Weekend in Shanghai

On Saturday I got together with Nicole, Ashley, and Jenny from work!  First we all went and got our hair done and helped Jenny find shoes!  The shoe mission was successful!  But the hair was another story!  We had an appointment but the salon had the wrong address on their website so we never made our appointments.  So we went to Jenny's neighborhood and walked into a local salon.  We also had a bottle of wine while we got our hair done!  Jenny realized she forgot her keys and as we waited for her roommate we drank wine and put our makeup on at the salon.

 We finally got ready and were on our way to the Gala for Sunrise Shanghai (an organization that provides scholarships for under privileged kids to go to high school and university).  Our school has decided to share sponsoring a student.  In China before you go to high school you take an exam, which tells you which high school you can go to.  The better schools of course cost more money.

 The Gala was at a classy club called Face in Pudong.  China has a tradition of naming cities based on their geographic location.  Shanghai literally means up or above the sea.  Shanghai is split into two areas. First, Pudong, which means east of the Huangpu river ( dong means east and pu is short for Huangpu). Pudong was farmland until the 1990's and now home to one of the fastest changing skylines in the world.  The other half is Puxi (where I live) and it means west of Huangpu River.  Puxi is the largest district and is home to 90% of the cities residents.  Small history lesson!  Now for some fun shots from the event!  Names from left to right!

Nicole (3 yr teacher), Me,  Ashley (roommate) in the Taxi on the
way to Pudong!  

Nicole and Jenny (Principal)

Jenny and Ashley

Top Row:  Jenny, Gina(office Manager),  Viki (2 year teacher),
Bottom Row: Ashley, Nicole, Me   

They served some of the most delicious Indian food I have ever had, and open bar!  There was a raffle and a silent auction.   My principal won two free massages and Nicole won Chinese lessons!  

Love and miss you all!!!  Please email or make comments!  I hope your enjoying it! 

WuXi part 2

After we walked around the city we had a massage!  One of the greatest things about China is you can always get a great massage for cheap.  The place was beautiful and had a pond with fish in the middle.

When we left we saw a Chinese women all dressed up and was performing different stories in the street.





















Then we came across the statue for money and wealth.  We also saw a lot of interesting dragons on the roof tops.  

  



Then we went out for a big dinner with My Boss, Song May, and several other friends of my bosses.  A few from the states but mostly from China.  We had a huge dinner and drank a lot of beer and plum wine!  In China when you go out to eat it is usually family style.  You always start with cold dishes (usually cold veggies or other small appetizers), and then the dishes get bigger as the night goes on.  The Chinese eat every part of the animals body so some weird dishes can come out.  The strangest item we ate that night was bees, bamboo bugs, and crickets.  The bees were the best!

bees, bamboo bugs, and crickets

Ashley and I after we ate the bugs!!!

We also used our first squatter toilet, basically a urinal in the ground for girls.



Then we went dancing!  The band was Chinese and played American songs!  

More photos from my trip to WuXi!!!!

Chinese tea!

Chopsticks are already waiting for you at the table!

This weekend I went on my first trip outside of Shanghai to WuXi.  We took the train with my boss, roommate and a Japanese women name song may (that is how it is pronounced not spelled).  It took an hour on the train.  WuXi is similar to Shanghai but it is a water town and there are more ancient parts of the city that have been preserved.   We first checked into our hotel and then went  to eat some WuXi delicacies. We had delicious pork steamed dumplings and dumpling soup.

Ashley, Me, and Songmay (She own a beauty salon in my neighborhood and is going to give us a disconnect.

When a new restaurant opens they send flowers and keep them outside until they die to show it is a new place.
After lunch we walked through the ancient water town!  The jugs are what they stored alcohol in. 

There were several great gardens with great ponds and landscape!  Next we went into the park and took a boat ride!  It was an old motor boat!  It was like bumper boats because no one was paying attention because they were taking pictures and eating picnics.

Ashley and I on the boat

Next we took a sky cap to the top of the surrounding hills!  There was a great view on the way up but it was hard to see the city very well because of the overcast weather.

This on the way down!!!  

After we walked around the city we went for traditional chinese tea and massages!  I'm adding a few more photos from the day! Then later this week I will update you about the nightlife and 100th day birthday party I attended on Sunday.

Jolyn and Sally!!

This Eita (with the small cast) and Jeff

No joke, names are Brad and Angelina.  also are best friends

This Kuya(Japanese but speaks english and Chinese), such a cute kid!!!

Starting from the Left Jake (cutes british accent but two chinese parents???), Miss Candy, Jolyn,  Lindzay, and Sally

My class is the Tiger class!!!  We made tigers the first week of school So cute!!!

Hello Everyone!!!  My life in Shanghai is really starting to pick up!!!  I went out of town this weekend and have something to do almost each night this week!  I wanted to start by updating everyone on my amazing class and if I get home early enough tonight update about my amazing trip to WuXi, China.  My class is great and it is so nice to teach and have a life!!  I have already read two books since I got here!  Go me!  

1st day of school!!!  My first day went great!!!  It went by really fast.  There are a few kids that don't know what is going, so I need to help them get caught up on their English.  I have a student who speaks no English and his name is Eita.  Eita has the smallest arm cast in the world, it is so cute!  However, as cute as he is, he did cry for the last hour of the day because he missed his parents.  Otherwise all the kids did a great job!  Here is our class picture!

Miss Sloane's Class!!

I have seven boys and five girls.  In the front row starting from my left is Brady, Richard, Jolyn, Lindzay, Angelina, and Brian.  Second row starting from my left is Jeff, Eita, Kuya, and Jake.  The two girls in back are Rio and Sally.   They are all so sweet!  I also have an amazing teachers aid called Candy!  It is hard to believe I made it through last year with 25 kids and no assistant ( I miss my IEM first graders so much. Tell them hi!)!  Having 16 kids and a teaching assistant as amazing as Candy is going to be wonderful!   

Miss Candy and our class!

Besides school I had a busy weekend!  I made my first trip to IKEA in Shanghai!  I got all the extras I need for my apartment, but I also got pick pocketed, and someone stole my phone. :(  No worries I got a new one for 200 RMB which is about $30.  It is also better than my other Shanghai Nokia, which is not saying much because I'm pretty sure my phone in high school was more high tech then this phone.  Lesson learned in big crowds white westerns have a giant target on them, so keep a hold of your stuff!!  Also saw several people taking cat naps on the IKEA beds.   

Then after school I went running!  Which was a great way to end the 1st day of school until I was crossing the road and a nine year old on an adult bike ran into me.  Luckily I turned at the last minute and only my forearm got hit.  A few beers later, and all better no bruise.  Lesson learned never let your guard down crossing these crazy Shanghai Streets.  The biker was also going the opposite way of traffic on a one way street.  

Love you all!!!