Return to Moganshan

About a year ago Paul and I ventured out to the Bamboo forests of Moganshan, a good 3 hour drive from Shanghai. This year we decided to ask our friends Benno, Kerstin, Atilla and Judith to join us.And so it happened that last Friday the 6 of us boarded a  hired mini van loaded full of goodies like beer, wine,  crisps and BBQ essentials.

It took us over one hour to get to the outskirts of the city. But once we hit the motorway we had the road all to ourselfes.

3,5 hours later we arrived at Moganshan House #23.. a beautifully restored villa up on the hill in the forest which I can highly reccomend if you consider visiting Moganshan.

We had been very excited to go and all had been fantasizing  of long warm nights outside in the garden and outdoor BBQ´s especially as the weather in Shanghai looked ever so promising during the previous weeks.

But Murphys law struck us: We left the city in beautiful sunshine - only  to wake  up on saturday morning in pooring rain...

.. and mist...

But this didn´t stop us from going hiking anyway!

No weather in the world could stop Paul from having a BBQ in the evening.
And  afterwards we enjoyed a good games night in front of the open fire place

On Sunday the  weather was even worse and of coarse as it could be any different: When we arrived back in Shangers in the evening we were welcomend by "blue" skies..

But nevermind: We had great fun up in the woods and one thing for sure we all appreciated over the weekend:  The green, the space and the fresh air!

Memories of Shanghai - an "Expat" Photoshooting

Today I would like to share with you a story which came together during an "Expat memory" -photoshoot with Sonja a few weeks ago.  Sonja lived in Shanghai for a year and it was time for her now  to return back to Germany. We spent a whole day visiting her favorite places and created a picture story capturing "Sonja´s" Shanghai.

What made this job a little special was that Sonja used to live round the corner from us.We even used to go to the same yoga studio. So in this photostory you will not only see Sonjas favorite spots - Yoga Space, her home, the Bund, Pudong Skyline and meet her best friend Judith - but also get a nice feel for Gao an Road (where we live)  and where Paul and I go when we are too lazy to cook :-)

Let me show you what a (sunny) day in an Expat life here can be like  :

CLICK HERE

Typical China! - Snapshots

Some say that Shanghai isn´t really China. Let me tell you this: There isn´t a single day I walk out in front of our door  and don´t  get to see something "typical Chinese". Most of the time I don´t have my camera with me. But today I came across some snapshots and decided to share them with you because they summarize nicely what you run in to when you are living here:

Classic #1 : The Shanghai dog beeing taken for his "walk"

The Shanghainese are ahead of the rest of China and probably don´t need a one-child-only policy anymore. The young and trendy who earn enough money to enjoy nice lifestile have decided that a dog is much less pain and much more affordable alternative to a baby. They makes a nice accessoire, too!

The citizens here are so crazy about dogs (and I don´t mean that they end up on the menue ) that some months ago the City government released the "One -dog-per-household-only- policy" - no joking! With an estimated 500.000 dogs in town they probably thought enough is enough.

Living as a dog in Shanghai may not be a dream-incarnation, but still better than beeing born as a Chicken:

Classic #2: The Chicken Street Vendor

Here you see a  chicken vendor with his bike closing a deal with a woman who happend to pass by. That the poor buggers are alife and kept squeezed in a tiny cage is already not so nice.

But what adds a little spice to the scene is that the chopping board (with remaining chicken pieces stuck to it) is placed right next to them.

Attached to the bike is also a steaming drum. I´m not quite sure what that is for and we probably don´t want to know... 

 

Classic # 3 : The slit trousers

The reason I took this picture was originally because it was just a fun scene with baby wearing sun glases and it´s little yellow outfit. Only at second glance I noticed the babies bottom is actually sticking out of it´s pants.

This is something you get to see a lot in China. Not so much in Shanghai, but the further you go out of town or into the poorer regions it is the usual sight.You can buy slit trousers for the little ones that for when they need a waz, all you need to do is make them squat.

I can´t help it but thinking: How handy! Just think about it: Immediate reaction to the babies need possible wherever you go. No pulling down trousers, no need to change nappies (at least in summer) - and always a light breeze to cool the babies bottom :-).
(In winter they do wear nappies underneath).


Some of you might think now " They are crazy over there!!".. but think a minute:
Wasn´t it Paris Hilton who showed the world that the best way to present your new handbag is by sticking a dog in your latest handbag?
How long ago was it that our parents - and if not them our grandparents - bought their chickens life because a fridget wasn´t in the house?
And isn´t it one of the joys for kids to run round the garden in summer letting the sun shining on their exposed lower backs? ..

If we are honest - after all we are not soo different :-)

Finding Nemo and Paradise

One of the great things about living in Asia is that some of the best beaches are - relatively spoken - close to you. With only 4 hours flight to Manila and no jetlag from Shanghai the Philipines make a great paradise get away. We had never been to the Philipines, so it was about time that we found out if it is true that some the beaches are supposed to be best in the world.

We found paradise. Not in Manila but another 1 hour flight later on Palawan, 3 hours drive through the jungle to Port Barton  and 1 hour by boat later we made it to Turtle bay.

We were stranded on this dream island with absoluteling NOTHING to do but to eat, sleep, read, snorkling, a bit of kayaking, followed by more snoozing.

Most of the time we just lazed in our hammocs and gazed at the amazing colours nature had to offer.
And that is about all we can tell you about our last couple of weeks :-)

Want to find out more about this Secret Paradise resort? Click HERE