Some stories can be shared immediately, and some have to wait to be told. I will reserve my posts about the 2-month lockdown that Shanghai went through last April to June 2022 for obvious reasons. They’ll see the light of day once we are away from China for good. Know, though, that my heart goes…
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Like the title says. Jeezums, we’re all preparing for a “4 day lockdown”. Pudong, the newer area of Shanghai east of Huangpu River, locked down four days ago without any warning. My friends got wind of the news in the evening. According to them, they spent hours lining up at the local stores, trying to…
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Today’s pit stop is Julu Lu, corner of Xiangyang Bei Lu. Because streets are quite long here, giving directions involves mentioning the nearest two streets that intersect. “So let’s say 10:30 at the coffee shop ___? It’s at Julu Lu, corner Xiangyang Bei Lu,” you’d say if you were giving directions to someone unfamiliar with…
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Ah, the Chinese grannies. The trio come out every morning, rain or shine, pulling up plastic stools against the doorway. They sit and talk and gesticulate. Usually there are props: cigarettes on some days, cups of tea on others, but most of the time they’re brandishing knitting paraphernalia. One granny’s latest project (you’re damn right…
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Kuaidis (deliveries) are being dropped off at my doorstep almost daily. I am amassing an insane amount of summer reads because that’s exactly what I intend to do this summer – read! It’s a luxury that’s eluded me for some time now. That all changes during the holidays! I plan to indulge in the most…
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I know the feeling of having nothing to say, is what I want to say to the couple sitting in front of me, tired faces staring blankly at an unfamiliar menu; a newborn baby, so young it’s still wrinkly, silent in the pram beside them. I know the pervading loneliness of not being able to…
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An extremely long summer spilt over into a surprisingly mild fall, and I’ll admit I almost forgot how cold Moscow can be. As I write this it’s still 18˚C out and sunny, so it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that my weather app is showing snow for next week. Next. Week. I’ve…
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Hard to believe it’s been a year since we arrived in Moscow. Apart from the cold, things have gone better than I thought they would, though it would definitely help if I could improve my Russian a bit (because spasiba and nyet can only get me so far.) We just got back from France, where…
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