Shanghai Resolution

The week has, in usual fashion, flown by. In a little over four days- Phil and I will be boarding a plane and going back to the States for a visit. There has been much to do in preparation, and the list has barely shortened. So before we board our plane on Tuesday, I have a lot more to accomplish.

As I wait for my morning coffee to clear my brain and get me moving, I thought I would take a few of these early morning moments to spend some time writing.

Phil and I have entered a New Year in Shanghai. We’ve celebrated the traditional Western calendar New Year and China is gearing up to celebrate the traditional Lunar calendar New Year next week. As we symbolically welcome in the new; we are also marking the beginning of the final contract year here in Shanghai. If all goes as written in the contract, our assignment in Shanghai will be over in January of 2010. The possibility remains that his contract could be extended, but wisdom and previous experience compels us to approach the year as our final one.

It really is strange to think that we have entered our third year and could be leaving in one year’s time. But as we usher in this New Year, I am compelled more than ever to live Shanghai to the fullest. I don't do New Years resolutions, but I will do a Shanghai-to-do-resolution.

Here are some of our Shanghai To Do's:
-Focus on Mandarin studies (learn at least 300 characters and be conversational within 3 months)
-Focus on Baobei foundation and work to find critically ill orphans surgery and healing homes to recover in.
-Continue to build on friendships with people here in Shanghai.
-Spend time walking the disappearing old neighborhoods before they are gone forever.
-Take more photos.
-Get to Sichuan as a volunteer.
-Travel Asia a ton! (Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Xi'an, Guilin,Huangshan, etc)
-Learn to cook some serious Chinese food.
-Eat at a new restaurant every month.

More to come…