An Uneventful Day

“Today was a normal day.”

Let me explain: I woke up, pulled on my running shorts, and stumbled out the door, just like any other day. I waved to every security guard along my running route, returning the occasional “good morning’s” one by one as I clipped along the riverside. I finished the run and stretched, no surprises, no mishaps. I went to work, and I took the subway. I always take the subway. But this time, just like lots of other times, it was completely and conventionally uneventful. As predicted, the third stop on the route – the only one that opens from the right side, instead of the left like all the others – made the foreigners and newcomers stick out like sore thumbs as they stumbled around, nearly missing their stop. I was one of them a couple months ago, but now the other regulars smirk with me, not at me, as we judge the newcomers. A few minutes later, I nodded and smiled at the guards at MoCA as I strolled into work, barely remembering the first two weeks they spent trying to keep me out (thinking I was a tourist). I went to work, came home, and finished out the un-calamitous day.

Maybe this isn’t what I’m supposed to be blogging about. But these things are what makes the city feel a little more like “home”. It creeps up on you when you spend some time fully acclimated to a city. And now that I’ve gotten here, I’m ready to go back. The days are dwindling down in Shanghaiville; it’s reached that point in the summer where the days finally start flickering by, and the U.S. and Yale and Trumbull and my room all finally re-work their way to the top of “places I want to be”.

Peregrine, one of my favorite people, came to visit last weekend. She took last year off to study and work in China and London and so we caught up on our past years and shared our ridiculous stories. She, Della, and I visited Shanghai two years ago before our first China summer program, so we spent some time re-enacting that trip and being floored by (for once, not how much China has changed, but rather) how much we’d changed. Our language alone made Shanghai a different place, and our newly-gained comfort with the culture made wandering through the city a more comfortable experience than NYC could offer, and a much more introspective one. I guess that’s what you get for a college education.

At MoCA, we’re switching to the last exhibition I’ll see: the Contemporary Art of Indonesia. I was dumbfounded yesterday when the artists put me in charge of installing a couple of their art installations, and found myself atop a ladder putting my basic carpentry skills to work. Most of all, I was surprised how much control the artists were willing to give up in the installation of their art. I had creative power in deciding how exactly to space banners, pin cloth up, etc., and it made me think that art is slightly more collaborative than even the artists themselves realize. And also during work last week, my coworkers took me to buy books that I have since busied myself with. I bought Chinese classics translated from ancient Chinese into modern Chinese (so I can read it). Maybe I’ll read these instead of taking Chinese classes this year.


I hit 121 last week. I’m no longer afraid of mileage.

Initiative, go!

Last week I met a grad student from Arkansas! She's doing public policy research in China, and interviewing lots of art galleries. She mentioned that her translator recently bailed on her, and so on a whim a few days later I shot her an e-mail offering to translation for her interviews. This way I could practice translating, get exposure to her research, ask some questions of my own, and make a friend! It worked well. She was really glad to have someone to go with (she doesn't speak any Chinese), so on Thursday we went exploring. We found a charming, isolated district hidden in the middle of the city, with grassy hills and implausibly large sculptures. We interviewed and interviewed and got into some juicy topics that I hope to use in my senior thesis, like differences between China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on issues of art and globalization. Then we had a jolly time touring galleries (including one interior design gallery with only kitchens on display). It'll be fun to see what else we'll get ourselves into next week. It amazes me, though, how many awesome opportunities are just waiting out there to be grabbed, with an e-mail or a phone call. Initiative, go!

In other news: Will, Andi and I finally went to the fabric market, and it was as good as could be expected. I got fitted for a suit (for a nice square 50 USD!), and am having a couple of linen ties custom-made. I get to pick them up in a week. Like always, barganing was a crazy, acting-heavy game. Will, Andi and I are all Psych/CogSci majors, so we enjoyed analyzing the emotional games the professional-grade shopkeepers will put you through to get you to pay more. One even took fifteen minutes to explain the process of how ties were made, from the way the fabric is cut, to the taylor specifications and everything. Overall, an experience worth paying money for in and of itself.

All that, and starting to run far.

A few good things that have happened in recent days.

1. Last Sunday, Piaggio, the Italian motorbike company, held a launch party for their new three-wheel M3 Hybrid bike. It featured test rides of the motorbike, gross amounts of food (including a Tiramisu cake larger than the average seven-year-old), and me engaging in a two-hour conversation with the pioneer of hybrid technologies in Europe while eating said cake.

2. Monday I sang one 15-second note that is now in my roommate's new song.

3. Tuesday Will and I bought two watermelons.

4. Wednesday Watermelon Day! Wednesday morning Will and I ate an entire watermelon each on our balcony.

While my body was busy figuring that out, I attended a Chinese cooking class. I decided that I would like to go to culinary school and become a brilliant chef. I was also informed that this would make me a more attractive individual. I'll let the apron be the judge.

5. Thursday my boss decided I could translate English into Chinese. This was only good when I finished.

6. Friday I translated the CV for a famous Asian rockstar, Ashin. I guess this means I have the official translations for his song titles, books, etc.? Then I met up with one of my coworkers and a slew of Chinese and Serbians to watch the Serbia vs. Germany soccer game. We stayed at the BBQ restaurant for about four hours, ordering up countless skewers of often unidentifiable but delicious food. I feel 100% OK with making "going out with Chinese people" a hobby because I can always throw it into the "learning Chinese" and "cultural experience" categories.

7. Saturday morning was the top of the week. I gave a media tour and interview to a handful of American reporters, including the New York Times. It went very very well, and it made me remember why I love academia, because we were thinking on the same level. They were all professors on the East coast as well as columnists, and were very familiar with Yale, which made a good starter for our twenty-minute conversation after the tour. The NYU professor gave me his business card and invited me to attend his class anytime I'm in NY. I am determined to take him up on that.

Saturday night I had co-workers over for dinner, and we traded recipies.

8. Sunday was a charity event that Lisa organized at K5, followed by exploring food and the Shanghai Museum, which is full of artifacts (bronze and jade works, ancient calligraphy, seals, and coinage, etc.). After studying contemporary art, old stuff is boring.

9. Today we held a Smurfs press conference for their new movie release. With giant smurfs dancing around and kids acting out Smurfythings, it was unbearably cute and the perfect way to start off the week. That, and it was bubble tea day in the office.