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Published: April 28th 2013
The Bund
(I photoshopped the haze away :)Tomorrow marks our first full month in Shanghai. It’s hard to imagine that the transition phase is officially over and now we are settled into our own apartment. We’re cooking, working, beginning to explore. I’ve found a yoga studio and a Chinese teacher.
For a long time I’ve debated starting another blog. It seems strange to put your personal life online. At the same time, it’s a great way to keep in touch. I also feel that blogs encapsulate the various phases of living and traveling abroad: different seasons, activities, life stages, events. I’ve also found other blogs to be incredibly inspiring and helpful in planning my own trips. So here I am.
We live in a tiny apartment in the French Concession. Our building is five floors (no elevator) with laundry hanging out the windows and caged birds in the courtyard. The thing I love most about Shanghai is the fascinating blend of East and West, old and new. Next to modern skyscrapers are narrow lane houses. There are import groceries, Starbucks, European bakeries, and five star restaurants. There are also noodle stalls, pig feet, and a man plucking chickens on the street.
We found our apartment
within 24 hours of arriving; it was the first property we saw. It took several trips to Ikea and Tesco to get bedding and cooking supplies, but now we are completely functional.
Though it feels like much of the first month was consumed by errands and work, we did manage to get out and do some sightseeing. We went to the Bund, the People’s Park, and Yuyuan Gardens. We also went to see the James Bond Exhibit at the Minsheng Art Museum. It included a bunch of props, costumes, and storyboards from the movies and came to Shanghai after its opening at the London Olympics.
As you can see by the photos, the weather has been completely unpredictable. Last week reached 90 degrees, followed by several days of rain and plummeting temperatures.
Shanghai is a massive megalopolis, but I feel lucky to have access to green space. The streets of the French Concession are lined with trees and our campus at work is lovely. When the weather cooperates we take the students outside for class on the lawn. We also recently did a gardening activity where we worked on planting and repotting herbs and flowers. In spite
Cool old house
The French Concession of their initial trepidation (“teacher, it’s SO dirty!”) they got really into it.
It’s hard to recap everything in one disjointed lump, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
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Parental Units
Gene & Debbie Bradbury
Wonderful!!
It was such a treat to read your blog this morning. Great pictures and text! Your apartment looks very, very nice and cozy. And I noticed that Craig found a Paul Theroux book. Glad work and settling in is going well. We're having a nice, sunny day here in Sequim. Love you! Mom and Dad