Shanghai List

Writing a list of things I'll miss and such. Why? Cause I feel like it...

• Ayi. What am I going to do without a cleaning lady that will do everything from washing and ironing my clothes to collecting and paying all my bills, all for the price of 3 bucks an hour? Seriously, spoiled!
• The food. Not necessarily Chinese food.... But the restaurant scene in Shanghai is amazing. There is always a new place to discover, and the cuisines to choose from are from all over the World. You can choose from street food, xinjiang, hunan, sichuan, french, german, american, australian, thai, mexican, korean, veitnamese, japanese, italian, indian, I could go on!  Mmmm I <3 the food in Shanghai. 
• Riding my bike in the city. It's so fun! 
• Courier Services. Free flights to random cities in the world with only 12 hour notices? Amazing experience. 
• Volleyball. 
• Living in an International Community. I now have friends from all walks of life and i'm so grateful for them! It's been an amazing experience.  
• Fruit stands - going to miss buying my lychee breakfasts for dirt cheap every morning!
• Fabric market. Even though I hate bargaining and sometimes getting completely screwed over, I really do love going to the market, picking out the fabric, and designing myself what I want to get made!
• Weekend Brunches.  
• Weekend pool days. 
• The insane amount of days off work. Seriously, people.. China does one thing right: holidays. 2 weeks off for Chinese New Years, 1 week off for National Holiday, and various other days throughout the year! PLUS.. being an expat, I get all the US holidays off work as well. It was amazing. 
• Nights in with Kellie. A workout, coldstone, indian food + a movie. Perfection.
• Nights out with Gaux. Late night at 88 for some crazy dancing? Yes please! 
• Speaking of: 88. I will miss you ba shi ba! My liver won't.. but my heart will.
• Dinners with Jeremie. Love our catch up sessions with massages and dinners! 
• Boxing with Jenna. An amazing workout buddy! 
• Random hangover days with Phil, and McSnooshie's in the morning :-P
• Story time with JAFM. 
• Ryan the Bartender. He's made me fall in love with far too many cocktails! 
• All of my friends. 

I will NOT miss...

• The incessant hawking and spitting. ... learn some manners people.
• Getting coughed and sneezed on. Nobody quite understands covering their face over here. :( 
• The Chinese Squat. I just don't like it. 
• Getting ready in the dark bc the fuse in my apartment blows way too frequently! 
• The Stank... Shanghai is really stinky.
• Pollution... I'm very, VERY excited to see blue skies and puffy white clouds. Also, to run outside again and not fear for all the exhaust I inhale. 
• Applying for Visa's
• 24 hour McDonalds delivery. I can't wait to not have this option at my disposal! Waking up to mcdonalds bags after a night of debauchery may be the worst feeling ever!  
• The lack of shoe shopping.
• The locker room at the gym. I have seen far too (ridiculously) hairy cha cha's for an entire lifetime. Seriously people, at least trim that shaz! And since when did using towels to dry off become a thing of the past!?? If I have to walk by someone blow-drying their cha cha dry one more time... I might pass out and die. 
• The lack of customer service. Everywhere. 
• Ordering fish/or prawn for dinner and having the entire fish or prawn, scales, head, and all be delivered. I went out to eat for a reason: so I didn't have to do any of the work, please be-head the fish before serving it to me. 
• The lack of diapers. If I have to see one more baby shit on the side of the street......... 
• Idiot cab drivers.
• One way thinking.
• Absurd Construction, all the time.