full circle

It's funny how things come full circle.  As I walked to my bus tonight to ride to my homestay for the last time, I saw, as I usually do the bus pull right out the station, packed to the brim - as it always is. I thought, man, I'm glad I'm not on that one, but it doesn't matter people will come and the next bus will be just as packed - as it always is. Not one minute later does another 37 pull up to my stop. Seats galore! I've never sat on this bus going home. EVER. Little things like this really make me feel like part of the universe. I know, what the fuck kind of a sentence was that. It's true though. To top it off, as I entered my homestay building for the last time and walked into the elevator I heard another person coming into the building. I pressed the open doors button on the elevator so they wouldn't miss it. I HATE missing the elevator by one floor, don't you? A man entered the elevator. I had pressed 10 and the button was lit on the elevator wall. I wondered what floor he would get off, perhaps a floor higher than mine since he didn't press a button at all. I got off on the 10th floor as usual, and so did he. My first encounter with my neighbor the entire time I had been here. An official greeting and send off. First by my bus, then by my neighbor. See you guys in the New Year.  Let's make it a good one.

sorry

I know the blog has been a little slow but I've been super, super busy these last few weeks. I will give you lots of details and fun stories I promise! But it's 10:40 and I'm first getting back to the house after leaving this morning at 8:30AM. No parties or dinners tonight, straight working son! So, with that said, I'm off to shower, watch a dvd and go to bed. I have goodies on the way so stay tuned. They will most likely be here in the middle of the week. Before New Years for sure. I was really on NYC mode today! Missing it like crazy! The story I read to my students at scholastic was all about a country girl moving to and falling in love with NYC. The pictures were great, really realistic! Then during my tutoring job tonight Sean pulled out a map book and it fell open to the NYC page. I even located Jackson Heights on the map- that was the kicker for me. I was like damn, I just want to walk down 80th street right now and see some friends of mine! I don't know if you know the feeling, but it's like, I just shut off certain thoughts because I know they aren't possibilities out here, but today they all started to creep back in. I wanted a slice of nyc pizza, a night out in the city, and of course love from my fam! So, during this holiday time I'm really thinking of home. I'm still having a good time here, but I will forever be in New York State of Mind.

you already know

I'm doing well! I'm working a lot and feeling good about it. You really don't know what you're missing. You can all live and work in Shanghai no problem. I say DO IT. Pack up and leave. You know you want to.  I bought so many DVD's this week. Probably at least 300 dollars worth in America. I spent what would be 7 American dollars on them. I bought, I think, five full seasons of a bunch of tv series. I have all of the Sopranos, Entourage and a couple others. I also bought 4 or 5 movies I think. I have them in a bag by my bed. If that won't bring you to China then I don't know what will.  I am missing the Hannukah charm of the city however. If I hear one more Christmas song I'm going to go fucking crazy. To top it off the center I work at is IN a mall. Yes. I hear Christmas music all day long. The acoustics are so good I can hear it IN the center, IN the teacher's room. I know every rudolph rendition, jingle bell rendition and whatever Christmas song you can sing. I don't want anyone to wish me a Merry Christmas anymore. It's starting to make me feel ill hahaha. I need a potato pancake. You know what I'm sayin? Can I get a freakin bagel ova here or what? Don't tell my mother but I bought a pair of sneakers today. They are fire. Cut me some slack. I bought this banging H & M hoodie that looks like it should be a starburst flavor, and today I notice kicks with the EXACT fruitilicious bottoms. I'm an addict. I think admitting your problem is the first step to solving it. Whatever man. The purchase made me feel good. Now I really sound like a sneaker junkie... ANYWAY, it's getting colder here, with more cold on the way. January and Feb are the coldest months here, but it still doesn't compare to winter in NYC. I actually am liking the weather here. This almost really cold stuff doesn't bother me.  On a good note, Rena, the daughter of the host family I'm staying with passed her oral visa test today and has been approved to go study in the United States. I feel really happy for her, especially since I've been helping her along the way with her studying. I know it is a huge relief for her. I came home around 2am last night from dinner with friends and she was up at her computer studying. Then she and I reviewed her questions again this morning at 8am before I left for work.  I worked all day today. I'm going to watch a few episodes of Entourage and call it a night. Enjoy your last few days of 2008!!

P.S. This is the first reused title of a blog post from the day this blog started. A little blog trivia for you.

Spin class

I rocked my first spin class here in China. It was great. Spin is spin no matter where you're at. The instructor was cool, and I found myself learning new words. He was pretty much shouting up down, left, right, one, two, three and good job, the whole class. Same type deal as in the USA. They shut the lights off and have some cool laser green and pink streaks lighting up across the walls. The music is high and uptempo. The intro to one of the songs even screamed  "New York City! Are you ready!?" I found myself comfortable and at home in the dark sweating my brains out in China. I was a little nervous because I haven't done any high intensity stuff since I have been here.  "Oh no" I thought "what if I can't finish the class and walk out in shame. How will I ever return to the US to tell this story? What will China think of Americans!? I have to make my country proud!" As the spin class went on all I needed for extra motivation was the Coney Island 5k boardwalk run T-shirt I sported. Do it for Brooklyn Nate. NYC all day!  I left feeling great. 

It's all about you

So yo. This blog is about my trip, but I can't just make this a me me me thing. There has been some cool stuff happening in other people's lives that I wanted to note and share.

*Big up to Ilfu and Karim on their Wedding! (I need pics ASAP!)

*Big up to my friend Natalie on her graduation from Goucher! Big things, big things lie ahead!

*Big up to the whole LAG family who is out there grinding in NYC and making it a bigger, better, badder city. Without LAG influence the city would just be suits and slacks. Keep making it graceful and colorful. LAG minds, always one step ahead of the curve.

*Big up to my mama!

*Big up to daddio!

*Big up to the whole familia!

*Big up to YOU for checking daily and letting your imagination ride with me on this journey. Enjoy the pics. Enjoy the stories and the descriptions. It feels great to know that I have so many people interested and excited about MY life. Don't forget that as you check my blog and put yourself in my shoes, I'm also thinking of you and your life! With 2009 around the corner take some time out for yourself and think about all the people who have helped you along the way this year, or any year for that matter, because you, reading this now have most certainly helped me. Thank you!

Finding

I'm starting to REAALLLy like Shanghai. Don't get me wrong, I know amazing talented and super intelligent people in NYC, but I have been meeting some great people here in Shanghai also. There is a certain brand of person that just up and leaves their home and safety to live in Shanghai and getting to know that type of person is comforting and at the same time exciting. I can see there are lots of opportunities here in Shanghai and right now I am only at the surface of things.   I'm excited for what the future holds for me. Leaving NYC and finding Shanghai has been one of the best things that has happened to me so far in my life. I hope you come see me so I can show you.

ME

Doin what it do

Man. I don't normally drink coffee. I have been hitting starbucks more than ever, but I still stick to the tea. I had a caramel something today like 5 hours ago and I'm still jumping off the walls. Coffee is crazy. 

In case you forgot what I look like:

Whole city is being dug up and built. Construction here is nonstop all day all night. Shanghai is exploding.
Plant those trees China. 

My friend Sasha from the city has a friend in Shanghai that she emailed me about. I met up with him last week. He's a New York City cat too so it was real cool to hang out with him for a while. He works for China NBA in the baller district here in China. The building was so big he worked in it took two pics to capture it. His girlfriend is having a cocktail party tomorrow night, so that should be fun..

Hi everyone..I'll post some new stuff later on in the week.. I've been working a lot and haven't had a chance to get anything on the blog..stay tuned

Jiuzhaigou

Google it.

Paint a picture

If you remember the little story I wrote about my taxi ride a few weeks ago, then these pictures might hit home with you. These are some of the images that I was thinking about as I wrote that little piece. The colors and feels to these just seem to resonate with me.  Some might look blurry, but I think that's the point. Shanghai often feels the way these photos make it look. At least to me anyway.

Shanghai TV tower in the background and tour bus up front

Tour bus
Shanghai TV tower
City shot
The wires are crazy. A lot of city buses are run electrically with topical wiring. These things run through a lot of the city. .

Mini post

Since I can't get photos on the website right now I thought I would let everyone know how things have been going. I'm nearing my last few weeks at the Homestay. I'm excited to get my own place and have my own stuff. I'll be able to cook my own food and all that good stuff. Work has been going pretty steadily. It can be frustrating at times. Teaching english to little kids can test your patience. Then you realize they are little kids and they don't speak English and that puts thigns in perspective again. They are also adorable so that doesn't hurt. I know I'm here and I should be enjoying China but I'm trying to figure out my next move for when I head back to NYC. I figure I should be back in the city in either July or Aug depending on how much I want to travel after my contract, or how crazy I have gone and feel the need to return to the city and just get back to city stuff. I'm looking into applications for grad school for september and that's getting complicated. My comp at the homestay does not have a good internet connection and lately it hasn't been letting me connect to any websites that I need to for applications and stuff like that. I have to apply for prereq classes for the program that I want to go to before I can even apply for the grad school program I want and bla bla bla. Getting things started is always more complicated that I feel it should be. On a different note I got my first haircut here. It was funny is all I can say. I look fine and it's a good cut, but it was funny. I'll post that story another time, or maybe not. Some things need to be told in person for the full Nate affect. Today was beautiful outside, warm and sunny, I should sleep great tonight...until next time..

Problems

I'm having difficulty getting pictures up again..stay tuned.

No theme for these. First one is lamb and rice. It's a spot right near where I live. Loving it.

All the scaffolding is made of bamboo in Shanghai. You'll see big piles like this all over the city wherever construction is happening.

Why not?

Asian Babies.

Food Coma

I've just got to get it out there. I have no pics of Thanksgiving. We celebrated big time yesterday (china doesn't give off for thanksgiving duh). I had to work and me being really clear minded in the morning got up late and straight ran out the house to catch the bus. Yea I take the bus in Shanghai, and WHAT. I got it like that. So I left my camera at home and the bottle of wine I was planning to bring with me. The meal was fantastic. Just..so much glorious turkey, and ham, and sweet potatoes with almonds and string beans with fried onions and biscuits, and and, oh yea before all that there were carrots and hummus and cheese and crackers, oh manz, it was a good day for me yesterday. What else was there, ahh can't forget about the lasagna, yes lasagna, both meat and veggie, and of course all turkey was accompanied by gravy (uncle roy, you were not to be outdone) but it was mmmmm gooooooooooooooddd. I think I ate for seriously, like 2 hours straight. I'm not sure if people were trying to talk to me or what, but I went hard son, no lie. I don't eat a lot of sweets but I put those down too. M&M cookies and chocolate chip cookies and tall-house bars and cookies with shiny things on them and cake.  Oh yea, there were people at the party. Many of whom I've met before but lots of new people also. All great and nice and super intelligent. In total I'd say the party had at least 4o people there. It was really great. I have to say my last week was a little hard. I wasn't feeling well, I even had a physical for my job on the actual Thanksgiving where I got an ultra-sound and had blood taken and my eyes checked and all this stuff at like 8 in the morning. Way to celebrate Thanksgiving, in a freezing cold room getting examined by coughing chinese nurses. To top that off no one really speaks to you there, the nurse just looks at your paper and tells you a room number. Go room one zero 2. After you're done in there, the nurse in the hall says, go room one zero six. So on and so on. IT was great. I felt so comfortable there and welcome. SOoooooooo, To celebrate on Saturday was really great. I left feeling full and a little buzzed and slept great. I do work tomorrow but not until five in the evening so its all gravy. (you like how I did that? all gravy??) Yea, so I'm feeling good and getting recharged, and even learned today how to say I want noodles, rice and lamb. All three of which I ordered from my street moms out on the corner cooking all night. Got a smile and everything..yur boy Nate is feeling good and to top THAT off I'm about to go beast out a workout in the gym. Pics on the way..goodies of my students and even a child that I stole. Kidding.

Sneak attack Shanghai

A few bland pics before I put up Thanksgiving photos. I have some great ones of the city coming soon also. Trust.

Thanksgiving

Some pics from last years Thanksgiving. Being in China this year will be the first Thanksgiving I haven't been in NYC for. EVER.  I should have my fill of turkey and all that good stuff however. John and Debbie organized a huge feast which I am currently waiting breathlessly for. I thought I would take a time out from the shanghai pics and throw some family stuff up from last year. Time really does fly. I'm sure Liza and Scott can attest to that. Look how little Charlotte is in these pics!!