Reunions

We're back and have been busy with meeting up with family members. We're going to have to find some wheels for me, a cell phone for me and get Matthew enrolled into school. In the meantime, we had a great time meeting up with my sister Sandi and her family and May and her family. We had the usual- Eclisse reunion dinner. Pappardelle with meat sauce, fried calamari and of course, zucchini sticks. Lots of food and lots of love was passed around tonight.

We're Going Home

Well, we're on our way home. Got up this morning, finished packing and we checked out. We're now hanging out in the airport lounge for our flight back to the US. It's exciting and sad at the same time. We are closing out a chapter of our lives in Asia and will start a new adventure in the United States with all our friends and family. They're excited we're coming home and we're already booked for the Fourth of July holiday as well. Our circle of friends has grown and we look forward to seeing them again in new destinations.

Family Reunions

There's something to be said about family reunions. We had two today. One with my cousin Stella and all her children Susan, Dior and Daisy. Daisy was in from London and it was great that we had a chance to see each other again. The last time we saw each other was oh....about twenty years ago. She's now an adult living in the UK and was here for a family visit. We last saw Dior and Susan in March when we were in Hong Kong. Joining us for this was also Stella's mom and sister, Helen and husband. It's been a long time since I've seen Helen and her youngest daughter is now 18 years old. I remember as if it was yesterday when her youngest daughter was born. Then again, Matthew is now 11 years old and it seemed like he was just born yesterday as well.



You know these family reunions lead to too many meals. We had a large lunch, followed by tea at the hotel and then I had dinner with my cousin Cheung Yau and his brothers as well. It's been a long time since I've seen my other cousins and their kids. When you see the kids all grown up and out in the work force, pretty scary.

It's going to be a while before we see each other again. Perhaps the next time we meet, there will be new babies in the group. The prediction is that probably two to three babies will be in the group and the family just keeps growing.

Here Comes The Sun

Two days of heavy rains and winds. We were getting cabin fever since there wasn't a whole heck of a lot to do. We took the underground tunnel through the subway system and found a place to have lunch. Afterwards, we decided to go over to the Hong Kong Science Museum since there was a way to get there underground with minimal exposure to the rain. We arrived and Tony and Matthew were busy with all the exhibits. One of their favorites, the invisibility mirror. They were laughing very hard each and every time they entered the exhibit. The invisibility mirror makes it look like half your body has disappeared. We managed to kill about four hours at the museum and Matthew was a happy little bugger.

We came out of the museum and saw the sun. YEAH! It's actually breezy and not too humid. Our hotel is within walking distance from the museum so we decided to take advantage of it. A great walk back and we took advantage of the sun and took some pictures outdoors. The weather has taken a turn and it looks like we'll have good weather for the rest of our stay here. I see the weather in Stamford is pouring. Hopefully it will be over by the time we arrive.

Sea Shipment Hiccup

Well, we've left Shanghai and our sea and air shipment has not. What is the problem you ask? Well, let me tell you. I received an email from our US relocation agent. It appears that the Chinese customs will not allow my sea shipment to go because they found four bottles of alcohol in my container. OK- I admit, my bad. I didn't fill out the form and now I'm paying the consequences. You see, the stuff was quite good. I was told "they could confiscate it or release it back to the Chinese moving agent to a designated friend." HMMMM. Based on the tone of the email- I am guessing that Chinese customs will confiscate it since the stuff was pricey. Expensive port, one unopened bottle of Chambord. one expensive bottle of pear liqueur from France and a very expensive bottle of French sauterne. My bad my bad. I should have just filled out the stupid customs form.

The likelihood of the booze to be returned...my guesss....zip. The likelihood of the booze being confiscated and drunk by the local customs agent...pretty good. Their only claim to fame for China in the booze department is the horrible baijiu. Chinese can't press grapes let alone grow any so, when they see expensive booze and need to impress ...... what do you think is going to happen? They're holding up the release of my stuff pending the outcome. If the stuff is confiscated, may the agent suffer from severe acute gastroenteritis. Severe enough to land in the hospital complete with antibiotics and no demerol for the pain. Yeah. Who said I can't be a practicing witch doctor? Now if I can just remember where I put my voodoo doll.

Competitive Research

The weather in Hong Kong has been very wet and windy. Matthew was bouncing off the walls in the hotel room so I decided to take him out for walk in the mall next door. Armed with a camera, he starts to take notice of the displays at Watsons. I notice he's studying the wall and is busy taking pictures of the display but I can't figure out what he's looking at.

As we're walking through the mall, he questions me about the use of the Pink Bunny in Asia. You see, Duracell has the trademark registration for the Pink Bunny in Asia. In the US, Energizer got the trademark on that one because of a technical glitch. He decided to embark on taking pictures of what the competitor of Duracell is currently offering. We return to the hotel and he immediately starts to tell his father about all the different giveaways that Energizer is engaged in versus what Duracell gives away with the purchase of batteries. He gave his father some ideas on what the next campaign should include. Let's see if Duracell will incorporate some of his ideas. Who knows, he may be the next Malgioglio employed by Duracell.

Typhoon Fengshen

We said our farewells to Mr. Miao at the airport and were on our way to Hong Kong. We've been following the weather because of the typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Philippines has worked its way to Hong Kong. We suspected that we would have a delay and we did. We arrived into Hong Kong and were greeted with gale force winds and sheeting rain. The typhoon was classified as a grade 8. That meant the winds were about 90 miles per hour and the gusts of wind can exceed 100 miles per hour. Considering the conditions that we traveled in, I was surprised that there weren't any other delays in the airport. Soaked through, we picked up our luggage and proceeded to the hotel and pretty much stayed indoors for the night. Susan had a reunion with her friend Mary and they were catching up in the hotel lobby for about three hours. At least they were in a safe place and dry. 

When I arrived into Shanghai two years ago, I flew into a typhoon. I guess it's only fitting that we ended our Shanghai adventure the same way, flying into a typhoon, Typhoon Fengshen to be exact. Fengshen means Wind God. The same one that capsized the ferry in the Philippines that killed many people. Actually, it was a miracle that we flew out at all. Many of the Chinese airlines cancelled their flights, why am I not surprised. Luckily for us, we took a Hong Kong airline. By the time we left Shanghai the typhoon was downgraded to a grade 3. The flight was pretty uneventful except for the landing which was a bit bumpy.

According to the newspaper this morning, 17 people were injured as Fengshen swept across the city with gusts of up to 90 miles per hour dumping heavy rain, ripped up trees and brought businesses to a standstill. There were 38 reports of flooded streets, 41 ripped trees, 25 flights were cancelled and 5 scaffolds collapsed in Hong Kong. We were pretty lucky that we made it without any problems. Now, we're just hanging out and waiting for the rain to die down before we head out anywhere.

Good-bye Shanghai

We are leaving Shanghai today. This is our final post in Shanghai so, I thought that it would be appropriate for each of us to reflect back on our time here and describe how living in China has affected our lives. The "Shanghai Great Adventure" is ending but a new one begins in the US. So without further adieu, I give you our reflection of China.

Anthony (a.k.a Tony)
I must say that China was not what I expected or could have imagined. People typically have pre-conceived ideas. Before I moved here, I imagined a place that was still rooted in feudal China and not a country that is under going a massive transformation into a modern and economic power house.

This is an amazing time to be in China. I see changes going on literally on a daily basis. Although amazing, I feel like they are doing this at the expense of their cultural history. They seem to want to eliminate the past by knocking down and replacing any ancient building or town, without hesitation, to modernize. The Three Gorges Dam project is an example of this. In their quest to satisfy their insatiable appetite for energy, China created an engineering marvel, the Three Gorges Dam. In the process, they have flooded hundreds of ancient towns, living museums waiting to be explored are gone forever under 40 feet of water. Who knows what wonders the world has lost forever. Just imagine knocking down the pyramids to make condos and then you will understand what I am talking about.

Before moving to China, I was sure that I would love the work and really struggle with the culture. In fact the opposite was true. I have made some really good friends in China, people whom I will miss dearly. Although they are Chinese and I am American we all want the same thing.

We all want happiness for our children, we love to laugh and have a great time with friends. We all share common bonds that thread us together as human beings. The world is not as different as you may think. It only seems that way because we don't truly understand it. Shanghai is a great city. It's almost like living in the future. Every building, train, etc. is the most modern I have ever seen. Contrasted to this are old cultures with unbelievable histories that can still be explored and enjoyed. Okay, it's not always paradise but what place is? We came here to live in the world and not just read about it. It has definitely changed me forever. It has opened my mind and has give me a thirst to experience the world.




I am so glad that I was able to give this experience to my son and I hope that he uses it to better his life. I will probably never get the smell of urine out from my nose but that was a small price to pay to experience such a wonderful place. I am truly happy that we had the opportunity to do this and would do it again in a heart beat if given the chance. My advice to you all is to go out and experience life. So many times we get into the rut of the same routine, the next thing you know time is up. I know this is a heavy subject for this blog but this in the moral of the story. So good-bye Shanghai and thanks so much for the memories. 

Susan
When the opportunity came up to relocate to Shanghai, it was on the tail of my offer to relocate to Memphis, Tennessee for International Paper. I just returned from turning down the relocation offer with my general counsel when Tony called to tell me about the Shanghai offer. It came as a whirlwind. Since I always like to have back up plans, I went out on job interviews in Connecticut and had four on the table. I had to turn them all down since the ultimate did happen. We were going to Shanghai. I arrived into town expecting to get the house settled and be able to find a job. After all, everyone needed compliance and governance taken care of in China right? WRONG! China wasn't ready for corporate governance. Then again, I live in the land of patent and trademark infringement. What was I thinking? It was difficult finding a place that wanted me. They weren't ready for the concept and it was going to be an uphill battle to get anyone to understand what my expertise was.




I ultimately became a stay at home mom and was busy baking lots of cookies. The concept of ME, being a "homemaker" didn't go well. I kept busy by volunteering at Matthew's school and spent a lot of time taking intensive language lessons, but in the end, I was a homemaker. This forced vacation allowed me the luxury of being there for Matthew and I was able to explore the city by foot. I saw things that as a foreigner riding by in a taxi or a car, I would have never seen. I came to Shanghai speaking very little Mandarin and struggled with communication. Going out by foot forced me to converse with the locals on the street. I rode the public buses and came to see the city through their eyes.




Walking the streets, allowed me to see how the locals really lived. I witnessed many changes to the city in the two years we've been here. Old lane homes that is the root of the culture of this society, once standing are now gone. A new gleaming high rise to take it's place. It brings a sense of sadness since family and community are a major part of this culture. Our move to the Shanghai Racquet Club, brought us to a community. We've made new friends and they have become our extended family members. These are extended family members that I will truly miss when we leave and return. We have become each other's support system since this place is such a transient town. We are there for one another and we have bonded in a way that our friendship will last forever. Though in the end, I didn't become a part of the Shanghai professional work force, I became a part of Shanghai and am truly happy to have had this experience of living in a different part of the world. It has taught me to adjust my expectations and appreciate all that we have back in the US. We have been truly blessed to have this experience and it has changed each of us in many ways.



Matthew
I expected Shanghai to be like Hong Kong. English speaking, clean and not polluted. Instead, I found Shanghai to be filthy, and most of all, a large public toilet. My Mom would drag my Dad and I on the trains to explore the city and we've seen a lot of it. We even had a chance to see a Formula One race in Shanghai. I will always remember that race for the rest of my life because it was the last race in Shanghai for Michael Schumacher before he retired. It was really cool because he won the race and it made it that much more special for me.



Now, two years later, I've adjusted and have made a lot of friends and will miss my school too. I never got used to the dirtiness of Shanghai. I really don't like the spitting, the pushing, the staring (oh yeah, I get a lot of that) and the way the locals always want to touch me. It creeps me out and my parents have explained to me that though I am part Chinese American, I have a unique look so its something different for the local Chinese. Living at the Shanghai Racquet Club has been a lot of fun for me. Even though, we had some bad times, it still has been a lot of fun. I would love to go to the stores and try my bargaining skills in Chinese and visit the Shanghai Science Museum with my classmates. I've learned a lot while living in Shanghai. My Chinese language is better, I can read a little bit of it and I can write as well. Mom and Dad had me take private kung fu lessons and that has helped me too. I made a lot of friends from the Pudong and Puxi campus of the school and I will miss them a lot. I'd like to say good-bye Shanghai! It's been fun!

Shanghai Tootsies

Moving day today. Anne, Andrea and Irene stopped by to have a cup of coffee with us. Normally, I'll be making the coffee in the kitchen but since we delivered the coffee machine to Anne the night before, Andrea and Tony went over to Starbucks to get what we needed. We had breakfast and our last morning cup of joe together. Tony thought it would be appropriate that we have a name for our little group. We threw a couple of names around and will now be known as the "Shanghai Tootsies". Andrea, Anne and Irene gave me a farewell gift- a sayonara doll. It was beautiful little doll in a kimono that you unwrap and it reveals a hand written message from each of my friends. It was an emotional moment for me and yes, I cried. The doll will always remind me of my times with my friends here in Shanghai.

We had dinner plans tonight for our final meal together. Andrea unfortunately couldn't attend. She just returned from a trip to Beijing with her guests from the US and the kids were really missing her. That said, Matthew said farewell to Foster and Tanner at the school bus stop. It was an emotional moment for them. We'll see them again for sure since Andrea's sister-in-law lives in Stamford. We met at Mesa this evening and had a great meal. It's Irene's birthday tomorrow and we celebrated after dinner. Chocolate dessert complete with Zahra and Matthew signing "Happy Birthday" that's been altered to suit the palette of an eight and eleven year old.

We ended the evening with our final farewells for real outside the restaurant. Irene, Marty and Zahra will be leaving Shanghai as well and will be returning to the United States in July. We've
decided to have annual reunions at different destinations. Our first one will be next summer, the last week in July to meet in Aruba. It's supposed to be a reunion for the ladies but it looks like the guys will be attending as well. I know that I will miss all my friends in Shanghai but really look forward to seeing them again in different destinations!

It's A Small World After All

Disney was right. It's a small world after all. We're winding down in Shanghai and we had lunch with Lucy and Ken today. Lucy is Margaret's friend and we've had lunch together over the past two years but the men, Tony and Ken haven't really spent any time together because of work. Today, over lunch, we find out that Lucy and Tony went to Ascension elementary school together and Ken and I went to Chinese school together. What a small world! As we sat over lunch, we were racking our brains to remember little tidbit details. Obviously, once we get back, we're going to see if we have any photos from the schools and try to find each other in the photos. No doubt that we'll see them again when they return to New York over the summer.

Baijiu aka Moonshine

Tony is trying to recover from food poisoning. Antibiotics with percocet does NOT mix with moonshine. He had his farewell dinner tonight with his Chinese colleagues. I asked him to let them know that he was just in the emergency room for food poisoning and CANNOT drink. He did not. He walked in tonight and is now paying the consequences for consuming "baijiu". For those who don't know, baijiu is a Chinese distilled alcoholic beverage. The name baijiu literally means "white liquor," "white alcohol" or "white spirits". Baijiu is often mistakenly translated as "wine" or "white wine", but it is actually a distilled liquor, generally about 80 to 120 proof. The stuff is like diesel fuel. I haven't met anyone who actually likes the taste of this stuff. Most people consume it and will wrench their faces and scream out as it goes down. So, you can probably feel Tony's pain right about now.

The Chinese drink this stuff specifically to get spectacularly plastered. It's often done with the chanting of "ganbei" which means "dry glass" to show machismo, friendship and camaraderie. This stuff goes straight to your head, faces turn red and the eyes water. It's not uncommon to find people carried out of buildings completely unconscious from consuming this stuff. So, I am now witnessing first hand what baijiu can do to you and I have to thank Tony's colleagues at ATC for their farewell gift to me.

Repatriation Etiquette Class

We've been in China a little over two years and Tony's received emails from Berlitz requesting that we attend a "repatriation etiquette class" for our return to the US. You've got to be kidding. I can tell you with most CERTAINTY that we have not adopted any of the horrible habits that is common with the locals. Such habits include but are not limited to spitting, nose picking, public urination, pushing and shoving, jumping the line, invading personal space, speaking loudly, littering, laying on park benches full length, parading around in pajamas or just skivvies, chewing and talking with our mouths wide open and last but not least, we have not adopted the repulsive habit of chain smoking while eating.

We declined to attend this class since it wasn't necessary for us to go. I have often said that if I started to behave like the locals, I would have to kill myself. I wonder how many expats have adopted these habits while living here. I think that Berlitz should offer the etiquette classes to the locals. The classes should be free and mandatory. China is becoming an economic power and there are plenty of nouveau riche. They may have the money to purchase very expensive cars, wear designer outfits, travel around the world and dine in fine restaurants but deep down inside, they really do not know how to behave.

A survey published about two years ago revealed how foreigners perceived Chinese travelers in their country. It was reported that in some Western countries, signs in Chinese have been put up in toilets, restaurants and museums requesting people from the "country with the time-honored civilization" to observe basic social rules such as flushing the toilet after use, eating silently, appreciating classic masterpieces and not spitting. It was reported that a travel guide said a hotel in France once canceled reservations by his company just before his clients were to arrive at the hotel. "It complained about the last group of Chinese tourists, who had shouted in the lobby and messed up the rooms. The hotel would rather pay the default penalty than put up with it again," said the guide. I even read about the behavior of a Chinese mother who had her child wipe his mouth on the sleeve of a garment at a department store. I often tell Matthew, "How you behave is a reflection on me". A mantra that he has heard over and over again.

As a result of this survey, the Chinese government launched a campaign to promote civil behavior among Chinese travelers. This campaign is supposed to last until the Olympic Games. So let me get this straight- after the Olympics is over, it's OK to revert back to the disgusting habits? Here's hoping the Chinese government can clean up the perception of the locals in this country. I think it's going to take a VERY long time.

Recuperating - Take II

Well, believe it or not, it happened again. Tony has contracted food poisoning. This time it isn't as bad as it was when he landed in the hospital for a week. We know the source of where it came from and we're not happy. We had lunch at a popular expat restaurant and several hours later, he was complaining about stomach cramps and a low grade fever. I kept telling him that he needed to go to the hospital. Nope. He won't go because he's stubborn. One day later, he was still running a fever and is doubled over in pain and he still refused to go.

That was until I used my reasoning with him. I told him if he got ill again and had to spend another week in the hospital, it would greatly inhibit my ability to leave this country. If I can't leave this country, I was going to kill him. The choices were either I kill him or the food poisoning would. I won. It has been confirmed that he has food poisoning and will take several days to recover. Antibiotics together with a chalky tasting powder to help with the dehydration and oh yeah, percocet for the pain. He'll recover just in time for us to wave farewell to Shanghai.

Mayhem

The movers arrived this morning in the pouring rain to start the packing process. Hot, muggy and very damp. All I have to say, it is absolutely unbelievable how much stuff you can actually accumulate in a two year period. The workers arrived and spread out like locusts and were busy in every room of the house. They were like little drones. They packed everything up. If it wasn't nailed down, it went into the box. If it was nailed down, they went to find the tool to pry it out and then stick it into the box. I left specific instructions on what not to touch. They went and touched it. Thank goodness I was able to stop them from packing up my documents. I wasn't so lucky in the kitchen. I went to look for a frying pan to make chicken tonight and every single pot I own has been packed up for sea shipment. That means, I won't see my kitchen for about 3 months. That's going to cause a major problem when I get back. In the meantime, I had to go over to Anne's house to borrow some pans to tie us over. Ridiculous.

I was counting up the boxes packed already and made a comment about how much junk we have. Kevin, the supervisor in charge, was quite diplomatic with his response "You are a family of three. That is quite normal to have the amount of things you have." OK- that was quite nice but the truth is, we're going to have to send half this stuff to Goodwill and do a massive yard sale when we return to the States.

So, we have another two days worth of packing to do and then we're on a plane out of here and will be heading back. Just think, I get to do this all over again in about three weeks when our storage items come out. So, I'm going to start recruiting volunteers who like to unwrap and put things into a pile. Anyone interested, just find the driveway with the moving truck and boxes tossed to the side. If we can get our barbeque up and running, I can promise you a wonderful meal with no utensils!

Yard Sale

We're leaving and so, my friends Anne and Andrea have been shopping in my apartment. Literally. Due to the fact that the appliances here are 220 voltage and alcohol can't be sent into the US without being subject to a massive duty tax, it all had to go. The food processor, the coffee machine, the humidifiers, blow dryers, rice cooker, toaster oven, vacuum cleaners, wine, lamps, Bombay Gin Sapphire, tonic, Gone. What was left, my beautiful Simple Human Butterfly trash can. Last time I checked, the trash can wasn't voltage specific. Anne felt otherwise. Apparently, this trash can is destined to stay in China.

There is something very wrong about selling a used garbage can but, from the way that people envied it, it was as if it was gold plated. So, to make our friend happy, we decided to give in and sell it. All I have to say is, I better find the same one when we return to the US, or I'm coming back to China to get this one!

15 Seconds of Fame

Last Saturday night, Anne, Amy, Irene, Andrea and I went out for drinks and then to a club. Amy (Anne's daughter) was the brains behind the whole itinerary. She's a young woman and knows where all the hip spots are in Shanghai. We thought it would be nice for all the women to go out on the town. We started at the Glamour Bar on the Bund where we had a great view of the Pudong side of town. After hanging out there for about an hour, we proceeded to Attica. It's a dance club and loaded with foreigners. We went, had a few drinks, Amy danced and then we left. Before we left, Irene spotted a newspaper photographer and asked that he take our picture. He did and we appeared in the Shanghai Daily newspaper today. We got our 15 seconds of fame. Thank goodness we weren't doing anything embarassing!

Graduation Ceremony

Matthew graduated from elementary school this morning with the entire fifth grade. Tony and I attended the ceremony and watched as all the students were giddy with excitement of "stepping up" to middle school. Along with this, came the emotion I experienced as I watched my son go through another rite of passage. He's growing up and there is no denying it. The usual pre-teen attitude is obvious along with the parental tug of war that I experience. He's growing up and all too quickly for me. (video - if you can't view it- please go to www.flickr.com/dontot)

As we watched the slide show of pictures that captured the past school year, I remembered every event as if it just happened moments ago. Matthew has definitely matured and is ready to embark on his journey to middle school. It's sad that he won't be in Shanghai to experience this with his friends but that is the chance you take when you live overseas for an assignment. He will miss his friends that he's made in Shanghai and will keep in touch through email. We will miss Mr. Monteith, the teacher who helped to shape his academics this year. All the parents agreed that Mr. Monteith is definitely the best teacher at SAS. Let's just say , the next group of fifth graders who get him will have hit the jackpot.

Kumon

Matthew's been working with Kumon for the past two years. Remedial help in math complete with daily homework sheets. Matthew actually moans and groans as he knows the daily routine. Needless to say, he's pretty happy that his days at the Kumon center in Shanghai have come to a screeching halt. Of course, you know that doesn't mean he's off the hook forever. He'll get a reprieve for the next few weeks. He won't have to go to the center but he's got to do the worksheets over the summer. Ms. Huang has been a positive influence on him. She runs the Kumon center and it's sad that we had to say good-bye today. He's come a long way since the first time we walked in. She'll be missed by me at least. I'm sure deep down inside, Matthew will miss her too.

Last Assembly

The school year is almost over. Matthew has been busy participating in all the activities and today, he performed with the fifth grade band at the last school assembly of the year. It was great to see the entire elementary school together at this final gathering. Tony had just returned from the US this morning (at 5:00AM) and he was able to attend. Usually, he doesn't get the opportunity to go to a lot of the school events because of business obligations. It was nice to be able to see this together with him.

After listening to countless hours of practice of the saxophone this past year, it was actually quite nice to hear Matthew and his band mates perform. They performed "Rock Around the Clock", "La Bamba" and "Great Balls of Fire". Matthew and his friend Alston (who also transferred from SAS Pudong) were great together. It was nice to see the two of them perform in sync.

At the end of the performance, the kids were busy packing things up and getting ready to hand in their instruments. We were fortunate to find Ms. Andrews- Matthew's music teacher. She will be leaving SAS Puxi to move to Africa to teach music at an international school there. This only drives home the fact that Shanghai is a very transient town. Who knows, we may wind up seeing Ms. Andrew's in another part of the world one of these days if we get another assignment overseas!

Pretzel Time

Matthew has been taking private kung fu lessons with Bruce now for about 6 months. It's been great. Twice weekly, he gets the one on one attention that he won't get in a group session. He had his usual Wednesday afternoon kung fu class with Bruce today. I hung out at the gym to watch and was amazed how flexible and pliable Matthew has become over these past few months. He is literally able to do a full front split and is able to lift his leg straight up in a 90 degree angle. Hey, that's better than me. I can't do a split never mind a full front split.

They started with the usual warm up session and stretching and then went straight into their routine. It was really nice to watch the two of them together. They practiced together with their swords and they were in sync. It was like watching a dance. I was really impressed. Matthew has learned one of the hardest moves. It looks really simple but it really isn't. I'm glad that Matthew has had a chance to learn from someone like Bruce who is so passionate about this art. (see video at the end of this post or go to www.flickr.com/dontot)

Matthew will have a few more lessons with Bruce before we leave Shanghai for our return journey home. Once we return, we'll have to find an instructor for Matthew. I would hate to have him lose momentum especially since he's gotten quite good at it. I'm hoping that Matthew will teach Tony his sword moves and together they can practice in the backyard together. Who knows, we may be looking at the next Bruce Lee!