKG, an ultrasound of my stomach and lungs, a chest x-ray and a physical. The nurses who lead you from room to room had on the cutest pink fitted scrubs. They were so friendly, so that made it an almost pleasant experience. During the ultrasound, the technician was this cute old man. He was so straight-faced. When he was moving the wand around my ribs, I started to laugh out loud and nothing – he wouldn’t even crack a smile. Until the end, he handed me my paperwork and shot me a smile as he nodded.
After that, I took the cab back downtown to work where Katie told me a bit more about the “products” (i.e. schools ) I will be selling to potential teachers. I asked a lot of questions and she warmed up a lot to me. I left feeling better than I felt in the morning. Good enough to make it through another day. That’s all I need to do right now.
-Alexa
From Ryan:
Wow. What a wild 4 days it's been. Alexa summed up most of our experiences up until today so that's where I'll start.
I rode with Alexa in the cab to her office this morning with plans to see a bit of the city before I had to head out to the other side of town for an interview. I was dressed in a suit and tie and started sweating from the second I walked out the door. I kissed her goodbye and set off to obtain some cell phones for us. I eventually tracked them down at a small street store that sold me two used cell phones. I just needed something quick and cheap so I can quit using my American phone at $3/min. As it turns out, with these phones, we can receive calls from anywhere in the world for free and can make calls to the US for $.07/min with our special plan. Not too bad for phones off the street, eh?
Our new numbers are as follows:
Alexa: +86 137 640 59401
Ryan: +86 137 640 59464
So give us a call anytime. Just remember that we're 12 hours ahead of the east coast.
After I found the phones, I strolled down the street - starting my day of seeing the city. I stopped off at a small shop that sold vaguely familiar looking briefcases and handbags. Deciding that I needed to look slightly more professional than my plastic shopping bag would allow, I stopped in and bargained a price on a nice leather briefcase/messenger bag thing.
I'll continue with the rest at another point. I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. Suffice it so say that it was a busy and positive day.
I hope to hear from you all soon.
Ryan
We flew to Shanghai on Saturday. After a two-hour car ride to LAX, my dad and Susan dropped us off at the curb. We checked in and learned that if we could redistribute our stuff in the luggage, we could save $510. They were seriously trying to charge us $330 for every bag over 70 pounds, of which we had two. So sweating and cursing, we wheeled our overweight bags and moved things around, thereby completely thrashing our organizational system (we packed some bags to be opened right away and some were packed to be opened when we moved into our apartment). Luckily, we only ended up paying $150. Just the cost of doing business I guess. “No one said moving to China would be: cheap.” Our bags weighed 49, 65.5, 68 and 70 pounds - a total of 252.5 pounds. Insane, I know. I’m not proud of it.
We flew to San Francisco and then connected to a flight to Shanghai. The flight was long, 11 hours and 26 minutes to be exact. We were in coach. Ryan had the window seat and I sat in the middle of row 53. A super nice Taiwanese man named Daniel sat in the aisle. There were four movies, none of which were worth watching.
When we started to land, Ryan couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. We were both so excited. Deliriously tired, but so pumped. We landed and made our way through customs. It was a breeze. At the passport control counter, there was a little machine where you could rate their customer service. They let me in the country, so I pressed the “extremely satisfied” button.
We collected our bags and headed to the exit. We had to put all our bags on a scanner before we could leave the terminal. There was a huge line and since the conveyor belt was so short, it was impossible to catch your bags on the other side before they crashed to the ground. I didn’t get it.
Outside the terminal, we found our driver. Nancy, the woman we are staying with, had arranged for Mr. Lu to pick us up. We followed him out to the van. We were knocked over by the humidity when we got outside. On the ride to Nancy’s out in the Hongqiao district (it’s in the west while the Pudong airport is in the northeast), we had our faces pressed to the windows, in awe of our new hometown. It was like the density of New York, as sprawling as Los Angeles, but with the lights of Las Vegas.
When we arrived at Le Chateau complex where we would be staying with a woman named Nancy, we were simply giddy. The place completely exceeded our expectations. After we made it through the security gate, we passed row after row of huge houses. It was like a subdivision in Rancho Santa Fe. The house we’re staying at is like 6000 square feet. It’s incredible!
The next day (Monday), I woke up at 5. It was already light outside (a consequence of China, a country the size of the US, being on only one time zone perhaps). I watched Friends and ate some Italian bread toasted with Skippy peanut butter. It was like I never left the States.
That day Ryan and I had to go to the police station to get a temporary residence permit. It was a bit crippling to not speak any Chinese. We basically handed them our passports, they handed us a form and that was it. As we were sitting there, Ryan told me how he regretted that we didn’t take more Chinese classes. Strangely, I felt more comfortable than I did in France where there was always this pressure to speak the language. In China, I just simply don’t and people don’t really expect me to.
That afternoon we walked to the subdivision’s clubhouse. The walk over there was blissful. It was sunny and warm, but not too humid and there was blue sky! I remember thinking, this isn’t as bad as everyone says. Michigan heat and humidity is worse than this! And the air seemed fresh. I wasn’t the least bit vexed by the weather. But the secadias are almost deafening at times. They’re like the size of my palm! The clubhouse looked like a five-star resort with a concierge, an Olympic-sized pool and restaurant. Always scavenging for food (we have yet to go to a grocery store), we decided to eat there. Ryan had nachos and pizza for his first meal in China. I at least ordered spring rolls. Our waiter, Jimmy, ended up becoming our first real Chinese friend. We talked to him about China and the world for 45 minutes over lunch.
That night we ate with Nancy and Lauren (Nancy’s daughter’s friend who has been studying Chinese and is living in the house until Sunday). We had macaroni and cheese. So Chinese, right? After dinner, Nancy suggested we go get massages. We took a cab to this little hole-in-the-wall massage parlor. For an hour, we had neck, shoulders and foot rubs for only $7 a piece. Any day that ends in a massage can’t be that bad. I was beginning to like China.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Ryan and I went out looking for an apartment. I had of course, gotten sick. It’s just a little cold, but it was enough to wear me down. I had expected this I guess. Anyway, we had seen some ads online (craigslist Shanghai, Shanghai Expat, etc) and had made some appointments to see the apartments. When we called a cab from Nancy’s, the driver couldn’t read pinyin (Chinese words written in Roman letters). That sucked. We ended up driving for over an hour after he got us lost on the road we needed to be on in the height of rush hour traffic. I wanted to go home at this point. But Ryan, picking up the optimism pendulum, encouraged me that the day would get better. And it did. We saw apartments in six different complexes with a bilingual real estate agent named Sam. I could have lived in any of them. They were all two-bedroom apartments, fairly new, in good neighborhoods. Some even had state-of-the-art gyms – I mean better than I’ve seen in the US. They had yoga classes with instructors form India, indoor pools, treadmills with satellite TV, the works. But, the whole time, I couldn’t help but feel that the prices were too high. That’s the thing about China for me right now. I’m always asking myself if I’m getting ripped off. It sucks feeling taken advantage of. Sam seemed like a great guy, but we’re still foreigners.
Last night we watched the Olympics on TV and I went to sleep at 8. I just felt sick and tired. My sinuses felt like someone stuffed feathers up my nostrils. Welcome to Shanghai!
Today (Wednesday) was my first day at work. Ryan came into the city (we’re living 45 minutes outside) with me and dropped me off in front of the building. 666 Fuzhou Lu (road) – I had read and spoken this address so many times. It was surreal to be there. I walked in and met my boss, Katie. She gave me a tour of the office, including an introduction to the Star Recruitment team, of which I will become a part. I met so many people. After a whirlwind tour, I was off in cab to my medical appointment, which I need to apply for a residence permit, back in Hongqiao (where I live). I hadn’t eaten anything since 7 and it was already 1:30. Strangely enough, time flies by here for me. I wasn’t even hungry, just dazed. It was really hazy today. I’d never seen anything like it. It was like California during the fires, but with no ash in the air. In the cab that morning, Ryan suggested we move to Geneva next. To go from here to Switzerland would be a dream– I think I might need to after this year.
The medical exam was extremely thorough and efficient. I was seriously impressed. They took blood (the most painless blood draw I have ever experienced in my life), checked my eyes, did an EKG, an ultrasound of my stomach and lungs, a chest x-ray and a physical. The nurses who lead you from room to room had on the cutest pink fitted scrubs. They were so friendly, so that made it an almost pleasant experience. During the ultrasound, the technician was this cute old man. He was so straight-faced. When he was moving the wand around my ribs, I started to laugh out loud and nothing – he wouldn’t even crack a smile. Until the end, he handed me my paperwork and shot me a smile as he nodded.
After that, I took the cab back downtown to work where Katie told me a bit more about the “products” (i.e. schools ) I will be selling to potential teachers. I asked a lot of questions and she warmed up a lot to me. I left feeling better than I felt in the morning. Good enough to make it through another day. That’s all I need to do right now.
-Alexa
From Ryan:
Wow. What a wild 4 days it's been. Alexa summed up most of our experiences up until today so that's where I'll start.
I rode with Alexa in the cab to her office this morning with plans to see a bit of the city before I had to head out to the other side of town for an interview. I was dressed in a suit and tie and started sweating from the second I walked out the door. I kissed her goodbye and set off to obtain some cell phones for us. I eventually tracked them down at a small street store that sold me two used cell phones. I just needed something quick and cheap so I can quit using my American phone at $3/min. As it turns out, with these phones, we can receive calls from anywhere in the world for free and can make calls to the US for $.07/min with our special plan. Not too bad for phones off the street, eh?
Our new numbers are as follows:
Alexa: +86 137 640 59401
Ryan: +86 137 640 59464
So give us a call anytime. Just remember that we're 12 hours ahead of the east coast.
After I found the phones, I strolled down the street - starting my day of seeing the city. I stopped off at a small shop that sold vaguely familiar looking briefcases and handbags. Deciding that I needed to look slightly more professional than my plastic shopping bag would allow, I stopped in and bargained a price on a nice leather briefcase/messenger bag thing.
I'll continue with the rest at another point. I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. Suffice it so say that it was a busy and positive day.
I hope to hear from you all soon.
Ryan
Thursday, August 7, 2008
It's all really happening.
We did it! We finally booked a flight to China!
We will be leaving on Saturday (yeah, that's less than 48 hours) August 9 at 11:04 am from LAX. We arrive in Shanghai the following day at 5:25 pm. I can't believe it's finally here.
We have visas, a place to stay (with some very generous family friends), and we're almost all packed. Any guesses as to how much our four bags (2 each) will weigh? I don't even want to know. But I'll take note of it to amuse Ryan's dad.
Hopefully we'll be blogging our first impressions after we arrive and get some sleep. Maybe Monday morning US time.
Wish us luck.
Here we go...
We will be leaving on Saturday (yeah, that's less than 48 hours) August 9 at 11:04 am from LAX. We arrive in Shanghai the following day at 5:25 pm. I can't believe it's finally here.
We have visas, a place to stay (with some very generous family friends), and we're almost all packed. Any guesses as to how much our four bags (2 each) will weigh? I don't even want to know. But I'll take note of it to amuse Ryan's dad.
Hopefully we'll be blogging our first impressions after we arrive and get some sleep. Maybe Monday morning US time.
Wish us luck.
Here we go...
Friday, August 1, 2008
We should be there.
It's really weird to think that Ryan and I should be in Shanghai right now. I guess I've known for a couple of weeks that we wouldn't be making our July 31st departure date. But now that the day has passed, it's sort of weird to still be in San Diego. I'm a little sad.
We drove the 2 1/2 hours up to Los Angeles this morning to apply for my visa. When we got there, we sat in a waiting room surrounded by Chinese people. We were only two of a handful of westerners in the room. Ryan leaned over to me and said, "This is our first taste. We're really doing this." It was really cool to hear everyone speaking Chinese. There's something oddly comforting about being in a room full of people you can't understand. You would think it would be strange, but it's familiar. I felt excitement and peace at the same time.
We were only there for about 10 minutes. The woman at the window told me that they "don't do mailings" so we have to return to the consulate next Wednesday to retrieve my passport, stamped with a work visa. So, we drove home.
It was our first, albeit brief, encounter with the PRC government. I was impressed. They were super efficient, organized and very no-nonsense. It wasn't so bad. Maybe this is a sign that I'm going to like the way things run in China. I mean, there's something extremely charming about "southern France time," especially if you're in the right mood, but I have to admit, going to Switzerland or Germany was a welcomed break from the usual coffee/smoke-breaks-are-more-important-than-your-schedule routine. I remember when Ryan and I witnessed a perfectly timed train conductors' strike in Berlin. After one hour to prove their point, the trains resumed their schedules to the minute. China's going to be like that - on crack.
I'm not excited about having to drive up to LA again to get my visa and then a third time to go to the airport when we actually depart for Shanghai, but it's just what we have to do. Soon, our adventure will begin.
But then again, perhaps it already has...
We drove the 2 1/2 hours up to Los Angeles this morning to apply for my visa. When we got there, we sat in a waiting room surrounded by Chinese people. We were only two of a handful of westerners in the room. Ryan leaned over to me and said, "This is our first taste. We're really doing this." It was really cool to hear everyone speaking Chinese. There's something oddly comforting about being in a room full of people you can't understand. You would think it would be strange, but it's familiar. I felt excitement and peace at the same time.
We were only there for about 10 minutes. The woman at the window told me that they "don't do mailings" so we have to return to the consulate next Wednesday to retrieve my passport, stamped with a work visa. So, we drove home.
It was our first, albeit brief, encounter with the PRC government. I was impressed. They were super efficient, organized and very no-nonsense. It wasn't so bad. Maybe this is a sign that I'm going to like the way things run in China. I mean, there's something extremely charming about "southern France time," especially if you're in the right mood, but I have to admit, going to Switzerland or Germany was a welcomed break from the usual coffee/smoke-breaks-are-more-important-than-your-schedule routine. I remember when Ryan and I witnessed a perfectly timed train conductors' strike in Berlin. After one hour to prove their point, the trains resumed their schedules to the minute. China's going to be like that - on crack.
I'm not excited about having to drive up to LA again to get my visa and then a third time to go to the airport when we actually depart for Shanghai, but it's just what we have to do. Soon, our adventure will begin.
But then again, perhaps it already has...
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