MENINGITIS MENINGITIS MENINGITIS!!!!! (and some pictures)

Care to take a guess at what is on my mind at the moment???? Ha. Anyways, I am now in Shanghai and completely defenseless against Meningitis. Why? Because once upon a time I was deathly afraid of needles (a few months ago) and decided to not get the Meningitis vaccine even though it was "required" by NYU to be enrolled. I signed a thing and waived it. Oops. So here I am on the other side of the world and in need of a Meningitis vaccine. Thankfully, NYU got us "top notch" international insurance (coverage excludes abortions, plastic surgery, and flat feet) and I just gave them a call, talked to a "lovely" English woman on the telly (phone?), and it should be sorted out soon. Once they tell me I'm covered (cross your fingers) I can have an international clinic here order it for me from the UK and VOILA! No more Meningitis! This would not even have been on my mind if NYU hadn't had a doctor come talk to us about health and diseases in China. From what I gathered from the presentation, I should be safe from pretty much most of the evil stuff out there when I am in Shanghai, but once I step out of my pretty little bubble, all hell breaks loose. Also, I am thinking of going with a group of NYU students to Sichuan during one of our two week long "study breaks" to visit the areas worst hit by the earthquake a few months ago. From what I'm told, these areas are extremely rural and just plain dirty. But I kinda really want to go! We'll see how that pans out...

So today was the internship fair and a whole bunch of local and international companies had booths up. It was pretty well done and also nice that so many companies came just to recruit us NYU students for just a semester. Last night they e-mailed us a list of the companies that would be recruiting and I highlighted all the ones that I wanted to talk to and believe it or not I was able to talk to all of them. (I steered clear of the one and only finance related internship. that booth was SWAMPED) Usually events like this at Stern are usually finance focused but this time it was mostly marketing and media related internships. YAY! Now to the good news...

I got a job/internship! Or at least I think I did. It is with a Chinese film company in Shanghai called "She & Jul Films." The executive producer/director graduated from NYU Tisch. I talked to them for a while and they are looking for someone who has a business "background" and is also creative. I would be helping them secure rights for screenplays, financing new projects, product placement planning, and preparing presentations for clients. They asked me to meet with them sometime next week. I'm not sure if that means if I'm actually hired or not... :( They should be more definite. A nice big ol' "HIRED" stamp wouldn't hurt anyone. Basically, I REALLY REALLY HOPE I GOT IT! Keep your fingers crossed! Knock on wood! Cross your heart and hope to die! (carlos)

So this past week of classes have been crazy. We were told that we could "shop around" for classes and sit in on classes that we weren't really registered for. Classes in Shanghai are on a "block scheduling" so that each class only meets once a week but for THREE (3) hours. I was originally signed up for an advertising class and a photography class. However the advertising class is too much like the marketing class I took last semester and the photography class wants us to buy a $50o camera that I will most likely never use again. So "shop around" I did. I was on campus everyday from 10am to 8pm and sat in on basically any class that sounded remotely interesting. Good thing I did that too because I think I finally have a schedule that I am pleased with. I dropped advertising and photography for a "Shanghai and Globalization" class and a "Cultural Currencies" class. The currencies class is about the different ideologies of the West and China and how its changed over the years. The teacher is also kind of hilarious. She's a Jew from New York who doesn't mess. She also says "shit" a lot. That makes me happy. 

On a completely different note, I was jogging on a treadmill at my gym here a few nights ago when the song "Back In Your Head" by Tegan and Sarah started playing on my iPod. I bring this up because the same song started playing last year when I was writing the final paper for my "Writing the Essay" class. The lyrics of the song helped me get over the NASty case of writer's block I was having at the time and I actually also quoted the song in my final paper. Anyways, when this song started playing it reminded me of how far I am from home and also how much has changed since then. Not just me but also everything and everyone around me. I was overlooking Washington Square Park the first time and now I'm overlooking Zhong Shang Park in Shanghai. Oi Vey! 

Speaking of my gym, its pretty cool. The equipment is nice and its decent sized and in a really great location. Its on the twelfth floor of this awesome building thats 100+ floors and has these blindingly bright blue neon lights that run up and down its sides at night. The first ten(ish) floors is a mall. Its got H&M, Starbucks, Cold Stone, Calvin Klein, the usual. But it also has some stores that I think are either Chinese or maybe European that has some neat stuff. Prices are the same as America though. The couple of floors underground is Carrefour (where I buy just about anything and everything. its where that GIANT wall of Pocky was). The floors above the mall is a really nice hotel called "Renaissance." It's where I will be living when I when the lottery. 

On to the pictures! First are the ones I promised of my apartment and the rest are just from going out...

"OPEN SESAME!!!!" (Because they are obsessed with them here)

This is our door. We use a card to get in instead of a key. You wave it in front of the handle and it unlocks. Magic!

Laundry. Chinese style. 

Dining table. Also where I am writing this blog. The jeans on the chair are Carlos'. I folded them for him and he yelled at me. Unappreciative. 

This is our living room. Carlos' room is to the right and my bathroom is the door with the window. 

THIS IS THE BIG RED BUTTON THAT IS NEXT TO THE PHONE THAT HAS NO BUTTONS. I HAVE TO RESTRAIN  MYSELF FROM PRESSING IT EVERY TIME I AM NEAR IT. Me thinks its a direct line to Mao. You press the big red button (red for communism) and Mao picks up. Maybe I will press it on my last day here. 

This is our kitchen. Its cavernous. 

Chock full with all-American staples. OH except the bread is sweet, the milk is OVERPRICED, the American cheese is not in English and thus NOT american, and the yogurt is like water. oh China. 

At least the peanut butter tastes the same. Salmonella anyone?

Mah cabinet. I got the ramen from the RAMEN AISLE at Carrefour. There was actually an endless aisle FULL of ramen. Top to bottom. 

My bed. Good thing I don't know how to count. Those pictures on the wall were extras from the frame that I brought. I overprinted. In the end it turned out perfectly. I was two short so I put in postcards from Arizona instead. 

Part of my HUGE closet. Even with all of my clothes hung up it is only a third full. Guess I just have to buy more clothes. 

My desk. For some reason everyone in the building seemed to get a different desk. Mines one of the bigger ones I think. (that thing hanging to the left is the frame I brought from home)

Chinese Pepsi! and some sort of tea. they are crazy about tea here. Who knew?

The stone that Trina from my internship over winter break gave me. It is supposed to protect me from all sorts of evil if placed facing the door. Hopefully it works. (Hi Trina!)

Cucumber Lays. Chicken Cheetos. Tomato Lays. Blueberry Lays. Only in China. 

This is now my gym bag. 

More laundry. 

My bathroom. I havn't quite figured out the water here yet. It is either BOILING hot or ICY cold. 

Sink. 

These are the switches in the bathroom. Like my shower, I have no idea what any of these buttons do. I still switch them back and forth everyday though. Maybe one day something will happen. 

Can't be in China if you don't wear slippers! (Bought at Carrefour where they sell everything)

Best thing about China: the school supplies. More specifically, the English written on them. The left one says "Kevin is a cute boy who has an active heart. Peggy is a sweet girl, she looks forward with a joyous heart. Come on! Let's go to the sky. We would play with you together. Enjoy the happiness." The right one says "Everyone needs friendship. no one can sail the ocean of life single handed. The term, friend, covers a wide range of raeanings (i think they meant MEAnings). it can be a nodding acquaintance, a comrade (nod to Communism), a confident, a partner, a playmate, a brother, an intimate etc." 

Nanjing Road. A famous shopping street. 

Wendy, Vicki, Tiffany, and Carlos. 

We were all missing American food so we went to Hooters. Yes, there is a Hooters in China. Several actually. Burgers were delicious!

Tiff with the boys. 

Our waitress. Carlos thinks she looks like an Asian Blair Waldorf. 

It was Karthick's Bday. Too bad they can't make the "th" sound. They ended up just singing "Happy BirSSSday CarSSSick" Hehe

Instead of apple pies at McDonalds they have Taro Pies! So Good! 

My American meal made with not so American ingredients. I do what I can. 

Hope that didn't put anyone to sleep. Cheers! 

p.s. we are making pasta tonight! Hopefully it doesn't give me Meningitis!

Back from the dead...

Hey Y'ALLLLL. I'm actually still alive. Just been really slacking on my blog posting. Sorryyyyyy! But not really because Shanghai is a blast! :)

Anyways, my first week in Shanghai was spent going around the city for NYU's orientation. We went to pretty much all the places any tourist would go to and then some. About 120 students are studying abroad in Shanghai with NYU this semester and it's pretty evenly split when it comes to housing. Half are staying on-campus (ECNU...East China Normal University, where NYU in Shanghai is located) and half are staying off-campus in these REALLY REALLY NICE apartments. Needless to say, Justin (MOI) is staying off-campus. Hardwood floors, marble bathrooms, living room, dining room, my own bedroom and bathroom. DIVINE!

I will post pictures of my apartment soon. My computer is being slightly incompetent at the moment. OHH! and the internet here is soooo SLOW! I ACTUALLY almost die every time I try to do anything online, including updating this blog. Which is weird because I hear the internet in other parts of China is blazing. So, best apreesh.

These are the pictures I have as of now, and of course they are all out of order because it would just make too much for sense for them not to be...

They sold this candy at Xitong, a water town that we went to. It's kind of like Venice except Chinese. I really liked the candy. Didn't taste as good as it was fun to play with though, shame...

Walking through the water town. It was a nice escape from the glass and concrete of modern Shanghai. 

RawwWWWwwwwW MEAT! Yummmmmmmmmmmm. Chinese people like to hang their laundry out to dry. Same with their dinners to i guess...

Mexicano Carlos being all touristy. (Carlos is also documenting this trip for his blog. He is attempting to beat me at my own game. Fool.)

THE CUTEST KITTEN IN THE WORLD!!!!!!

*Meow*

Getting on our boats at the water town. This town is where a part of Mission Impossible 3 was filmed! We found a large poster of Tom Cruise. 

Carlos, Me, Wendy, and Tiffany on our boat. Chooo CHOOOO!

NYU also took us to a native Shanghai family's home where they taught us how to play mahjong. Their home is in one of the ancient neighborhoods that the government has been ruthlessly tearing down to replace with shiny new skyscrapers. It's sad to see so many years of culture be torn apart. :( Their home was scheduled to be demolished last year but has since been delayed. 

Don't let the smile fool you. I am actually as bad at mahjong as I am at keeping this blog updated. The table we are playing on was quite the crowd pleaser. It was this super high-tech thing that would open up in the middle so we could push all the used pieces in and new pieces would pop out in front of each player in holes that would magically appear and then disappear. Seeing such a table in such an old house was pretty reminiscent of the rest of Shanghai. Hundred-floor glass and concrete buildings as far as the eye can see built in styles only imaginable in Star Wars (stole that from Carlos) but then the occasional rickshaw piled high with bamboo or boxes sitting on random street corners. It's hard to describe. You have to see it for yourself. 

On the way to our homestay in the ancient neighborhood. I can't speak for the other families but the one we visited actually had a very nice house. The outside was old like the rest of the neighborhood, but the inside was completely redone. Pretty neat. 

Their subways are infinitely cleaner than New York's. 

And because the dryer they supplied us merely throws our clothes around and blows cold air on them when it feels like it, we bought this thing. ITS A DRYING RACK. You would never be able to find something like this in the states. Looks more like the monkey bars I had in kindergarden than something you hang clothes on. Oh well. Oh and that's Steven on the left. He is our roommate from China (Him, Carlos and I share the apartment). He is actually a student at a Chinese university on a scholarship from a Spanish bank to study at NYU's campus in Shanghai. He's been a good resource for solving the mysteries of living in China. Also, notice the MASSIVE space our drying rack is sitting in. That's the random nook that we were originally going to put our new white grand piano in, Steinway of course ;). So weird having TOO much space to live in. Now that's something that has never happened to me before, especially in New York! 

Walking through Zhong Shan Park, a nice little park near our apartment. We saw this old man writing calligraphy on the ground using water and a brush. 

Shanghai is FILLED with buildings that look like this. I guess you need to give those 20 million (give or take a few million...but probably give) somewhere to live huh?

The ENTIRE WALL of Pocky at Carrefour!!! Every flavor imaginable from blueberry to mushroom!

More of Zhong Shan Park. It even has a theme park and a dim sum restaurant inside! We were told that the park is usually filled with kids flying their kites but it was too cold and foggy that day. I will have to go back when it is sunny to see them!

Since our plane got in last week around four AM, we were all hungry from some Chinese breakfast! Steven took us to a nice breakfast place across the street from our apartment. See the fried bread stick in the middle? You dip that in the peanut soy milk in the bowl on the right. The things on the left are pork buns. MMmmm!

Carlos and Tiffany on the plane! Carlos prepping his Chinese picture posin!

Starbucks on every corner, I AM HOME! Oh and they speak English at all the Starbucks here! 

This was one of the meals they served us on the plane. We had the choice of Chinese or "Western." This is Chinese. It wasn't bad. 

So, thats it for the pictures. Today was my first day of class. First was Advertising and Public Relations. A little boring and also too similar to my Intro to Marketing class I took last semester. I think I will switch into a class about Shanghai and Globalization instead. Sounds more interesting to me. I also met with my Chinese tutor for the first time today. Her name is Norah and she started to teach me pinyin (spelling Chinese phonetically). 

Now, I'm just sitting at my desk taking a quick break from my trip to the gym. The gym here is really nice! Its on the twelfth floor in a neighborhood mall called Cloud 9 (Hi to everyone back home at Cloud Nine Marketing! haha) Anyways, the gym has this awesome view of the really big street that I walk up and down everyday and if you look hard enough you can even see the Best Buy on the other end. Guess I can't really say I miss America when I am constantly reminded of it by all the McDonalds, Starbucks, Best Buys, and every other American brand you can think of here in Shanghai. 

Ok, well that's it for now. I need to get ready for bed and for class tomorrow. Good night!

THE END!

p.s. Sorry about the ten years that passed since my last post, I will try to update more frequently from now on. Also, I will get those pictures of my apartment up soon too!