Xmas in Shanghai

Getting ready for Christmas - we're having a dinner this week for some friends, a couple company parties, and of course, secret santa for the flatmates! Here are a few images.

Next Day to USA

Well, we probably couldn't afford that, so these gifts may arrive a little late. Either way, Vilin came from Xian to help celebrate Xmas in Shanghai, and brought some special gifts for my nieces and nephews. How cool is that!? Wrapped and sent a couple days ago!! Can you tell which ones she wrapped? haha

Party for John @ Logo

Logo seems to be a favorite among the DD crowd. (DD is the school at which most of these guys teach, or were trained) One of the teachers, John, says farewell, but expects to come back in a few months. For many ESL teachers, Sunday like Friday, since most work weekends, and are off on Mondays. So if there's a day of the week to get together, teachers seem to like Sunday nights!

Sunday is also open mic, and I've meet a few musicians that I hope to play with in the coming weeks. I can't decide between the guy with the pink egg, or the guy trying to blow into the tree stump. haha

did⋅ger⋅i⋅doo  [dij-uh-ree-doo, dij-uh-ree-doo] –noun, plural -doos. a musical instrument of Australian Aborigines made from a long wooden tube that is blown into to create a low drone.

Live Music Scene

We all came together to meet some folks out for a show at a place called "Yu Yin Tang," where we saw 2 bands play. More interesting than the music itself is the current state of event management in China... to have successful events, it is best to fly under the radar. This event was packed!

Rich and Clare negotiate escalator puppy love, while Seth and Melida await the photographers looming wipeout at the bottom of the escalator.

Got Mandarin? :)

My first Chinese Christmas cards ....


notice the beginnings of my Chinese name... some friends are helping work it out.

And my friend "Vilin" from Xian, writes her name like this ... which translates to "blue ice." Got it? lol

More Hong Kong!

Someone showed me the magic website with really cheap domestic (Chinese) flights, so I flew back to Shanghai for about the same price as the train. Here's my first baggage tag and ticket for a China flight out of Shenzen.

One of the coolest things about Hong Kong has got to be their 10 dollar bill. It is made out of plastic, and it has a peep hole, which comes in very handy during those socially awkward moments when you would prefer to observe life by looking through your money.

Victoria Peak was cold at night, but worth the bus ride up, which was almost better than actually being at the top. The road was along a steep cliff, and with just the right driver, you will soil your pants ... a bargain at any price! haha Anyhow, here's a good pic from the top!

Linda was an amazing friend who kept me company for 3 days and showed me many of Hong Kong's best sites, including Stanley and Repulse Bays, the Peak, Happy Valley Horsetrack, and numerous museums.

Hong Kong

This trip was so crazy, I need to just post some pictures and you can try to figure it out!

This is the bay between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, showing the ferry. The ferry ride across the river was a great view of everything, and only $2HKD. (About $.50US per ride)

The hostel was in Kowloon, central to everything, but was a bit of a culture shock to most, as the reservation website seemed to misrepresent the quality...

This is my first night's stay ... not much spare room! The bathroom was a shower with a toilet and sink inside.

The rest of the stay (6 nights) was in the dorm room with 11 other travellers. I had a top bunk, on the right, and we all shared 2 bathrooms.

The hotel hangout was the cyber cafe on the tenth floor... featuring cheap beer and web access.

The city itself was a completely other story. Some amazing sights and activities. The buses were cheap, and went all over the island, including Repulse and Stanley Bays, and the Peak, which we checked out one night.

A friend Linda was so kind as to accompany me to the beach, a bunch of museums and even the Happy Valley Horsetrack. These are picutes of Repulse Bay. It was warm enough to swim.

After Repulse Bay we headed back by way of the "Peak" and found an amazing view of the city on the other side.

In summary, a frustrating visa trip turned into a decent experience, thanks in large part to Linda, Aim, Adam, and Paul. More pics coming soon!