The Peace Hotel & the Bund

Shanghai American School, where I work, is the oldest international school in Shanghai and this spring we hosted a group of alumni who graduated from SAS pre-1949. While they were here we went to a salon addressing education in Shanghai at the Peace Hotel. These are just a few photos from the Bund, the famous riverfront in Shanghai. It's really fun to go there because a lot of Chinese tourists go there and request to have their photo take WITH you which makes me feel famous! I always tell Trent to smile big for someone else's family Christmas photo. It turned out the room that the salon was held in was the former dining room of Victor Sassoon. The entire Peace Hotel has been restored to match the art deco architecture and history of the hotel. It truly is a breathtaking view, and being in that hotel on the 11th floor able to see all of the Bund and think about how much it has changed and how rapidly reminded me of how lucky I am to be living here.

Spring!

Spring in Shanghai is easily my favorite season, and I've almost been here long enough to have experienced all four. These are just some photos from around Shanghai. I loved the two weeks when all of the Magnolia trees were in bloom. My friend Lucie says it's even better in Beijing, I'll have to get up there next year in the Spring. I've noticed a trend as I go back through all of my photos, we have a few places that we frequent in our free time: Taikang Lu, the bird and flower market, and the fabric market. We have been branching out more lately but this Spring had a pretty predictable routine! Anyway, we went to Taikang Lu and some other places with Lucie, Dorian, Kathy and Chris. While we were waiting at Starbucks we noticed a handsome man in a ridiculous vest to help him carry around all of his super important, expensive, professional camera gear. I'm not sure who it was that suggested that Dorian go and inquire about said vest, probably me, but Dorian did. Much to our amusement the avid photographer was very pleased to discuss his vest, which it turned out was a fishing vest hence the fishing gesture he is making while Dorian considers trying the vest on. So very entertaining, as always, when Dorian and Lucie are around! We did branch out another weekend, and took the ferry across the river. It's pretty awesome to be out on the HuangPu with all of the barges and ships, it is also cool because you can use your metro card to pay the 2 kuai to get across. My photos are not flat due to lack of contrast, that is the beautiful Shanghai haze that hangs in the air most days. You can see on the skyline the building going up next to the can opener, it is going to be the tallest building in Shanghai, Asia, and I think the world upon completion. Architect gurus feel free to correct me if you know. You can also see from the close up of the construction, it is going to have this really cool spiral around look to it when it is finished. I'm not sure if we'll still be here, I think it is supposed to be done in 2014. I am also in love with these white flowering trees that bloom in April. They blooms have that trumpet shape and the trees are huge! If any botanists, master gardeners or tree enthusiasts know the name I would love to learn more about them.

Nanxiang

Home of the XiaoLongBao (She-yow-lohng-bow) or the famous soup dumplings, Nanxiang is just outside of Shanghai. We actually went there by private car which was a first for me! Our friend Ellen drove Todd, Rebecca and I there, unfortunately Trent missed out due a business trip to Japan. We visited a beautiful Chinese garden where tons of Cherry Blossoms were in bloom, then went to a Buddhist temple and saw all of the offerings ready to be burned to send to loved ones in the next life. Finally we went to lunch, but not before we found these two charming old men who craft amazing things out of brass. Rebecca got a tiny replica of the XiaoLongBao, they had some really neat stuff!