Shanghai Old Town On foot

One day last week, my bike was stolen. My precious Giant that I knew and loved was gone. I was a little sad, but really, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. I only have one more week in Shanghai, and this way I don’t have to worry about what to do with the bike when I leave.

Since we were now short a bike, this weekend Nik and I set out to explore Shanghai the old fashioned way: on foot.

We hadn’t had a significant walking day since we visited last December, and I honestly forgot that it was possible. Sure, we’ve walked five or six blocks to get from one place to another over the past year, but we haven’t set out for a destination on the other side of the city.

On Saturday, the Bund Soft Spinning Market (aka “the Fabric Market”) was our destination and along the way, we needed to pick up a cup of coffee, eat breakfast, exchange RMB for $$$, and enjoy the crisp November weather. For the first stretch, I window shopped while Nik filled up his memory card. I thought it was going to be a day where I was along for the ride…and then we crossed Chongqing Road into the older section of downtown. All of a sudden there was a ton of activity around a young couple getting married, so I took my camera out to take video of the firecrackers, and I never put my camera away until we made it to the Fabric Market.

If you ever visit Shanghai, be sure to reserve a day for wandering around the area east of Chongqing Rd South between Xujiahui Road and Fuxing Road West. Many of the buildings seem to be ramshackle and in disrepair, but they are loved and taken care of by multi-generational families that have probably lived and worked there for over 50 years. These are the streets that I will think of when I miss Shanghai. The ones where no matter where you turn, a hundred things are going on at the same time. Behind an elderly woman sitting in the sun is a doorway leading to another woman washing clothes in the shared sink in front of another open door leading to a table of five men playing cards where the sixth is mounting his motorbike and rolling it through the door towards the elderly woman. The layers of this neighborhood are amazing, and there are very few cultures in the western world where each family’s space flows into another family’s to the point where as an outsider, I feel as though I am walking through one huge maze-like garage.

Now I understand why Nik is worried about being bored in America. Please tell me if any of you know of a place in the continental United States where you can walk for four hours and see scenes as diverse, textural and beautiful as these. Because if this place exists, that might be where we should move next.

Then today after meeting Andy for lunch, Nik and I took a detour down an old lane so that I could photograph the three blankets that I have made here in Shanghai. The first and last ones are gifts for new little ones, and the middle one is for Nik and I. I had never made blankets before, but for some reason I was drawn to the repetition here in China. We’ll see how long my blanket streak lasts!

Nik has also written a blog post about this weekend’s adventure, that is accompanied by 90+ photos!

Nik’s blog: Walking through Shanghai’s Old Town

One more week

I can’t believe it. Honestly, I can’t.

One week from today will be my last day teaching in Shanghai.

For the past three months I have never dreaded going to school. I have never been aggravated that I had to teach. I have never wanted to stay home. In the beginning, it didn’t even feel like “work”. It was like I was playing pretend in China. Then, after the newness wore off, it did feel like work, but in the best way possible. It felt like work because my students were accomplishing the goals that we set. Which means that they were actually learning what I taught them. Imagine that!!!

This is why next Friday will be a hard day. In three short months I have gotten to know my students better than I ever imagined. I have seen them take a few steps forward, then one back only to leap forward again. I have seen their confidence grow, and their abilities mature. I have seen light bulbs go off as student after student exclaims “Oooooooooohhhhh, I get it.” I have seen them walk in my classroom laughing and joking with friends, and I have seen them walk out of my classroom laughing and joking with friends. I have seen them walk in my classroom nervous, and I have seen them walk out of my classroom confident.

I have also met some amazing adults along the way. Did you know that teaching at international schools is the best kept secret in the world? These men and women get to travel all over the world to teach! They have taught on all 6 inhabited continents, and they all have stories to tell! I’m just glad that I discovered this little secret while I’m still young!!

Despite the glamor of teaching internationally, my fellow teachers have shown me that teaching is not easy. It is a profession that requires constant attention, and their day is never over when the bell rings. They have committed their lives to making our children better, and they are doing a darn good job. What’s more is they all realize there is more out there. They are constantly looking for new ideas and methods to engage the students inside and outside of the classroom, and I can tell that the students appreciate it.

I am writing this post a week before because I know next weekend will be insanely busy because it will be my last in this enormous city. Granted…I should be too busy right now, but I’m procrastinating. It is a habit I formed when I was in high school, so it’s appropriate that I continue to foster it while I teach high school.

A few Shanghai photos

As I mentioned before, I finally had my camera repaired. I have a Canon G9, and got a lens error every time I turned it on. Luckily, I purchased the extended warranty when I bought it, because my lens was shot and had to be completely replaced. I was worried about having it replaced in China because I didn’t know if I could find a reputable repair shop. But it turns out that there is a registered Canon retailer/repair shop downtown in the Yalong International Plaza at 500 Jinling Road East. They were extremely professional, called me when they found out that it was going to be more than the 100RMB they originally quoted, and had everything ready for me when I arrived to pick it up….including the old lens. Now I can take photos again, but I have found that I forgot how. So excuse me for these less than great photos, but they’re still kind-of okay.