Shanghai

Todd is working later than usual (for anyone who knows him well, surprise, surprise!) so I'm fending for myself tonight in respect to dinner.  We have pretty much no groceries because we leave in the morning for vacation, but I did have macaroni and cheese... American version... Kraft 3 Cheese!

I brought this from the US, along with about 5 other boxes of Mac & Cheese because in Shanghai, one box of Kraft Mac & Cheese costs about 3 dollars, while in the states, about 75 cents, maybe $1.  Plus, from what I've seen, you can't even get the 3 Cheese option over here.

That is how any imported food in Shanghai is priced... about 2 - 3 times the US price.  For example, Todd bought some strawberry jelly for $9... a very small jar of Jelly.  I brought him 2 jars of Smucker's that cost me $2 a piece.  We also pay for imported chips over here. A regular size bag of Lay's Plain Potato Chips costs 36 RMB, or $5.71, while Nacho Cheese Doritos cost $9.84.

Cheex-Its cost $12!!!!!!

The prices can be ridiculous.  One day Todd and I were at the grocery and he threw a box of 12 Special K bars in our basket.  When it came time to ring them up, they cost $12!!!!!  They cost $2.50 in the states, and less than that if you buy them at Sam's Club!

For this reason, when we came to Shanghai, I packed much more than clothes, and had already sent Todd with much more than clothes.  My husband thought I was crazy, but every single thing I packed we have been happy to have, or to not have to purchase over here.

Food we packed:

- Olive Oil

- Balsamic Vinegar

- 3 large jars of Peanut Butter

- 2 jars of Jelly

- 2 XL Boxes of Special K Bars (After realizing the price over here)

- Dijon Mustard

- Mayo

- 5 boxes of Kraft 3 Cheese

- 2 boxes of Easy Mac

- 2 boxes Kashi granola bars

Random, I know...

The other items that are difficult to find in Shanghai or are incredibly high priced due to being an import, are anti-bacterial cleaners.  I had read somewhere before coming to Shanghai these items were difficult to find, so I stocked up on these items, too.  I can be a major "germaphobe" so I wanted to be prepared.  I'm very thankful I was.  China does not have NEAR the standards/expectations the US does when it comes to cleanliness.  When you move into an apartment, it either isn't cleaned after the leaser before you moves out, or if it is cleaned, it's not what you would expect in the US.  I was still in the states when Todd moved in, but he said it was covered in dust and grime.  It wasn't completely disgusting or we never would have agreed to live here, but it just hadn't been maintained at all.

Luckily, OCD wife to the rescue.  I sent Todd with 2 giant containers of Clorox Wipes, 2 bottles of Antibacterial Windex, and TONS of antibacterial soap (his mom gets credit for the soap!).  I basically told him to wipe down every single possible surface and item with a Clorox wipe.


I also brought about 100 Germ-X Antibacterial wipes that are individually packaged so I can carry them in my purse.  I know it sounds crazy, but think about how in the US, people wipe down shopping carts and their desks because of how many people touch them.  Now imagine being in a city of 24 million people, where cleanliness is NOT a top priority... where people regularly spit in the street, don't cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and then touch everything they can get their hands on. SO DISGUSTING!  Germ-X wipes are my BFF over here.


Another "dirty" thing is the water.  To make my macaroni, I had to remember I can't use the water from the sink, but rather bottled water.  It's a very strange situation because you're not supposed to use the sink water, but you pretty much have to rinse your food in it, you wash your hands in it, do your dishes with it, etc.  You also wonder what the restaurants do.  You know not all of them have a purification system, and even if they do, you don't know that it's kept up well enough to make a difference, so what and how much are you getting exposed to?  They also say the chlorine level of the water is what's so dangerous sometimes, because of how much they use to purify the water.  Todd now has to deal with me telling him to take a luke warm shower (more chlorine steam with more heat) and open the shower door occasionally to let the chlorine steam out so he doesn't die.  I know I'm overly paranoid, but the steam honestly does make me choke a bit when I'm in there too long or my water is extra hot.  I can also tell there's tons of chlorine in the water because of how dry my hair and skin feel... much more than in the US.


The air quality is a whole other story.  It's horrible, but at least it's better than Beijing.  Lots of people wear masks, but I honestly don't know that it helps, and I would be annoyed and feel stupid.  I told Todd we should have gotten a "before" x-ray of our lungs, and then take one when we move back home.  I never thought I would live somewhere where smoggy LA or any city in the US would be fresh air.  I'm so thankful to have a washing machine that also dries our clothes 90%, because everyone else has to dry their clothes on a drying rack.  If that drying rack is outside, I feel like your clothes would be incredibly dirty because of the air quality.  There will be more on the washer/dryer issue later...

The Holiday

Let me start off by saying I'm a "romcom" junkie!  I love them, no matter how corny, and usually, no matter how poor the acting.  They just make me feel good and not take life so seriously.

Today I watched "The Holiday".  The first time I saw it was in college.  I believe I rented it and another "romcom" to watch while self loathing after a "break up" (probably lasting 5 hours) with Todd... yes... Todd... my husband. ; )

It's soooo cute!  I love the cast... Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law.  Kind of a crazy combination, but it works.

Can I please say, Jude Law is sooooo cute in this movie.  He's very attractive, plus he's a father in this and he makes your heart melt.

I think the other reason I love this movie is because Cameron Diaz's character is a movie trailer maker.  I would LOVE to have that job.  I've had an obsession with making movies ever since I took a class on it in college.  Plus, because of her job, the movie also kind of makes fun of her by doing trailers of her life throughout, which I love, because I always wish life was like a movie with the perfect song playing in the background of that perfect kiss, or the sad dramatic music during an argument, etc.  I know it's weird, but if you know me, you get it.


Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie but you enjoy a cheesy, feel good romcom every once in a while, definitely go rent it.  Oh, and the trailer below doesn't do it justice.  It's actually quite horrible!

Coming Home

There are many things each day that remind me of my parents, both happy and sad.  Today "The Last Song" came on TV and reminded me of them, especially my mom, because of what happens in the movie.  This song makes me think of them, too... Makes me have happy thoughts that they're "home" and pain free.

High of 82, Low of 79

Yes please!  Tomorrow I am flying to a dream destination... Thailand.  One of the main reasons Todd and I accepted this relocation was the opportunity to travel an entirely different side of the world, and for cheaper than from the US.


I am so excited about going, not only because it's Thailand, but because it's going to be warm and I will actually get to lay out in the sun!  In Shanghai it's been hovering around 44 degrees during the day, and mid 30's at night.  The problem is, it's a wet cold.  I've handled plenty of KY winters... walking to an 8 am class in college where it's 18 degrees at the time, but I don't remember it feeling as cold as this.  The cold here is the type you feel all the way to your bones. It cuts through anything, and takes your body double the time to go "numb" where the chill is tolerable.  Therefore, 82 degree sunshine sounds like Heaven.  Plus, the amazing scenery will be icing on the cake.


The part of Thailand we are going to is a small island called Koh Samui (Some spell it K-O, no H).  Some of our friends from Todd's office also coincidently went to the exact same island the past few weeks, so if our trips are half as wonderful as theirs were, it will be the trip of a lifetime.

There's so much to do in the area.  You can go elephant trekking, see amazing water falls, rent a jeep and tour around the island to see the fishing villages, and more.  However, with as hard as Todd has been working and as much as I love the sun, we're just going to lounge around and enjoy our resort.  We're considering this trip the honeymoon we never took.


We stay the night in Bangkok before going to the island, and before heading back to Shanghai due to flight times.  When I think of Bangkok, all I picture is "The Hangover II".  Dumb movie, but it definitely leaves an impression!

I'll post pictures when we get back from our trip, but until then "Too-Da-Loo..."

Out of Touch

There's quite a few reasons why being in China is a downfall, but the one making me write this is being out of touch.  I feel out of touch with information of all kinds, but most of all with my friends.


I mean, let's be honest.  It's difficult enough for friends and family to keep in touch when they're a few hours away, or even states away with a few hours time difference, so imagine being continents apart.  I have to factor in long distance rates, international texting, etc.  At least when I was in TX and away from friends and family, I could easily text and call them for free (included in the cell plan). 


Currently, Shanghai is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone in the US, and therefore 14 hours ahead of CST.  These are the locations of friends and family who I would talk to and text on a very regular basis when I was in the states.  This means while all my friends are sleeping, I'm wide awake and enjoying my afternoon.  This makes it difficult to schedule Skype sessions, FaceTime, phone calls, or even texts for fear I'll wake someone up who doesn't have their phone on silent.  To make matters worse, Shanghai doesn't observe daylight savings, and therefore, in the Spring when the US "springs forward", the time difference will be 12 and 13 hours, making it difficult to remember, especially when one hour can be the difference of someone being asleep or awake.


Even if I didn't talk to everyone when I was living in the states, I would usually get the information on multiple people by just speaking to one person.That hasn't been the case since I've been in Shanghai.  It bothers me because I recently found out one of my friends has been going through a rough time since after the holiday and I had no idea.  I should have known, and should have been able to be there for her, but instead I'm out of touch.  Luckily I found out recently and have been able to communicate with her, but it still bothers me.


To make matters even more inconvenient, I haven't even been to a post office here, yet.  They are not everywhere like you would think, and I have no idea where else to get postage or how much postage a letter being sent to the US would require.  There's also the language barrier, which is even harder to surpass when you're an "English only" speaking Asian, who everyone else assumes to be a Mandarin speaking Chinese person.  I can't even send a card easily to my friends or family, and even when I do, if it's like US to Shanghai mail, it will take around 2 weeks.  Kind of kills the "immediate pick me up" side of sending a card, etc.  I know it will still be considered thoughtful, and people will be excited to receive mail from Shanghai, but still... it's just not the same.

It's the little things like this that make the adventure seem not quite so great.  I understand it all depends on perspective, but for me this isn't perspective... it's priorities.  I understand this is basically a once in a lifetime opportunity for us, and while we are here, we ARE taking advantage of every opportunity and traveling and taking it all in, but that doesn't mean I prefer choosing this adventure over being there for my friends/family.  It was hard enough to leave to come here after everything that has happened, and that's after I stayed an extra 7 months in the US to be there for family, friends, and myself.  There's a lot of factors going in to my current thinking, and I'll post more about that later, but for now...


To all my friends and family out there, just know I'm still here for you no matter the distance, time zones, or lack of communication.  I love you all!

Chinese New Year

I'm completely posting out of order, but at least I'm blogging!  January 23rd - 25th was Chinese Lunar New Year.  Sunday the 22nd was New Year's Eve.  Many many people were out of town because it's the one time of year most people living in Shanghai either take advantage of the time off to take a vacation, or go back to their homes.  It's amazing how few of the people living here are truly Shanghainese.  Todd and I were in town because we're taking our holiday this week.

Can I please tell you how WONDERFUL it was!  You could walk outside and not have a million people walking down the sidewalks... you could ride the metro without getting bumped into and squished... you could hear yourself think in public places (all of these negatives will receive their own post later).  It was great!

Another positive:  The amazing fireworks.  The only negative:  The amazing fireworks.  We're not talking, go to the fireworks stand and get some fireworks that spin and zip and make loud noises, but only go a few feet in the air.  We're not talking about fairground fireworks.  We're talking about full blown Disney World fireworks on every corner, being set off by every Joe Schmo with a lighter... or should I say Ching Chong (Yes, if you read my blog, you will also have to put up with very non-PC, stereotypical comments... but it's ok, I'm allowed... I'm asian).  It was CRAZY!  Here's what we saw on New Year's Eve... (WARNING: Explicit language - Please excuse my husband's bad language at the end of the video)

Those fireworks were being set off by someone who lives in our apartment complex.  They look so close because they were literally right outside the window of our hallway.

These were the fireworks going off around us at midnight.  This video is taken by me sticking my iPhone out the window.  There are more on the other side of our apartment.  The fireworks of this magnitude continued for a half an hours time.

I was very in to the fireworks on New Year's Eve, as you can tell from my taking video.  However, the subsequent firings, especially at 6 am, were highly annoying.  Every single morning, fireworks were shot off.  I could handle this if they were in the distance, but no, they sounded as if a canon was going off right outside our window.  Do you know what a black cat is in fireworks terms?  It's that annoyingly loud popping firecracker that just pop pop pops very loudly and quickly, one right after the other.  Well over here, the black cats are incredibly long.  I saw someone with one and thought it was a streamer.  I quickly realized it was a firework as the popping caused me to jump into the air.  They shoot those off at the same time as the canon sounding ones.  It's a wonderful noise to wake up to, especially when you're "retired" like me and can sleep in as long as you would like, any day of the week. : )

Elliott liked the fireworks, too

I read somewhere the reason Chinese people are so obsessed with fireworks is because there's supposed to be a monster that is scared away by the noise the fireworks make, so they scared the monster away for luck in the new year.  I'm not sure if this is really the legend and reason for the fireworks, but if it is, that monster is on the other side of the world after this week!

Please cross your fingers for me and hope the fireworks are over as it is 9:50 at night on Sunday, and everyone is back in town and the week containing Chinese New Year is quickly coming to a close.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years in the states.  We wish you an amazing 2012!

There's a 2012 on the building in the background - Hong Kong

Long time, no see...

Ok, so I haven't blogged in forever.  I am a very busy person, ya know.  I tell my husband all the time that I am much busier now that I'm "retired" than when I was working.  I am going to make blogging a priority, though, because it will document my thoughts and memories on my adventures, as well as inform everyone of what I've been up to and how I'm doing while I'm overseas.

I'm going to warn you, my blogs will probably be very random because I've thought of lots of things I want to blog about.  And yes, I will probably get on my soapbox a lot, complaining about Shanghai, or China in general.  FAIR WARNING.

Ok.  For those of you who don't know, I officially moved to Shanghai on December 13th.  It was the perfect date because that was actually my husband's and my 3rd wedding anniversary, so it was nice to be reunited.


I flew to Dallas first and stayed with one of my best friends and her family.  Her husband was supposed to be the only one picking me up at the airport, but she and her son surprised me by coming along, too!  It was so wonderful to see them, even if it was only for a few hours.

My entourage carrying my bags.  I am still carrying one, too.

Can I please tell you, I heart DFW Airport D Terminal?  And this is why... As I'm flying off to a 3rd world country and thinking about all the food I won't have access to, I am able to eat my last meal in the states at my FAVORITE bagel place...

Einstein Bros Bagels... It's the little things in life

It was also nice, because I flew business class for the first time on an international flight.  What a difference it makes!!!  I told my husband I don't want to fly coach on any flight over 4 hours EVER again.

My courtesy slippers

It was incredibly nice because I was in the bulkhead, which gave me tons of room, plus there was no one sitting next to me.  Of course, being a flight to Shanghai, there was a mandarin speaking flight attendant on the plane, and within 3 minutes of getting on the plane, she attempted to speak to me in mandarin to ask me if she could hang my coat.  Normally I don't have to deal with this until I actually ARRIVE in China, but oh well.


The food is so much better in business class, too.  I considered having a drink, but jet lag is enough to make me loopy and feel ill... I didn't need to add alcohol to the equation.

My warm nuts to start off my meal

The salad and bread were great!

Bacon wrapped, crab stuffed shrimp

Dessert - Toffee Ice cream with cocoa dusted nuts

Delicious!  And soooo much food.  So much better than the weird, sometimes unrecognizable items served in coach.  The best part of my flight was the fact I ended up sleeping for a full 8 hours.  On my previous flights in coach, I slept a total of 30 minutes because I couldn't fall asleep sitting up so straight and being so cramped.  Sleep does wonders for jet lag!


I arrived safe and sound, completely convinced customs had gone through all of my bags and taken out tons of the stuff I had brought, because I was able to lift all 5 of my suitcases on my cart by myself.  Might I add, I had 2 suitcases at 70 pounds, 2 at 50 pounds, and 1 carry-on stuffed to the max.  In the end customs didn't take anything, but had gone through 2 of my bags.  I got to kiss my husband on our anniversary, eat a calzone, and go to bed!