Momma Says...

My momma gets my ONE-HUNDREDTH blog entry!


Ever wonder about another perspective on Shanghai, my life, of China in general? I feel like it is always great to hear from another person about their experiences, which is why I asked my mom to write an entry for my blog. Sometimes it is still so strange for me to think that this is the life I led, yet, mostly I look around and that is just how I view it - this is my life. Things are not strange or unusual anymore. I am acclimated into the culture - become one with the people - and I no longer see my life as "interesting"... it is just my life. 


It is funny because when my mom first arrived, we were driving in a taxi from the airport. My mom stared out the window absorbing her surroundings when she noticed a motorbike driving down the street carrying a heavy load of something or other. My mom began shouting, "Did you see that? Did you see that? That was crazy!" I didn't see what she was talking about, but believe me, I am plenty used to seeing the strangest of strange things being piled onto a moped (as my mom quickly learned as well). I thought to myself, oh, yeah, I guess that is weird to someone who is not used to living here....  So anyway, my mom wrote down some thoughts, so without further a do...


Where do I start. My time in Shanghai was an amazing adventure! SHANGHAI is awesome.  From the minute I landed we hit the ground running. I never felt like I was in a foreign country - so many cultures here. Never feeling unsafe at night or day, in a group or alone. I’m very comfortable. My first day I had McDonald breakfast  delivered. I'm glad I cant do that in the states. And with all the tea in china, you think I would not have missed my sweet tea, but I did!  The food was all awesome - from the up scale dinning to the little shack or the street food. YUM ! But I didn't really care for the numbing spices, which are very popular here. I think they change the taste of the food, not to mention the way your mouth feels. I’m just not a fan. But I am a big fan of super chicken, sticky fruit and fried dumplings - so delicious!


You can get just about anything you want on the street – food, clothes, cell phones and everything in between. Not much of a need to got to store, but if you want to there are plenty of them.  It is funny to me how you can have an upscale store and right next door there is a little shack. The way the classes mesh is unusual to say the least. It all just blends; so not like US. And every one is treated the same - RUDE.  I spent the first few days saying excuse me to everyone. Then, I just started to push, shove and cut in front like everyone else does. I don’t like being rude, but when in Rome...  


The weather could not have been better! Sunny skies, nice breeze. I had some strange looks because I like short sleeves and no coat. Here, everybody wore coats and scarfs everyday no matter the temperature. It was in 70s and the babies were in snowsuits. I guess they get use to it from birth. The fashion was a cross between little girl cute and hooker. I guess that's the best way  to describe it.  Everyone wears heels, scarfs, coats and carries designer bags - all fakes of course.  I saw a girl wearing wedge tennis shoes with Hello Kitty on them, a lace evening gown (tea length), nylons with striped print and blue jean jacket with studs; and none of the colors matched!  It’s something you have to see to believe. It’s not just the teens but all women - old and young.  I saw a lady a little older than me wearing fish net stockings, leather shorts, kitty tee shirt, scarf and rhinestone jacket - ROFLMAO! Anything goes. People watching was the bomb! 


Our trip to Beijing was awesome - filled with history and sightseeing. We did everything there was to do there.  I thought it was different from Shanghai and Mel agreed. The language was another dialect from Shanghai and even Mel was having a hard time understanding them. She called it pirate Chinese with marbles.  We packed alot into the 2 days we were there - The Great Wall, Tennimen square, the Forbidden city, Temple of Heaven. the Summer palace,  The Ming tomb and the Bejing opera, and Peking duck for dinner!        At the end of our 2 hour walking tour of Forbidden City we were treated to a foot massage and a visit with a chinese doctor of herbal  meds and reflexology. By looking at my hands and feeling my pulse he told me what was wrong with me and he was dead on! It was kind of scary but very interesting! Then, of course, they tried to sell us hundreds of dollars worth of herbs. NOT. Then back on the plane and uggg my ears hurt. 


There  are so many things I'd like to talk about but  that would take too long, but there were a couple of things worth mentioning that I enjoyed - the Marriage Market.  Every sunday parents  & grandparents or a Representative  go to the market to find a husband or wife.  All of the kid's stats (age, edcuation, picture, ect...) are written down and  hung on a fence. When you are chosen then the agreement is written. I wonder what they agree about!  Money? Cows? Chickens?  I'm surprised the a society so advanced would  have such old traditions still going on.  


I got to spend sometime with Mel's roomies, too. Such awesome ladies! Amy Jo & Christina and  boyfriend, Nick who arrived a few days before I had to leave  And all of her co workers and friends. There were so many nice people . It was nice meeting and spending time with them. They all played part in my amazing vacay. But all the things that I did that meant more and I enjoyed the most was being with my Mel .  oxoxoxo


BIG THANKS FOR THE ADVENTURE ! 


Where we going next ?