Season’s Greetings – 2013

‘Tis the season 2013!!! We’ve had a wonderful and exciting year and hope everyone reading has as well. As the last post of this year, we have a few things to share will you. First, as Christmas here is not a big a deal as back in the Rebel Colonies, it still is celebrated and greatly commercialized. Coca-Cola Santas were everywhere with Christmas trees and decorations. No where we saw was a single mention or homage to Christ. Below is a slide show of many of the decorations in and around XuiJaHui. [slideshow_deploy id=’463′] Here is a short video of Continue Reading →

Mamma Mia – The Musical

Screenplay by Catherine Johnson and music by ABBA. You’ve not experienced Mamma Mia until you’ve seen it in its original Mandarin. 🙂 Sorry for the cryptic Star Trek sub-reference. I couldn’t pass it up. Last Thursday evening my lovely wife and I went with my sister-in-law and her son to see Mamma Mia playing at the Shanghai Cultural Square. While my Mandarin is not that good yet, I could make out various words and phrases and understood parts of what was going on. Luckily, I did read up on it in Wikipedia just before we arrived! We thought the performance Continue Reading →

Blogette #1 – Random Musing

 This is just some random thoughts and topics all clumped together ’cause each is not large enough to warrant its own posting. It’s been a busy, interesting week. Just What Do You Serve? Two days! Two days to find Red Roosters Bar-B-Que House! And it was right across the street from us! Ah the anticipation of authentic American BBQ!! The promise! The desire! The enjoyment! The heartbreak… Sadly, they stopped serving and BBQ dishes last year. Major Sigh. And major ARGH!! I told them they need to change their sign. Here’s a suggestion:   60,000 Screaming Girls It’s just my Continue Reading →

Resistance is Futile

Not much is made in America anymore. But what is, is making its way to China…unfortunately. [slideshow_deploy id=’110′] Most notiably absent from the above slideshow is Taco Bell. Mexican food is not popular here, and neither was Taco Bell (insert jab here). Plus, unlike other western staples, they failed to adapt to eastern food culture. Taco Bell, while popular in 2004-2005, is now nowhere to be found in China. According to Google, the closest one is in Manila in the Philippines.    

Welcome to Shanghai!

Our brother in-law says that ever time we come here to visit. And this was no exception. The only difference this time was that we are now here to stay! We’ve retired and brought our beast, Thor, along with us – not a simple task in itself. But more on that later – probably from Thor himself, as he can explain it best. We arrived here on May 22, 2013 and have been very busy getting everything settled. While most of our apartment is already furnished from previous stays, there was still the matter of getting a moped, refrigerator, Microwave/Oven Continue Reading →