Stone Cold

So I got to thinking this afternoon, how underwhelmed I was by the whole experience of living in Shanghai so far.  I mean, sure, it's hectic right, like living in New York City is hectic.  There's the bustle, and the getting to and fro, and the lugging of things, and the lights and noise and press of people. 

But that's not especially exotic or weird.  I've lived in New York.  I basically knew to expect that part of it. 

I suppose I was just nonplussed by how Western Shanghai really is.  Let me punctuate that by pointing out that within easy walking distance of our apartment there are not one, but two, Cold Stone Creamery outlets.  Cold Stone is a boutique, made to order ice cream store that is so expensive that I can't afford to go there in the United States.  They are not common there, at least not to my knowledge, but I do know about them. 

So this expensive, gratification-focused, frozen cream franchise emporium has two outposts within easy striking distance of my apartment in Shanghai -- in China, a country that until recently, had little experience with ice cream of any kind and not much appreciate for it.  That illustrates, in a nutshell, that living here just isn't that different from living in the U.S., right?  Anything I can get there, I can get here.  Food, electronics, television shows, nature (in the park), cars, speedy transport, instant communications, everything.  In other words, whatevs.  Yawnsville.  Big city, big deal.   

Then Allison reminded me that I'm just used to China.  The scales fell away, and I saw the light.  I remembered to see things not through my own eyes, but through hers and the kids'.
 

Photos at last

For our friends not on Facebook (yes there are a few of you!), here are some photos of our adventures to date.  They ended up in reverse order, oops.

More shopping adventures

Toto and Toto

Eli took a break on our walk, to call us on the phone.

Matthew's colleague Spring and her husband and son took us out to dinner.  It was delicious.

Our first real Chinese meal.  Eli approves.

Beginning our walk to find sheets, pots/pans, towels, and toasters.

Outside our apartment building

Yum, chicken heads.

Handles for rocks!!  This could revolutionize farming in Vermont.

Eli and a replica of China's newest/first aircraft carrier.

The view from our new apartment.

Townes is in there somewhere...

 

Mishmash

So, kind of a random jumble of thoughts today written over several days.  Amazing how hard it becomes to move, work, be jet lagged, manage 3 kids, and still find time to write and then get around the Great Firewall to post…  that last one especially, I only just figured out.    Will get more coherent in the next few entries.

It’s also amazing how much easier the move is, than the getting ready to move.

Our transfer to Shanghai was almost too easy, due in no small part to the efforts of my colleagues on both sides of the ocean to get visas in place, prepare apartments, etc.  And to the Mindels, who volunteered to drive us to the airport at 3:30 a.m.

We made it to Newark, where Eli ran back and forth on the moving walkways roughly 60,000 times in two hours.  Boarded, and the kids were happy for hours watching movies and TV shows they normally get no exposure to.  All our bags made it like clockwork, we were in the van and to the airport in no time, and both the new apartment and landlord are lovely.  A couple of pizzas later, and everyone was asleep.

Newark

Family Status:  Upbeat

iPhone Status:  Moist But Showing Some Promise

Eli Status:  Enjoying the Moving Walkways.  Several Thousand Times.

A Thousand Words...

... will have to be worth one picture for this post, since I can't take pictures at the moment.

I think you would agree, that when one is on the verge of moving family, hearth and home to another country on the other side of the world, that roughly 10 hours before departure it's standard operating procedure  to bathe your iPhone gently but thoroughly, in a front-loading washer, for about 30 minutes or so.  That's enough time to cover a full wash, rinse and spin cycle, affording your iPhone that bedraggled, soap-and-waterclogged look that we all so deeply lust after for our handheld electronic devices. 

So yes, my iPhone is currently chilling in a bag of dry white rice, which hopefully will suck the water out of it.  And the suds that now bespatter the underside of the viewscreen.

Amazingly, the thing was still working when it came out of the washer.  After a fashion.  It was on, I could see the graphics, it was asking me if I wanted to turn it off -- poor thing was rather forlorn about the whole experience, apparently, and craving a good nap -- but the touchscreen wouldn't respond, so I just had to keep resetting it until it stopped restarting itself.  Crazy little device. 

I've got a few other things on my mind just now, and am not attached enough to my iPhone to worry too much about the loss, but the prospect of having but one electronic pediatric sedation device in hand tomorrow -- Allison's -- to share out among three kids on a 15-hour flight to China, is causing me a bit more anxiety.   Kicking the seats in front of them, playing with the flight attendant call buttons, and spilling drinks in their laps will only keep them entertained for brief periods of time, at the end of which they will turn on us.  If we don't have sufficient shiny-flashy things and processed sweets about our persons to distract them, they may penetrate our defenses.  It is a terrible thing to see a pack of feral children draining the lifeforce from their parents at 37,000 feet.   Let alone, being said parents.

We leave for the airport in about 6 hours, at 3:15 a.m.  With roughly 1,000 lbs of luggage in 15 suitcases.  To travel 9,000 miles on 2 flights over 20 hours. 

Is it strange to be excited about this?  

We are strange.

What a slog to get here, how could we not be?  Moving out of our house, renting it to someone, selling a car, dealing with legal junk, securing residency/work permit visas, renting a new place in Shanghai, living in the Mindels' basement, sorting everything we own and figuring out what to take and then packing it all up, working full time.  I mean, don't get me wrong, these are clearly first-world problems that I should consider myself lucky to have, but still... it's good to be on the right side of that little tornado of first-world crap.  We are looking forward to planting our feet on Chinese soil.

The Mindels... they love Allison very much.  Otherwise I can't imagine why they would put up with us and have us in their house (including Eli -- who has entered a phase we are calling "El Diablo" -- and myself, who has few redeeming qualities even on my good days) and drive us to the airport at ungodly hours.  These are beautiful people. 

Naomi had some tears after a lovely send off at school.  She is game for the adventure but also highly in touch with the implications of leaving her friends and world behind.  Townes and Eli are excited, even though neither of them really understand what they are in for.  None of us do.

But then, who of us ever really does?  

Oh, my brothers and sisters.  We will miss you so.  But we will return bearing tales and gifts and riding beasts of legend, of that we can assure you.  Look for us just under Casseopeia's crown at eventide, and you will see us waving to you, and bidding you peace, and good wishes, and fond fare-thee-well's. 

M&A&N&T&E 

Beyond the Sunset

And lo, there was again a record of things. 

Since this blog was originally about a trip to China, it seems only appropriate that we resurrect it now that we are returning to China... to live.  We'll be moving to Shanghai in March.  You may have heard of it.  Fourth largest city in the world in terms of population.  Largest city in the world, taken as a municipality or metro region.  What's the difference, you ask?  I have no idea.  Ask wikipedia.

Anyway:  big, is the point I am making.  Which we are unused to.  And which kind of belies the new title of the blog, "The Untravelled World."  Shanghai is well traveled, after all.  By many people.  From all over the world.  For several millenia. 

But of course I am referring to Tennyson's "Ulysses," as most of you recognized right away.  I never could put anything past you:

I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.

So we are off to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, hopefully not until we die (as Ulysses would have us do), but to push back the margins of our own untravelled world.  It may be weird, and we invite you to partake of that with us from time to time.  And to visit us, whenever you want.  



But come soon, Shanghai has a tendency to change dramatically over short periods of time.

We are moving because I am the Director of Asia Programs for the Institute for Sustainable Communities, and we have a lot of projects in China, and increasingly in India, and we are trying to develop programs in Bangladesh and Vietnam and Philippines and Indonesia, and over the last year especially the travel has just been killing me.  How much better and easier, the thinking goes, to be where the programs already are and that much closer to where we hope they will be.  And it will expend less carbon and other harmful jet fuel emissions, which is closely related to the whole point of the endeavor to begin with. 

And the kids will learn Mandarin.  So that they will be able to curse properly when they join the browncoats in fighting against the Alliance in the year 2157.

So... Happy Year of the Dragon everybody.  Maybe next we'll have Naomi post, since her feelings about the move are decidedly mixed.  Or Allison, who will be homeschooling the young ones.  Or Eli, who doesn't know which end of the world is up anymore.  Or Townes, who will have a hard time further developing his woodcraft, shelter and firebuilding skills in the urban jungle of Shanghai.

Whoever it is, we'll be sure to bring you all the best and worst bits for your ingestion and consideration.  It's bound to be... interesting.   

Return of the Prodigal Father

We’re not dead, and everything’s great.

I’m sure all of you erudite word hounds are thinking to yourselves, “What does the title of this post mean? Doesn’t “prodigal” mean “profligate,” “wastefully extravagant,” or “spendthrift”? Is Matthew broke? Has he misused a metaphor? And just what exactly is it with Sarah Palin, anyway?”

All valid questions. In answer to the first, I’m evoking the story of the wayward son who vanished without a trace and wasted his time and money, only to return months later to be feted by family and friends with accolades and parties. So here I am. Ready for kegs and naked twister.

I’m sure the next question on your minds is, “Where the hell have you been the last 2.5 months?” As my brother-in-law put it over a month ago, I seem to have set a new land speed record for starting a blog and then letting it go mysteriously and utterly defunct.