So, its been awhile I know. But here is another update. Since my last post NYU took us all to Beijing for a weekend trip and then when we came back to Shanghai, my mom and brother, Jonathan were in town to visit. So much busyness! There, that's my excuse for my lack of new blog entries. Anyways, on with the show!
Beijing was pretty awesome. This was my third time there and like they say, third times a charm. It was a lot cleaner and well CLEANER than I remember it being. Maybe because both of the last two times I was there they were getting ready for the olympics. Speaking of which, there were still many remnants of the event around town. Giant billboards, advertisements, and that little thing you might've seen on TV called the Bird's Nest. SO MUCH was done in preparation for the Olympics. The subways system doubled more than twice in size, a new airport terminal (now the world's largest) was built, streets were repaved, unsightly areas were made into parks, you get the idea... The Olympics helped Beijing become a beautiful city. One downside to the mass renovation is how they redid all the ancient sites. All the ancient temples and relics were redone almost a little too much. Vicki went to the Ming Tombs and said that they put up marble slabs on the walls and overall it just looked too new. Same can be said to the Temple of Heaven. The entire area surrounding the Temple was redone. Oh well, you win some you lose some.
My mom and brother flew in from Arizona the last night while we were in Beijing so when I got back to Shanghai they were there waiting for me. My mom also had my grandma's sister (great aunt?) flown in from Tianjin to stay with us. As far as I know, she is the only close relative I have left in China so it was neat to meet with her on her side of the world. They stayed for about a week and flew back yesterday morning.
Everything following my mom and brothers trip here has been an epic failure. And by everything I mean the perm I accidentally got. So, I went to the place that everyone here has been going to get haircuts and because of that I thought I was pretty safe. Thus, I had my *Don't take me for a damn fool* deflector down and they definitely fooled me.
Me: Hi I need a haircut.
Man: Okay, do you want me to style it too?
Me: umm....sure
*POOOOF* PERMPERMPERMPERM!!!!! &!^@%&#$**&^%$#@!@#$%
Me: But I just wanted a haircut
Man: But you look better!
Me: :(
So now I have a head full of pubes and an empty wallet. Moral of the story, DONT GET A HAIRCUT IN CHINA.
This was our hotel room. We stayed at the same hotel that some of the Congressman were staying in. Oh yea, we were in Beijing while their congress was in session. People's Congress? or People's Congress of the People? People People People? I don't remember... (my bed is the one to the left. it is a lot cleaner than Carlos')
Tea? $13824875138 please. Thanks. 
"One World. One Dream." Olympic slogan still plastered all over the city. 
Getting ready to go see Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City!
Parents in China tend to wrap up their children into cute little packages like this. Waddle. Waddle.
Eggplant!
Eggplant!
She had two more pigtails in the back!
hey mao! whats new?
To the Forbidden City!
This is where Mulan was filmed.
This is where Mulan was filmed. 
My throne. 
The Forbidden City. Brought to you by American Express.
The Birds Nest and the Water Cube! Kind of sad knowing that these two brand new and AMAZING venues have already seen the highlight of their lives.
The Birds Nest and the Water Cube! Kind of sad knowing that these two brand new and AMAZING venues have already seen the highlight of their lives. 
Practicing for the next olympics. Hello London!
Michael Phelps?! Oh no, just Carlos. Guess he couldn't hear the conversation behind him.
They sold ramen and these little boxes of joy at the food stand. You poke a hole wave your hands around and it starts cooking! MAGIC!
This is 100% pure, unposed excitement. CHOO CHOO
It looked better when it was cooking. :o/
It looked better when it was cooking. :o/ 
Vivian the tourist. She speaks perfect Chinese and also likes to drink her family.
I'm a bird. In front of the Birds Nest. GET IT?!
I'm a bird. In front of the Birds Nest. GET IT?! 
Even the lights surrounding the Birds Nest looked like nests. ingenious! 
IT IS HUGE! There are no words to describe how big the Birds Nest actually is. Impressive too!
Oh hi. 
Guess they really don't want you to smoke... They should put some of these in Shanghai
The seats were microscopic. Definitely not designed for Americans.
The seats were microscopic. Definitely not designed for Americans.
Wish I were here for the opening ceremony.
This was their olympics mascot.
This was their olympics mascot. 
Apparently what men look like in the Birds Nest
Sanitized and shrink wrapped. Just how I like it. This is how some restaurants greet us at the table. 
Carlos catching flies.
lingering = jump rope?
See the GIGANTIC jumbotron in front of the temple. Thats what I mean when I say they over-renovated certain things. 
Temple of Heaven.
Holding on to the mother ship.
Cultural relics or trash cans?
Outside the Temple of Heaven. Vicki wasn't very good at ribbon twirling.
Eh....So So.
Born Master!
Eureka!
"...When will my reflection show who I am inside..."
Chinese people like to pose for pictures.
Chinese people like to pose for pictures. 
Pizza in Beijing. Oy Vey! It actually wasn't half bad. 
Sporting our new Ray Bans. Mine are actually as dark as blindfolds. 
All of China is a construction site. 
Success!
Mao would be proud.
Communist.
Communist.
Beijing International Airport. So Nice and SO hUge!
It just wouldn't be Shanghai without buildings like this. This one has a giant ball on top.
Mother and son in People's Square.
A line in China? What?
My new obsession. Kumquats are so last week. 
EEEEDiot
Living proof of why Americans are obese. This is the small size at McDonalds. In America we call this invisible.
Living proof of why Americans are obese. This is the small size at McDonalds. In America we call this invisible. 
Didn't Michael Jackson wear gloves like that? 
Finally! A Subway! Maybe they have Five dollar foot longs. I will have to go back and check. 
In a country of over a billion, best recycle!
Brother, Mom and Great Aunt on Nanjing Road
Just like a frame!
Just like a frame!
Playing with my camera
We decided to buy these overpriced buns because they had straws in them. "This is too high tech for me!!!" -Mom
mMMMMMmmMMMmMmmMMMmMMm
at Xintiandi where we bought really good French pastries! Also where rich Shanghai locals go to show off that they are rich and young gold diggers go with their sixty year old white men.
at Xintiandi where we bought really good French pastries! Also where rich Shanghai locals go to show off that they are rich and young gold diggers go with their sixty year old white men. 
People's Park of the People's People and People
Ooooo. so pretty
Ooooo. so pretty
Fanciest Restroom thus far. It had TWO floors and clocks to tell us the different times of the world
Shanghai Urban Planning Museum. I swear everytime it sees me coming it closes. I will have to try again some other time. :(
Coco. A bubble tea chain in China. SO GOOD. This was taken in a subway station. In shanghai subway stations double as malls.
Coco. A bubble tea chain in China. SO GOOD. This was taken in a subway station. In shanghai subway stations double as malls. 
At a toy store in a subway station.
Chinese people like to hang little toys like this from their cell phones. REAL CHinese people have more than one. 
Much cleaner and more high-tech than New York's subway.
On the Maglev (the only magnetic levitation train in the world) from the airport to pudong. It reaches 300 km/hr!
Bye Mom and Jonathan!
Bye Mom and Jonathan!
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