Fall in Shanghai

Hello everyone! I realize it has been a while since my last post, so let me catch you up on the last few months. Though it may sound strange because I live way over here in China where everything is so foreign, my life has stayed pretty routine. I work, I hang out with friends and take the occasional trip to someplace different. I am about nine months in to my fourteen month contract with Disney English, and the kids are still pretty awesome. I have completed two terms and have two to go. My class load has increased this Fall term by three classes so I now have seven classes instead of the four from the previous terms. I also have a new AT who we now call Learning Partners (LPs). Her name is Jennifer, and she is very sweet. We are working pretty well together and I look forward to out partnership getting stronger in the coming months.

I have experienced spring and summer in Shanghai and am in the middle of fall which is definitely a nice change after a hot, muggy summer. Locals here have told me that fall weather is short and sweet, so I should savor these cool days and nights before winter hits and it gets really cold with biting winds and icy sidewalks. So, here are some highlights from my end of summer and beginning of fall in Shanghai.

Dinner with some of the gals from work. Can you find me in this picture?

Brad found a Disney English advertisement on the Metro one night

Disney Employee Perk: Free Avengers DVD!

My friend Wendy from New York City. We have dinner together once or twice a week. I love her tough NY accent and loyal friendship.

Another Disney Perk to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival: Haagen Dazs ice cream!

The people on the Metro continue to amuse me. This little girl was rocking out and singing with the TV show she was watching on her mom's phone. So cute!

Shanghai hosted the 2010 World Expo and most of the buildings and structures built for the event are still standing on the banks of the Huangpu river. A few friends and I decided to go check it out one day. Shanghai officials are slowly starting to utilize the abandoned buildings for other purposes like museums.

Elizabeth, Barney, Wendy and I in front of the China Pavilion which recently reopened as a free Modern Art Museum 

The gang by the river with the Mercedes-Benz Arena in the background

It was a very windy trip: (From top left clockwise) Me at China Pavilion, Elizabeth & I by the Huangpu River, Elizabeth with bridge, Me at Mercedes-Benz Arena

I experienced some serious typhoon weather this summer. We even closed the center one day because of inclement weather. Haikui, the strongest typhoon to approach Shanghai since Matsa in 2005, landed in neighboring Zhejiang Province early one Wednesday morning, bringing  gales of up to 102 kilometers per hour. Never seen anything like it in my life. Very cool but scary at the same time.

Typhoon aftermath right outside my apartment building 

Tried to visit the Shanghai MoMA one day with friends. After a lot of walking and asking for directions, we finally found the building, but were informed it had moved. Awesome. We still had a good time with each other. We did discover a cute coffeehouse instead. It seemed like something I would have found tucked away back in Cali. 

Experienced Mr. X adventure one morning with friends. You are given an hour to work together to get through a series of locked rooms. Difficult but fun!

My friend Brad from Disney English invited me to travel to Hong Kong to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. He has worked for Disney for 15 years and I grew up with Disneyland practically in my backyard so we both like Disney and waited to check out the Hong Kong park, especially since we can get into the parks for free because we are Disney employees. Still prefer Disneyland to all other Disney parks, but it was a great trip! 

First time driving a vehicle in 8 months!

There are the bright lights of Hong Kong!

It was not crowded at all, so we went on every ride. Yep, even Dumbo!

Found an old friend on Main street

First time I have ever bought a photo at a Disney Park but I  think it turned out well :)

China celebrates a National Holiday in October which meant I had six days off in a row and with a annual leave days thrown in, I decided to take a trip back to Southern California to visit my family. It was a bittersweet trip in that I loved seeing everyone, but it was hard to leave them all again. I did bring back a whole lot of memories with me. Here are just a few, and yes, I realize most feature the cutest niece ever but she really is adorable, so indulge this doting Auntie Haha :)

Had quite an impromptu adventure to have brunch with my friend Brad before my flight to SoCal that night. We tried four different restaurants before finding one that was open and stumbled across two museums. Needless to say, we were hungry when we finally sat down at Mr. Pancake House. Thanks for helping me pass the time until my evening flight, Brad!

First time on American soil in eight months. Very strange to be able to understand conversations around me since people spoke English, not Mandarin!

Ame and her Papa

Tickle time with Daddy

Daddy's Panda slippers from China. Ame has her own pink Panda ones that are still a bit too big.

First time seeing a movie in the theater without subtitles in 8 months. Had the whole theater to myself, which was awesome!

Ame and her Auntie Haha 

She's so stinkin' adorable!!

Shhh....got to sleep...WAKE UP!!

Family Portrait at Laguna Beach

Fun at Laguna Beach

I have missed this.

Uncle Micah is here!!

Micah and I had to pose with the new Walt and Mickey statue at California Adventure

That's just how we roll at the Magic Kingdom

Fun in line waiting for Finding Nemo submarine ride

Nap time with Papa in the Grand Californian Hotel Lobby 

Lunch with aunts, uncles, and cousins from both sides of my family whose California trips just happened to coincide with my own. 

They may be slightly off center but I love them anyway :)

No visit to SoCal would be complete without a trip to Cuca's for the best burritos and tacos in the world to be eaten in the park down the street. Uncle Micah and Ame certainly enjoyed them.

Musical talent runs in this family.

Day trip to LA included a Harry Potter themed store and lunch at the Farmer's Market, where I enjoyed some real Chinese American food including orange chicken, chow mein, and egg rolls.

It was also adoption day at the local animal shelters, where we got to play with some adorable puppies. Well, all except Dad who had to keep his distance or else their household would have increased by quite a bit because he wouldn't have been able to leave them there. He is such a softie :)

One last video of the cutest, sweetest, smartest, sassiest niece ever to warm your heart!