Push the pumpkin

This is an old clip I forgot to load from Halloween.

I took the time to stop in and let the owner of this restaurant know that his sign was beautiful, but there were mistakes. I showed him and he said, "OMG...thank you for telling me that!"

I walked by it a few hours later and it seems that he thinks his English is better than mine. China, I'm gonna need you to knock that crap off. I think I know a thing or thousand about the English language.

What kind of fake purse do you need?

No woman is a woman without a fake purse from China!

Qipu Lu

I did it. Qipu Lu! However, I must disclose I did it on a Thursday at 9 am. I don't think that I have truly experienced the insanity that everyone, Chinese and foreigners, alike, has expressed.

I was looking for a specific hat for Ralph. It was like looking for a needle in a hay stack of streets and streets of stores. I am extremely happy I put the picture ls on my iPod and all I needed was to ask and show the pictures. All in all the experience wasn't that bad. I did wait for them to find the amount of hats I needed and it was sweltering inside. If I stayed in there another hour I am certain I would have lost 10lbs in water weight.

My one hint to anyone who is going to brave Qipu Lu is bring the fierce with you and be ready to stomp it out like you're on the catwalk. Oh, and be patient. They don't know they are being cray cray.

P.S. Ralph, your directions suck a phat lollipop!!! 

 

 

Originally written May 3, 2012

I think I should start a business

Business plans, business plans.

I have been thinking about being self-employed, but I keep running into a minor speed bump. What business should I run? I have tons of ideas. I am just not confident which one is the best. Part of me just says, "Just do it Joshua! Don't to think - be action."

Shanghai I a great place to start a business. There is a huge market and it does not need 100% domination to turn a profit. Also, this is a new market that is still open to new ideas.  I could continue to teach English, earning and saving money for my business while paying off student loans.

Perhaps I should be a writer and go on random outings in Shanghai. I could then write about them an give pointers to the tourists and expats who would like pursue these things.

I have about ten more ideas. I need to secure a Chinese business partner for some of them and others I think I could attempt as a solo mission.

Decisions, decisions, and more decisions!

Time to see if all this education and experience has given me the wings to fly.

Starting my trot right before the big leap!

Written May 1, 2012

 Sitting the backseat of a taxi driving down zhangyang road I have this incredible sensation or maybe disbelief. By the time I go home I will have lived in china for two years. My experience has been filled with ups and downs, good and bad feelings, but it all summed up in one word. Amazing.

Driving through Lujiazui and staring in amazement of all the lights and buildings. This has been my life for the last two years! This metropolis, with love and hate, has become my home. Shanghai is my first love is like my first love and I'm not sure if I can imagine a future without it.

I have lived in another country. Simply put. The Shanghainese expat life has become a household feeling for me, but tonight I cannot escape the feeling of being blessed. If there is a thin line between love and hate then that is exactly what I am feeling. I hate shanghai enough to want to return home, but love it too much to leave.

Sigh.

 

Quality not too good because of the light

 

Originally written two weeks ago (I don't remember the exact date)

Are you attracted to Asians?

If one more person asks me this I might have to get a bit wicked and use more caustic words. What purpose does this question serve than to perhaps expose your dislike? I almost do not even want to dignify such a question with an answer because I feel that to say I like one race over another is a betrayal of who I am.

Now, if you are a close friends then you probably know the answer to this. If you're a stranger, you have no business in asking such a tasteless question.

But to leave no room for wonder minds I will oblige such a question with an answer. Yes, I love Asians. I also love just about everything else out there. Why focus on one small local dish when you can enjoy all the flavors an international buffet can offer?