Shanghai Cool.I felt like ice-literally and figuratively. Two degreed of cold. Go figure. #shanghai #winter
Ive always had a love-hate relationship with the Paris of the east, the pearl of the orient.
I love the cold, but always hurt myself with its icy atmosphere. I respected the hard work its people relentlessly devote to economic progress but lamented the cost their sacrifice entailed.
Today Beijing is at a critical level of air pollution. About 60% are infected with lung disease, word has it that the city may be evacuated and that the capital might be moved to Shanghai.
I am not within my rights to express any opinions as to how China should be ran, but I will say this, I have yet to meet a Chinese who is not gasping for breath just to keep up with the country’s superhuman pace.
Derek and Sara Lin, my family away from my own.Ive never met siblings as close as they are.
Count on Derek to redirect any business I have in mind into a real possibility. It’s just luck that Sarah’s willing to lend a hand to. So when I talked about my plans to doyoga wear, they being in the garment industry took no time waiting to put their two cents in the project. I ended up taking notes as they fired away with their inputs, feeling like a total amateur.
I was already feeling the cold take its toll on me. I missed the warm hearts of the people from home. I told myself Id probably feel less queasy if I could actually strike up a conversation in Mandarin (note to self: LEARN)
Strawberries help curb my brewing depression, they were the sweetest Ive ever had.
My Boss (left) and Derek (right) can really pass off as Father and Son
Probably one of the reasons I miss Shanghai is because of Derek and his family. They remind me of childhood memories that was long repressed because I know Id never have the chance to relive it again.
The Chinese are known for their family tightness and it was one of the things I respected most among them.
Second would be their enduring nature and third would be their business savvy.
Working with a lot of them though, locally and abroad, sometimes I wish someone would remind them they arent machines.
That its alright to feel, and take a break…
That nothing is certain and that security is an illusion…
But they only listen to you when you’ve proven yourself superior, and I am by no means so.
So Ill just keep it to myself and hope they realize it on their own before so much of them have wasted away already.
Got so bored during the evening that I decided to join Sara and her mom finish some of their garments.
I sucked at monotonous labor. Anything repetitive bored me to a seething rage, but I sucked it up and obsessed at making sure I did well at the cleaning up lose threads. As a result, I took two hours to finish. Derek joked that their factory will lose money if they were to hire me with my slowness. Aside from not wanting to displease my host, I wanted to force myself into doing things Ive always hated because I felt that it was the only way I could grow. I related cleaning stray threads to being patient with logging in inventories, stocks and negotiating terms and waiting for payments, I related it to yoga and how I always need to push slowly but surely to improve …
Foodtrippin’
Vegetable bun. I ran out of hotel breakfast tickets so I ran into the streets for some quick vegetable fix prior to my return flight.
Hot soymilk, its so easy to maintain a vegan diet in China.
Breakfast fix
Lettuce in peanut-butter. Quite good actually.
Instant orgasm. THAT good.
The bitterness was temporarily forgotten by these fresh strawberries, the sweetest bunch I ever had. I finished off a kilo!
Chinese puto (rice cake) could have done better with shredded coconut though
Hansome encounter with a local on the street #shanghai #dogs
Reminded me instantly of my own babies at home, Flabby and Shiba