the new place

i know the shanghai contingent of our family has been pretty quiet the last few months, but things have been really busy. planning a wedding takes a lot of work. so it is now a month until the wedding, and i think we are doing pretty good. plus it is summer here, which means all you really want to do is sit in front of the A/C. for those that don't know, shanghai gets really hot and humid in the summer (but not as bad as dallas), but the experience is much worse in shanghai because A/C is not as prevalent. for example, i have to turn on the a/c in my office every morning at 9am, which means it is half an hour before it cools down, and even then we have to use a fan and extra stand-along a/c unit just to make it bearable. and they cut the air off at 6pm, meaning the last hour or so of work is done sweating. i usually strip down to my boxers before i make it ten steps into my apartment after getting home. there is also no central air in apartments, so each room has its own unit. and i ride my bike to work, so you can imagine the state i am in when i get to work. soaked. chinese people don't sweat like we do, so i get some strange looks when i show up with my shirt already completely soaked. but anyway, enough complaining, it'snot so bad. i am sure some of the more senior members of our family can tell us a few things about living without a/c. it builds character right? and it makes watermelon taste so much better. the chinese eat watermelon in the summertime like i drink iced tea - all the time. and it is soooo good. it's not really summertime until you start eating watermelon after dinner every night. it is almost as good as a/c. and cheaper.

Shen rong and i have rented a place. we really like it. a major upgrade from where i was ($170/month to $550/month), but we thought, you know, you only get your first place once. rong is moved in, i will be moving in later. the video above is of the new place.