Keep your head up

When I moved to Ghana, yes it was drastically different, things were slow and backwards, everything was dirty, there was a lot of pollution, the roads were crazy, it is a developing country as is China. BUT, I loved it, I felt almost prepared for it, some kind of past life there gave a me a deep passion for it, a powerful affinity towards the differences. Vibrant colors, rhythmic music, dancing bodies, smiles, moving skies all greeted me there. I have not found that liking for my home here yet. Like the late great Tupac said, "Keep ya head up" and I am doing just that, trying to look around more and find something that draws me in. There are few smiles, drab colors, a dreary sky and sad music. Levy explained to me what his professor here said and it clarified some things for me. Shanghai is now a city full of 2ND generation migrants from the villages. Theier parents used to have so little freedom and were held down by the government that they weren't taught how to treat each other appropriately when they gained freedom. They act uncivilized (our perception of what that is anyway) and bump you without a word, cut in line directly in front of the whole line guilt free, stare and say nothing. His teacher said this is part of the problem with such rapid changes in economy, no time to catch the people up on how to behave. Now I don't mean sound like some superior westerner discussing the uncivilized communist animals but I will fess up that that is what I find myself thinking at times. It is unfortunate I am having such a struggle growing fond of it here but I remain positive and think with some adventure I will grow akin to it.

I got lost on the way to the Korean family's house the other night, it was cold and raining and I had a long day before that navigating the busing system. I started to find the dark side gripping me, why am I here, I am not happy, what will I do when I get back though, what is the purpose, and damn it that is what the cold does to me, that is why I am not meant to live in climate's like this. Desperately I needed a change of mind frame, I turned around before I headed out into industrial wonderland and eventually stopped to breath, to look at the time and determine my best mode of action, to remind myself that I wasn't lost completely and it would all work out with a little faith. Right then the mother, Moon/Ann called and I aplologized for running late and told her I was lost. I looked around for a street sign and guess what? There I was, I was on Guoquan lu, I had found her street, completely by mistake somewhere on her street I had never been before but nevertheless HER street! This had a a great impact on my attitude, don't give up yet, explore more and I will find myself right where I need to be!

xoxoxo, Lolo in China

Only time will tell

So I realize I never debriefed you all on my birthday. The day was acutally not so exciting, it was raining and cold, as it has been everyday, it is winter after all. I stayed in and lounged around, applied for jobs, checked email and watched the Sex in the City movie. Then L and I went to do some errands and met up with a Chinese friend, Mickey for some Xiao Long Bao, the famous Shanghai dumpling. Mickey brought us to a place a couple of blocks away, down an alley in a small little shop with traditional dishes. Oh man were those succulent, hot dumplings a sensation to my tastebuds. Xiao long bao are cooked traditonally in a bamboo steamer and they contain a soupy like substance in addition to the meat base. We tried 5 different kinds, one with shrimp and pork, crab eggs and pork, spicy pork, traditonal and one with green onions I think. Mmm mmm good!

We continued on to our apartment where everyone came over for a pre party before we headed out for my first night of clubbin' in Shanghai. The clubs are something else, great architecture, light fixtures, good music, beautiful fruit platters, staff to keep your drinks filled if you have a table, chilled green tea as mixers.That particular night , a thursday, there was no cover charge or coat check charge however the drinks were comprable to those in the US which is expensive here. people bought me all sorts of crazy drinks, most of which I handed off so to avoid a hangover. Levy decided to go big and buy me a cake, mango mousse, which came dancing through the downstairs with a song from all the people with us. The dancefloors are clouded with the fog machine and cigarette smoke, but fortunately at this club much of the cigarette smoke wafted to the 2nd floor. The go go dancers all dance together on a ledge and do very fluid chinese style dancing with a bounce to the western music. The best part was when we danced our booties off until the early hours of the morn, I was even a little sore the next day.

Since then my days have mostly consisted of me, the couch, a blanket, scarf, jacket, my laptop and the job listing websites. Today I trekked all over town, arising at 4:45 am (not my style at all) to head out on the interview trail. It was a wet, windy and frigid day outside. I went from bus to subway to more subway lines to buses to taxi's and it goes on like that until 4pm. At the first job interview, Shanghai Taiwanese Children's School, and the most prospective opportunity for me I was handed the materials for 3 different grade levels and asked to make a lesson plan in an hour for all three classes. Then I taught the classes. NOT EASY folks! I thought the books would help and they do but it just provides basic info I have to fill in the blanks and make it interesting. Suprising right?! Haha, yeah we all know this but it was a lot harder than I anticipated to evoke their involvement in the activites i created. These kids are taught repetition and to immitate, not as much to think creatively. Any suggestions from experienced individuals are welcome! While the job offer here is good it is literally on the complete opposite side of town from me, hence getting up so early in the morning. I'm not certain I can maintain that schedule.

Next stop, Children's Technology Workshop, hmmm teach children how to build lego windmills and the importance of all the features, thinking outside of the box and using fun tools to learn, teaching creativity, I like this! But I can't sign a year contract or else I'd be in there like raingear, I had a great interview. =(

Last stop, a school with smaller classes close to my house, can offer me a change in visa types, full time schedule of 20 hours a week, mixed level classes age 3-6 =playtime learning, ready for the drawback- all nights and weekend hours. That just won't cut it when that's the only time L and I have to travel and hang out together. So there you have it. More interviews coming...

Maybe I should just tutor and be a little poor but enjoy life here?

Ohhhh life and it's darn dilemmas.

Zaijian!

likes and dislikes

Likes

• I think most of you can guess what tops my list for likes....FOOD! Although I really haven't gone out much to eat, what I have had is 非常美味 (very tasty).
  
• I like (however, I'm sure many people will be in disagreement with me on this one) that there is no hesitation no matter where you are to release phlegm buildup. I must admit there are moments I find it disgusting, like in the middle of eating at a restaurant. Otherwise, I think it's healthy to expel the buildup from all this pollution.
• Bars have fruit plates instead of salty snacks. Although this too has it's faults, drinking and salt work pretty well together. BUT, the fruit plates are no ordinary plates of fruit, they are usually a work of art, watermelon rinds carved to look like a a beautiful bird tail, etc. Less bloating the next day too. ;0)
  
• Meeting a lot of new and interesting people.
• Taxi rides around town only cost a little over a dollar.
• People ride bikes everywhere.
• Fruit is the common gift brought when invited for dinner.
• Tboy's dancing
• Everyone who knows someone in Shanghai, giving me their connections' info. I love when people share friends with you while you are far from home!
• Chinese are happy to hear you try thier language and are eager to learn English from us.
  

In between

• While I'll be the first to say, as someone who has been in car accidents, I can get a little paranoid as a passenger and for that matter even as a pedestrian with these wild drivers everywhere. I do appreciate the ability to get where you're going however you need to do it (especially when I tend to run late).
• I can't stand the fact that I usually can't understand what is being said but I appreciate that people just continue to rattle on in Chinese to me even when I tell them I don't understand Chinese. Perseverance!
• If you say 'thank you' more than once or 'sorry', they consider it too much and annoying. Sometimes I don't like this because I am really thankful or sorry and want the point to get across, but I think in America it can be overkill with how often we say 'thank you' and 'sorry' over little things.

Dislikes

• Smoking everywhere, in elevators, restaurants, houses, offices. Yuck!
• There's a huge lack of smiles around here! I keep trying to rub off on people but I just get blank stares back most of the time.
• The COLD WET weather, chills ya to the bones!
• The pollution, it's so bad!
• The utter disregard of environmental degradation. People litter everywhere. Companies let their toxins drain into the rivers. Trucks do not seem like they have to pass any kind of smog check whatsoever. Recycling, WHERE? The results of an industrial revolution coinciding with a technological revolution. They weren't meant to happen all at the same time!
• There is no sense of common courtesy like in the US. Lines...HA! people cut in lines all the time. They push, they step on you, they spit where you're standing, they stare and stare and stare without saying ANYTHING, not even a hello back, no 'sorry's' or 'excuse me's'.
• So often the languge is executed in a fashion that makes them sound mad, creates a wierd vibe.
• Half the taxi's don't know their way around!
• Clubs that have so much security, you can't enjoy yourself without them telling you to move or not to do something.
• The blocked websites. What the hell is happening with CB and Rihanna GDI?!
• The red tape!
• The porcelain holes in the ground that us ladies must squat over to pee everywhere, even in fancy schmancy spots with delux looking bathrooms.

I'll keep adding to the list as time goes on. Hopefully the likes will outnumber the dislikes or at least the quality of likes will reach above that of the dislikes. Let's keep optimistic here, after all that is something i'm good at, why mess it up now.

traffic control

there is none. =D
And this isn't even rush hour!

Birthdays

Today is mine, I'm 29! There is another EAP (Univ. of Cali's Education Abroad Program) student whose birthday it is as well so I believe we will all celebrate together, dinner and our first Chinese club outing. Nothing new for me I have been sharing my birthday celebrations for as long as I can remember, my sister's b-day being one week away from mine and many friends being spring conceived babies. The more to celebrate the merrier!

Levy's birthday party was a blast, we had a lot of people over and as usual, everyone loved it because we had an eclectic group. The EAP students tend to click together but we have made friends outside their group as well, Korean students, Chinese students, study abroad students from different programs. Word is even some of the Korean and Chinese students' friends can't wait to meet us and come to our next party. Not to toot my own horn or anything but it feels good to know Levy and I can make friends wherever we go, very reassuring that our character development is headed in the right direction.
Tboy really wanted a picture with all the Cali kids but as you can see in the pic i doubt many of his friends will believe these are not Chinese students and instead Cali kids. Everyone stayed until about 10pm and then all of a sudden they all left at once except a few of our better friends. We danced while we cleaned and enjoyed a few more minutes together and the night ended joyfully.

Since then, school has begun for the roomies. I have been going to job interview after job interview, applying like crazy online and searching for teaching ideas for my tutorees while trying to complete my TEFL certification course online. Although the original plan was to allow me to relax and get to know the area for a few weeks, I as usual am anxious to have things settled. Not to mention Levy got an email about his grants being reduced which makes earning money a little more urgent. I am faithful that things will work out and am assured that if they do not, I have options, places to stay back in the states while I figure out a job, etc. In the meantime I must continue to search for a teaching position and remain hopeful that things will work out for the best so that I may enjoy the experience of a foreign culture and life with my honey. I have a feeling this won't be the last time I will be doing such a thing so i better learn to weather the storm.

Any teaching ideas for very young learners are welcome! I had my first lesson with the Korean family last night. They live in a very nice apartment with heated floors and a maid to help out. Heated floors are great around here since it's so darn cold and the buildings are all cement, not much insulation to keep your warm. My mom has mentioned that the weather is almost on par with Sonoma county which is hard for me to believe since I don't remember ever living in this cold of weather before (other than Oregon of course). However, the cracks in the corners of my thumbs, the stinging cuts and hard peeling skin on my fingers reminds me that yes, this happened to me every winter as a child growing up. I guess I've been living in So Cal for so long I forgot how cold Norcal can get. I don't miss that at all! Anyhoo, the family is lovely. The older (8)is very good with his english, eager to learn and interested in everything. He is very friendly and a joy to teach. The younger one is more difficult, short attention span, short temper and obviously a little pressured by the fact that his brother is a fast learner. But he is a little lover, taking opportunities to sit in my lap and make me laugh whenever possible. The mother who I have named Ann (graceful) is also an eager learner and very welcoming. She has asked Levy and I to their house for dinner so that we may all get to know each other better. We share a common interest, Africa. She mentioned that while most Koreans express a desire to visit America, she would like to visit Africa. She is also from a family of sisters (3 girls in total). I look forward to our future lessons together!

It is time now for me to make my way out of the house since the rain has ceased. I'm off for a bike ride (which is always an adventure in itself on these wild streets) to a fruit market.
Lots of hugs to all, Lolo

Beareaucracy

The red tape is toooo much! How come everyone told me it would be so easy once I got here to get a job teaching English. By no means has it been. I have applied and applied and the calls I'm getting back are for part time jobs which would be okay except they can't provide me with the documentation to get my visa changed from tourist visa to a work visa. Now the documentation to change my visa is not signed for I take to the consulate to change, it is many forms and multiple steps and permission from the government that i am more qualified than any Chinese local to do the job therefore I can get the visa, etc etc etc. Then I must HOPE they stamp Hong Kong on there instead of the U.S. so that I don't have to fly all the way back to the U.S. to physically change the visa in my passport!
If anyone has any connections for schools or visa workers, etc. in Shanghai, please HOOK ME UP! I need them in my life right now. Haha.

And until that day comes where I find the job I'm looking for (which really at this point is just one that will pay enough for me to stay, is close enough for me to commute by bike, bus or subway, and one that provides the docs), please pray for me however you like to do that!
Thanks!

It has to be dark to see the stars

Thanks Kate for this inspirational quote! I keep reminding myself of this. Every day here challenges arise. I have so much to write but no time right now, i have to prepare my first lesson plan for a Korean family I am tutoring, an 8 and 6 year old boy and their mother. Slowly but surely things are moving along here. I'll post lots more soon, maybe tomorrow on my birthday. I'm sure I'll have some reflecting to do. Here are some pics of our apartment.
:)

Happy V-DAY/BDAY

Happy Valentine's day!!!!
Today I arose with a smile. Refreshed from a full night's sleep and cleansed from a full body massage. Life here is becoming more fluid. The fear that originally captured me has dissipated, the nerves that restricted me are few now. This all reassures me that I will quickly fall into a comfort zone. I knew I had it in me, where was it when I needed this confidence, this strength of character? Oh well, here it is again. In my lapse of faith that things would work out, I was held up by my Levy, just one of the many reasons we are so madly in love, so compatible, so powerful together. We hold each other when we are falling down. My partner in crime is 26 today. We are so lucky to embrace our love on the same very day we get to celebrate his life. The one day of the year, we get to thank his mother and father for creating such a blessing to this world coinciding with a day devoted to lovers. YAY!

Our morning music choice, Andre 3000, Happy Valentine's Day. When Levy and I first started dating, I gave him this CD and we played this song for him over and over in Mo's truck. It brings back fond memories of a fresh relationship and strong friendships. Levy makes me laugh today with his imitations of our friends' dance moves. He's so good at it. I am lucky, this is reminder so many of us forget to tell ourselves.

The last two days we have been involved with Levy's UC Education Abroad Program activities. It's been nice getting to know some of the students involved in his program. One particular student has been here already 6 months and has been burned by his property manger, left practically penniless and homeless but he figured things out and now he's fine. He is a great resource for us. Most of the students are Chinese or Taiwanese American's though. Not only do they have abilities with the language they also have a familiarity with the culture. This is to our advantage, when we move in groups we have native speakers with us.

Yesterday, we went on a city tour. We took a large tour bus to downtown Shanghai (about 30 minutes away). WOW! What a city, it is very modern, bustling with people, beautiful architecture, tall buildings, sophisticated styles. We visited various museums, a strange tourist restaurant serving Western style Chinese food, with wait staff dressed in Thai clothing, a boat cruise down the Bund and a tour of the magestic Yu Yuan gardens. The Yu gardens are some of the most famous in China. Because it is the end of the new year here, there were the most spectacular lantern displays. Aww-inspiring scenes were constructed. All made into lanterns. Chinese woman flying through the clouds, water lilies, lots of cows (cartoon cows are big here, haven't found out why yet). I look forward to returning to the gardens in Spring when everything is in bloom.

Shanghai is known for it's sweets apparently and there are a lot of sugar coated this and thats. One I enjoyed was a shishkabob of caramelized kiwi's, strawberries, Chinese apples, pineapple, etc. Another favorite of mine are the Portuguese egg tarts.

After returning from the city Levy and I met up with John who took us to his favorite massage parlor and it isn't the kind that gives "happy endings". John informed us those are on the other side of campus and foreign students are often not welcome because they have been known to be troublesome. When Levy took off his shirt, John exclaimed "Wow, Leby (as he calls him), you are rearrry strong!". It was so damn cute I wish i had it on video! L and I laid side by side while a little Chinese girl and boy gave one of the strongest massages I have ever received. Boy was that needed. Now we just to need to sort our how we can afford one of those every month! Oh I forgot to mention, we got bikes, used bikes with baskets on the front and bells. We are assimilating faster than expected.

Next update, I'll be sure to tell you about our first Shanghainese birthday party experience. John and I are on a secret mission to get birthday cakes (it's john's roommates birthday too).
Zaijian! (bye)

Chellenges build strength

I received an email today from a good friend who has reminded me that, "Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful". “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”
A good thing for everyone to remember. Bye for now, Warr Marr awaits my arrival. =0)

The day after the storm

Last night we went back to our hotel after a loooong day of looking at apartments and translating through other people, etc. Ready to crawl in bed, our dear friend John called to tell us we must vacate the hotel before midnight (this call came at 11pm). Why? Because although the hotel originally said they could take foreigners they found out they really did not have the correct permission to do so. When we check in with the Police about where we live (which must be done within 10 days of arrival), the hotel will get in trouble for having us. So we packed up and met John in the lobby to head to a new hotel. Only in between the call and the meeting, Laurel had her first panic attack. I am usually such a good traveller and this time I am just so nervous, I don't know if it's because the language is so foreign or I am getting old. I feel helpless and scared and that made me completely shakey, hot, faint and sick last night. I'm sure it was a build up of everything, moving away, changing everything for so many uncertainties, fatigue. Today is a new day though. I must continue to remind myself of this.

Levy crushed a cockroach in our hotel this morning but otherwise it doesn't seem so bad. We headed to campus for some help and information. They were not so informative but we did meet more people. then john made us a big breakfast of mackarel, rice, spam, fruit and some other Korean sides. His landlord took us to see some more apartments, which weree nice. When in the early afternoon, Wen our friend from Chicago called saying that she met a Nigerian from london who was looking for a roommate and room and didn't know where to begin. The landlord Mr. Du shoed us all some 2 bedrooms and eventually we made a final decision. YAY!!! we've signed a contract, we now have a home after looking at 15 apartments. Tomorrow we move in.
In celebration we all went to Hot Pot, a chinese style restaurant with a hot plate in the center of the table with a hot (spicy) broth and a spiced but not hot broth in which you choose things to boil inside and eat, like fish balls, sheep meat, seaweed, cabbage, all sorts of option. mmm mmm good on a cold cold night. Following, was our first Kereoke night in China, apparently THE thing to do, KTV they call it. A room like a sound booth with a table, couch and big screen, 2 mics and a screen to choose songs. Our new roomie, Tboy, Wen, John, Mr. Du, Levy and I rocked out. Hahahaha, lots to adjust to here. More to follow soon. I haven't even touched on some of the crazy culture and daily living of China.
Please send me words of encouragement, I know have to embark on what seems like an all too challenging task of finding work.

xoxoxox Lolo

The beginning

WOW! Levy and I are truly in for an adventure. I am wondering if I am crazy or just extremely brave for thinking this is something i really wanted to do!
We have begun our China chapter with a tumultuous start. Our friend Kerrie gave a us a wonderful evening dinner and send off breakfast full of fiber wich lead to later issues when we arrived at the airport just in time for a fire alarm... All the doors were closed, NO ACCESS. I've never had such a poo emergeny in my adult life, fortunatley Kerrie gave me a ride to a nearby hotel just in time for me to run through the lobby, hands clenching my buttocks to make sure there were no accidents and hit the porcelain gods with some serious thunder.
The lines inside the airport when we got back were a mess, and our flight to SFO was leaving in 30 minutes. Oh btw, the fire alarm was the result of an overheated popcorn machine. Oi vey! Of course since there was an alarm and lots of police around, they were on high alert which also meant anyone with a wierd last name and foreign passport was to be checked, i.e. Levy. Our plane waited and eventually Levy was cleared to go, we made it to SFO fine and then to Shanghai with all of our luggage in tact. And when I say ALL of our luggage, that's A LOT.

Following the advice of previous students we asked at the international student dorms at Fudan University (Levy's new school) for a room for a few nights. DENIED! They were all booked up, OH and they didn't speak english either. Not many people that work around here do, but they will just keep talking and talking to you in Chinese, like maybe you'll get it somewhow, magically. Wen, a Chinese born but now US citizen, from a program in Chicago took Levy to the International Student housing unit, Tonghe, across the street, kind of, to see if there were any openings. There was, one 2 bedroom apartment for more than we can afford without a roommate. However, there Levy met john, our guardian angel.
John is a South Korean studying at Fudan who lives in Tonghe. he was going to help us find a hotel when he said, stay with me for the night, my roommate is gone. He speaks broken english but still English and also Chinese. He housed us, fed us and advised us on finding housing. the following day he helped us get a cell phone, a hotel and arranged for us to to speak with some real estate people that assist in finding apartments. Of course nobody at the agency or any of the landlords of the apartments spoke any english either but John was just a phone call away to speak with them whenever we needed it. (He couldn't come along because he needed to study). THANK YOU JOHN!!!

The apatments are small and in most cases pretty dingy but what can you ask for, this is a big city in China after all. So tomorrow while Levy takes care of school business I will search some more with some other agents. Hopefully we will find a decent living space because we are anxious to unpack and explore.
I am falling asleep at the computer right now but will update you next time i get the chance. Think positively for us. So far our luck has not been great but we have met some really wonderful people that have outreached a hand to us. Oh yeah and it's fucking cold here! But he food is delish!

Here is our cell #: 13917375201, we're 16 hours ahead.

xoxoxo Lolo

1st day in our new apt.

Today our home on Wudong lu (road name) or as the cabbies say, "Wu dong luahh" was officially moved into. No more lugging heavy suitcases from place to place, no more exhausting visits from apartment to apartment, trying to get the little Chinese we know to make sense and the little English they know to be informative enough, no more worries that the police will not accept where we have been living, etc. etc etc. We now have a home, near the school campus, neighboring the friends we have made so far, in walking distance from the hot spot, KTV. haha.

While Levy took care of school business today, John, Tboy (Babatunde) and i trekked to Warr Marr superstore (that would be Walmart but tell a taxi driver that and they are clueless) to buy supplies. Now we have our own toilet with toilet paper, no more peeing in squat pots, at least not in our own home. We now have our own pillows and blankets, no more wondering if the sheets were washed well before us. We now have towels that are soft. YAY!

Tomorrow a message awaits our tired shoulders and worn feet. Tomorrow, more documents will be handed over for our rental, in hopes that when the landlord arrives on Saturday he will accord to our terms, fix what is broken (or at least the biggies) and allow us to stay. Tomorrow the police will officially know where to find us. Tomorrow, maybe I'll buy a used bike and join the wild ride of traffic here, one of the few places rules do not seem to matter. Although our guardian angel John says, the only rule when riding a bike is the elementary rule that you must go the correct direction as the flow of traffic, i have noticed that doesn't always apply either. Tomorrow i may relax and settle in! Tomorrow WarrMarr will see us again. Tomorrow there is more to smile about.

The children are rosy cheeked in the cold weather, bundled like fuzzy balls with big grins. the old men sip tea and smoke cigarettes. Well, everyone smokes cigarettes regardless of no smoking signs and everyone sips tea, not bottles of water. The rules of the road are, get there however you can and try not to have to brake and honk honk honk. Lines don't mean a thing. The beds are hard as bricks and the rooms are not heated. But boy the food is great and everyone knows, that's what's most important to me anyways. =D

Soon the job search begins. i have an interview on Friday.

Until next time....