Trick or Treat

I’m a little disappointed that since living in a dorm in college, I have never had a trick-or-treater come to my door.  In DC this was because only drunk homeless men stumbled by my alleyway entrance.  In Spanish Harlem, it wasn’t worth it for a kid to hike up 5 ½ flights of stairs for one lame piece of candy.  In the village, everyone watched or participated in the parade instead.  Which brings us to China…

Last year, I chronicled how Halloween was starting to catch on as a holiday, thanks to the proliferation of expats, especially Americans.  This year, we saw the big nightclub up our street setting up a haunted-house type gauntlet that costumed patrons had to walk through to enter the club.  We saw a row of shops offering sweets to trick-or-treaters who came by (T-o-T-ing at shops, rather than residences, was common in NYC too -- makes sense in big cities of mostly apartment dwellers, I guess).

As for our celebration, we kept it simple this year.  First we got dressed in costume (well, at least one of us did)…

not sure about this outfit, Daddy

ahoy, sailor!

got my T-o-T bag and everything!

…then we went out for a ice cream at Cold Stone (yep, they’re here in Shanghai).  Treat indeed!

no pausing for silly photos, just gimme the ice cream!

can't smile because I'm thinking about that next bite!

Beyond the Pale

Now that summertime has turned to fall, the ubiquitous umbrellas are disappearing.  This isn’t due to a decrease in rain.  Instead it’s because umbrellas here – particularly for women – aren’t used to stay dry.  Rather, they are used to stay pale.

lots of umbrellas, not a drop of rain

I guess a more appropriate term for these required summer accessories would be "parasols".  They are quite fancy here, with tons of colors and patterns, some adorned in lace and sequins, and even including undersides with some pretty serious looking UV-blocking material.  Think ball-gown on the outside, spacesuit on the inside. 

If a lunchtime stroll on a sunny day necessitates a parasol, then what about a trip to the beach?  Well, the new trend in Qingdao and other Chinese beach communities is the "face-kini".**  To me, this doesn’t look like a particularly enjoyable swim outfit, but I guess it does allow women to both enjoy the ocean and keep their skin completely protected.

the makings of a beach-themed horror movie?  (c) AFP/Getty Images 

This concern with remaining pale extends beyond outdoor protection.  When I want to buy face-wash or body lotion, I have to carefully search through the aisles to find the small shelf of products that do not contain “whitening” agents.  There are special creams designed to bleach every part of a woman’s body, from armpits to “down there”.  That particular product was a rather horrifying discovery.

Considering the culture I grew up in includes tanning salons and bronzing creams, I cannot claim any sort of superiority over these women who strive to remain fair.  And frankly, the lady under the parasol will have healthier skin as a result of her habits, assuming she goes easy on the bleaching products. 

But as someone who finds umbrellas rather cumbersome, it seems like a nuisance to have to carry one everyday, just to stay that extra shade of pale.

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**link to related NYT article here

Babyland

Shanghai summers are very hot and very very humid.  As a consequence, the majority of foreigners return to whatever better climate they call “home” for most of July and August.  And as a consequence of that, most organized activities that we enjoy throughout the year – music class, drop-in dance, swim lessons, playgroups – are cancelled for summer.

Unbearable weather + no friends in town + lack of activities = recipe for a bummer summer.

However, these bummers didn’t seem to affect TJ’s boundless energy, yearning for adventure, and happy-go-lucky attitude.  So I witnessed a wonderful moment in parenting, when my little bundle of joyous energy taught me a powerful lesson about staying optimistic and continuing to enjoy each day regardless of the circumstances.

If the weather was below melting point, we headed to Fuxing Park, which I’ve chronicled previously as an endless source of local entertainment.  Swimming became another favorite activity, and luckily we have a terrific indoor pool with a huge tri-level baby pool.  This was a great way to stay cool, keep us entertained, and tire TJ out thoroughly.

And then there's Babyland, an awesome indoor play gym for little ones.  They have a playhouse with kitchen and plastic food, walls of puzzles to solve and gears to connect, a bouncy castle, big foam blocks to create obstacle courses, ball pits, jungle gyms, and lots of instant playmates.  Tyler’s favorite hangout spots are the big blow up running track, the ballpit, and the stairs to the slide (maybe one day she will go down the slide too!).

adventures in Babyland

that little blonde blur is TJ off to the races

slogging through waist-deep plastic balls

and onto the stairs, TJ's favorite

PS  Yes I realize all of these photos are of TJ's backside.  She's hard to keep up with once she discovers the excitement of Babyland!

One Year

One year ago today, with a sleeping infant, 13 pieces of luggage, and a mixture of trepidation and adventure, we stepped off a plane and into China. 

I wish I had something really profound to say about this milestone, but it kind of snuck up on us.  It's hard for me to believe we've already been residents of Shanghai for a year, as I still feel like a newbie in so many ways. Yet as I go about my daily routines, I am realizing how much we've normalized so many experiences that were strange and uncomfortable a year ago. I have many days that I distinctly feel like a visitor here, clearly a foreigner in a foreign land. But I do think we are slowly carving our own little niche in this city. 

The first year was mostly about hanging on for dear life as we were thrust onto the wild rides of new (foreign) city, parenthood, and crazy consulting hours. Now I feel like we can take a deep breath, collect ourselves, and begin a second year of more intentional living, deeper discovery, and greater connectedness -- with China and as a family.

With one whirlwind year under our belt, I'm really looking forward to the journey ahead.

Graffiti

Graffiti is a common aspect of urban life, yet strikingly absent in Shanghai.  Until, that is, we visited M50.  M50 is an abandoned cluster of industrial buildings (I believe an old textile mill) that were adopted by a few local artists about ten years ago.  Over the span of a decade, the space has transformed into the hottest art scene in Shanghai, where fledgling artists are neighbors with the established elite, messy studios sit above fancy galleries, and every type of artist -- sculptors, painters, architects, graphic designers -- all feed off the creative energy that pulses through the old drab warehouses.  We spent a recent afternoon wandering through the space's galleries, bookshop, and cafe, and emerged to find this: a quiet street, a crumbling wall, and lots of graffiti.

It seems M50 does indeed attract all kinds of artists.

Look Who's Talking

We have recently entered a fun new phase with TJ -- talking!  So far she has about a dozen words under her belt, some coming and going in phases where she seems to utter nothing else but her word du jour (not annoying at all! gotta love toddlers...)

Here's the current TJ Dictionary:

Baba = I see a baby in this book (never used for real-life babies)

Ball = coolest toy ever!

Blala = a yummy fruit with a yellow peel, commonly called a "banana"

Bye Bye (+ hand flapping) = someone is standing near the door, which means they just might exit soon

Dada = hey mama, the phone is ringing

Done (+ throwing hands into air) = I'm bored, so find a new way to occupy my attention now or I'm going to be very unhappy in 5...4...3...2...

Down = hey dopes, remember how I prefer to walk rather than be carried anywhere?

Mama (said in happy voice) = term of endearment for mama, daddy, BK, Ayi, the barista, the stewardess, and nice looking strangers

Mama (said in whimper/scream) = calling the one & only Mama

No = I'm a toddler and I have opinions

Shoes = let's put these on so we can go outside, please

Xie Xie (sounds like shee-eh shee-eh) = literally "thanks" in Mandarin, this was TJ's 3rd word, and first word in Mandarin, but we haven't heard her say it in over a month when she entered into rebellious toddlerhood

Xi Shou (sounds like she show) = literally "wash hands", and it is used in conjunction with one of TJ's favorite activities . . . seriously

Yum = this meal has my stamp of approval; alt. I would like some of what you're eating, please

Zhe ge (sounds like jigga) = literally "this", repeated ad nauseum with a finger point

Sydney

When Matt and I originally discussed living abroad, one of our goals was to not only experience that place, but also enjoy exploring other cities/countries nearby that would otherwise be harder to travel to from the states. So far, although Matt has travelled quite a bit for his job, I haven't really followed through on that plan. We joined him in Beijing for a work trip, and as a family we vacationed in Hainan and enjoyed a weekend getaway in the Moganshan mountains. But besides that, we've stayed put in Shanghai.

Well, at the beginning of August, Matt mentioned that he might travel to Sydney for a client pitch. It was a long shot if he would even go, but we tossed around the idea of TJ and I going with him. Really, Sydney isn't very close to China (it was still a 10+ hour flight). But the minimal time difference means no jetlag, which is a HUGE advantage, especially when travelling with a young kid. And since Matt's flight and hotel were paid by work, the cost of our trip down under would really never be cheaper. It's the tail end of winter in Australia right now, which means a pleasant break from the oppressive heat in Shanghai (not to mention we could avoid the incoming typhoon).  This opportunity would be Val's first trip to the southern hemisphere, and TJ's first foreign adventure (not counting the two countries where she has lived). We might just have to do this!

As it turned out, Matt didn't find out he would make the trip until Tuesday after lunch. In order to make the meeting in Sydney, he had to catch a flight Tuesday night. And in order for us to join him, we had to go a little crazy. In just a couple of hours, we managed to buy plane tickets, book a hotel reservation, get entry visas, pack, and make it to the airport in time to grab dinner before boarding our flight. Whew!

Notice the one thing I did NOT do is actually research anything about Sydney. This is where I relied on one of the best benefits of being an expat: my wonderful network of international friends. I am lucky to be friends with Jane, who is not only an awesome person but also called Sydney home prior to moving to China. She sent me a fantastic email of touristy things to do and insider tips for navigating Sydney. Armed with her advice, we were ready to explore.

Unfortunately, Matt had to work some of the time (this was funding the trip, after all). So TJ and I walked around the nearby area, including a neat neighborhood called the Rocks, botanic gardens that were lush and serene even in winter, the Circular Quay ferry station, and of course the Opera House. We spent a whole day at the Taronga Zoo, known as one of the world's best. We all took a ferry out to Watson's Bay, at the mouth of the massive harbor, and hiked around before tucking into famously delicious fish'n'chips. We walked across the Harbor Bridge, enjoying the fantastic views along the way. Matt and TJ cheered on live Olympic coverage while I toured the Opera House. And as a bonus -- especially considering how hastily our trip was planned -- Matt's friend from high school and his girlfriend drove up from Canberra to join us on Sunday. As we all remarked, spending a day with friends from "home" when you live abroad is a treat. It's refreshing to talk about all of those mundane topics that feel so normal and familiar, yet are conversation non-starters in our expat worlds (the recent Nuggets trade, for example).

All in all, we had a fabulous time down under, even if it was a hastily-planned, quickly-executed trip.  Our time in Sydney has rekindled our original intentions to explore this side of the globe while living here.  I can't wait to plan our next adventure!

Harbor Bridge from across Circular Quay

TJ spots the Opera House

hanging out with the kangaroos

a ferry and that iconic building again

braving the wind at Watson's Bay

the Rocks neighborhood and Harbor Bridge from our hotel

the sun shined through the stormy skies for a stunning view from the bridge