Ciao Chau Чао 朝: 2011

Friday, December 16, 2011

Safety First!

I've received more than a few comments suggesting that I might not be as agile on my new bike as I imagine myself to be.... So I decided to invest in these while in the US! After much searching, I went with the glitter blue/star motif... I think it gives off a certain tough, yet hip vibe:

And here is Mike's 'all Americican argyle' edition!

Santa Comes Early....And He's Still Awesome!

Just like in the movies-- under the tree there was a small box--and inside...two keys! I rushed to the porch to see what was the matter:

And here she is in the morning light (note: have not taken her on the streets yet due to the fact that santa did not provide a helmet...)

Trying to make some new, tough biker friends....This guy's ready to ride!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Just Walk Away

Let's be honest: one of the most exciting adventures in China is...the fake markets, of course! Christmas shopping has been a really fun process for me this year as I continue to test out the "one for you, two for me theory." In doing so, I have gotten really good at the "just walk away strategy" where you name your bottom line price and walk. If you hear "Ok lady, lady" chasing behind you, you're golden! Today I decided to only haggle in Chinese. So I whipped through all my phrases "Hello, how are you? I am well thank you. My name is Kate. What is your name? How much? What! That is TOO expensive (insert a fainting motion here as you listen the story about how this item is different-- it's REAL leather, etc.)! Continue in Chinese: "I am from Shanghai. I am a teacher! I will buy for...." Telling the merchants I was from Shanghai got more than a few chuckles today--cutting the price, however, did not. Yet, we only walked away once today where the seller let us keep going (sorry Jessie and Liz, no baby Ugg boots this year).... Here's some of my booty (about $4 USD):

And then this was an exciting $7 find, considering I almost bought it two weeks ago in Duty Free:

But here's the best gift of all- and to get it, I had to go into a backroom behind a fake wall, then wait as the book case was pulled out; then I slipped into a second back room to find this-- feels like leather, and the "real" US price tags are still on:

(not pictured: North Face Jacket, Ugg Boots-- oh and your Christmas present!)

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My Painting

It has been my lifelong dream to learn how to paint-- so I finally enrolled in a 6 week painting class. We are using oils and working for about 2 hours each week. Here is my progress-- I'm really proud of it! :)

week 1

week 2

week 3

week 4

week 5

Monday, December 5, 2011

The SAS Girls Varisty 2011-2012 Basketball Team

Just in case you're wondering what some of us have been up to around here, here's your answer. Since October, four days of my week have been occupied working with the best ballers at the Shanghai American School. We just finished the first part of our season, ending with 5 wins in a row and a 9-6 record, and now it's time for final exams and winter vacation. When we come back we have two big tournaments: China Cup, which will be in Shanghai this year, and then APAC - the championship tournament.