I am going to take a tangent here occasionally and talk about what it means to move away from home for a bit. I'll sprinkle in some Shanghai specific stuff also.
It is exciting to start over. We are currently living a very spartan life because we have very minimal stuff with us. The rest of the stuff is coming over in a few weeks. I am relearning how to cook with one saucepan, a griddle, a pressure cooker and a rice cooker. I am mostly cooking simple, South Indian comfort food because it is easy to do with these tools. I don't have the ability to grind spices so I have to use whole spices and spice blends that I already have. Fresh vegetables and fruits are available in plenty so that makes it easy.
We have our electronic gear with us so entertainment is not a problem as long as it is available digitally. Books will come later. I also have enough fiber stuff and tools to keep me going. I think I would have become crazy had I not done that.
It has been rather cold since we got here. It snowed on Sunday night, which is unusual for this place. So we have limited our ventures out as we have to either walk or take a cab everywhere. Also, with the holidays, every place is crowded so that has also kept us indoors. I expect that to change today as it is warmer and the holidays are coming to an end.
China has done something that I find strange. Jan1-3 are holidays but Jan 5-6 are working days. So everyone gets 3 days off but then has to work 8 days in a row. Fortunately, this does not apply to me.
I had made a very comprehensive list of things to bring and while I think I did reasonably well, there are some things that I did not anticipate, or forgot. For example, I packed coat hangers in the household stuff but didn't in our luggage. It is very difficult to manage without even one coat hanger. We went out and bought some.
On the fiber front, I packed fiber and spindles, my Hansen mini-spinner and one bobbin. So I can spin but I can't wind off cops onto temporary weaving bobbins. Fortunately I have brought lots of spindles so I can just build up cops on each one before I run into problems. See, I knew I needed lots of spindles!
Living in a big city means different noises and things to get used to. For example, it is very light in the early part of the night as there are lots of building with lights on outside. As the night wears on, lights go off and it gets darker outside.
Overall, I am pleased to see how little I need to keep me happy. A few more kitchen items, a few more fiber items, a few more books and I think I could be happy. What this means is that when I go home, I will be going through a serious de-cluttering effort to rid myself of excess stuff. The minimalist life is definitely very pleasant.
It is exciting to start over. We are currently living a very spartan life because we have very minimal stuff with us. The rest of the stuff is coming over in a few weeks. I am relearning how to cook with one saucepan, a griddle, a pressure cooker and a rice cooker. I am mostly cooking simple, South Indian comfort food because it is easy to do with these tools. I don't have the ability to grind spices so I have to use whole spices and spice blends that I already have. Fresh vegetables and fruits are available in plenty so that makes it easy.
We have our electronic gear with us so entertainment is not a problem as long as it is available digitally. Books will come later. I also have enough fiber stuff and tools to keep me going. I think I would have become crazy had I not done that.
It has been rather cold since we got here. It snowed on Sunday night, which is unusual for this place. So we have limited our ventures out as we have to either walk or take a cab everywhere. Also, with the holidays, every place is crowded so that has also kept us indoors. I expect that to change today as it is warmer and the holidays are coming to an end.
China has done something that I find strange. Jan1-3 are holidays but Jan 5-6 are working days. So everyone gets 3 days off but then has to work 8 days in a row. Fortunately, this does not apply to me.
I had made a very comprehensive list of things to bring and while I think I did reasonably well, there are some things that I did not anticipate, or forgot. For example, I packed coat hangers in the household stuff but didn't in our luggage. It is very difficult to manage without even one coat hanger. We went out and bought some.
On the fiber front, I packed fiber and spindles, my Hansen mini-spinner and one bobbin. So I can spin but I can't wind off cops onto temporary weaving bobbins. Fortunately I have brought lots of spindles so I can just build up cops on each one before I run into problems. See, I knew I needed lots of spindles!
Living in a big city means different noises and things to get used to. For example, it is very light in the early part of the night as there are lots of building with lights on outside. As the night wears on, lights go off and it gets darker outside.
Overall, I am pleased to see how little I need to keep me happy. A few more kitchen items, a few more fiber items, a few more books and I think I could be happy. What this means is that when I go home, I will be going through a serious de-cluttering effort to rid myself of excess stuff. The minimalist life is definitely very pleasant.
2 comments:
Can't wait to see more about your adventure!
Can't wait to hear more about your adventures!
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