Shanghai China Snippets Observations about living in Shanghai and China in general

November 22, 2005

Flu | No Birds in Sight

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 7:31 am

Doooh, pretty lame title I know, but still true.
Have the flu as the Shanghai weather is changing to cold.
Luckily there is airco which blows hot air. Energy bill will go up again.
Like I said, I have the flu and reading what I just wrote I might as well stop now as it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

One good thing. I will be soon served a fish ball, beef & vegetable soup.

June 13, 2005

China Snippets has a new look

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 5:38 am

Although the look is new I intend to keep on adding, deleting etc, a lot the coming days. So, if things don’t work, pages run out of the browser, it’s me trying something crazy without actually having the knowledge:)

June 12, 2005

Changing Layout and blog system

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 10:22 pm

Update:

all old post have been imported, next thing to do is adjusing pics sizes, trying to do some modrewrite.. will be a first but has to be done as there is nothing so irritating as 404’s

Hi there, I am in the process of changing to a new layout using new sotware. Sorry for the confusing. The blog post can be read at China Snippets

May 23, 2005

New year, new …

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 8:08 pm

Yesterday I went to a nice dinner where we discussed Radio Shanghai. The idea is setting up a collaborative podcast website to share with the world some Shangai/China related podcasts. Fons of the China Herald has more to say about it.

One of the things that came up was consistency. If you want to make this kind of iniative work you need to have consistency once you start podcasting. Whether it is once a week or once a month, as long as it is consistent.

Turning 36 today, which is not a great achievement in itself, maybe a good moment to apply this consistency also to my blog, applying it to my life is maybe something for when I turn 37.

March 22, 2005

You Became Fat …

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 4:45 pm

chinese foodYesterday we met up with a friend we hadn’t seen for a while. One of
the first things she mentioned was, “You became fat”. All said with a
very friendly smile.

Two years ago I might have felt a bit embarrased.
Where I come from it’s not the politest thing to say. Not that she was
wrong, she is definitely right. Shanghai has more Western food
than Kunming, hence more fat.

In China, I have learned now, telling a
man he gained weight is not meant in a bad way at all.

Don’t tell
a woman though.

March 5, 2005

A Bit Homesick

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 3:44 am

It’s snowing in Holland. It’s really snowing and it hasn’t been snowing
like this for years.

I look at the pictures on the Dutch news websites
and I am reminded of my childhood. I wish I was there now. It’s the
first time in three years I feel like that.

For more Ducth snow, go here.

February 22, 2005

The Spring Festival Days

Filed under: Private — Shanghai @ 2:11 am

People wearing coats in the house give me the feeling that they are on
the verge of leaving. In my parents in law’s place it’s more a matter
of being on the verge of eating. And eating we did, morning, afternoon,
evening, in between nuts and other chewable bits and tats and then
again and again. Not too bad actually.

They wore the coat, as it was cold. I didn’t at first and got one. I guess they were smarter..



We met many family and friends of my loved one. Most of them are great,
the not-so-great-one’s I write about. Meeting a white face for real
appears to be scary. It was one of those friends that told my
girlfriend she felt relieved we left. Another friend took care of my
health by providing me with fruit, after she first loudly exclaimed in
Chinese to the other guests that I hadn’t eaten fruit yet. “Laowai me
chi shuiguo”. Being talked about in the third person is always funny, I
murmur in my good moments. Especially because I understood her. Another
friend, not a good one I must add, asked my girlfriend if we were
serious….you know… the relationship. Yeah right, we travel all the
way to Chengdu, meet the parents, meet all the friends just in order
not to be serious and we love traveling in high season. The same friend
who is so desperate for contact she once ended up in a gay bar in
Shanghai. According to her they had to spell it out for her, before she
realized she wouldn’t find a man interested in her. But this is China,
so we stay friendly; at least that is what my girlfriend tells me, as
maybe the not-so-good-friend can be useful. I also intend to
practice my karaoke skills. Man, did I sound bad.

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