I'm back and here to stay...

To friends and family,

Well here it is. The beginning of 2011. Where am I? Still in China. I rang in my second New Years in Shanghai with a few friends and drinks, and stayed awake until the sun rose the following day. Haven’t done that for ages but must have been a consequence of the inevitable jet lag…and who am I trying to kid, it was New Years, which is a reason enough. However, waking up at 3pm the next day was not the most productive use of the first day of the New Year, but wandering over to Boxing Cat Brewery with Caroline and stuffing ourselves with pulled pork and reuben sandwiches and washing them down with a few bloody marys was demanding enough. And now, here I am, sitting at Wagas café, and spending the first day alone I have spent in over 3 weeks... feels good. My visit back to the States was filled with family, friends, and tons of good food. It was also filled with lots of realizations; one being that living in Shanghai is like being on permanent vacation. Yes, this can be good, but also makes for a semi-surreal state of being, which was made obvious when I traveled back home. So, as it is the New Year, and I think we all inevitably make some sort of resolution to ourselves whether we would like to admit it or not, I’d like to take this time to make some. Here it goes: Things I would like to accomplish in the New Year.

-Be more present and aware of the lives of my family and friends back home
-Establish Shanghai as my home, not just temporary residence
-Write on a more consistent basis
-Use this time to figure out what fulfills me both in life and work and how I can attain a life that sustains those elements

Wow, a bit deeper than I intended! Anyway, enough with the serious talk. I am headed to Hong Kong on Wednesday for a few days for a visa run…as well as Malaysia at the end of the month for Chinese new years. Recommendations of food/people/places in either of those places are greatlyappreciated!!!
Happy New Year’s and hugs and kisses to all. It’s going to be a good year.
Besos y abrazos