shanghai acrobatic show

A few weeks ago we decided it was time to see an acrobatic show.  Neither of us have been to a live Cirque du Soleil show (I know, I know...) but after reading many reviews about the Chinese Acrobatic Shows being even more technical than the Cirque du Soleil shows, we figured it might be time to see one.  

Here's a sampling of what we saw:

There wasn't a story line, but instead an hour and a half of mini-acts where the acrobats contorted their bodies into positions I didn't know were humanly possible, balanced on a board while catching bowls on their head, rolled around on stage with a giant metal ring, and of course jumped on one end of a plank to throw one of their friends into the air with the hopes that they connect with the guy on the top of a several story staircase or land on someones feet (stomach down).  It was indeed entertaining, especially when one of the girls missed the mark -- oops!  Don't worry, she was okay...got right back up and did it again!  There are several Chinese Acrobatic troupes in Shanghai, and we plan on seeing a few more.  

~ Trisha 

新年快乐!

新年快乐! Happy New Year! 

This past week we enjoyed some time off and celebrated our first Chinese New Year in China!  This year Chinese New Year landed on the 31st of January.  The official national holiday lasts three days, but most people will take about a week off to travel to their home towns or go on vacation.  By the time we got the memo that everyone leaves town, airfares and hotels in most of the top destinations in Asia had tripled in price, so we decided to stay in Shanghai and experience CNY first hand.  

Before Xiao Lin left for the week, she handmade several gallon sized bags full of yummy jiaozi (dumplings) so that we would have plenty of food for a few days.  During CNY most of the smaller shops and restaurants close down so it's best to be prepared with a few days worth of food and groceries.  Jiaozi are similar to potstickers and filled with meat and vegetables, and prepared by either boiling or pan-frying them.  Xiao Lin instructed us to eat them for breakfast on CNY morning as they symbolize good luck and wealth.  Did she say wealth?!?  Nate and I made sure to eat them twice that first day, and once a day for the next few days as well.  

The other thing Xiao Lin taught us about was the importance of giving out hóngbāo.  Hóngbāo is the Mandarin name for the red envelopes that are filled with money and given out during CNY.  We wanted to make sure that we followed the local custom during this holiday and had learned from some of our friends that we needed to give both our driver and ayi hóngbāo.  The custom we didn't know about was that we also needed to give the reception, doormen, parking lot attendants, etc. who work in the building we live in hóngbāo as well.  I happened to have about 10-15 envelopes, and by the time we gave one to every familiar face we had seen in the building, we were out!  Here's the red envelope I bought this year -- it has a horse on it as it's the Year of the Horse!  Oh, I should also mention that the money should always be new bills, and never an amount that has the number 4 in it as that is bad luck.  The envelopes I chose were small, so I had to fold each bill in half which I guess I wasn't technically supposed to do but at least the bills were new!  

On the first day of CNY we decided to head to Yuyuan Garden as I had seen some decorations being put up earlier in the week.  Since so many people were out of town I figured it would be a nice and relaxing way for us to see some decorations, experience the festivities, and maybe even catch a dragon dance!  Well, I don't know what made me think this as everyone, and I mean EVERYONE that had stayed in town was at Yuyuan Garden!  Needless to say, we didn't stay long, but did get some great pictures.

Oh, and we also ate our very first street food item -- Uyghur flatbread! 

Fireworks are also a big part of CNY.  We had been told to expect sleepless nights during CNY with the first and fifth nights being the loudest.  Luckily, the first night the air wasn't good, so I think people refrained from setting off too many fireworks as we had no issues sleeping, and it wasn't really loud at all.  As a few days passed, we forgot about the fifth night until it hit!  Between 10PM-3AM, fireworks could be heard and seen all around the city, with the loudest and brightest fireworks going off exactly at midnight on the fifth day.  The fifth day is the God of Wealth's birthday and it is believed that setting off fireworks will wake him up and bring great wealth for the new year!  Although we didn't set any off -- we are all for great wealth and didn't mind as many fireworks as possible!  We had a few videos that showed just how many fireworks were going off around our neighborhood and in the city and how loud it was; however, they ended up being to larger to load.  Here are a few pictures instead...

The only thing that we couldn't seem to find was a lion dance!  I was super disappointed, but all in all we're really happy we stayed in China for CNY!  We had a chance to explore the city with a lot less people around, try out a few restaurants this past week that are normally too hard to get reservations at, and finally check something off my bucket list -- experience Chinese New Year in China!  

~ Trisha 

P.S. To see a few more pictures from our adventures during CNY, visit Nate's 'cny, shanghai [feb '14] ' album.

you get clay pot, i bring fresh chicken

Last week Xiao Lin told me that she wanted to make us a special chicken dish.  After some hand motions, I also understood that the chicken would be very fresh…and very intact.  She said that the only thing she needed from us was a clay pot to cook it in as our regular metal pots would not work.  Over the weekend Nate and I went shopping for a clay pot, and anticipated our special chicken meal.  

To my relief, the chicken did not come alive or feathered, phew!  I am not a cook, nor do I like to touch or really look at raw meat, so I decided to sit and watch TV while Xiao Lin unpacked and prepared our bird.  Whack!  Whack!  There goes the head and feet!  A minute later Xiao Lin says "I told you, very fresh, come see!" I got up and confirmed with her that it was indeed very fresh.  Xiao Lin’s fresh chicken included an egg!  Xiao Lin suggested a picture, and even re-arranged the egg to re-create the scene.  Picture perfect!

An hour or so later...dinner is served!  

~ Trisha

ayi

When we first moved here, we kept hearing about how great having an ayi was, and kept getting asked if we would be hiring an ayi.  What is an ayi you might be wondering?  Ayi is the Chinese name for aunty.  Ayi's do anything from housekeeping, cooking, laundry, ironing, grocery shopping, childcare, and some even do pet care!  There are ayi schools, and even services to help you find an ayi.  Ayi's can be hired part-time or full-time, and some will even live-in if needed.  At first, searching for 'the perfect' ayi seemed daunting, but our landlord was able to refer us to Xiao Lin, an English speaking ayi who has over 20 years of experience working for British, French and American families.  She taught herself English while working for English speaking families, and is now very valuable for people like us who don't speak Chinese.  Things like ordering water bottle service, calling a maintenance worker, or reading one of the many utility bills we receive is not an easy task without knowing the language.  Xiao Lin has been a life saver when it comes to these things.  

For example:

Although we can see numbers, until we learn what each of the bills are for, we would have no idea what we are paying for.  Also, this particular bill is for dates before we moved in -- so it was nice to know that we aren't actually responsible for this one.  

When it comes to laundry, I am pretty particular about it and continue to do the laundry; however, one thing I don't do nor am I any good at if you ask Nate, is ironing.  A long time ago I attempted to iron Nate's work shirts.  It took me almost 15-20 minutes per shirt and when I was finished Nate would sometimes ask if the shirt had been ironed!  Xiao Lin?  She does 5 shirts in what I swear is under 10 minutes and Nate hasn't said a word about her work.  

Xiao Lin is also a great cook and has helped to get us away from eating out every evening.  We have her cook for us twice a week.  Some ayi's know how to cook western food, but for now we are having Xiao Lin cook whatever she wants with minimal suggestions since we want her to cook what she knows.  Other than requesting the type of meat to use or not use, she's already cooked us many yummy meals.  She's also a lifesaver now that I don't have Trader Joe's!  Trader Joe's use to be my lunch and dinner when Nate would go on business trips.  Now, instead of having to order from Sherpa's (I'll blog about that later) I can have a home cooked meal.  Xiao Lin thinks its funny that I don't know how to cook and that I'm very lucky to have a husband who does.  Here's some of the dishes that she has made for us:

Xiao Lin is also attempting to teach me a phrase in Chinese each time she comes.  If my lack of remembering anything she's taught me is an indication of how I'll do in my university classes, all I can say is good luck to me! 

~ Trisha 



yayoi kusama at moca shanghai

A few weeks ago we joined a group of 10 or so friends that were headed over to see Yayoi Kusama's solo exhibit at the MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Shanghai.  Although Nate really enjoys contemporary and modern art as a hobby, I am not usually one that keeps up with the latest exhibits.  Nate had heard about this one and the line outside before the doors opened at 10:AM made me realize this was probably one not to miss.

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist, who spent time in the late 50's and 60's in NYC alongside Andy Warhol and other avant-garde artists during the pop art movement.  In the early 70's she went back to Japan but after experiencing psychiatric problems voluntarily admitted herself into a hospital where she continues to live and create her art today.  

We had a chance to see her solo exhibit "A Dream I Dreamed" -- here are some of our favorites:

This exhibit was very interactive as well! We kept seeing people walk by with colored dot stickers on their clothing, faces, etc.   When we finally got to the Obliteration Room, we understood.

Next to the Obliteration Room was Kusama's 'Manhattan Suicide Addict' video.  This picture does not actually portray nearly as much as her video does.  If you have a chance, YouTube it!  Her art makes a lot of sense after seeing the video. 

Manhattan Suicide Addict

Manhattan Suicide Addict

Last but not least, my personal favorite from Kusama's many art series...

Dogs

Dogs

Who wouldn't love a series of polka dot dogs?!? 

~ Trisha 



shanghai museum and beijing opera

Shanghai Museum 

Over the past few weekends, we've been exploring some of the cultural offerings in Shanghai.  The first place we decided to head to was the Shanghai Museum as this is where all of the ancient Chinese art can be found.  Ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, bronze, jade, the list goes on and on, are housed within the four floors of this large museum.  The museum is free for visitors, but only allows 8,000 people admission per day.  Since we were headed there on a Sunday, we decided to get there early to avoid the much anticipated line and crowds once we were inside.  We were expecting a lot more people to be there, but we were able to walk right in, get through the security line, and explore most of the museum without too many crowds or tourist groups.  We made sure to visit all the main exhibits with the artifacts we are most interested in, but will need to go back for a second visit as the museum is way too big to cover in just a few hours.  

**Visit the 'sound' section, to hear a clip of what the bronze bells, Bells of Marquis Su of Jin, sound like. 

Beijing Opera

The next cultural activity we decided on, was attending a Beijing (Peking) Opera.  I had never been to one before, but growing up I vaguely remember hearing it somewhere.  When we were apartment hunting, one of the complexes we were shown was right next-door to the Peking Opera school.  The realtor made sure to highlight that we would be able to hear them practice sometimes.  Although Nate was intrigued, I remember it being very unique and decided that we should probably see the opera in person before choosing that particular location.  

Yifu Theater near People's Square is home to almost all the Peking Opera shows.  There were several different operas being advertised at the ticket office, but due to the language barrier we were not able to find out the differences, so just settled on the one that fell on a weekend.  We weren't sure how formal of an event this was supposed to be, but since it was a mid-day show, we didn't get overly dressed.  The atmosphere reminded me of a Broadway show in NYC -- people came dressed in a variety of outfits and some came with snacks and drinks.  This particular show was over 2.5 hours long, divided into three acts with a very short intermission between acts 1 and 2.  Seeing a show in an entirely different language was quite an experience, but the body language and voices of the performers helped us figure out the overall idea of what we were watching. 

Here are a few audio clips we captured during the performance:

Since we didn't know that they would allow photography inside the theater, these were taken with our iPhones.  Not sure how soon we'll be back, but the next time we attend a Peking Opera Nate will be sure to take some photos with the better camera.  

~ Trisha 

bullfrog? sure, why not!?!

At most Sichuan restaurants, or rather most restaurants period, we see a plethora of items on the menu.  A few we look at, have thought about ordering, but then decide not too.  Bullfrog, is one of those items.  After happy hour with a few friends, someone mentioned that they would be going to dinner and having bullfrog.  Bullfrog? Nate, being a bit more adventurous than I usually am gave me the "let's do it" look.  Sure, why not!?!  

From what I've seen on menus, bullfrog is prepared two different ways.  The first looks to be boiled in Sichuan oil -- so softer meat in very spicy oil.  The way we had it was in my opinion, a lot easier for the first time bullfrog eater -- fried!  I mean, everything taste good when it's fried! 

IMG_2475.JPG

I'm sure some of you are shocked that I would try this...but, when in Rome...

This bullfrog was made similar to Nate's favorite Sichuan chicken dish with peppers.  It was a bit chewier than chicken, but overall it didn't have a strong flavor and really did remind me of chicken!  I couldn't get past the fact that I knew it was bullfrog, so only had a small piece; however, if someone didn't tell me what it was, I probably wouldn't have really recognized a huge difference in the meat.  

IMG_2477.jpg

Nate enjoying his bullfrog leg!  

Would we eat it again?  Probably -- but most likely with a group of friends again.  Having a dish with that much frog for just the two of us would be a bit much. 

~ Trisha 

merry christmas ktv birthday

Sorry for being strangers for the past few weeks.  We've been crazy busy with not only the holidays, but with moving into our permanent housing!  In case you're wondering, we survived our very first holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas and NY) without seeing family.  It was a hard at first, but having made some friends we kept our social calendar full and before I knew it we were into 2014!  First up?  Merry Christmas Birthday Nate!  

On Christmas Day we joined 12 friends (some old, some new) for a 5-course western style dinner at a restaurant near by.  Although the food wasn't spectacular, it was nice to meet new people and have some food that resembled home.  That wasn't the highlight of the evening though...KTV was!!!  KTV?  Why yes, Karaoke TV!  Karaoke in Shanghai, and from what I've heard most of Asia, is nothing like it is back home.  Most of the karaoke places at home are held at bars, where you sing to a random crowd.  KTV?  You rent a room with your friends, can order food and drinks off of menus, and since it was Christmas props were provided!  

Yea -- that's me, Rudolph, serenading Nate with a little Mariah Carey.  

Yea -- that's me, Rudolph, serenading Nate with a little Mariah Carey.  

The other highlight was birthday cake!!!  Our friends helped me order Nate's birthday cake from Ruby's Cake Shop.  This is where they sell THE original Shanghainese dessert cake -- white sponge-like cake, layer whipped cream, more white sponge-like cake, more whipped cream, and topped with at least a few pieces of maraschino cherries.   Since I wasn't sure how many people were showing up for dinner, I ordered a huge one.  We were so full from dinner that we ended up only eating a quarter of the cake, no worries though, Nate was able to share some with various KTV parties going on near us.  

The chocolate piece says Happy Birthday -- or at least that's what I was told...

The chocolate piece says Happy Birthday -- or at least that's what I was told...

Also popular?  Fruit baskets!  Here's one that we were given as a Christmas gift.  We've actually received two now.  They are usually filled with grapes, apples, oranges, and dragon fruit.  Yummy!

~ Trisha