Featured

A reporter asked to photograph Juan’s apartment for an article she’s writing on his building. Here are some photos from the shoot. Nice, right?

The building is something of a Shanghai landmark. It’s right on Suzhou Creek and was constructed for British diplomats during the Concession era. There are high ceilings, balconies and near perfect views of the space-age Pudong skyline.

The building’s residents are a mix of local Chinese living in ramshackle sub-divided units and yuppie (mainly expat) hipsters who are buying places and renovating. Gentrification continues its inexorable march – even here. 

Back in Shanghai

I haven’t posted for awhile. I travelled quite a bit recently – Chicago, New York, Guangzhou and then next week I'm back to Guangzhou, Hong Kong and then Taipei. I’m leading an internal company training course. I’m not much of a teacher. I don’t like standing up for that long.

Juan and I are going to Japan for Christmas. To here and here and here and then staying here on New Year's Eve in Tokyo. Everyone assures me it will be really, really cold.

We’re staying in a traditional ryokan for part of the trip. Considering the price per night, I hope to bring back stories of mink pajamas, diamond-encrusted toilets and a milk-and-honey koi pond.

I visited Todd when he lived in Japan over 10 years ago. My vague memories include the tanuki den, “electric” bath and visiting Osaka’s own Harvard Club. Good times. I hope the tanuki haven’t turned feral.

The photo is from the coffee shop at the Shanghai Hongqiao airport last week. It was early and I was really tired and burnt out.

Brooklyn

I made it back to New York last week – transiting through on my way to Chicago for a conference. Apologies to everyone I didn’t have time to see.

It was good to be home, drink decent coffee, watch “The Daily Show” and breath the sweet, sweet air of freedom.

Here are some photos from the roof deck of my building. The light in the autumn is spectacular in the city.

I miss it. But it’s good to be back. 

Farm fresh

If you’re ever at the Incheon Airport in Seoul, and you’ve got a hankering for frozen pudding with a barnyard twist – I know the place. 

Finally

I’m very confident the Internet doesn’t need any more political commentary in the wake of Tuesday’s election, so I’ll keep my comments to a minimum.

Simply:

IT’S ABOUT FUCKING TIME. 

Last night

The weather’s been beautiful here – 60something degrees, no rain, pleasant. It’s too warm to feel like fall.

I ate at a restaurant on the river promenade last night. Here was the view after dinner.

Julu

I have a cat now.

On Sunday afternoon Juan and I were walking next to the park near Julu Road when this furball came out from under the bushes.

He was crying and hungry and came right up to us. Initially we were just going to give him some food and then leave him. But he started following us… The rest is history.

Juan took him to the vet and everything seems to be okay.

As for a name, my suggestion was “Mao Rou Jiaozi” (“Cat Meat Dumpling.”) This was quickly voted down.

We decided to call him “Julu.” 

Path of construction

They’ve started the façade work on the houses in my alley and the entire place is caged in bamboo like some kind of Vietcong POW camp. My landlord sent me an SMS to tell me that this Saturday the workers will be “ripping off my roof tiles.” That sounds peaceful.

When it’s finished it will look like the bottom photo. I don’t like it. Much too garishly red “Storytime Village” for me. I think the bricks are only painted on.

I’ll post a photo after it’s done. 

Dan and Jeff

My friends Dan and Jeff visited from New York last week. We had a great time and I think they were fairly impressed with Shanghai (reportedly not as much with smog-tastically cultural Beijing.) We did the typical tourist stuff – went here and here and here.

This photo is taken here.

It was terrific to have them in Shanghai – and they earn big kudos for being my first houseguests from the US. They’re definitely invited back anytime. (The rest of you are officially on notice.)  

Banned again

I’m officially banned in China again. The same day they allowed access to the English-language Wikipedia site, they started censoring the Blogspot domain name. This means I can still post through Blogger, but I can’t view my site directly.

Who knew wacky, clichéd anecdotes were a mortal threat to the regime and our newly “harmonious socialist society?” Such is the lonely life of this capitalist running-dog. Sigh.

The censorship is just plain petty, really. You can use a proxy server like this one to get around the firewall. But using a proxy server means I have to view the content through frames with banner ads beckoning me to “Meet Sexy Singles in Your Area!” and “Find Someone to Fuck Anywhere in the World!” I try to keep my little piece of the Internet filth-free, but oh well.

I added this photo because it’s a classic Internet find (thanks Lexy!), and I still think it’s so hilarious. That cat's expression is pure comedy gold!

Delicious pig face

There’s a butcher shop near the entrance to my alley. Every day as I walk to work it’s a gruesome display of animal limbs, heads, tongues and assorted odds-and-ends ready for the wok. It’s right across the street from the “King of Duck Necks” fast food stand – so you can practically build your own mammal nose to tail.

My favorite: delicious pig face. (see left in top photo) The face. Of a pig. Peeled off and shrink-wrapped. Apparently it’s meant to go into a stew. Or as an option for low/no-cost face lifts.

In other food news, my friend Karla was at a farmer’s market (not so quaint, it’s in front of the Ritz-Carlton) and met a French guy who delivers fresh organic yogurt to your apartment every week. She brought me some and it’s quite delicious. So next time you’re in Shanghai and you wonder “where can I find a French guy to deliver fresh organic yogurt to my apartment every week?” I know the place.

Also, it’s Hairy Crab Season here! Everyone is talking about it: kind of a mix between a Chinese national holiday and Red Lobster’s Lobsterfest. Autumn is when they harvest them, and while everyone says they’re delicious, I’m sure eating the sucker is like some nightmare from 7th grade biology class. I'll let everyone know if I work up the courage.