Oh, Cruel Sun

Yesterday, I had a physiotherapy appointment to work on my back problem. It went really well. I started seeing a new doctor who seems really smart and has helped me tweak the exercises I was doing so that they’re more helpful and more fitted to what I need, and I’ve actually begun to feel a bit of improvement… Let’s just say, my back doesn’t hurt quite as much on a constant basis. Yes!

New news: in addition to swimming every other day, I’m also allowed to jog! Slowly, gradually, with great caution, but nonetheless, jog I shall. And jog I did. While the freesbisti did their thing today at the park, and while I attempted not to feel intense jealousy their ability to run and sprint and lay out with ease, I jogged around the field slooooooooooooooooowly for about 15 minutes. It hurt a little at first, but I got in a good groove. Ya hear that, Body! You’re gonna get better! Ha! Then I did my stretching routine, and watched the fit gals and girls scrimmage.

Even though the sun was blazing, I was so out of the habit of playing sports and hanging out outside that the concept of sunscreen didn’t even give me the courtesy of crossing my mind. Result: even though I’m wearing a tube top, it still looks like I’m wearing a regular tank top. Stark contrast between red and scarily pale. It doesn’t hurt (too much) and I haven’t started peeling (yet). Moisturize I will.

Lesson: even though it’s gazillions of miles away, the Sun will smack you up like nobody’s business. So take precautions. Use protection. ☺

- Emma

Shaq

I was on my way to a math tutoring job in Minhang (Chinese for demolished dead zone) and I was happily chatting away with my cabbie about the NBA finals. Side note: basketball is huge here and people love the NBA, especially Kobe. I hate Kobe and love Shaq, so I started talking to the cab driver about Shaq. He didn't seem to understand, so I said it slowly. Shaquille O'Neal. Then he got it and said "Oh, O'Neal. Women jiao ta O'Pang." A rough translation of this is "Oh, O'Neal. We call him O'Fat." Hilarious.

Jon

Pesky Censorship

The Chinese government's censorship of Blogger has made blogging more difficult than I had anticipated. They are slowly figuring out and shutting down the proxy servers that I've been using. Bah.

In any case, life is moving along here in Shanghai. The weather is consistently amazing. Almost every day the sun comes out and shines down brightly. It's wonderful - it's amazing how much sunlight can effect one's mood. (300 days of sunshine every year in Colorado!)

Recently, I've also been doing a lot of planning for our month-long trip in Western China. I'm ridiculously excited about this adventure! Spending 30 days exploring Xinjiang and Xizang has been one of my dreams since we arrived in China. I've been checking out information on the web and in guidebooks about the area and the pictures are amazing! It's going to be refreshing to get out of the mass of steel, concrete, and people and into a more natural environment, Oh man, I can't wait!

Jon

Censorship

With the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre coming up, the Chinese government decided that the best course of action would be to block Blogger.com (oh, and make it really hard for foreigners to acquire visas). Gah. So, so very annoying.

You might be thinking to yourself right now, "Self, if blogger is blocked in China and Jon is in China, then how is he updating the blog." This is a good question. Basically, there are a whole host of different proxy servers that can be used to get around the Great Firewall and effectively avoid the blocks that the PRC has instituted in all of its infinite wisdom. The government censorship is really doing nothing more than impede my ability to post quotidian posts about life over here. 加油，中国！

Anyways, this is the reason that I haven't been posting recently, but I will dig under the Great Firewall to bring you revolutionary news, such as what I had to eat yesterday (delicious pasta made by Emma) or the Ratatat concert that we're going to tomorrow...

Hope all is well in the outside world!

- Jon

Awesome

You can't do this on your bike...


Seen right outside my apartment last week...

- Jon

X-Games

About a week ago one of our friends gave us 4 free tickets to the Asian X Games. With nothing better to do on a Saturday morning, Emma, Kevin, Zoey, and I made our way out to watch the best alternative athletes in Asia as they skateboarded, rollerbladed, and jumped motorcycles. We poked around the grounds for a couple of hours and watched skateboarders do jumps on the halfpipe, rollerbladers zoom around their course, and extreme drink/food companies shamelessly promote their products (nothing like free shots of Mountain Dew!) I'd say that the two highlights for me were the motorcycle jumping (which was insane) and seeing how much change we could stick between Emma's toes (an astounding 8 RMB in 1 yuan coins and 8 RMB in jiao). Mostly though, it was really fun to relax and wander around the games. Here are some pictures!

Skateboarder doing sweet tricks

Motorcycle Madness

More Motorcycle Madness

Emma showing off her skills!

Me desperately trying to stretch my toes apart (to no avail)

How much money can you fit in between your toes?

- Jon

Jeju Pictures (Part 1)

View of the Ocean from the Hotel

Dinner, Pre-Rubix Chaos

Kevin doing what he does best

Post-changing Orange Fashion Show

Shanghai Seven

Throwing Action ShotPost-tournament Team Photo

- Jon

Fiesty Children

Most of my little students are charming and adorable and eager to learn, but some are a little….rambunctious. Not normal kid-rambunctious…bordering on defiant, which just doesn’t happen (or isn’t allowed) in China. Well, last week, a little punk (who has been pushing all of the teachers’ buttons for awhile) stood up from his miniature chair, walked into the middle of the room (we sit with the chairs in a horse-shoe shape), and projectile spat…yes, spat…on to the floor. I froze. I was so stunned. I expected the teacher to haul his ass into the hall and give him a piece of her mind…and hand…which I’ve seen to be the norm. But no. She just gave him a glaring look, and I proceeded with the lesson. Yikes.

I guess I give the kid kudos…it was a pretty ballsy move.

- Emma