Long Time

So took a 'lil blogging hiatus... but am back now :-)

What has been going on this past month one may ask? Well let's see. Went to Hangzhou, booked flights to Thailand (January) as well as Vietnam (October), friend and family booked flights to visit me over Christmas (sooo excited to see familiar faces!!!), moved into a new apartment, took my first Shanghai shopping spree and learning new words, finding quirks in myself and others and understanding the culture I have been immersed in little by little.

I am very much looking forward to the opportunity that I have coming up in a month to visit Vietnam with friends. It will be amazing to have the chance to see more of Southeast Asia, then again to Thailand in mid-January. Vietnam trip is pretty much all set (thanks Jenny!!!), boat cruise up through Halong Bay, hotel stays in Hanoi. Although I think we're getting ahead of ourselves... speaking of traveling, I was just in Hangzhou two weeks ago!

It was so great to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city Shanghai. Hangzhou is a beautiful and intensely green city with lakes, lush green grasses/trees/shrubbery, pagodas, temples, giant lily pads, babbling brooks, street markets and welcoming residents. My friend Jenny and I took the train there and back, only an hour and half- not bad! We decided to go for two days and spent the night at a cute hostel across the street from the lake and tucked back off a driveway surrounded by tangled trees. Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries... but here is just a taste of Hangzhou thanks to Jenny's camera!

I also have moved. As much as I loved my little old Chinese lane house style apartment, neighbors who were older and always trying to tell me something in Chinese, and the beautiful tree lined street... I decided that moving in with friends, the chance to save more money and to be a touch closer to work was worth it. This new place is just about as opposite as one can get. I am in a large complex comprised of 4 buildings, on the 28th floor and it's near a busy intersection. This means as I'm typing at 12:05am, there is a lot of traffic noise. But the place is newer, has an oven (yay!), not to mention a kitchen that can fit more than one person in and a patio overlooking the crazy city lights and traffic. As pictures are taken you can bet they will be posted!

In case you were wondering, it is still quite steamy outside. Especially for it being September.. but slowly things are cooling down. It's only a high of 87 tomorrow!

Well it's a short but sweet-I will update again soon.