The China Experience

I often want to tell people what my life is like here in China. Sometimes finding the right words can be harder than you'd think. I set off on this trip over a year ago, with my friend Daniel. We were both in Japan at the time. After seeing Tokyo and Kyoto with him, he returned to NYC. I   continued my travels to Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Harbin, Lijiang, and Malaysia. I've bought my tickets for Thailand in February, where I plan to see to Bangkok, Chiang mai, and Phi Phi island. I will hopefully be in Honk Kong with my cousin for the first week of January.

There are days that are hard here. Days that are unreal to even the imagination. Some days are even, boring. I'm still searching for meaning. Searching for the reason. Searching for the validity. It feels like I've been away a while. It feels like I'm loosing touch with home a little bit. The friends I've made over the years in New York have been distant. I wonder what it will be like when I return to the states. What will their reactions be? What will my reaction to them be? Will we still be friends? 

Maybe I've created my own lane by coming to China. Maybe I've run away from one.  As I sit here looking at the pictures on the wall behind my computer, I know my experience has been a unique and challenging one.

Trying to fill this page with words, I feel myself trailing off again. Not quite sure of what I'd like to say, or what I want you to know, but somehow I think you still understand.

recent pics

Street shot of a little of what's left of the "old Shanghai" streets.

nuff said

Jessica and Mingles

Jessica reppin for NYC all day

Hungry?

Yo

Sup everybody..It's been too long since my last post, but I've been pretty busy these last few weeks. I've had some visitors out here and have also been trying to plan a couple of trips. My friend Jessica from high school was out here for about two weeks. It was really great to see her. We had a blast. As much as I've made some good friends out here in Shanghai it was great to see an old face that really knows me. December can be tough with all the holidays and a lot of people traveling back to the states so to have a friend out here with me was really great. I got to show off a little bit of my Chinese which is always kind of fun (even tho it's still really bad).  Work has been okay, the same grind. I haven't been in the gym as much from the visit but that's okay. I hurt my foot a while ago after my half marathon, so I've convinced myself that the couple weeks rest is good for me. I'll be back in there in no time. Speaking of old friends, my buddy Ariel from high school just recently moved to Shanghai. We played ball together at LAG. He's been living in Korea for the last two years and decided to make the move over to Shanghai for this new year. I got him a job with my company and he's all set with his own apartment already.  I also just got news that my cousin Matt is China bound the for the month of January. We're planning to do a week together in Hong Kong and then I think he's going to be off on his own to check out some places in Asia. He'll end up coming back to Shanghai to fly back to the states so I'll see him at the end of January also.  So all in all, things have been pretty good. I've been pretty busy..I'll put up some recent pics so you can see what's going on in Shanghai straight from the streets haha..Happy holiday's everyone

Jessica in Shanghai

My one true friend from NYC, fellow LAG alum, Queens native, Jessica came out to Shanghai this week to pay me a visit. After her time in Shanghai she's headed off to Seoul. She'll return to Shanghai for another week.  I have lots of new info to tell, but I'll save that for another post. Just a quick pic of Jessica and I in my apt. 

Shanghai Thanksgiving

Buddies, lol

Destroying food
Roomies, go red team!
Mmmmm Turkkeeyy
Patrick chopping it up in the kitchen

I had a good Thanksgiving this year out here in Shanghai. I got together with about 15 friends of mine and had some really good food. It was great. There was so much food. I tried not to go to crazy with it but I was feeling nice and full by the end of the night. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

A few fresh flics

Corner of my block

The moon peaking
Hair salon lights

Eat up

ugh

RAIN! The weather is so wack right now! It rained non stop today. On top of that it's getting cold out. Weather authorities said that if it stays this cold for another week they are going to declare winter next week. The earliest winter Shanghai has had in 10 years. So wack! Here are some views from my balcony of the nasty weather...This is not making me want to go to the gym, but gotta stay focused man! Race is in two weeks . .

Friends and family

Xinjian black beer. Always hits the spot

Hao chi (delicious) 
Grand Gateway..buildings right near my apt.

Luke!
Alan and Brian feasting

This last week was cool, I had visits from both my brother n law Luke and my friend Alan from college. I got to show them around a little bit, show them my life here in Shanghai and what I'm up to. Luke is off to South Korea on business and Alan and his friend Brian are off to Beijing to continue on their trip..

pics

The weather had been nice for like the last month. It rained all day today. It'll probably be like this for a while now. . 

Charlotte's Birthday

It was my little cousins birthday today in the US so my family Skyped me and I got to video chat with everyone. It was nice! Mac lets you take a picture of whatever you have on your screen so I saved the moment haha. It was really nice to see everyone. I felt like I was at the party for a little while.  I don't know if anyone who doesn't know my family will appreciate these photos but I thought they were cool and also really funny. Hehe

On another note I did 10 miles today. Training for the half marathon is fully underway, and it will be dominated soon. Nov 29th, lets do it!

Time is ticking

I signed up today for the Shanghai half marathon. I'm still not ready to do the full. I haven't been training for something like that, but I think another half will be fun to do and this time it will be through the streets of Shanghai. The pictures seem cool, there are lots of people out on the streets dancing and cheering you on. I have a few more weeks to train but think I will be ok. I did 7 miles yesterday and will go for 8 or 9 tomorrow. Once I hit 1o its pretty much smooth sailing from there. 

Daily

Night

Muahaha
Halloween fun

Plants anyone?

A few for you

My room

My lunch
My job
My block
My bike

Malaysia

My tutor asked me how long I was going to be in China today. I told her most likely until August. She asked me if I was going to come back to China. I said, maybe but probably not for a long time. Then she asked me why I needed to learn Chinese. I said I didn't know.

Hope you enjoyed the pics from Malaysia..

Hey young world!

YOoooooooo! Man! It's been too long! It ain't my fault! China has been wilding out and blocking all websites that let you speak your mind. I couldn't get on facebook for a really long time and I couldn't upload anything onto my blog either. I had this proxy that would let me access it but trying to upload information took forever! But I'm back..I hope...I bought a VPN that let's me access the internet from other countries and go around all of China's computer stuff. We'll see how that goes. I don't know where to start! I haven't posted anything in such a long time, so much has happened, so much to say, but I guess the last month or so will be for me to know about and you to wish you knew about..I was on vacation all last week. I hit Malaysia with some friends. We did KL, lankawi and Penang. All in all it was  a dope trip. Good beaches, good company and good food. What else can you ask for? I'll be in Shanghai until August or so in case people are wondering about how long I'll be out here. After that I'll most likely head back to the city for school..Once school is done, who knows, maybe another trip? :)  I'm pretty excited to have my blog back and I'm gunna throw some goodies on this week. This is cool..I'm reconnected..stronger, better, faster... Check back, good updates are on their way..

Hey young world!

more pics from my parent's visit

Beijing art district: