The Disks that Fly

Frisbee exists in Shanghai! Spurred on by my brother I went in search of an ultimate frisbee league to join in Shanghai and, lo', there was one! For most of the past 4 months I've spent my Monday nights at the Shanghai Workers Stadium chasing disks with a largely expat community of frisbee lovers.

We had a 10 week long season, with 4 teams in the league. Apparently we had a championship game, which my team won but I wasn't there for due to travel plans. It was just great to get out and run around and have fun. The players ranged from newbies learning the organized game for the first time to experts recently imported from top American university teams. The atmosphere was fun, yet competitive. Occasionally there'd be brushes and arguments, as frisbee players are wont to do, but the comradory of the team and the thrill of competition made up for any hard feelings anyone had. Basically everyone had fun.

The best players travel internationally to competitions all over South East Asia. Apparently Shanghai is a hotbed for good ultimate talent, along with Singapore and Manila. The teams meet regularly at tournaments throughout the year in those three cities, as well as Bangkok (when the airport isn't closed by protesters), Vietnam and Taiwan. It seems like a good fun rivalry.

I'm well pleased to have discovered these like minded individuals here. Although I foresee any lasting bonds and friends, simply having a temporary link to something from home, something so familiar, was nice for a while. I hope to play again next spring when the weather warms up.

Karma Police

Maybe it was because I don't shy from contact coming off the subway, maybe it was because I make too much fun of my workmate Peter. Maybe it was because I didn't donate enough money to the Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund, or because I deserve to be on Santa's naughty list for all the crap I've complained about in China this year. Whatever the reason, the Karma Police caught up to me this past week - for the first time in the 51 weeks I've been here I caught food poisoning.

I love street food, it is after all the best way I can tell to get inside the soul of a city. I eat it everywhere, and not just in the US: , churros in Spain, pasties in the UK, samosas in Nepal, sushi in Japan, tacos in Mexico, maple syrup in Canada. And here in Shanghai we have treats from dumplings to fried noodles, or the two demons that tag teamed my hardened stomach: a fried bread roll stuffed with veggies, bbq pork and sauces and Japanese squid balls. Oh don't get me wrong, these are delicious - squid balls can change your life - but caveat emptor!

I've never been food sick before, and don't see the need to go into details, but I'll let on that it was unpleasant. I've watched others around me here get sick and somehow thought my iron stomach was tougher, stronger, better than others - it's not. Sure it can do serious damage when it comes to a burrito and Krispe Kream count, but this is a whole different animal. Nobody can avoid food poisoning. In fact there's been an outbreak here - 4 of our foreign teachers have gone down in the past 2 weeks with a case.

But I do have some good news to report: I'm back healthy, pushing, shoving and making fun of Peter.

Sorry for the delay

I've been busy lately. After sitting around here for 11 months I have finally developed a social life, and am not afraid to use it. The sad side of that is that I have less time to blog it seems, but the recent gap has been unacceptable. I haven't been idle. I went to my first ever massage, I made numerous trips to the fake and fabric markets, stocking up for my triumphant returns home. I've gotten into the Christmas spirit - drinking festive drinks and singing festive tunes. I've watched more bootleg movies than you can shake a stick at. This all might seem mundane (it sounds rather mundane to me, I mean, compared to blogging about far off lands children marvel about it sure does), but the point is that I'm having fun and rather enjoying myself most of the time.

After a year here I'm surprised to discover a few things are still the same:

1) The food is still awesome, maybe even better. I know more places to go for good cheap food, so my repertoire of restaurants is even better than ever. Everything from western home cookin' to local street food I wouldn't trust a guests stomach with is just steps from my house, my office or both. I am trying to learn how to cook some of it, because some of it doesn't exist in Boston. Some of it wouldn't pass health code, some of it might be too preparation involved - but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious and still foreign.

2) I love getting off the subway. Maybe I'm a bad person, but when I alight the subway into a throbbing mass of impatient locals I delight in lowering the boom, thrusting the hoards back and plowing my way to freedom, much like a secret service member protecting the President. It's been 11 months, and after the initial shock and chagrin, it's become a joy. I'm pretty sure I'm a bad person.

3) It changes fast here. Dunkin' Dounuts just opened down the street from us. Another subway line is opening soon. We got a Best Buy here too! Maybe its a sad sign, that everywhere in the world is starting to look similar - but I won't complain on Wednesday when Coldstone is passing out free ice cream to celebrate its anniversary.

4) They love western traditions, like Christmas. The stores are flooded with Christmas decorations, maybe not like back home, but they at least try to make it feel like Christmas. Even my office has gotten into the swing of things, replacing the incessant jazz music with a little Christmas jazz music. It makes it easier to live in a country I still don't get.

5) I need to get out. I've never been anywhere for a solid year before, and what a place to choose to spend a solid year. It's been memorable, mostly enjoyable, so enjoyable I've found a reason to go back in January, but for now.... I need a break... before I actually hurt someone getting off the subway.