Ni hao!

I've been exploring the neighbourhood and Shanghai since mum left, seeing new places and meeting new people but haven't quite found the words for writing a blog recently. So where do I start?

I've been feeling really happy, enjoying myself but it's a different kind of happy, it's like a peace inside and it all started after a Buddhism ceremony with the hand over an ebony figure to me.
Mumma wanted to hand over this figure of a man holding one single bag, telling the story of how he travelled the world spread the teachings of the Buddha.
'Buddhism focus on time, time is special and so it can't be done at night. Just as no-one goes to the temple at night, after 5 o'clock and the sun is starting to set the day is over, it's basically night and so for you to take the figure home after 5 o'clock would be bad luck' Mumma showed me how to position my hands, how to kneel down correctly. I had to do it 9 times to show my respect and thanks to the Buddha. After this, she wrapped the figure in a red cloth, I held it tight and took it straight back home and placed it in my room before sunset.
I don't believe in a god and when I was kneeling down, praying to the Buddha it wasn't to him of such but thanking 'someone' that Buddhism has been brought into my life. That I hope to live my life by the wise words of the Buddha. Everything he said completely makes sense to me. He was stating the obvious really about how we should be in life;
The Four Noble Truths -
1. Dukkha: Loneliness, frustration, embarrassment, anger and fear - To avoid these sufferings and achieve happiness
2. Samudaya: Greed is the root cause of suffering. An individual must curb cravings for luxuries in life.
3. Nirodha: Never dwell on incidents that occurred in the past of think too much about the future. Life we would be happy if an individual learns to live each day at a time.
4. Marga: Focus the mind of being aware thoughts and actions (Eight Fold Path)

Eight Fold Path -
1. Viewing reality as it is, not as it appears to be.
2. Intention of harmlessness and freedom
3. Speaking in a truthful and non hurtful way
4. Acting in a non harmful way
5. A non harmful livelihood
6. Making an effort to improve
7. Awareness to see things for what they really are, with a clear consciousness, being aware of present reality within oneself without craving or aversion
8. Correct meditation or concentration

I know I won't live my life to the exact rules of Buddhism, as I'm not looking to be a monk. I enjoy a beer, I enjoy going out and unfortunately at times squishing mosquitoes and other insects but I'm happy with who am I, what I'm doing and that's a huge part of Buddhism, peace and happiness!


So what else have I been up to?

- Lindsey and I set off Chinese firecrackers/bangers off the roof.
Kitted with safety gear; Bicycle helmet, umbrella and sunglasses, after not being entirely sure what we had bought. When the first one went off with a bang and a double bang, I'm still surprised now I didn't actually wet myself!

- I went back to Zuibaichi Park with Lindsey.
5 hectares big, my second trip here brought even more hidden areas, paths and buildings.

- Lindsey and I went to Yuyuan classical streets and gardens.
Before we went to the garden we walked the classical Chinese streets, a tackier and bigger version of China town back home, yet still impressive with Dairy Queen being in a building with upturned eaves and stone roofing.
Created in 1577 by Pan Yunduan who spent 18 years nurturing the two-hectare site.
Even being mid week it was still busy, a popular tourist destination but with the many stone causeways, gnarled tunnels and rock staircases it was easy to spend some moments alone taking in the nature surrounding.

- Steven and I visited Jing'an temple.
Built in 247 AD but moved to its current location in 1216. In 1998, reconstruction of the temple began with more extensions made to date. It was defiantly a modern day temple and even without the authenticity, it was still an outstanding temple and I'm sure it would be worth a visit in 20 odd years later when it's all complete.
That day we also went to the Pixar Exhibition, celebrating 25 years of Pixar animation. Very clever!

- Saturday 10th was the Chinese teachers day and despite it being our day we still had work!
What does the Chinese teachers day mean? Thank you for putting up with our rude children and hope you continue to try inforce discipline into their life as we their parents cannot!.. Sorry rant over! (Might I just add, a large percentage of them are lovely, but unfortunatly I usually forget this!)
I have good classes on Saturdays, so didn't mind as much having to work on TEACHERS DAY! And some of my sweet 5 year old pupils, greeted me in the classroom with flowers, chocolates and cards and so on conclusion, I now like Teachers Day :)

- On the eve of moon cake day, we all went downtown
"Alright mate, how can I help ya?" said the CHINESE waiter! He learnt to speak English by watching Only Fools and Horses, it was hilarious. "I even know the cockney slang. Apples and pear, bangers and all that!"
All night the sky had been orange and smoggy but as the early hours came of moon cake day, the sky went a deep blue, some stars started emerging and suddenly the biggest and brightest full moon I've ever seen appeared.

- Lindsey, Connie and I went and explored Shanghai's Jewish Ghetto and the Jewish refugee museum on our day off work due to moon cake day.
The Shanghai ghetto, formally known as the Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees was an area of approximately one square mile in the Hongkou Districh of the Japanese - occupied Shanghai, where about 30,000 Jewish refugees were relocated after having fled from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Lithuania before and during World War 2.
Shanghai at the time was an open city and did not have restrictions on immigration so didn't need a visa and some Chinese diplomats issued "protective" passports. The total number of Jews entering Shanghai during 1941equalled the number of Jews fleeing to Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa combined!
Late in the War, Nazi representatives pressured the Japanese army to devise a plan to exterminate Shanghai's Jewish population but the Japanese ultimately kept the Jews of Shanghai safe. As the war finished, many Jews went back to their home countries, with only a total of 100 Jews who stayed in Shanghai but moved away from the Hongkou district.
"... I never saw any sign of anti-Semitism on the part of the Chinese people. They were always friendly and welcoming… I will always be grateful to China for giving my family and me refuge when so many other countries refused to do so"

Monday 12th September - Happy mid-Autumn festival!
The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar. It has no fixed date on the Western calendar, but the day always coincides with a full moon.
Mid-Autumn festival is for lunar worship and moon watching. Mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. The average moon cake the size of a small cup cake usually carries 800 to 1200 kcal, mainly from fats and sugar. Fillings vary from sweet bean paste to meat or seeds.

Emma :) x x