American in Shanghai

5:30 am - I awaken with a cramp in my back surprised to have slept all night with a pulled muscle in my back from coughing too hard yesterday. Ease my way to the bathroom and swallow a gel Advil with a piece of dark chocolate to aid in absorption. Back to bed. 6:30 am - I awaken again knowing this time I have to get out of bed for real. Into the shower and time to get dressed. I turn on heat this morning in the living room. 6:58 - grab a cup of coffee and check for online connectivity and I'm in...need to check email for a pianist I'm in search of and reload money to my phone card for calling the US from my mobile phone 7:02 - run a load of laundry in hopes it will be by the time my parents arrive on Sunday 7:10 - finish drying hair 7:30 - it is 36 degrees fahrenheight outside... former viola student opens a chat online from Seattle 7:40 - down some vitamins and medicine for this nagging cough 7:45 - turn off all the heat, put on shoes and load up 8:00 - I am out the door

Today the Japanese kindergarten celebrates... It's the sweet potato roasting day. Yes, we are still in Shanghai!

I kid you not, this link came from China Daily news. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2008-11/13/content_7204146.htm What is just as funny is the link to the Chinglish commentary.

Naomi and I went shopping a few weeks ago and afterward decided to get some tea and some early dinner at a teahouse across from the market. We went to the second floor, looking for a view, and apparently there weren't any booths open. Well, there would have been if about 6 staff members hadn't been sitting around in one, so I said where's the boss? Would he approve of this? So they quickly cleared out and we took the booth. We had a laugh at the menu, because not only was it funny but the couple in a rather secluded booth behind ours seemed to have literally taken some 'love juice!'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081113/ap_on_sc/as_china_brown_clouds

China's economy is pretty stable, considering that it is a developing country and continuing to build infrastructure like mad. So far I have not felt any effects of the outside economic meltdown, except in my retirement investments abroad. But our student population where I work is predominantly Korean and the Won has dropped significantly in recent weeks, making it more expensive for those expatriates to survive here. A student came to me today who is suddenly returning home to Korea. I worry a little that many more in coming months will follow suit. But it could also be a blessing if that population is reduced in our international school as it could become more of an incentive for other nationalities to enroll. I was only half joking with colleagues that if worse came to worst the laws governing internationals schools could be changed to allow local Chinese students to also enroll in our institutions. Time will reveal more on this issue.

A few photos from dishes eaten on Sunday. There were actually about 4 more but they looked so good we started eating them before I had a chance to shoot them. I got to looking at a bag of candied dates that I've been enjoying and the label reads "Donkey Hide Flavored" mmmmm, no wonder I loved them so much!

After the day's festivities of Halloween, our kind boss invited teachers to relax at his house. So a bunch of us filled up his place and ordered pizzas and debriefed over many laughs and funny stories. One poor Swiss visitor got to hear lots of 'mMericanisms' after a long spirit week winding up with Halloween. One colleague came as a cowgirl - she was great. I happened to be wearing red socks, black pants, red shirt and then tried on another colleague's black wool hat and someone said, wow what are you, a checkerboard?? I said "Yeah, wanna play?!" Saturday was all about shopping. Naomi and I trudged around a Chinese market and asked my tailor if he could sew on leather as my mom wants to bring some deer hides of animals my dad has bagged over the years made into clothing. I think it's a good idea. Later went to a Phillipina's housewarming party/dinner/karaoke bash at her house. She and several friends were able to get apartments across the hal