Sunday, February 26, 2012

Shanghai


Rumer
'Slow'


Ex-Pat Living

The singer above Rumer grew up as an expat kid in Pakistan she said once in an interview. My 11- and 12-year old daughters are also gaining a global experience and deeply learning a second language here in Shanghai, China. For me, it has been a semi-rough transition with a couple of maladapted bumps... Some days are excellent and other days just kind of 'man I miss the states' days...!




Shanghai Top 10

Things so far that I love, looking at the positive side...

10. Excellent food. For the Chinese, eating is a friend and family sport here (high end restaurants are all Vegas-glam and top in taste, presentation, style)

9. All 4 seasons exist -- cold, COLD, hot, humid-HOT

8. Socializing is mind blowing. Actually I've been very fortunate to meet the utmost friendliest and coolest people from all over the world (and many from my old hood, the Cali BayArea and even the small East coast town that I grew up until ~9 in Philipsburg, PA). I am meeting the rare paleolithically-persuaded folks contrary to predictions *ha ahaa!* Courtesy of the net.

7. Yes there are athletes here. In fact, I met Macca an elite Australian triathlete at an event last November! See side picture. D*mn Aussies, they're so HAAAAWWT.

6. My kids attend international school so we're lucky to have both American and Chinese holidays... lots of fun traveling so far (tropical paradise SanYa, Kyoto Japan, little weekend trips, etc). We hope to visit Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and Europe...

5. Like Cali, near the water (Shanghai means 'on the water' in Chinese)

4. Unmistakenly cultured and open, Shanghai is also known as the New York City of the Orient

3. No rules (it's C-h-i-n-a). They have capital punishment but little control over the common running of red lights or other driving hazards (cell phones, pedestrian right-of-way, speeding, drunk driving, etc)

2. Cheap shopping

1. Cheap labor (the excellent ayi, e.g. housekeeper/cook/shopper, costs US$100-150 per month for a few hours every other day)

7 comments:

Chuck said...

is that the same philipsburg, pa i drove through on my trips to state college, pa?

Aaron Blaisdell said...

Reason #11: Although there are plenty of hot Asian chicks in LA & San Fan, there are an order of magnitude MORE in Shanghai!

And doesn't Shanghai literally translate to "water town"? Hai shian (pin yin spelling might be a bit off) which literally translates to "ocean fresh" means "sea food". I bet the sea food there is awesome! We miss you, Grace!

Dr. B G said...

Chuck,

RIGHT ON! Yeah near Hershey's (chocolate) Park!


Aaron,

Dude you're a sinophile (or SIN-o-ophile!??)... *wink* It goes unsaid. The # of beautiful grrrrrls here is unreal and ridiculously insane (which goes without saying they end up wifey #2, 3, or ONE as well). *haa ahaa!* (personally I don't mind #2 or #3 as long as they do the laundry and cook) The fashion is absolutely fantastic. These tall girls prance like gazelles on high stilettos and boots all over the cement savannah. I have to say some of it is perhaps ANCESTRAL because living as you correctly translated the 'water town' supplies rich, dense, marine nourishment for the last eons (Omega-3, iodine, minerals, protein) that lends to a um certain characteristics. Shanghainese women have quite a rep (FEISTINESS) more than Canton, Hong Kon, Taiwanese (me) or KOREAN!

Miss y'll too... The catatonic days are over (kinda) *haa ah!!!*

G

praguestepchild said...

Call me shallow, but when I think of Shanghai, I think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BshXgkyy5PA

Dr. B G said...

Sean,

*ha ahaa!!*

Shanghai is all that... SEX, BOOZE AND ROCK N ROLL. Talk about doors wide open eyes wide shut. [No drugs... that's what all the Hong Kong'er ex-pats miss]

js290 said...

@Aaron, hottie asian chicks in the USA are crazy...

@Dr.BG, Taiwan is pretty bad ass...

Dr. B G said...

Taiwan??! SERIOUSLY... What is funny is that Shanghai now is actually Taiwan in the '80s-90s in terms of urban life, night culture, OK lounges, ethics and family/dad migrations.(remember MIT 'made in taiwan') We'll visit my relatives soon but haven't been there since 1990...