Back from a respite!

Well I have been a very busy cookie lately, hence the lack of posts. From adjusting to the new job, doing some freelance, starting Chinese lessons and now teaching a little Chinese girl, there’s been little time for blogging. Now that the summer seems to have arrived and its so humid that you start feeling sticky within 5 minutes, I’ll probably be spending more time indoors.. Aka blogging.

So, I’ve been back in Shanghai almost 2 months now. I’ve been back to Nanjing a few times to see the significant other and, you know, I’m torn on what city I like better. There are some aspects about Shanghai that make life so much more convenient, but there are a few things that I miss about Nanjing. So, in light of the World Cup and the fierce competition going on (OK - yall probably aren’t watching the World Cup) that I thought I’d have a little series to see which city is really better for me. May the best city win.

First on the score card, and the most important, is the food selection. I have felt (almost) like I’ve been home for two months with the food selections in Shanghai. The foreign grocery stores have a great selection of foreign foods (they even have turkey – no Chinese people don’t eat turkey) and cheap fresh veggies, bread and fruits. And there’s almost every kind of restaurant. There’s good Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian and even a Mexican place that is somewhere between a Mexican place and Moe’s. There’s no queso dip to be found, but I’m dealing. The only downside is its expensive. And while Nanjing really only had a handful of tasty restaurants, they were always good and cheaper than in Shanghai. There’s also the variety issue. There was pretty much one of everything in Nanjing that was good. Here, there’s almost too much variety. But I have to say having more variety beats out the price. There’s always 5 kuai noodles to balance the budget.
+1 Shanghai

Next on the list is the esteemed DVD selections. While you at home are spending who knows how much on cable, DVRs or movie rentals, here in China I can get the latest movies and TV series for a steal. And now that I’m in Shanghai, the selection and quality are tip-top. I got season 5 and 6 of Lost and season 6 of The Office for about $20. And had I been in Nanjing it would have probably been like $10. While the quality and selection of DVDs is far better than in Nanjing, they are much more expensive here.  And for something that I’m not likely to watch over and over again, I’m going to have to say I’d prefer to pay less for my DVDs even though the sound tracking maybe off from time to time.
+1 Nanjing

The nice thing about living in a country of more than one billion people is there is plenty to do. Nanjing, in particular, has some great historical sites, pretty scenic areas and even those hot springs. It’s really an interesting city that has been through a lot. But being in China’s business center, has its advantages. While it doesn’t have the historical aspect going for it, there are fun concerts, art galleries and museums that are always changing. And as far as sporting clubs, Nanjing’s only big one was a running group. Shanghai has an entire league for dodgeball, basketball, flag football and even volleyball. So while Nanjing’s history may be more interesting, there’s a lot more to do in Shanghai.
+1 Shanghai

Today’s winner is Shanghai. Despite the humid, sticky weather, Shanghai and I are really getting along right now. However, there’s only so much muggy, wet, rainy season I can handle. So Nanjing still has a chance to come back. We’ll have to see for next time.