The Number One Reasons for Shanghai, China!!!!!

Overall, I really will miss Shanghai for many reasons, and I am sad I am leaving it....however, i am about to embark on yet another amazing adventure and to do this i must leave china....so i must now go forward on this lifetime journey....africa is calling....so here are the NUMBER ONE REASONS why i will not and will miss Shanghai, China.......

#1 - Reason why i will NOT miss Shanghai, China

the spitting noise you hear most places you go...men, women and kids do this and it just grosses me out every time i hear it....if you know what i mean, you have wrinkled your nose in disgust...this noise kills me and i have to say i will NOT miss it at all.....i wanted to make a sound bite of it, but i just couldn't do it....it's not even what comes out that grosses me out as much....it's totally the noise that is made....bleh!!!!

i realize this is not the sound of this gross habit....but i just couldn't even bring myself to put a sound bite or a picture of someone spitting on this blog...so some of these funny signs that i have seen will have to suffice....the noise drives me crazy and even has me commenting out loud...which kind of freaks out the spitters themselves...but this is sure sign it is time for me to go from shanghai....i can't keep my comments to myself....

social morality...not really sure what that has to do with it....but i like the message....but it's hard to help the chinese understand why this habit is so gross, because they believe in "out, instead of in"....and when your pollution is so bad and your cigarettes are made without filters...maybe this is a good saying to live by????
 

i have to say i have never seen anyone get fined for spitting, but maybe that's the way to go???? not really sure...i just know it is my number one reason for not missing shanghai....i can't make it into a game, like some of my friends...i just can't deal....so off i go...and hopefully in ghana...no spitting...or at least not with the wind-up like they do in china....gross.....

***************************************************************

#1 - Reason why I will miss Shanghai, China 
The people I spend time with every day of my life here....they are such a diverse group of folks from all over the world...with incredible ideas, thoughts and suggestions....and they have made my time here totally worth every minute....they are what i will miss the most.....every day!  

MY FRIENDS!!!!!!

Pictures from year 1!!!!

The Bucharest and Ghana Crew at the time....all roads lead to the Watts!!!! Patrick and Karolina were with them in Ghana and I was with them in Romania....and here we are at the japanese bistro....

 

first year dragon crawl...before things got really crazy....jocelyn, angela and kara....all left either shanghai or teaching with us that year....sad.....

 

another first year goodbye for angela...with her, julia, doug and anne....fun night at captains at the bund...nice view!!!!

 

in looking at this picture of the ladies i was out with at the end of that year...the only one left for next year is laure....crazy how people leave here every year.....

 

  

this was a fun hike around hangzhou, up in the hills and tea plantations...set up by bernie, the guy in the front with me....and when i look at this picture...NO ONE is left after this year...not one person....people move on in the international teaching world...crazy how fast it happens...

Year 2:

the year started with a cruise along the huang pu - the river that runs through shanghai...here are dan, matt and bri...all bright eyed and bushy tailed for a busy year ahead....

this is from the big winter holiday trip with lisa to india....this is where she became a bollywood star...everyone wanted pictures with her....

a hot pot night out of cooking with di and greg....good for a winter's evening....

 

matt and i at the xmas party....i don't remember the theme....but i never really played along...i just looked nice....

 

girls weekend in suzhou, hanging with julia and tina and sandy (not in this shot)....was a bunch of fun...lots of laughing and taking crazy pictures and wandering around this cool garden town....

Year 3:

freaky picture of matt and i with our mustaches during the fundraiser in school...his is real...mine, not so much....

another winter party...this time the theme was royalty....dan is elvis, the king and bret is michael jackson, the king of pop....me, not playing...but i look nice....

 

this is ari...another bad-ass science teacher...she works at one of the other campuses...she is on her way out this year as well....but we know we will see each other again...and maybe, if we are lucky...work together....

the bucharest crew....we hung out almost every week for dinner....so really, even though you move away, you really do see folks again...and sometimes, even get to work with them again....

one of the dinner crews i was part of ....both sandy and tina worked at SAS...they were always amazed by the stories from school...all schools have stories...but some of ours were mind blowing!!!

this was another dinner crew...and this is us with the hosts and amazing chef of UV...after a simply fantastic dinner....so glad i did this...for the food, the experience and the girls i went with!!!!

the wire, luther and game of thrones crew....i am not much of a tv person myself...but hanging with these folks once a week to watch a show, was awesome....for game of thrones we even bought t-shirts of our favorite houses and actors....thanks ross, juliet, sean, andrea, jules, jenny and little v for the fun and laughs away from school....i will miss GOT next year with you all, and the new crew of folks who joined us this year....
 

my partner and friend in crime for middle school science this year....john...this is our science end of the year get together...and yes, that's wine in those test tubes...the real question is though...did we clean them first....hahahahahaha....what a great year we had....

this shot is from our last dinner at goga hai...yummy!!!!  one of my favorites in the entire city...and i don't know who else i would have wanted to share my last meal there with more...thanks for a wonderful year and trip to indonesia maggie, darby and alyssa...you rock!!!!

 

this was another way i said goodbye to shanghai...on a motorcycle side car tour...it was incredible...we had great drivers....visited places i had not been too and laughed a lot...what a way to say goodbye :)

last but not least....my overseas family selfie....taken by billy and including everyone important that could make it that night...a few folks were missing...but this was my time to say thanks for being my home away from home...you all rock my world...thanks billy, laure, maggie, ari, matt, dan, brad, heather, jocelyn, bri, adriana, darby, alyssa and andrea....i know we will see each other again soon...and all the best.....

****************************************************************

and there you have it...the top ten reasons why i will not and will miss the awesome place called shanghai...i have been here three years and it is time to move on...to my 6th continent, to new adventures, to a new school and to new stories....i am sad to leave shanghai, but know in this world i have chosen to live in that i will see people again and make new memories in other places with them...laugh a lot and be sad again when we reach the end....but on i go to ghana, africa....where a brand new chapter begins....come along if you wish....and yes, i will continue the blog....happy summer to those in the northern hemisphere and happy winter to those in the south...i will try and get the south korea post up soon....at least before i make it to ghana....and as we say in shanghai - zi wei!!!!

#2 - Shanghai, China Reasons

Reasons number two.....what will be number one??????

#2 - Reason why i will NOT miss Shanghai, China
the air pollution...it has become ridiculous this year...and at one point the air looked brown and as you walked you could taste the pollution...pretty disgusting....here are some shots to show you what it looks like when it is bad out...the first three were not taken by me....

this picture was taken on the bund on december 5, 2013....that was the most disgusting day of this school year....we went up above 400 on the air index....which i will explain more about below....but as you can see, you can't see the amazing skyline that usually makes up the bund...it was nasty...let me tell you....in school the air in the hallways was visible and taste-able....truly gross...

this is what the air index is...and we who live here check it everyday...as i sit here typing the reading is 63....which is really good for shanghai....but its raining, which always lowers the air pollution here...many days we are above 100 and close to 150....and in many places in the world, they never get above 50 on the index....i just checked shanghai's ranking though....and out of all of the polluted cities in china...we are ranked as 113....not even in the top 100...scary thought....(day of posting....pollution index is 105...that's more like a daily basis in shanghai)
 

this is another shot from that way polluted day last december...but this one shows you just how bad it was...real time in the below part of the picture....a clear day in the picture in the upper right corner....i really do love this city....but i really do NOT love this pollution....
 

because of the really bad day in december, a bunch of teachers decided to do something about our breathing situation....a bought air filtering masks...not from china mind you, because they could be fake....we had them shipped from london....i am not happy i have to wear a mask...and my rule is that when it is above 150, mask goes on....it is not comfortable...but it does help me breathe better...stylish, don't you think....
 

 
and just a few weeks ago at the end of May, things got pretty bad again....here i am on the way to school...not a far walk...but a hazardous one on occasions....bleh....

****************************************************************

#2 - Reason why I will miss Shanghai, China 
the amazing variety of restaurants and what they have to offer.....i have been to some pretty spectacular places in the past three years...yummy!!!! below are some shots from some of my favorites....

dumplings are what shanghai does best and these are some veggie ones from my favorite dumplings place....one i went to almost every week i was in shanghai, with one last trip last night!!!!! yummy!!!

many times when you go out for chinese food, no matter what type, you eat family style...this is from a sichuan place, where a friend was hosting a goodbye dinner...they have a HUGE table, with a HUGE lazy susan on it...we counted and at one point there were 22 dishes on this table of all types of food combinations....

here's a shot from a tasty korean BBQ place...now, if you know anything about korean BBQ, you know it is all meat....so what would a vegetarian eat there....well, just look at all of the things you can put on the meat....plus, they did some amazing roasted garlic and mushrooms...easy to find stuff when you know how to look around....
 

over the years i have had my fair share of fish....and when in china, you get the whole fish most of the time....so kiss the fish head and enjoy i say :)
 

this was one of the most creative dinners i had....they made my meal on a plastic box, with dry ice in side....so it was literally "smoking" when it came out....they made these little "islands" out of veggies and it was incredible....thanks t8....nice work for the vegetarian during restaurant week!!!!!
 

the place above was a simply ridiculous sushi place...they have a catwalk you walk into the restaurant on and then during restaurant week they gave us soooooo much food...it was insane....we had a hard time finishing everything....they also did some crazy pieces...like a ceasar salad in a martini glass and noodles in a paper bowl....very creative and interesting....and way too much food :)

the next two pictures are from my big splurge this year to a place called UV...i have no idea how to explain what this meal was like, except that it affected every one of your senses...smelling, listening, feeling, looking and of course tasting....this was my favorite course....the hypodermic needle actually contains a noodle...so when you squeeze it into the soup on the left, it is a noodle...incredible...

the picture below happened after we thought the meal was over...literally....we left the table (after 23 courses) and had after dinner drinks...and then were invited back in for breakfast....but everything you see here, even though it looks like breakfast, is sweet and a dessert from dinner...our third round of desserts....this dinner was insane...and totally worth every penny of the cost....this is a treat of a place...but it was one of the ways i decided i would say goodbye to this town and its amazing restaurants....this place, shanghai, is mecca for a foodie.....cheers!!!!

#3 - Shanghai, China Reasons

The third set of reasons are.....

#3 - Reason why i will NOT miss Shanghai, China

bodily fluids everywhere....i just cringe typing it....by this i mean things that come out of every orifice of the body...poeple picking noses and faces and ears, and pooping and peeing...it's enough to make you want to add to the pile with vomit....sorry...i really don't like this aspect of china....and this is the main reason why i have a second set of reasons below...of why i will miss china....sorry to be so gross...but it's just.....GROSS!!!!!

funniest thing about this sign was, and i couldn't get it in the shot, that it is literally pointing to the ground...and underneath it, a pile of bodily fluids....bleh...i just couldn't take the shot....

where else would you find a restaurant called the toilet restaurant...okay...it's a korean chain....but really...served in urinals and toilet shaped glasses and dishes...most things have a poo-type consistency....but i guess i am one to talk, as i went there :)

yeah...i have never seen one of these in china....but i think they would benefit...street cleaners are out doing their work...quite well i might add...but i really do feel bad for them having to clean up bodily fluids...it's part of their job....gross.....

**************************************************************

#3 - Reason why I will miss Shanghai, China 
interesting translations from chinese to english...many times these give me a chuckle...love them :)  these are some of my favorites over the years.....

what is one "hore" level I ask you???? hmmmmmm....should this be a game for kids???? funny thing is, i saw some kids buy the same exact t-shirt a few minutes after i took the picture....lovin it!!!

one of the all time favorites....what?!?!?! both shirts figured prominently into the front advertising of the store.....hmmmmmm....which would you choose????

after showing some specific friends this picture...all of them wanted to know what they needed to do to get the same position....i don't think anyone called to find out....but....
 

huh????  this was on the grass in a friend's compound...no idea what they were going for....although the chinese really don't like having people on the grass in their compounds...messes them up....
 

i think i'll have the watermelon flavor....yummy!!!!
 

every time i look at this one, i laugh out loud.... a bit blurry, but it says "farewell my concubine"...would you be able to eat the turtle???? no way....

last but not least, grilled kinky....hmmmmmmm.....i guess some people like their kinky grilled??? ha!!

#4 - Shanghai, China Reasons

More than half finished....the fourth reasons....

#4 - Reason why i will NOT miss Shanghai, China
Chinese people telling me my chinese is not good, which it isn't, but then yelling at me when i have pronounced something wrong....usually when they say it, it sounds exactly like what just came out of my mouth....ahhhh those chinese tones....

just some cool characters to get your lessons started....i have no idea how to read chinese...did not learn the characters...i can speak it well enough to survive in most situations...buying food, haggling for gifts, ordering food at a restaurant and taking a taxi :)
 

i love this picture above, because it explains the four main tones (there is a fifth that is not used in many situations)....now remember that you don't want to call your mom a horse....it will all be decided by your tone used :)

*************************************************************

#4 - Reason why I will miss Shanghai, China 

the incredible architecture....some of the coolest buildings are in this city....and some of the traditional style places are amazing to look at as well.....

i love this shot with the old world doorway...this is in one of the places shanghai has turned into a cool, hip, happenin' place, where many people still live...its called tai kang lu...

this was one of the most interesting buildings i visited here in shanghai, as this is an old slaughter house and meat packing facility...they are trying to change it into a tourist destination...with bars and cafes and restaurants....it was a wild structure...all concrete  :)
 

just a shot of some of my favorite buildings...i really will miss the high rises, especially when they are all lit up at night....

the pearl tower is just plain unique...and this shot is one of my favorites that i took while i was wandering around the bund area one day....through a monument...lovin it...
 

old world meets newer world...you see this everywhere in shanghai...it is a place that wants to be bigger, better and faster...but in many places they have left at least one old building that gives you a glimpse into the past...but much of this has been torn down, for the bigger, better and faster....
 

this building was built for the shanghai expo in 2010...i am bummed i missed that...but now this building is the one of the many shanghai art museums...love it...
 

this is the shanghai grand theater...i saw many good classical things in here and i love looking at this structure....especially at night...just georgeous :)
 

another one of the old world styles...but with a fresh coat of paint....funnily enough, this is a side entrance to a bank....no one evens walks in or out of this doorway...
 

one last shot of this city....great buildings, great views....i will miss these buildings...