| | It has been a full on week working through our to-do list before we have our annual getaway for Spring Festival. It’s the time of year when the largest human migration in the world takes place. Nearly two billions worth of journeys will happen as Chinese people move all over the country, back to their respective hometowns to see in the new year.
Having already experienced the start of the new Chinese lunar calendar before, I didn’t fancy days of non-stop fireworks and all the noise (day and night) that accompanies the fanfare. So, Lezil and I are ditching China in favour of some much needed summer sun in Western Australia to spend time with her family | Currently, Australia is experiencing some of the hottest temperatures on record and so, the first thing on my pre-travel action list was to shed the hair. I had been keeping my long strands for the last four months, but knowing the furnace we were about to enter into to, my winter coat is now gone. Next to tick off was a previously postponed visit. My friend Kevin had invited me a number of times to his Church, but we couldn’t quite co-ordinate our timetables to make it happen. I had a window Sunday morning and so, up early, I made my way to central Jing’an area. | Grace Baptist Church was originally established in 1910 making it one of the oldest Churches in Shanghai. However, it moved a number of times from its first premises and in 1942 found its way to where it stands today on Shaanxi Bei Lu. Service started at 9am and I was outside the Church’s gates at 8:45am calling Kevin but the automated China Mobile message kept telling me his phone was powered off. Strange. Thankfully he just happened to come out of the Church building when I spotted him.
Following him up to the balcony area, I was shocked to see the Church completely full with 10 minutes to go until the official start. I was handed a battery-powered radio receiver with a pair of white in-ear headphones. The service was entirely in Chinese, and the foreigner that I am, I still needed assistance with the language. |  With Kevin outside Grace Baptist Church Shanghai. |  A choir leads the congregation in traditional hymns. | I was one of ten other non-Chinese seated and it was a sizeable congregation with easily over 1,500 people present. Proceedings followed a more-traditional format with hymns led by a choir and piano accompaniment.
The youngish Chinese Baptist pastor delivered a lively sermon based on Matthew 7:12 “…do unto others what you would have them do to you…”. I managed to keep up with what was being said (even though at times the translations I was listening to boarded on the more Chinglish). State-of-the-art flat screens were dotted about the Church hall transmitting a live broadcast of the service.
| | And in little over an hour, I was reading the final benediction in Chinese along with the rest of congregation.
Afterwards, I was introduced to a few of Kevin’s Church friends who made me most welcome. Touring the main downstairs area, I noticed on the wall a cluster of black antennas sticking out of metallic boxes. Kevin explained that the Church had installed mobile scramblers to cut off any phone reception. I took out my mobile and true to its functionality, I had no signal at all. That explained why, when I tried calling Kevin earlier, I couldn’t get through.
|  Equipment used to block mobile phone signals in the Church. |  Slurping our spicy beef Taiwanese noodles! | Personally, I think more Churches should install them. To take a measly two or so hours out of your week to not be able to access calls, text or go online and focus on faith is not asking for much.
By the time early afternoon hit, Lezil and I were in a taxi zipping our way through the back streets of the French Concession area in Shanghai. We had a lunchtime meet-up with Miranda – our adventurous Shanghainese mama. Slurping our spicy Taiwanese noodles like pros, we laughed, we debated and made the most of each other’s company for we were going to be away for a month and Miranda was travelling back to her adopted country of Canada during the holidays.
| | It was a surprisingly mild day as we walked off our big bowls of soup. Nearby, a number of local shops were in full Spring Festival mode selling all sorts of red-themed trinkets. We picked up a couple of items. After all, we may not be spending the actual day in the country itself but China has become huge part of our lives. And therefore to not acknowledge the most important national holiday of the year is like turning our backs on something like Easter or Christmas back in the West.
|  Shopping for Chinese New Year goodies! |  Outdoor coat 'store' down a French Concession lane. | After a bit of haggling, our plastic bags were brimming with Chinese New Year items. We wandered our way down another French Concession side street and came across a makeshift street ‘store’. That’s what I love about China. People are so resourceful and will try what they can to squeeze out a living anywhere. The entrepreneurial man had used a side lane’s railings to create a grand display of woollen and faux-fur coats. As it was a sunny day, there was no chance of the weather destroying his open-air bazaar.
| All the coats were Woolmark branded – probably sample stock and surplus supplies. And charging between RMB 100 – RMB 300 a coat, needless to say he was selling his items fast. Miranda picked up a three-quarter length purple coat which, for a bargain price, can be adjusted by any number of street tailors to be found in Shanghai.
China has truly become home for Lezil and I in the most unexpected of ways, so much so that I am actually curious if we are about to experience a type of reverse culture shock going into an all Western environment…
 Outside one of Shanghai's oldest Churches - Grace Baptist.  The stained glass window inside Grace Baptist Church.  Shanghai gets ready for Chinese New Year!  Lezil and Miranda surrounded by new year trinkets.  Hunting for a bargain at this coat street store.  Miranda finds her match - a woollen purple coat!
Shanghai's smoggy sunny days.
| News of Beijing’s hazardous air pollution has made headlines around the world. Whilst Shanghai may not be hitting quite the same levels, a ‘hazardous’ warning has been in place for the last week with levels of PM2.5 averaging around 250 micrograms per cubic metre daily. (This measures the amount of particles in the air that can be harmful if breathed in.) The World Health Organisation places 25 micrograms as a safe benchmark.
| | So, needless to say we are way over the limit here in Shanghai. Even as I write this blog during my teaching break, the view from the 33rd floor staff room is of a dense hanging fog, but what actually is smog. According to the weather forecast, it’s a sunny day, but the sun is no where to be seen. Last summer, we had a run of 10 days of spectacularly clear skies with a blue so brilliant that everyone was busy posting photos online. Even at night, the moon and stars shone vividly – a rarity in Shanghai what with the haziness and glaring night lights. |
Shanghai basking in brillianty blue skies last summer.
| I have firsthand experience of what bad air can do to your health. I have never had breathing issues and my family has no history of respiratory diseases.
My new Shanghai accessories - two asthma pumps, a humidifier and a mouth mask.
| Within a week of moving to Shanghai, my chest was closing up and my breathing wheezy. However, every time I made a trip outside of the city, my condition would normalise. The moment I was back in our downtown apartment, once again I was struggling to take a breath without sounding like I was auditioning for the role of Darth Vader minus the mask.
Months went by and I finally went to see a specialist and to my utter surprise I was diagnosed with asthma. I now have to use two asthma pumps and a humidifier to keep my airwaves open on a daily basis. A report by the World Bank listed 16 Chinese cities in their list of the Top 20 most polluted zones around the world. That can’t be good. Stricter pollution control is promised. And I, for one, look forward to ditching my breathing aids for good.
| | One thing I do have to be grateful for is that at least the worst of my asthmatic conditions only really flare up in the evening. I could not imagine having to teach a packed ‘English Corner’ session for 30 plus students (as I do every Friday evening) without having to gasp for air after the end of each sentence. My weekly sessions are lively affair where we gather to discuss any number of topics that I choose to present. Recently, we did one on the top news stories of 2012. Obama’s re-election, Gangnam Style and the spat of public shootings in the US all got a mention.
|
One of the top news stories mentioned by my students - Psy's worldwide hit 'Gangnam Style'.
|
The small group of East China Sea islands causing a despute between China and Japan.
| But, by far, the China/Japan dispute over a small group of islands in the East China Sea came out on top. Known as the Diaoyu Islands for the Chinese and the Senkaku Islands for the Japanese, both countries place their claim over the territory. It rather took me back as to how heated people got when students aired their opinions concerning the ongoing issue. At one point, people got so rallied up that I was sure that we were all going to sign our lives away and join The People’s Liberation Army – China’s military force.
| | All this reflected the general sentiments of China at large. Online blogs speak of anti-Japanese feelings and staged protests have taken place as both sides flex their naval force muscles with patrol ships surveying the waters surrounding the islands. Inside the metro, the on-train screens give you daily bulletins covering the islands ever-developing situation. Historians and political analysts voice their opinions. Newspapers keep the momentum going and I even came a across a local bakery which had made a large cake with the words ‘Diao Yu Islands Belong To China!’ Patriotism indeed rides high when a country’s territory, or claim of, is at stake. Here’s hoping to a peaceful resolution.
|
A local bakery bakes a cake with words 'Diaoyu Islands Belong To China!'
|
 Camille doing Lezil's make up. | For a moment it looked like we wouldn’t be able to attend our friend Nikki’s wedding. The four days leading up to the grand day, Lezil had been struck down with a strong chest and throat infection which made Marge Simpson sound like an angelic chorister.
Lezil had been asked to sing and we were literally pulling every concoction out of the book to try and bring on a speedy recovery. Dinner with some friends on New Year’s Eve was cancelled to maximise rest time and on that New Year’s Day morning, still she was sounding hoarse as we rehearsed in our apartment. | The wedding was in few hours time and I dreaded the thought of putting in a call to the bride telling her, that her main entertainment for the evening was not happening.
| This is where the support of good friends really makes or breaks a situation. Get-well texts came through from a number of people. Our Shanghainese mama, Miranda, dropped off a big bag of herbal remedies, a purple shawl and a beautiful dark mink fur coat she bought in Canada. Another friend, Camille, put her background in hair, beauty and well-being into action as she massaged Lezil and readied her by doing a fantastic job on her hair and make-up. Lezil looked every bit of a 1920s superstar during the height of the Shanghai jazz scene.
Swigging back a concentrated fresh lemon and honey mix to soothe her throat, it was late afternoon and time to head to the Hongqiao Gardens – a restaurant complex where the wedding was being held. |  Hair and make up by Camille! |  The taxi road over, Lezil the superstar in a stylish Canadian mink fur coat. | Patricia, Nikki’s MC and organiser, was waiting for us outside the entrance as our taxi pulled up. “Wow! Your coat is amazing, welcome to the wedding,” she greeted Lezil. This is where the artist manager-side of me kicked in as fired a number of questions at Patricia. I wanted to make sure that everything was in place so that my wife could enjoy her performance.
“So, the wedding will start at 6:18pm,” informed Patricia. Did I hear right? “6:18pm?” I asked her with a puzzled look. She went on to explain that the time reflects lucky Chinese numbers with the ‘six’ in Mandarin (liu) sounding like the word ‘fluid’ implying ease of business and the ‘eight’ (ba) connected with the word ‘prosper’. This sounds all good and well, but in reality, what wedding starts on time? I’ve attended my fair-share of big days, all of which started at varying degrees of lateness. The most patience-testing had to have been a lavish Nigerian wedding I went to in London (UK) which saw guests waiting over three hours until the bride finally appeared.
| | Whilst I doubted very much I’d be taking part in a West African money dance or eating some jollof rice, I already had in my mind a 7pm kick off. Inside, by some amazing coincidence the colour scheme was white and violet, matching Lezil’s deep purple ball gown. Nikki the bride and her groom Kong were, appropriately, the centre of attention as they welcomed their guests. It was like a red carpet arrival with poster-perfect airbrushed photos of the happy couple prominently displayed as people took turns to pose in the designated picture-taking area.
|  Guests picture-taking with Nikki the bride and Kong the groom. |  Our two names are the only ones not in Chinese characters. | The evening was to start with the wedding ceremony followed by dinner. It was already 5:15pm as we glanced over the seating plan. It was clear that Lezil and I were the only two foreigners in attendance with our names being the only ones not in Chinese characters. Patricia showed us to our table. The hall was a medium sized, L-shaped room with a small stage at the bend of the ‘L’. By the stage stood a three-tiered cake which must have been over a metre tall. On the opposite end was a small champagne glass tower. We ran a quick microphone and track test before sitting.
| | I was very surprised to see practically all 130 guests already present, enjoying some drinks with still 30 minutes left to the start. The wedding was actually going to hit its intended bull’s eye timing. Lezil was busy downing warm water with lemon and Chinese green tea. Suddenly the Bridal Chorus played from a laptop out back and a line of indoor poppers were let off. I glanced at my mobile. Not a second late, it read “6:18pm”. This was some serious wedding precision. There were no religious elements involved. The short 20 minute ceremony started off with a Kong’s media company boss’ address.
|  6:18pm on the dot and the couple's wedding ceremony starts. | The bride’s parents went on stage and officially recognised the marital union. Then the couple did a number of ‘love’ acts which included the exchange of rings and the filling of the champagne glass tower. A brief group toast by the attendees and it was all over. The couple then left the room.
Dish, after, dish, after dish came. Seafood, meat, vegetables, congee, noodles and more. Patricia then beckoned Lezil backstage. It was time for her first of two numbers.  Lezil performs at the wedding. | A quick vocal warm up and Lezil was soon walking on stage as the audience applauded. Power ballads are overly popular in China and we thought we’d give them a classic – Vanessa William’s ‘Save The Best For Last’. As soon as the first chorus was sung, clapping had started in acknowledgment of Lezil’s masterful control of her notes and voice projection. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking for me to see my lovely wife up there but never for a moment did I doubt she’d be a hit. Petite, beautiful and clearly talented – she fits the perfect mould to an Asian perception of what a Pop singer should be like.
| “Xie xie,” (thank you) said Lezil as she respectfully bowed to the crowd at the end of her song. She came backstage again and we just hugged silently for two minutes. No one at that wedding knew how close we came to cancelling. | The next set of speeches had already started as we settled back in our chairs. Throughout the evening, the couple kept coming and going, each time the bride in a new outfit. She looked stunning in all of them, but it was her third and final one – a traditional red Qipao – that was the most eye-catching. To satisfy Nikki’s request, Lezil’s second performance was a cover of the Carpenter’s ‘On Top of The World’ which got the guests clapping along.
In Western weddings, a highlight is the throwing of the bouquet. The same ideal was adopted but instead of lobbying it backwards over her head, the bride held the bouquet with eight strings (that lucky number again!) dangling below. Eight guests were invited on stage, each holding a string.
|  With Nikki in her stunning red 'Qipao'. | Counting down, all guests pulled their strings at the same time. The guest holding the one string attached to the bouquet wins. The wedding party then moved from table to table thanking and toasting.
Like the wedding had such a pinpoint start, the ending pretty much followed the same fashion. Barely two hours had gone by and guests were thanking the couple and leaving. It was even shorter than my Nigerian wedding waiting time in London. I did, however, miss – the music, the dancing, the Africanness in celebration and a strong spiritual theme. But as far as Shanghai weddings go, it was a friendly relaxed affair which was also every wedding planner’s dream – exactly on time.
 With the wedding couple (left to right) Kong and Nikki.  Guests arriving at the wedding venue.  Kong's boss and his opening speech.  The champagne tower is filled.  Seafood on the menu.  Lezil having fun with a piece of chicken!  Enjoy our New Year's Day Shanghai wedding.  We toast the wedding couple at our table.  Lezil performs her final song.  Back home unexpectedly early, we pour ourselves some red wine with some cheese, pasta and Jacob's Cream Crackers!
 Enjoying our 3D movie experience. ‘Lee Ang’ has been the buzz name in China for the last four weeks. The Academy Award-winning director has had his latest movie, ‘The Life of Pi’, released nationally on the mainland. For a country that only provides 34 authorised foreign movie slots per year, it’s a big deal to get your international production into Chinese cinemas. And those prized screened movies, Chinese or foreign, are vetted and even parts deleted if they are deemed not suitable for Chinese viewing audiences.
‘Lee Ang’ has been the buzz name in China for the last four weeks. The Academy Award-winning director has had his latest movie, ‘The Life of Pi’, released nationally on the mainland. For a country that only provides 34 authorised foreign movie slots per year, it’s a big deal to get your international production into Chinese cinemas. And those prized screened movies, Chinese or foreign, are vetted and even parts deleted if they are deemed not suitable for Chinese viewing audiences.
Here was a boy who so open heartedly wanted to experience God and by doing so ended up actively seeking three faiths – Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. There was one very poignant moment in the movie where just before going to bed he thanks Krishna for introducing him to Jesus Christ. Lezil and I chuckled loudly but all around us, nobody so much as breathed audibly. The movie may have been produced by a talented Taiwanese filmmaker, but considering its content and geographical setting – ‘The Life of Pi’ couldn’t have been less Chinese.
EnjThis was made glaringly obvious when, during the following days, the topic of the movie came up in conversation with local friends. Without fail, the single most mentioned comment was that the God-references were confusing. One Shanghainese buddy went as far as pointing out: “You see, in China we don’t believe in God, so I didn’t really understand why the boy wanted to find God.” It then spun into a very interesting chat about world faiths and if one person could really adopt elements of different God-concepts and be spiritually-fulfilled.
In China, Lee Ang’s Academy Award is widely celebrated but not the movie which brought him that crowning glory – ‘Brokeback Mountain’. Aside from progressive cities like Shanghai, homosexuality is still seen as an uncomfortable taboo and as a result the cowboy gay-tinged romantic release could only be accessed via pirate DVD when it came out (no pun intended) in 2005. In contrast, ‘The Life of Pi’ is everywhere. Mass media outlets have covered its release, advertising has gone into overdrive and online Chinese sites are amassing incredibly positive viewer reviews.  Sharing premises Eco & More and Sprout. And I would have never expected that a story of a young Indian boy shipwrecked at sea with a slim selection of left over Noah’s-Ark animals would put faith into Chinese dialogue.
It turned out to be a week of double-screenings. Interestingly enough, it was another holistic subject. To quote the Bible: “Do you not know that your body is a temple…” (1 Corinthians 6:19) and to be good stewards of any dwelling, you have to look after it. Sprout is a newly launched lifestyle centre in Shanghai which focuses on eating and living well. Opened last month it shares a slick-looking premises with environmentally conscious household brand Eco-More at the trendy Surpass Court in the former French Concession.
Aside from stocking a number of healthy food options like chia beans, organic teas and cacao powder, the Sprout team also host a number of monthly workshops and events. We attended their screening of the 2008 documentary ‘Food Matters’. Three rows of neatly placed chairs faced a dropped down screen where Sprout co-founders Kimberly Ashton and Chiara Squinzi were busy brewing a pot of organic peppermint tea for the 16 attendees.
 With Sprout co-founder Kimberly Ashton. Living in China is not without its health scares. I don’t even have to mention that fact that we live in a city with one of the highest air pollution rates in the country. Over the last ten years there have been various food scandals to hit the headlines from poisonous baby powder milk to exploding watermelons, fake eggs and glow-in-the-dark pork. It’s scary. Many of us want alternatives to ensure we try and at least feed our bodies with relatively healthy stuff.
During the hour and a half movie a number of experts were interviewed from the fields of medicine, nutrition and alternative therapy. The crux of it was the ever-increasing clash of the pharmaceutical industry versus the use of natural vitamins and nutrition to heal and maintain the human body.
 Cacao - a number of 'super foods' stocked by Sprout. The two slogans went head-to-head: “A pill for an ill” or “You are what you eat”. It was extremely insightful and there were many challenging ideas including one advocate for raw food dieting saying that as much as we see it necessary to spend money upgrading our cars and houses, why not see good eating as a must-do investment also?
Lots of facts and figures were presented and the one that stood out to me most was that in order for the body to be functioning at its optimum, we should ideally be eating a raw food diet 51% of the time. Looks like we’ll have to double the lettuce orders!
The movie concluded and both Kimberly and Chiara held a relaxed Q&A afterwards offering advice on various vitamins and their benefits, the definition of ‘superfoods’ and their own personal lifestyle changes when it came to eating. It was so totally doable.
And despite that there are often many misconceptions and mistrusts about Chinese food production, Kimberly pointed out that many of the international brands of healthy food products actually are originally grown in China for export. The very fact that Sprout is a mere 15minutes walk away from where we live, Lezil and I have no excuse but to adopt a more concise approach on how we consume food. Plus you can’t really go wrong with workshops like 'Healthy Breakfast Eating' and their often over-subscribed 'Raw Chocolate Demo & Tasting' session. My mantra for 2013 is that 'food does matter'! Web: www.sproutlifestyle.com Visit: Sprout, Surpass Court, 570 Yongjia Lu, Ground Floor, Unit #412. Xuhui District, Shanghai 200031 Tel: 021 3250 9103 Metro: Hengshan Road (Line 1)  Lezil and Kimberly discuss products. |  More health food selections at Sprout. |  Slick design and layout at Sprout’s open demo kitchen. |
|
RSS Feed