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Yes, it’s been awhile. The easy answer (excuse) is work, but the truth runs a bit deeper.
Transitioning between two countries can be challenging, especially when you find yourself in limbo. When I visit Shanghai I find that I’m no longer a tourist, but have difficulty considering myself a resident.
In the past two months I’ve managed to visit twice and these are my thoughts…
Shanghai, as we may have mentioned earlier, has a vibe that makes it quite livable. It’s the type of place you can venture out on a Saturday morning to get brunch, see a movie, buy towels for the bathroom, and enjoy a Blizzard at Dairy Queen. Mundane tasks for most, but for us a few bites of banality are rather enjoyable on occasion given the current pace of the universe.
Even on my own I find it easy to venture out as I managed to pick up some items for M; nevertheless you can always find adventure in the simplest of tasks. Imagine me explaining to a store clerk through pantomime which hairdryer I need to buy for my wife. All in all the woman was a really good sport, but she had to think it was crazy for a bald white man to be pestering her for something he clearly didn’t need.
Eventually though I tend to grow tired of wandering and make my way back home to the apartment. M did a fantastic job finding a place that gets amazing sunlight all day without baking any one part of the house. In terms of space it’s the type of place you can really feel comfortable living with plenty of room for the three of us.
At the same time it’s not like I want to spend a ton of time there either as I can never sit still. Given the options on TV I think I have a strong case. Most of CCTVs programs are historical dramas, travel guides, news, sports (plenty of table tennis and badminton), and the occasional recycled foreign program. Honestly I’m not cut out to be a housewife as I don’t think I can stand watching any more old episodes of Top Gear, Hannah Montana, and Japanese soap operas. I mean seriously, once Ichiro and Akiko’s wedding was sabotaged, I lost all interest…
Besides there was an eclipse!
Sadly this turned out to be bit of a disappointment in Shanghai as rain spoiled the event. Don’t get me wrong, it was still really cool, but could have been amazing to see it for real. Even worse, it’s not like you can stick around and wait for the next one.
Overall I like the place and want to get there soon. Living apart from the ones you love is something you grow accustomed to as an expat, but without your nucleus it’s really hard. M is like the glue that keeps me together when it seems like everything else is insane and Gizmo…well…he holds a special place in my heart by helping me realize that life shouldn’t be taken too seriously when there are so many things to check out and urinate on.
So when I visit Shanghai I feel like I’m getting the chance to look into the future for myself and M, when I return to Japan I feel lost in the past.
The movers will be coming a week from today to once again collect all of our belonging and ship them to our new home in Shanghai.
The puppy dog paperwork will soon be underway as the no man or furry left behind rule will take the gremlin to his third country.
The one way plane ticket has been purchased and I’ll be using it this coming Sunday as I head off to sign leases, buy cell phones and start off once again in the Shanghai office.
I say once again because my time as the new kid on the first day of school has already passed. As T previously mentioned I set off about two weeks ago now to Shanghai to start the always awkward transition.
It was of course, awkward.
From the not knowing whether or not to offer a handshake (the Chinese typically don’t shake hands) to trying to remember the names of the people on my team (how the nice Chinese boy on my team decided to call himself Gino, I have no idea) I have now survived the strangeness which always accompanies the first few days at a new job.
I even managed to survived first getting locked out of and then getting locked in the ladies room. I possess talents few can match.
All in all the trip went quite well even with a few minor hiccups.
By this time next week our names should be on the lease of a lovely two bedroom in the Jing An area of Shanghai. In the end we decided to go the compound route as the apartments I saw elsewhere were a little less secure seeming and there wasn’t nearly as much space for the gremlin to roam around in. The Olympic sized pool also may have played a factor but with three karaoke rooms and plenty of green space to wee on, I’d argue there’s something for everyone in our little family in the new digs. I’ll let you guess which of us will be using which of the above amenities.
With the bloodtests done and the apartment seemingly in place, the only thing I can do for now is to enjoy my last few days in Japan. I may return to China a little chubbier but we’re gradually making the rounds to our favorite restaurants and just taking in the close of my time here in Japan.
Sunday will mark the close of a great adventure for me but once the wheels touch down in China, the next adventure starts.
All I need now is my boys to hurry up and join me!
Imagine having the following conversation with a random (yet armed) stranger in the airport:
“Excuse me. Do you have AIDS?”
“Um…no.”
“Leprosy?”
“Um…what?”
“How about Venereal Disease?”
When one flies to China, they are required to answer questions on the landing survey that ask such things as “Do you have depression?” or “Do you have AIDS?” Admit to having anything on the list and you’ll quickly find yourself on a flight headed back the direction you just came.
Want to move to China? You have to prove you don’t have any of the above and more.
With this in mind I found myself shuffled off to a medical clinic in Yoyogi last week and submitted to a battery of tests. They poked, they prodded and they made certain that I was not color blind. After that it was off to the EKG room before stopping in for a quick chest xray which was the last stop before the ultimate fun…the blood draw.
Seriously, the Chinese government required enough tests that FIVE vials of blood were taken from me. FIVE FULL VIALS. Really? Someone needs to explain to me why that was at all necessary (and no, I’m not going to buy the whole “Lepors distroy social order” argument.)
Alas, I survived. Survived only to be ushered into a room with the Doctor who was reviewing my chest x-ray and who quickly announced that my heart…It is small.
Yes, it has now been medically confirmed that I have a small heart. Couple that with the fact that my body tempature runs a bit colder than the average and it turns out that I have a small, cold heart.
-I’ll give you a moment to snicker-
In the Japanese tradition of medical care, I received the same and only treatment that T or I have been recommended for any and all of the ailments we’ve come across in Japan: Drink more water. I’m beginning to wonder if there is actually any medication in this country or if water is just prescribed for everything.
Kidney Stones? Guzzle the water.
Sinus infection? Water.
Small, cold heart? Water…maybe warm it up.
Regardless, as I sit here with a large bottle of water pondering life, I have beside me a stack of papers three inches thick proclaiming me NORMAL (that’s a first) and free of all sorts of diseases including some I had to get a dictionary. I also have the full x-ray of my small heart at home with plans of putting on the refrigerator, right next to the MRI of T’s kidney stones and my masters degree.
I guess knowing for sure I don’t have rabies will help me sleep just a bit better tonight.
I’m moving to China.
There, I said it. I feel better now.
After two months of tongue biting, I can finally be out with it as all parties involved with my job here have finally been notified. I start in Shanghai July 1.
I’ll spare the internets the details of what will be known only as The Nonsense but it is safe to say my tongue has a hole in it from all of the biting.
Here is what I will say though:
No, it wasn’t exactly my idea but sometimes life doesn’t take the turns you don’t expect and well, you have to adjust.
Am I excited? The prospect of exploring a new city and country are very exciting. The job (same company, new client) is very much inline with my long term goals.
Thrilled? Well, it’s a new adventure and given the economic environment, it makes a hell of a lot of sense. I also just have to remind myself of all of the wonderful travel opportunities and how everything only costs $5 and hope returns. oh! and they have cheap spas, something Japan is entirely lacking.
Sad? Absolutely. You’ll note I’m only saying “I” and that’s intentional. At this point I’m heading over alone for what looks to be a few months time. T is in talks and looking at opportunities there but at the moment has been asked to stay behind and continue with his current position. It’s not ideal but there are quite a few factors involved which makes it necessary. It’s a good thing we have things like skype, IM and e-mail. We’re also lucky we know it’s only a few months and a two hour flight. Gremlin will be joining me once I get an apartment in Shangers set up.
So clearly, things are mixed around here these days. We’re very excited that this opportunity came up when it did but are equally bummed about the timing of things and how it’s played out (read: The Nonsense).
Thus, we’re taking it day by day.
This week? As much sushi as I can possibly consume and continue planning my goodbye tour of Japan.
This weekend? Cirque de Soleil out at Tokyo Disney.
Next week? I head to Shanghai for 10 days to start the transition process and the apartment hunt.
After that? Who knows.
I can say though, the blogging will now return to a more regular pace. It’s been a bit of a challenge to not talk about it, so now that it’s out there…the shenanigans will commence.
How can you top seeing an entire army of clay soldiers ?
Tough task, but Xi’an itself has quite a bit to offer.
Over the course of two days we managed to take in quite a bit at a comfortable pace. What makes Xi’an unique, aside from the warriors is that the entire city center is surrounded by a 40 foot high wall dating back several hundred years. (Then again what doesn’t date back several hundred years in China?) One can walk all of the way around said wall but if you are a touch more adventurous you can pay $2 USD and rent a bike and ride all of the way around.
But before climbing up, we decided to check out some sites within walls, like the Drum and Bell towers at the center of the city and while there managed to bump into our fellow bunkmate from the train.
Meanwhile just a few minutes walk from the towers we found the Great Mosque. Having been fortunate enough to travel throughout Asia it takes a bit to impress M and I these days, but what we came across was a wonderful mix of the Far and Middle East.
Finally on our last day we decided to check out the wall and soon after climbing up decided to rent bikes. 8 miles and an hour or so later we finished our journey having managed to get a great workout while taking in the city from an incredible vantage point.
Though it does get a bit bumpy at times, the ride does give you the chance to see Xi’an from a different angle.
He walked in the room and after taking one look at him I knew. I didn’t know him, but I knew all I needed to know. He looked pretty respectable, nicely groomed and ready to spend an evening traveling. I took one look at him and I knew…I knew he would snore.
And I was right.
In our ongoing efforts to tackle all aspects of travel, T and I decided our trip to Xi’an would be the perfect introduction into the world of overnight train travel. Following this decision we quickly found ourselves on the overnight train from Shanghai to Xi’an with The Snorer and a nice younger man who works in solar energy and was eager to practice is english skills (he didn’t snore). You see, the soft beds on this particular train were in cars which accommodated two sets of bunk beds. The perfect set up for maximal hilarity and awkwardness.
The verdict: Minus the snoring guy hitting on me in Chinese while my husband looked on while the other guy sharing our car watched in horror and blushed…not so bad.
Slight sleep deprivation aside, Xi’an was quite fun.
While there we took the bus outside of the city to see the terracotta warriors.
No, they aren’t all broken.
In fact, they are amazing.
Discovered by a farmer digging a well a few years back, the warriors are all different and were originally created by a king years back to protect him in the afterlife. Years onward, they are quite a site to take in as they are being gradually reassembled and are on display for all to see. Zealots can even pay to take a photo with the farmer who discovered them…at least it might be the farmer, it could also be his third cousin who just wants to make a buck as I doubt anyone would know the difference.
What is perhaps most fascinating about them is the fact that they are all different. Each has a different hairstyle or facial expression..
It seems as if they were each painted at one time as some retain small traces of paint which you can see if you look closely.
After a not so brief search/barter marathon, we managed to secure T his “treasures” of choice from the small souvenir area before making our way back to Xi’an on the public bus (45 minutes for $1USD!).
Make no mistake though…we weren’t done with Xi’an yet.
As M mentioned earlier this week, I returned to Japan and made the mistake of washing my toothbrush with water before I brushed. In short, one of my colleagues commented a few days later that I looked good having returned from holiday with some color and even lost weight. I suppose you do have to take the good with the bad?
Fortunately I have recovered and can now share with you the adventure of simply stepping out the door with M in Shanghai.
Regardless of where we go M gets quite a bit of attention in Asia, especially China. Westerners are rare in some parts, females even rarer, and women with blonde hair and blue eyes…well I decided to take a picture to capture this phenomenon.
China is famous for these moments as the people rarely hesitate to make eye contact and in some cases even strike up a conversation regardless of whether they speak english or not. This is a stark contrast to Japan where M has caught many “glare bears” during our time, but without fail they immediately take great shame in being caught and shift focus to their shoes.
Keep in mind we were simply minding our own business sitting in a park just a few short blocks from the Bund when this crew rolled. Initially they accosted another foreign gentleman who wandered in the park for some quick pics, but after tiring of him one of the girls finally worked up the courage to get a picture with my rare gem of a wife.
In the process they nearly trampled a bunch of kids on rollerblades, but ultimately everyone got what they came for and within minutes the group giggled off heading towards the Bund having met My Favorite Martian.
And we’re back after another successful adventure which included planes, trains and terracotta warriors.
We started out in Shanghai which is really only a quick three hour flight from Tokyo (on which we saw all but the last 15 minutes of Slumdog Millionare – Thanks NWA for all of the in flight announcements about duty free, I didn’t really need to see the end of the best movie I’ve seen in a really long time!- I digress.) and turned out to remind me quite a bit of New York’s East Village. Well, the East Village if you were to replace the hipsters with old men hucking up spit from their toes…that sound, it makes me shudder. Every.Single.Time. One could also argue you would need to cut the prices of the restaurants by 95% but personally I view Shanghai as an upgrade in that regard.
We ended up staying in a small B&B called Quintet in the French Concession which turned out to be a great selection as that part of town was very walkable and lined with small boutiques and cafes. As we ventured around the city we gradually found our way to the Yu Gardens, a bit of a tourist trap on this particular day but the dumpling restaurant we found made up for the crushing amount of humanity and yelling we were surrounded by. Did I mention China is a lot louder than Japan? And that the Chinese are very, erm, passionate in their discussions. Passion of course is proportional to volume.
From the Yu Gardens, we were able to walk to the river front on the Puxi side of town known as the Bund. That is where I found these:
I could tell you the name of the cobbler where they were hand stitched. I could also tell you their website and hint that they deliver globally. I could but according to my mother and husband, sharing is not a strength of mine. If you would like it, feel free to e-mail me and I will ponder the art of sharing.
Our visit to the Bund is also when I was greeted by my own, personal, fleet of paparazzi but that is a story for my husband to tell.
Perhaps if he recovers tomorrow from his bout of drinking tap water, he’ll let you know. That is a big if but I have faith he’ll pull through just fine.
Just a quick note from a Chinese internet cafe where it appears I am the only woman in the entire building surrounded by a sea of geeks.
SO Shanghai.
Thus far, we like it. We’re staying in the french concession area of town where the streets are al tree lined and cafes and small shops are everywhere. It is actually a bit like New York’s East Village in feel except with wet markets (fruit and veggie stalls. you pervs) and noodle shops. All in all the city has pleasantly surprised us and I’ve even managed to collect my own personal paparazzi. Photos to come of course.
We have covered quite a bit of ground already and still have quite a bit to go before we head out Tuesday night on the evening train.
Oh yes, the overnight train.
It is important to note that this time, it was NOT my idea. The Husband came up with this one. I am hoping the sleeper train isn’t so bad but I will admit I have some reservations on this particular venture. That said, we will get to Xi’an on Wednesday morning for a few days of site seeing.
More soon…they just turned off the air conditioning and the geeks clearly don’t know about deoderant.
In our ongoing attempts to maintain some level of sanity (the 50-60 hour workweeks don’t help this venture) we’ve taken the opportunity this year to spend nearly every long weekend outside of Tokyo. While this may not be the cheapest formula, it has proven to be one that works considerably well. Thus, quick trips have become a way of life and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future or until I run out of places (yeah, right…that’s totally going to happen) I want to see.
Given Monday was Labour Thanksgiving we opted to spend our weekend in Hong Kong. A quick 4 hour flight later and we were on the ground and ready to explore. As it turns out, we liked HK a lot more than we had anticipated as the outdoor cafes, boardwalk and general atmosphere was very welcoming.
The views weren’t too bad either…
One fun little note: Each night there is a laser show at 8pm with laser beams being shot off of the roofs of some of the biggest buildings. Our second night in HK, we had a little Dim Sum (yum!) for dinner and then just sat along the board walk until the light show began promptly at 8pm. While it might get a little old after a while, it was free and quite entertaining (well, we are easily entertained).
That said, we had a great time just sitting on the boardwalk watching the people pass by. We did just a bit of shopping (though there was no lack of shopping options) and managed to pick up some new (small) pottery lions to be added to our book shelf ‘o adventures.
Sadly, as of this morning I’m left to wonder where our next adventure will be. We’re headed home for the holidays next month (yay!) but were also planning a trip to India for my birthday in March. Unfortunately, it seems like that option is now off the table. We are quite thankful this evening though that those of those we know who are currently in Mumbai and the family of a friend of ours are all safe.
Oh well, off to ponder…
