Blogs from Xuhui, Shanghai, China, Asia

Es sind nun noch 3 Wochen bis zu unseren Final-Exams und das Semesterende rückt immer näher. Davor besuchte ich allerdings noch ein lang herbeigesehntes Event. Dieses Jahr fand das "League of Legends " Mid-Season Invitational in Shanghai statt, ein Turnier des Online Spieles "League of Legends". Letztes Jahr fand es in Florida statt und ich habe so ein Glück, dass es ausgerechnet dieses Jahr in diesem Zeitraum hier stattfand. Ich besuchte das Turnier mit zwei anderen Studenten an zwei Tagen, in der Gruppenphase und im Halbfinale. Beide Tage gingen in etwa von 1 Uhr nachmittags bis 6-7 Uhr abends. Ich war wirklich begeistert, soviele Leute die sich gleichzeitig mit uns ein Videospiel anschauen, gespielt von Teams und Spielern, die wie Fusballspieler gefeiert werden. Alle Chinesen waren natürlich unglaublich motiviert, da grade das chinesische Team so gut ... read more

Dear Shanghai, I really think you’re fantastic. I love that, in addition to the massive, throbbing pulse of humanity, there are also quiet, tree-lined streets. I love your history, markets, and art. I love my walk to work, the cheap, spicy street snacks, and the fruit seller who always shouts jovially and slaps me on the back. I really enjoy how there is always a mahjong game going on below my apartment with pots of green tea and lots of laughter. I love trying to find a pattern in the delicate brushstrokes of your calligraphy. I love how my students can play badminton and smoke a cigarette at the same time, because really, it’s all good. I love your convenient metro and how every day I see something crazy (like a worker balanced on a bamboo ... read more

It’s impossible not to think of this summer without referencing the weather. Though it’s barely September, I’m already thinking about it in the past tense and hoping it’s behind us. I’m not sure that I can think up the proper adjectives to do it justice. Unbearable? Sweltering? Roasting? Broiling? Oppressive? When I look back at my June photos I was still wearing jeans, even boots in the cool, damp, early summer rain. In July things suddenly changed to full-on summer; the fickle spring weather replaced by two months of broiling sun. I thought perhaps I was being over-sensitive. I was, after all, accustomed to the temperate Pacific Northwest climate and recently, the even temperatures of the Guatemalan highlands. Apparently, however, many others felt the same. While the subtropical summer of Shanghai is famously unpleasant, this year ... read more

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 ... read more

Kiinalainen uusivuosi on kiinalaisten vuoden tärkein juhla, jota vietetään perheen ja sukulaisten kanssa. Nykyisin juhla kestää neljä päivää, jotka ovat tyypillisesti vapaapäiviä maissa joissa asuu runsaasti kiinalaisia. Kiinan lisäksi tällaisia maita ovat muun muassa Malesia ja Singapore. Perinteisesti koti koristellaan juhlaa varten ja sukulaiset vierailevat toistensa kodeissa. Naimisissa olevat sukulaiset ja tuttavat antavat naimattomille rahalahjoja punaisissa paketeissa. Myös ilotulitteet, lohikäärmetanssit ja uhkapelaaminen kuuluvat kiinalaiseen uudenvuoden viettoon. (Wikipedia) Jäniksenvuosi jäi taakse ja lohikäärmeenvuosi otettiin vastaan kovalla paukkeella. Mulla ei ollut mitään suunnitelmia valmiina uudenvuodenaatolle, joten menin iltasella irkkupubiin muutamalle kaljalle siinä toivossa, että jotain kehkeytyisi. No siellähän tuli potkupalloa telkkarista ja eihän sitä kestä k... read more