Sunday April 26 2009

1. Jason goes to help Jon film for a movie
2. Jason drops me off at the Disabled Home to volunteer
3. We make stars and those rice thingy's wrapped in banana leaves, I make 2 new friends, one have lived in NYC
4. Herbal Jelly Milk Tea

Thursday April 23 2009

1. My bicycle finally arrived.
2. Rode my bike to language exchange
3. Walked to the park
4. During exchange a gentleman introduces himself, he is 84 and speaks beautiful English. He is a Calligraphy instructor. We chat for awhile and tell him we will be there next week if he would like to stop by.
5. Begins to storm, walk back to bicycle
6. As I ride by a cart selling CD's - there is loud techno blasting and the seller is feeling the groove just a little bit...I make eye contact smiling, he smiles bigger and starts dancing more, and I can't help but laugh out loud as I ride by.
   

Thursday April 16 2009

1. Finish final steps in fixing my computer
2. Go to MRT to seal items to ship
3. Go to Shanghai Expo/Mart to sit with Annie at Shanghai Art Fair (kinda like NYC's)
4. Muslim noodles (the little toddler there was all smiles to me but would get scared when she didn't have her mom around)
5. Finish up computer problems
   

Wedsnesday April 15 2009

1. Late start
2. Computer meltdown
3. Unpack summer clothes, a high of 85 degrees F
4. Meet with new Language exchange friend at KFC
5. Go to MRT to get my new electric razor
6. Go home to shave my legs, shoved the stupid 110 shaver into the 220v wall, now fried 2 electric razer's here in china
7. Class at iMandarin, substitute teacher, she's awesome.
8. Up til' 3:30 working on computer.
   

new bike

im going to get one, fantastic

New Headphones

Paid around 20 kuai for these, my favorite headphones ever. fit perfectly into my iphone

Tuesday April 7 2009

1. Stay inside
2. Finally it's getting warm out
3. and Finally I am getting this sickness out of me
4. Photograph jewelry
   
5. Lots of Photoshop
6. Laundry
7. Soak black beans for later this week
8. A game of Trivial Pursuit on the xbox
   

Monday April 6 2009

1. Chinese holiday
2. Breakfast
3. Meet Cherro on the bus to go to wholesale market
4. Beautiful weather today, crowded as all heck
5. Buy one get one free burger night, we partake
6. A game of Trivial Pursuit on the xbox
7. Stay up til 2 editing photos
   

Sunday April 5 2009

1. Breakfast after sleeping in
2. Pharmacy, instead of "foreign section of hospital" - get antibiotics
3. To MRT
4. Make packaging for earrings and watches
5. Brainstorm with Cherro and talk with the other MRKT girls about stuff...really working with my Chinese speaking and comprehension skills
   

Saturday April 4 2009

1. Breakfast
2. Carry felt up the stairs
   
3. Meet at MRT with Cherro
4. Make packaging
5. Product photography for ebay
   
6. Go back to MRT
7. Help Jason Glue Felt Fairy Wings
8. Vegetable Curry for Dinner
9. Watch "Big Stan"
10. Feel really like poop, out in the rain today.
    

Thursday April 2 2009

1. All day in bed with an ear ache - throat lymphnoids the size of golf balls and hurt like heck
   

Wenesday April 1 2009 - April Fools

1. Chinese tutor at KFC
2. Go home for lunch
3. Chinese class at iMandarin - don't think my 2 classmates care for me...I think they have something against Americans...or white girls.
4. Muslim bread on the way home
   

Tuesday March 31 2009

1. Still sick
   

Friday April 3 2009

1. Wake up, no coffee, no milk, no cereal
2. Practice product photography
3. Lock the A-Yi out of the house
4. Jason comes home early, had food poisoning the night before - sick
5. Easy going evening, both still ill
   

Monday March 30, 2009

1. Wake up - still sick, 2 weeks now
2. Breakfast
3. Leave as the AYI arrives
4. Drop Postcards off at the Post Office
5. Stop by MRKT to grab Jason for lunch
6. Muslim noodles (lanzhou lamian)
7. Go to KFC to study and grab a 5.5 rmb cup of coffee (This is where it gets weird)

• Take a seat at a table behind a migrant worker just "hanging out", he smells like a horse barn
• Within 15 minutes and 2 sips into my coffee his arm is reaching over showing me a hologram,"make shift " McDonalds name tag. He points to something, I read "2005 McDonalds". Shows me the back, written is "DaBangEmperorManager"
• Through his very few English words and my awful Chinglish, I ask him if he needs to get to McDonald's. He has shown me his McDonald's button up shirt under his dirty blue hoody and red sweater.
• He his now sitting at my table about 12 inches away, this happened as soon as I opened my mouth to speak.
• He then writes "ShanghaiTheArteAcademy"...I say, oh I don't know where the The Art Academy and he looks at me strangely and then I say..."oh, the Shanghai THEATRE Academy!!!" He looks happy, I ask him if thats where he needs to go (in English).
  
• I get the info into my cell phone via Guanxi, write down the address and phone no. Now he wants to call.
• I dial, hold the phone on speaker to him (hell if I am going to chase him down the street after my iPhone). Very short conversation.
• I help him pronounce "Theatre"...He now wants to call the Shanghai Grand Hotel...see above process.
• Whole time thinking - "I thought when moving to a foreign country the crazies would not be attracted to me the way they were in the states, and I can't believe I am practicing my Chinese with a crazy".
• The phone calls are very short and unsuccessful for whatever he needs. He then tells me he is a "Manager" at KFC, McDonald's, The Shanghai Grand Hotel, and that he teaches Ballet at the Theatre Academy - I am a pro at charade's and pantomime.
• He try's to help me with my Chinese homework, but he doesn't realize that I can't read more than about 10 Charachters...I then catch through our Chinglish that he doesn't think PinYin is real Chinese, that its like English.
• He was able to write my name in Characters for me.
• He is able to read, and he would be the correct age for the Cultural Revolution, so I realize he was probably raised in the countryside away from the city.
• I ask him if he is from Beijing, confirmed. Difficulty in understanding the Beijing dialect.
• He says "passport" in a sentence and realize he wants to know my area, tell him I am from the US. He tells me he has a passport from there, and then writes down "England" and "Japan". I tell him in Chinese that "YingGuo" is not the same as "MeiGuo", poor guy has no idea that there is a giant body of water separating the two.
• Now he begins to get fired up about something, seems to be telling me a story, I hear a "f*%k you" in the story. Of course people are very interested in our conversation and I see people staring, even stopping right at the table to stare at him. Finally, eyes are off me! He is getting more and more fired up, moving his arms around.
• My sign to leave. I have no idea what he is saying, but he begins to tell me he is a Chairman, and I was sure I heard a "Mao" in there. And THE LAST thing I am going to be sitting next to a person saying stuff I have no idea what he is saying, but it was after I told him I was American, and tells me he is a Chairman...whoa buddy, Im outta here!

1. Go to Burger King to wash my hands and pen that he and I shared. (you know about the lack of toilet paper used by the countryside and not ever accepting food served from the right hand - more noted in India)
2. As for coffee here, it's a Western luxury, my only options are KFC, McDonalds, BK, or Starbucks, Costa, The Coffee Bean, the last 3 very expensive...USA prices
3. Loud table of 4 American college age guys at BK - shameful
4. Chinese class, again, the only one that shows up
5. Walk home and stop by the Muslim restaurant that sells Naan bread on the corner and kabaabs.
6. Get two, ask me where I am from, I respond with "America", and they reply "OBAMA"!! in a half singing type voice. I respond with, "Obama" and show them my button of Obama. The older one says something I don't know and pinches his cheek and smiles. As my bread is being handed over he turns and says, "what about Bush", I give 2 thumbs down and respond with "bu hao". The young one that warmed my bread is like a parrot the entire time and says, "bu hao". As I walk away, I hear "Down with Bush".
7. Home, eat bread, strange day.
   

Sunday March 29 2009

1. Coffee - Still sick
   
2. Talked with via facebook aim...a couple of "LOL"
3. Take a walk, eat a greasy Taiwanese style pancake with lettuce and ketchup, get more Cold Medicine, get an ice cream from the "space ship" ice cream truck
4. Study Mandarin, having difficulties with grammar dealing with "cong" and "gei"
   
5. Watched "The Tracey Fragments" - indie artsy film rated 4.25 out of 5 stars on "E's Bootleg DVD extravaganza" list
   
6. Drink Ginger Tea in hopes to get rid of this cold
7. Talk to mom on phone, troubleshoot her computer.
   

Saturday March 28 2009

1. Slept in
2. Breakfast
3. Go to Yu Yuan Wholesale market to find things to sell -Ill post pics and ebay info when available.
   
4. Meet at MRKT with Jason and go have some Muslim noodles
5. Go to Tesco and get some food and beers and cookies
   
6. Watch "The Elegant Universe"
   

Friday March 27 2009

1. Got out of bed "early"
2. Coffee and talked to PR and Keith via IM
3. rearranged the apartment before AYI arrives, because she always manages to f*#k my stuff up
4. Picked up an Egg Sandwich with Thousand Island dressing in between the two sandwich triangles.
   
5. Walked to City Mart: Ketchup, Fiber Cereal imported from Australia, Hot Cocoa Mix, and 10 free range eggs = 195 kuai
   
6. Walk to Veggie and Fruit Stand: 8 Potatoes, 1 jin (.5kilo) of Strawberries, 4 persimmons, 1 Red Pepper, 1 Pineapple (shaved), 2 Carrots, 2 bunches of spinach = 64 kuai (about 10 USD)
7. Finally walk home
8. AYI still here, damn it, clean eggs and veggies and fruits, slice up Carrots
9. Walk to 85C and buy Walnut Chocolate cookies, a glutenous green thing with red beans, and a flat bread with all kinds of seeds on top : 20 kuai (about 3 USD)
10. Between bakery and grocery, overhear 2 old chinese women talking about me, questioning if I was an American and going on about laowei's...and yes, they were speaking and mandarin...and yes, I can understand Chinese now.
    
11. Grocery Store on the way home: 20 roll of toilet paper, 18 pack of pocket tissues, 2 Veggie "fragrant sausage" - its expiration day, 1.5 RMB off, 3 pack of Halls, Japanese milk treat, Sunflower seeds with Anise and Saccharin and all kinds of weird bad stuff = 53 kuai
    
12. Make dinner
13. Watch "Game Over"
14. Bath to soothe aching shoulder
15. Talked to cousin via IM
    
16. Mandarin Homework with hot lemon/honey water and listening to the Fiery Furnaces and The Kills
17. Jason plays Fallout
    
18. Goodnight
    

Wenesday March 25

1. Feel like complete a** after manual labor all day Tuesday...when have you met a lazy or fat photographer?
2. Edit photos for MRT
3. Class at iMandarin - only person in class
4. Go to MRT, hear that some people were talking about my product photography - positively
5. Eat a pack of crackers for dinner
   

Thursday March 26 2009

1. Set up Still life of notebooks
2. Uploaded to Website
3. Set up another still life - did not upload on website
4. Made a bean soup
5. Watched "The Weathermen" Documentary
   

Tuesday March 24 2009

1. Have to wake up at 6:30
2. Still sick
3. Meet John to Photo Assist for Choice Fashion
4. Finish up at 7
5. walk to MRKT
6. get a Muslim bread
7. watch some Curb Your Enthusiasm

Monday March 23 2009

1. Chinese tutor at KFC - hear a Chinese translation of a Cave In song...I swear it
2. Homework
3. Mandarin class at iMandarin
4. still sick
   

Sunday March 22 2009

1. Wake up at 11:30
2. Make breakfast
3. Go to the Shanghai Volunteer Club Fair, interested in Crickett
4. Take a long walk, stop by Bridge 8
5. Eat Tuna sandwiches
6. Talk to mom on phone
   

Saturday March 21 2009

1. Awaken to rain and thunder
2. Clears by 11
3. Jason and I go for a walk, I get a Bubble Tea and he a Grass Jelly Milk Tea
4. Meet Cherro at Sculpture Garden - discuss export
5. Take a taxi home, try to exclaim that he is going in wrong direction...have to call Jason to talk to him. I get a speech on the way home from him about my pronunciation...i have no idea what he is saying, I just respond with "hao de"
6. Eat at our new favorite cheap Indian restaurant
7. Go to Tesco for milk, yogurt, and PBR - cashier can't believe we are buying 8 beers
8. Go to Logo to see F*cked Up - saw a 16 year old passed out by 10:30 in the streets
9. Eventually make it home
10. Jason trys to make me sign a contract that I won't be mad when I wake up sleeping on the floor because I won't take a shower
    

Friday March 20 2009

1. Wake still with a cold
2. our AYI comes for her Friday visit
3. Jason and I go out to Pudong for his work Visa, upon exiting the subway, see a little boy completely exposing himself with his little crotchless pants, cant help but laugh, buy a pair of shoes on sale, Pony, buy some Muslim nut cake, uh...tai gui le
   
4. buy a Muslim bread on the way home from subway
5. order Hello Pizza
6. Jason plays Fallout I go to bed after downloading games onto my iPhone
   

Thursday March 19 2009

1. Woke up with an awful head cold and congestion
2. Go to MRT to photograph an interior
3. Wait for Jason to finish work
4. Go to Fortune Club Networking event at Xian Tian Di
5. Leave after a half an hour because it's awful...it appears to be a lot of people with little to no networks, including me, looking for the right contact
6. Go to The Time Passage, split a mini veg pizza and I drink one pint, jason 3 - a dodgeball team enters and there is a strange thing going on with one young boy and 4 chinese local girls in the corner.
7. Finish the night with 2 episodes of The Office
   

Wednesday March 18

- Study Chinese
- Took a walk with Jason around the neighborhood
- Went to Muslim noodles...gave me rice rather than hand pulled noodles...totally bummed - also way too much rice, not very much egg and tomatoes
- Chinese class in the evening

Tuesday 17 2009

-Shot headshots at MRT
-Tried to pet the cat at "Spin"
-Free lunch sampling at "Voila Bistro" - expat from Chicago with Crepe styled dishes
-Chinese class with Michelle at KFC
-nap
-Found networking events here in Shanghai online
-Caught up on personal emails
-Eat Indian food down the street with Jason - 28 kuai per person
-Pick up 4 taro pastries on the way home
-Listened to Planet Money http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/
-Watching a documentary on Fractals - PBS

Monday 16 2009

-Picked up Visa from Exit Entry office
-Went to iMandarin Chinese class
-Rode bike home, and by the Lanzhou noodle place (another Muslim noodle place) the tall man says "hello", I respond with "hello", he says "come back". This is where I buy delicious breads.
-Watched "Push Cart Man"

Sunday March 15 2009

-Made Egg sandwiches for Jason and I
-Took a walk to Julu Lu and Fumin Lu to start up scooter and pump up my bicycle tires
-Scooter won't unlock, took a walk towards XianTianDi, got a snack at a bakery
-Continued walk to DVD store, found a new one at 714 WeiHai Lu - excellent selection of artsy and documentary films
-Split an order of japanese squid balls, very little squid in it - extra oily
-Jason spotted a kitten playing in a bush along sidewalk, watched it fall out of the bush and came towards us a little - I wanted it
-Went on a bicycle ride for 3 hours, saw a scooter get hit by a car - driver of car gets out and starts screaming at the guy who was hit.
-Picked up new iLook magazine with my photograph
-Stopped by fruit stand and bought ice cream
-Picked up spicy sour cabbage to supplement dinner of beans and potatoes - saw the man we always see walking backwards in front of Muslim noodle place. he was wearing the blue sweats. He said "hello".
-Watched Religiousless with Bill Mahr
-Talked to mom via Skype

Just basic documentation

I have decided to start this back up so I have some sort of record of my daily activities. I see and experience so many things on a weekly basis, that I often forget it and most of it is fairly humorous. I now am approaching my 6 month mark of living here in Shanghai.