Huānyíng guānglín zai SHANGHAI!: Our Shanghai Christmas...what a year!

When I opened the curtains in our bedroom this morning I found myself gazing in astonishment at white roof tops in the garden and snow covering the trees in Gao An Lu.

As I stood there I got this wonderful seasonal feeling that you only get in the days just before a year is coming to an end.
I looked back in my mind and thought: Wow, 2012 is soon over - our 2nd year in Shanghai is completed - what a year has it been!! - One of the most amazing ones in our lifes.

Alone if we look back at our travelling adventures:
Starting with a my month long yoga experience in India, our joint paradise get away in the Philipines in May and a couple of months later  a wonderful long summer holiday back in Europe. And last not least our dream of seeing the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia coming true in October.

Sure it was not all about holidays :-)
2012 has also been a challenging, but very sucessfull business year for Paul. I could not be more proud of him. Not does he just do his job very well, he really feels fulfilled and enjoys it. Since we live in Shanghai I have met very few people who take on the challenge of working in a Chinese enviroment as well as he does.

As for myself: I  continued learning Chinese, developed my new webpage and started getting first (and very positive experience) for my own future business: "Angelika Lincoln Photography" (www.AngelikaLincolnPhotography.com)

This year we were also again able to welcome various friends and family  who made all the effort to come and see us. And for the ones who did not come: We experienced once again that despite the distance to home we are supported and loved by our friends and family back home.

After 2 years in China we don´t take this for granted and we could not be more thankful for everyone making us still feel part of a their lifes.

Lat not least: The biggest "award" in 2012 goes to life itself which surprised us in May with the news that we are going to have a baby. We could not be more grateful for this little wonder. The pregancy has been the most amazing journey - only 4 more weeks to go!

And therefore it happens that this holiday season  Paul and I stay in Shanghai. Despite Christmas not beeing an official holiday in China, Paul took 2 weeks off. Together we are enjoying a wonderful cosy time in our appartment in Gao An Lu. We are forgetting a little about time and the hustling and bustling world around us whilst we are enjoying the wonders of this little life inside of me.

Whatever 2013 will bring for us - one thing is for sure - it will be a year with probably the biggest adventure since we have been together. We are ready to take it on and are looking forward to it with excitement and joy.

And so we are closing the blog for 2012. But not without sharing with you a bunch of impressions of "Shanghai Xmas feeling" - and a few pictures from our very own little Christmas in Gao An Lu..

We hope and wish that all and each of you start the new year healthy and with joy and happiness.

May all your wishes come true!!

With Love

AnGelika, Paul and soon a little one...

Impressions from Shanghai Xmas Market: