Just a quick note. If you are interested in the post and would like to comment. Here are the instructions:
- Click on the Blog entry, which takes you to an interactive version of the page
- At the bottom of the blog post there is a box which allows you to comment or reply
- Comments will then appear after I approve them
If you have any questions about my experience or would like to let me know about any of my photos, please let me know!
Life in Shanghai
Hi Everyone. Yesterday (October 5th), after two flights, one from Boston -> Detroit and another from Detroit -> Shanghai (13.5 hours), I arrived in Shanghai to start my postdoctoral research position in the Astronomy department Shanghai Jiao Tong University!!
I’m currently staying in a hotel in Minhang (the district where SJTU is located). Since it was Sunday, I spent the day exploring the Minhang area surrounding my hotel and the SJTU campus. To share my experiences, I’ve included a few photos of some of the interesting looking buildings and scenery in the surrounding area.
The first photo is of a lion statue that was located in front of a mall near my hotel. The second are two mascots also located in front of the same mall. Based on my trip to Shanghai in June, these kinds of cute statues/mascots are super common in China. I’ll try to post more.
The next set of photos are all of different scenery that are found in the area where I am currently staying. The first two are of small parks located near SJTU. Additionally, there are parks that have exercise equipment, such as pull up bars, and elliptical-like machines (non-electric) that I definitely plan to take advantage of!
The last photo is the main entrance of SJTU. This is not the entrance that I will use most days, but it’s the main entrance to the Minhang camps.
Food in Shanghai
As a vegan/vegetarian, eating in Shanghai will probably be a little trickier for me than it was in the US. I’ve included photos of my first three meals in Shanghai as an example of the kinds of food I’ll be eating.
The first is an example of the breakfast buffet at my hotel. Today’s meal included scallion pancakes with sautéed vegetables, corn, purple sweet potatoes, salad, toast, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Based on prior trip to Shanghai, this breakfast is very typical.
For lunch, despite the heat (it’s still in the mid-70’s here), I got a tomato soup with noodles and vegetables (such as cabbage, tomatoes, and onions).
For dinner, I had sweet potato shreds with peppers and onions over rice.
My main takeaway so far is that vegetables are a lot more common in Chinese food than in the US, but the amount of vegan/vegetarian options is not as high. As my friend Mira, who used to live in Shanghai, told me, 90% of Chinese food is 90% vegan. So, finding good food (including protein) that I can eat will likely be something that I continue to discuss.
I hope that you enjoy this first entry. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to comment on this post.
In peace,
Jesse
Congratulations on your new blog, Jesse. It looks like this year is going to be a year of many firsts. Thank you for sharing the news of your first day and all the photos. Keep them coming! I love you and miss you. Love, Michael
I am delighted to follow your first day in Shanghai. I am intrigued by the “cutesy” mascots in China. And the tomato soup with veggies and noodles looks wonderful. I really have a great sense of where you are living for the time being and your neighborhood. I am excited to follow your blog.
Those mascots are great! The area around SJTU looks really cool. Keep posting the food pictures. It’s interesting to see what real Chinese food looks like.
I plan to share this with several folks in Saratoga eager to follow your travels and life in China.
You’ve finally begun! Looks like you’re getting well situated. I’m looking forward to tracking your experiences in the coming months.
Do you think that you’ll be able to cook more and bring in food? Or will you be doing a lot of restaurants??
Hi Juliette. I thin that once I have an apartment, I’ll do a lot of cooking myself. In the meantime, it’s been eating at restaurants and the university dining hall.