love. what a beautiful thing.

September 19, 2008

We had a phenomenal time with Tom and Krista in Tokyo! Not only were the traveling companions delightful, but we all were thoroughly impressed with Tokyo and the overwhelmingly hospitable and polite Japanese people. We enjoyed exploring the city, taking photos of their individual fashion statements, gazing upon their creative architecture and design, and sampling various epicurean delights. We had the freshest sushi possible, straight from the ocean that day, at the world's largest Fish Market. Surprisingly, it didn't smell fishy at all since everything was so fresh... Matthew wasn't grossed out at all! We tried the world famous Kobe beef and can't even begin to communicate how delicious it was as it simply melted in your mouth. It has a totally different, tender texture than regular beef. We visited the palace, saw the Samba Festival with all the colorful masks and costumes (straight from Rio, there is a Carnivale-style parade that the Brazilian citizens put on every year at the end of August.) And the craziest part of it all was that Japan Fashion Week was in progress so we were able to stumble upon two fashion shows where we were clearly the only Caucasians. Our hotel hooked us up with tickets to one of the VIP fashion shows and then the second, we were apparently in the right place at the right time. Both fashion designers had embraced delicate, flowing styles that were highly elegant on the runway models.

Tokyo is one of the densest cities on the planet, although it had an aura of calm and peacefulness because everyone was so polite and courteous. Our personal bubble was not invaded :) It was a very refreshing weekend.

August 5, 2008

moving in the rain is awesome. . .

But... we are all moved in to our new apartment and it's going to be great once we find our way through the mayhem of boxes and bubble wrap. We moved all weekend with the help of some friends and a borrowed massive truck (that was so big... well, just an American sized pick up) that the truck wouldn't fit into the underground parking garages... forcing us to move all our junk in the drizzle. At first it was stressful but by the end we were laughing. Our new place is closer to work, closer to friends, closer to the newer, hipper part of the city so overall it's great. It's actually a little larger and brighter than the other apartment. Not on the 28th floor anymore but the 11th isn't too shabby, still have view of the river. So cheers to our new place, we'll get some apartment photography up soon once we're unpacked!

July 8, 2008

shanghai

Shanghai is a bustling city, an intriguing juxtaposition between traditional and modern. The rich Chinese culture contains beautiful architecture, an array of food, and a genuinely friendly and helpful people. The communist history is interesting, often housed in French architectural remnants leftover from the era of European trade one hundred years ago. The French neighborhoods are a reprieve from the gritty Chinese city life, with tree-lined boulevards and quaint houses, ritzy shopping and western street cafes. Pudong is the most cutting edge part of China's most modern city. It is the area east of the Yangtze River where new high rises are springing up, international architects and urban planners are developing the new Shanghai, which isn't quite there yet, but well on its way. The history and shopping are well worth the visit... and the dumplings are superb!

Helicopters and Singers

Shanghai, China.
The Sunday morning choir practice in the French Concession at Fuxing Park.

The Joys of life:
Matthew got a remote control helicopter in Quibao near Shanghai.
Click to see the happiest kid ever.