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On a recent visit to the Shanghai Museum with out-of-town guests, we spent some time looking over the many ancient stamps (also known as seals) that fill an entire gallery within the museum. These intricately carved and designed items were the unique “signature” assigned to an official and served to prove a document’s authenticity as the design was one-of-a-kind throughout the entire kingdom. If you were an official, it was an honor to get a seal assigned to you because it indicated that you had reached a vaulted level of importance in China’s vast governmental operation.

The inside of a high school gym looks the same wherever you are in the world. If we’re being philosophical, that is a very telling statement. Sports do transcend language and to some degree culture. Someone can pick up a basketball in Kansas City, Shanghai, Moscow, or Nairobi and shoot around with anyone regardless of education, language, or race.

Anyone who has ever traveled anywhere a different language is used is sure to have realized, ideally with humbling perspective, the profound influence language has on every day life. Of our travels and experiences with foreign languages, China sits at the top of the list for “perspective inducing experiences”. Since coming here in August, we’ve had language experiences that have made us laugh out loud, grit our teeth in frustration, or roll our eyes in exasperation at our inability to understand, or be understood.

When we moved here we were warned that the Holiday’s are the hardest. One couple told us that “Christmas isn’t really a thing” here in China. Prepping for that presumed reality, each of us dealt with it in our own way – either pretending there was no holiday season to worry about or, as in my case, working feverishly to decorate and bring some Christmas cheer to our apartment.

And now for something completely different.

As we prepare for feasts and gatherings of friends and family this week, I thought it also a good time to share experiences related to eating in China. Most cultures, certainly people, relate best over food and the Chinese love food! Though sometimes the food may be unfamiliar, or even shocking, the joy and hospitality that is served along with it is universal.

The metro system in Shanghai is vast, connecting all corners of the city. If you don’t mind walking a couple blocks to the nearest station, or crowded trains from time to time, it is an inexpensive, efficient, and clean way to get around the city. Some people choose what to explore around the city by picking random metro spots as their guide. Close your eyes, point to a metro spot on a map, then go. Our selection recently was Jing’an Temple, twelve stops down on…Continue Reading “Jing’an Temple” →