Many things strike me when I think about all the parks we have wandered through this week.  First, they’re everywhere yet we were the only “western” people in the parks and people did look at us weird, probably thinking, “What the hell??”  Thom and I love to walk the streets and absorb the culture wherever we go-Barcelona, NYC, Seattle, etc.  You see the locals enjoying their regular lives this way.  It is intimidating to go into an area knowing you will stand out but more travelers should take the plunge.  I’m so glad that Thom and I both share this love of wandering around and getting lost in the culture wherever we go-it’s so fun!

I saw so many cool activities going on in the parks–men playing cards, particularly older folks working out with tai chai, using the provided outdoor manual fitness equipment or just strolling along.  Even when just walking though there is a certain step cadence and their hands making motions in a pattern that must have significance.  It’s all so organic and spiritual as well as healthy.   If  US citizens would embrace outdoor exercise as much as their China counterparts, you have to think the obesity levels would dramatically decrease.  You rarely see any citizens here that are overweight.  Hmmmm…..must be all that exercise in the parks.

Spontaneous music appears in the parks as you walk the interior lanes.  We happened upon one man playing a string instrument, another guy in a stone hut serenading the passersby with his flute and a crowd watching a singer belt out beautiful haunting ballads–people sharing their passion and talent-not for money like the panhandlers in Seattle you see on the streets but just for the sheer enjoyment of the music.  How refreshing!

I am so impressed with the maintenance of the public areas.  You never see a piece of trash anywhere and the shrubs/gardens//flowers are kept in perfect repair.  It’s nice to see everyone out enjoying the parks.  I just wish more foreigners (well, really any foreigners) would enjoy all this beauty that’s free and so easily accessible.   In the meantime, Thom and I will continue to have fun exploring on foot all the cool corners of Shanghai!

National Holiday began today all over China.  Families are encouraged to travel home to visit their relatives.  Okay, “encouraged” may be too tame.  Actually, there was a full page Public Interest Ad in the China paper today which showed an Elderly Woman’s sad eyes and longing expression with the admonishment “Time to go home.  Don’t keep her waiting too long…”  I love it–guilt trip by the government….Gma could die if you don’t hit the road asap and, oh, spend some money while you’re at it.  These holidays are also a way to stimulate the economy.  If the packed malls today were any indication, the economy is still booming and Gma may still be waiting.  I saw McLaren, Maserati, Lamborgini, Rolls Royce, etc. dealerships today-someone has some bucks!  You wonder if the wealthy son is rolling up to see Gma in the local village in their sports car.  Hmmm….

They do take their “no work on holidays” mandate very seriously.  I tried running by the office this morning and even though I have a card to get in to the office itself, the elevator had been turned off-no access allowed.  The US would never do that since everyone works 24/7-instead of being frustrated, it was somewhat refreshing.  Of course, I did work from the hotel, starting with a 5 a.m. call from Redmond.  That 15 hour time change makes it hard to schedule meetings with everyone involved.  I predict many early morning wake up calls for me in the future.

As I wandered around today, I saw families shopping, eating and enjoying the outside.  I took some great pictures which I will share with you as soon as I can figure out how the hell to upload my photos to Skydrive using my China Unicom phone..to say technology can be frustrating at times here is an understatement.  I hated my $250 AT&T phone bill last month but loved the international plan because it worked and was easy.  Technology in China is not easy.  

Looking forward to Thom arriving tomorrow-it’s lonely here without him and we have so much fun walking around absorbing the culture wherever we are.  Fun stories to come as we travel to Beijing later this month and see the Great Wall up close and personal!

 

I finally got a hot meal at Element Fresh.  I had been living on PB&J and Special K from the International Grocery but I was starving.  I’m scared to death to have another “potted palm tree” incident but now I carry a bag with me at all times just in case.  I do love that many places serve fresh juices-I had a cran/pear/ginger juice tonight with my pasta.  You also avoid the whole tap water/ice issue when you get a pure juice drink which is much safer for my digestion.  Good news is that I’ll probably lose weight over here! 

It’s been my dream to work internationally for years.  Finally, after much hard work, I have achieved my dream!  How does that saying go–be careful what you wish for, you might just get it???  I’ve always chased the challenge and embraced the dream because, after all, life is short and I want to die tired with no regrets.  Believe me, after working in China for the next three years, I expect Thom and I will have enough stories to last a lifetime.

Certainly moving to China was not initially on my radar-London was the focus but the path to Europe definitely lies through Asia so I have embraced this challenge and so has Thom.  Travelling this week with my one way ticket though was stark reality that for the next three years, I will live and work in China.  Yes, there will be a few trips home but certainly we will need to find our new reality here.  I definitely could not do this alone, which is true about life in general.  Having Thom here soon to share in the craziness that is Shanghai will make it all seem right.

Yesterday walking for hours on the streets of Shanghai, I saw the tourist side but then wandered into the “local” area where the cooking and shopping and socializing is all done on the sidewalks.  I never felt unsafe but more out of place-people looked at this crazy American lady walking in their neighborhood and probably had a good laugh wandering if I would ever find my way home.  I did eventually but along the way I got a glimpse of how the average Chinese citizen lives and it was just fascinating to see how much more social this culture is than the US where you work all day and then pull into your garage and never see your neighbors, let alone eat with them on the street together.  This seems a happy way to live, surrounded by friends and family.  Would you be happier spending more time like this than inside watching TV or surfing the net?  I hope to find out as Thom & I will connect with his “Guy Tai” group of ex-pats soon and make new friends from around the world.  We also hope many of our friends and family will visit us in Shanghai–we have lots of room and want to share this great experience.