New Years Pics

2009

Happy New Year everybody! I know it's a few days late, but things have been a little all over the place for me. I just left my homestay on Dec. 31st and am now at John and Debbies. I have the keys to my new apt I just haven't had time to move over there yet! I also don't have any bedding, but I'm hoping Debbie can lend me some of hers so I don't have to go out and spend a fortune. :) So the new place..how did I find it, what's it like? It worked out really nicely. It was the second place I saw. I found one place off craigslist which wasn't bad, but it had this one little window that faced a wall and barely any light came into the place. I just wasn't feeling it. Also the walls were painted funky colors, like teal and light purple. One of the people I tutor for this company I work for was leaving with her husband to the US. Actually they left sometime today. I'll miss them, they were so fun to hang out with! She was telling me how they were looking for people to rent their apartment too because they were leaving; obviously. They had only lived there a short amount of time, it was cheap and they wanted to save money before coming to the United States. Its not the most glamourous place, but the master bedroom has a huuuuuuuuge window and light comes streaming into the place. That was the selling point. All the stuff in the apt works, lights, water etc. So anyway, I was like, well how much do you pay to live here? The number was BELOW what I was going to spend on the other place, and this was a 2 bedroom! So it worked out great. They were leaving the apt, and I was looking for one. I trusted this couple and new if they were living there it was a go. Her best friend lived with them and I've met her a few times also. She speaks really good English and actually used to work as an English teacher. She'll be my new roomate! I think that is big plus. She knows the neighborhood, and speaks English and Chinese. Hopefully I can really learn a little Chinese now. Even if she just helps me with my prononciation. I've been pretty busy lately and haven't picked up any new stuff in a while. The location is in a great part of Shanghai. It's actually clean around where I am and there are a lot of name brand stores around and good restaurants to eat in. I even have a starbucks on the block. I have lots of pictures which will surely inspire some "oh man!" responses, but those will go up later. I'm having trouble getting photos on right now. I have off tomorrow which is GREAT and want to get over to the apt to set it up and get my stuff in order. To top it off, there is a really really nice gym directly across the street from my new apt. It's called THE SPARTAN GYM. The cost is 2,000 RMB for 6 months which is, are you ready...not even 200 us dollars. This gym is way nicer than the one I belonged to by the homestay. It has two workout rooms with brand new machines and weights. It also has a sauna and a heated pool. Both of which I checked out and are really nice. The pool is big too. Across the street from the gym is a little juice bar so I can get my healthy on. hahah...So, things are going pretty well so far! I'm tired now, but I'll try to get picks up as soon as I can. I have a bunch from new years as well as my trip to the post office and of course the new neighborhood and apartment. I'll have some more little stories to post, as soon as I'm at my new apartment and have my internet set up. peace

quick

Yo, I'm just getting off work, so i'm not really trying to sit down and write an epic log. I have my own apt! Yea man, I'm doing big things. My internet will be set up at the end of the week and I'll have pics and stuff to say in detail. Happy 2009 everybody, hope you celebrated right.

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.