Shanghai Saturday Mornings

I have little to no interest in being productive before the hour of noon on Saturday mornings. I get up, enjoy a quiet breakfast, and then watch endless hours of my hulu queue list (my morning of Saturday cartoons.) Frankly, it's been quite a week. I haven't even been in Shanghai a full week yet, and already I've picked up where I left off. Going out with friends, being complained at by those same friends for my healthier eating habits, and of course, the feeling of constant movement here in the Jia. If it's not the endless emails, it's the travel planning and dinner plans and gym workouts. Not that i'm complaining at all... I love the stream of events that keep me moving at all hours of wakefulness. There is always something to do, something to see or somewhere to go. Hence, when I get a few moments of simple nothing on a Saturday morning, I savor them for all they are worth.

I can't say i'm currently limited to Saturday mornings. I have (surprisingly) turned into an early riser. I get up at least an hour before anyone else, eat , and enjoy a cup of coffee with my pile of email and the nytimes.com . It's almost like meditating.

I guess what i'm so shocked by is how different things are this time around. This week I had to go pick up some laundry supplies at my ever favorite Tesco supermarket. I remember writing a post very early on about the horrors of Chinese supermarkets. As I went in to get my detergent, I couldn't help but notice how much easier it was. I could communicate (barely) with the clerks, navigate the crowded isles, and even find a few more obscure items. The cultural adjustment is just amazing to me. Only a few months ago, Tesco was my worst nightmare realized in a packed grocery store. Now, it's just another familiar place.

If this is only the beginning of the semester, I can't wait to see what's to come.