My Year in Shanghai Post 1

My feet are now firmly planted in Shanghai.  I have been here for two weeks and I'd like to take a moment to document my thoughts and observations so far.  First, my job is amazing.  I felt some definite apprehension about potentially teaching younger children and fittingly enough I teach two sections of phonics for 8-9 year-olds as well as one section of pre-school aged children (2-3 years old).  It's definitely different from what I'm used to, but I've re-calibrated and really genuinely enjoy it.  The kids are so cute and loving.  Each day with the kids is rewarding and full of laughs.
As far as the culture, despite the enormous size of the city and a vastness of population unlike anything I've experienced there is a tangible feeling of peace.  Staring and shoving are huge parts of the culture and yet neither insight violence; they are simply daily norms, whether it be on the metro or walking down the street.  There is an amazing variety of options for socializing and discovery from night clubs, to bars, to jazz clubs, to malls, to karaoke, museums, parks, nature, landmarks... I can't imagine putting a dent in all of it with merely one year, but I'll do my best.
The food is great, as I imagined it would be.  There are so many options and all of them that I've found are great.  The other very nice part of that equation is the price of things: much lower than I'm used to at home.  You really have to push hard on ordering to spend more than 15 dollars on a meal, everything included.  Most meals cost between 2-5 dollars.  Sharing is also a big part of dining here.  The tables have spinning centers where each plate is moved around the table in a circular motion (great perk!).  Essentially, you can't go wrong on ordering because someone inevitably will have gone right.  I'm a big fan of this concept.  Eating with chopsticks was also a transition for me, but now I feel completely comfortable doing so.
As far as the people I work with and have met, I've definitely found comradery and friendship to be something easily acquired.  Specifically with the people I work with, I've found that we all have a very similar story and reason for being here in Shanghai: simply to experience something completely different than anything we've experienced so far in our lives.  This immediately creates a bond and a desire to help one another with adapting and learning to live in this completely new world.  Each individual discovery becomes a discovery to be shared with all.  Each struggle, is a burden to be shared by all; in that we all came here alone and desire to help one another through in the place of the no longer nearby families and close friends we've left behind for this time.  The other cool thing about this is that I am making friends from all over the world.  I work with people from Russia, the UK, China, Canada, America etc.  I can't imagine in my life ever having the opportunity to come to one place and establish so many international friendships.  
There is so much I could say, but it can generally be summed up in this:  coming to Shanghai was one of the best decisions that I've made in my life.  I enjoy each day and I experience something new each day.  The people here are great, the culture here is great, and I wake up with the same feeling each day of "am I really here on the other side of the world doing this?    yes?    yes!!"

All we (still) need is love

"Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald

I felt the insatiable desire today to write down some thoughts that I have in regards to current events and other various topics.  It is more clear to me than it has ever been that people today are in search of something to cling to and someone to speak for them, and yet say nothing for themselves.  People speak of acceptance and in the same breath hurl a slur alienating a religious group that they do not agree with.  People refer to issues and say that "God didn't say anything about that" but simply don't take the time to seek out what He said.  The various movements that have swept the U.S. nation over the last couple of years speak to this:  whether it be the tea party, the occupy movement, and now some controversial "civil rights" issues most recently.  Along with that, I have seen great divides come between political parties, friendships, and sadly even families.  Although the various factors that play into this may cover too large a scope to narrow down to one issue, I do believe that one element is missing in our world in the midst of all this, and that is love.  One quote that I came to mind as I considered this was from a writer that I hold in very high regard, Maya Angelou:   "If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers."  This was so relevant as I considered divides that I have seen amongst families lately and as we approach mother's day tomorrow.  Our family and friends deserve more than our leftovers, they deserve our first-fruits.  They deserve our love and our care.  Recently, someone asked me about how I approach teaching teenagers, and I believe that my response and my convictions regarding this are just as relevant in approaching our relationships with friends and family.  I said to him that nobody cares what you have to say to them until they know that you care about them.  When somebody knows that you love them and that you genuinely care about their views and their well-being, a door is opened that can never be closed.  On the other hand, when you approach a relationship simply to spew out your views and what you have to say, a door is closed that can never more than partially be opened.  All of this is to simply inspire within others what I have been inspired with, and that is to fulfill our most basic human instinct: to love and be loved.  To do this, we must simply love one another.  Do you have something to say to someone?  Love them.  Are you hurt by what someone has said or believes in?  Love them.  Do you feel as if someone has treated you unjustly? Love them.  I personally believe that nothing that anyone wants to accomplish today can happen without first building the bridge that is love.  Although scattered and random, these are my thought and these are my views- LOVE, Phil.