Thriving the heat wave

Heat wave is real, everyday we start at 90F 80+% humidity. Anytime after 9am, it’s over 100F. It feels like an oven being outside. Yet, we are loving our slow, schedule, spontaneous days in shanghai.

I am still running 5 days a week, despite the heat wave, meaning I need few hours to recover after the run as it really exhausts me and can’t feel like drinking enough. Despite the heat, I love running in the morning, seeing my fellow runners/joggers/walkers, usually elderly people.

Other than running, I met with my elementary school friends last Sunday. It has been 4 years since we met. After the 3 hours long chat, I texted hubby to say: I don’t know… our lives are so different now. I can’t relate to them as much as I did before. I wondered if I should still keep in touch with them. Few hours later, I got the answer. Of course, for few reasons (1) they remind me who I was and where I came from; (2) I care about their lives, their family; (3) we might find common interests in the future again; (4) I got to learn the life of our generation in china from the inside; (5) i know they would not hesitate to help if I ask

we had lunch with hubby’s extended family. the girls met their cousins. A concept that has been foreign to them until now.

We spent two nights at hubby’s parents “beach” house. It’s two hours away from Shanghai, a development with many condos and houses, a hotel, amusement parks, and an artificial beach. We don’t think it was a good investment, but it is already done so we’d better make the best of it.

We arrived around lunch time, starving. So we had a lunch at a local restaurant. Lizzy enjoyed the chicken rice dish

the apartment is actually nice. Sofia says it’s cozy. I agree. Only that it is far from Shanghai.

as it was so hot outside, we spent the afternoon indoor, me cooking dinner and the girls played at cousins’ house near by

the next day, I mainly stayed indoor, cozying up with a book while daddy took the girls to the “beach” with their cousins.

they seemed to be having a lot of fun despite the heat

we also visited the pool, 50 meters long lanes, for almost two hours. It was my first time swimming in Olympic size pool, loved it!

Girls sleep in every day, until 7 or 8am. Look how Lizzy put her kids to sleep after I got up

girls also learned to play cards with grandma, great indoor activity

Sofia went her third trial out class for art. It’s crazy how expensive are the classes here, 25-40 USD per class, but the trial out was 2 USD. So we kept trying at different centers. hahahah

my chinese medicine treatment continued. twice a week, I enjoy 120-150 min treatment. In my last session, I got acupuncture with Moxibustion, followed by a patch for 4 hours

the patch contains chinese herb. It looks gross, but that’s an essential part of the treatment

I’ve been enjoying using bicycle to everywhere. the shared bicycle is ubiquitous in shanghai, super cheap (1-2 USD per week with unlimited use). Hubby uses it even if it’s less than 500 meters.

until next week…. 🙂