Blogcritics

The Shanghai Diaries: Beijing and the Great Wall

Mat Brewster — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 07:32:50 EDT

After nearly a year in China, we finally made it to Beijing and the Great Wall.
Before even coming to Shanghai we knew that we would eventually be taking a trip to Beijing and then the Great Wall. It is simply what you do when you are in China. Or what you should do. Or something. When I say that we made the journey a couple of weeks ago it is understood – only what is natural. When you look at the calendar and...

The Shanghai Diaries: Olympic Fever

Mat Brewster — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:17:03 EDT

I'm finally starting to catch Olympic fever.
Attention to detail type people will have noticed that I have not yet spoken one word on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There are reasons for this, and I shall now enunciate them. Truth be told I'm not much for sports of any kind. Sure I might play a pick-up game here and there when the mood strikes me, and I have been known to catch the...

The Shanghai Diaries: Should I Stay, Or Should I Go?

Mat Brewster — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:39:58 EDT

It is time to decide whether we will stay in Shanghai another year, or go home.
When my wife and I moved to Shanghai some nine months ago, we knew we would eventually move back to the States. The plan was to stay for one, maybe two years with the possibility of extending that for another year or two. After that we knew we would have to come home.As anyone who has spent an extended time in a foreign land can tell you, there...

The Shanghai Diaries: Holiday in Yangshuo

Mat Brewster — Wed, 7 May 2008 07:25:44 EDT

It seems all I've done while living in China is travel and it is always a hassle. Sometimes though, it is well worth it.
“Where are you going for the June holiday?” I ask my friend Heather. It is a question I shall ask and be asked dozens of times over the next couple of weeks. It will then be followed by, “What did you do over the holiday?” These are variations of the same questions I have been asking, and have been asked since coming to...

The Shanghai Diaries - The Madness of Crowds

Mat Brewster — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:27:22 EDT

As we make the decision to leave China I find the ever maddening crowds, even more frustrating.
My wife and I have decided to move back to the States for good in July. There are many reasons for this decision ranging from my lack of real career options to my wife's need to be somewhere where she'll actually finish her dissertation. It was a hard decision in some ways, but I must admit I'm really rather thrilled to be headed...

The Shanghai Diaries - Field Trips

Mat Brewster — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:44:57 EDT

Busted buses, list kids, and sleeping with sharks.
It has been five weeks since my last diary. Five. Freaking. Weeks. When I started this column my intentions were to write a post every week. That rarely ever happened but I was knocking out about 3 a month. Yet here I am with more than a month between now and my last word on my experiences in China. What happened? As usual, it was several...

Concert Review: Bj�rk - Shanghai, China

Mat Brewster — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:30:25 EDT

Bj�rk puts on a fabulous show and stirs controversy in Shanghai.
Since living in Shanghai I have seen Chick Corea, Beyoncé, Björk, and Harry Connick, Jr. None of those artists are exactly the sort of people I normally see in concert. In fact, likely as not were I still living in the States I would not have shelled out good money to see any of them. For some reason though, China makes me rush to...

The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part 3: Kyoto, Osaka, and Home

Mat Brewster — Mon, 3 Mar 2008 13:19:10 EST

Our final jaunt through Japan finds ancient culture, deer fighting, more temples than you can shake a stick at, and a surprisingly expensive journey home.
We were at about the halfway point on our journey, and so far it had been everything I had hoped for and more. We had seen the craziness of Tokyo, the serene horror of Hiroshima, and the quaint beauty of Miyajima. Next up was Kyoto and what we hoped would be a glimpse into the ancient past. All the guides say if you can only go to one place, Kyoto...

The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part II: From Tokyo to Miyajima

Mat Brewster — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:00:03 EST

We finally make it to Japan and discover its beauty, culture, and bum washings.
Japanese Edition, Part OneA Graceful EmbarkingFriday, we boarded the plane, again, without a return ticket home, and still feeling residual anguish from the horrors of the previous attempt. If Monday was filled with dark storms, then Friday the clouds broke and the sun shined through. It was a beautiful day, actually, but more so than the weather,...

The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part 1: The Long Journey to Nowhere

Mat Brewster — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:43:39 EST

For the Chinese New Year we decided to go to Japan. China, however, seems to have different plans for us.
For Chinese New Year (or what some refer to as the Spring Festival, even though it occurs in late January/early February) my wife and I get three weeks of vacation time. Initially we had planned to spend some time with my sister and her husband on the beaches of Thailand. As we had been unable to make it to Hong Kong over the Christmas break, we...