Thank you so much for following alone with my life in Shanghai! I really appreciate hearing from so many of you asking about how I’m doing during this difficult time.
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Life in Shanghai
I want to start this post by again thanking all of you who have reached out to either me directly or to my parents to ask about how I’m doing. I really appreciate knowing that so many people are concerned and care about me. I want to again reassure all of you that I am healthy, I am safe, and for the most part, I am happy. Since I don’t want to rehash all of the same information that I discussed on my last post, I recommend that if you did not read my last post, please do. It covers what’s been going on in Shanghai (https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-1/).
As I did last week, I spent the vast majority of this week in my apartment. I went out a few times to get some fruit and some household essentials as well as a few social activities. Every time I do, I wear a mask and gloves. When I return home I wash my hands. I’ve even been on the subway, which is incredibly empty. My understanding is that it is now strongly encouraged (maybe required?) for all people to wear masks when they are outside. This is purely a safety precaution and as discussed before, may not do much to help. Additionally, in order to enter most buildings and the subway, there are security guards set up outside to measure people’s temperatures. So, the city is clearly taking as many precautions as possible to make sure that people who are sick are not entering public spaces. Additionally, the city has required that anyone who returns to Shanghai from any outside location must spend 2 weeks in self-quarantine. So, the city is taking this very seriously. On a somewhat hopeful note, as of today, SJTU is planning to begin the spring semester on March 2nd. So, hopefully that will happen!
While the number of infected has continued to rise in China. In the past week, the numbers have only slowly grown in Shanghai. There are ~300 cases. There are still only 5 cases in the Huangpu district where I live, which is reassuring. So clearly, the Shanghai Municipal Government is doing a very good job keeping the city safe. Additionally, outside of Wuhan and Hubei province, the virus is not very deadly. There are only 26 deaths outside Hubei, many of whom are either the elderly or the very young. Additionally, I recently learned that the World Health Organization is sending a team of doctors to help study and work on a cure for the virus. So, hopefully things will begin to turn around and improve soon!
As I emphasized in my last post, I’m neither insanely brave nor naive about the current situation. As of now, I still believe I am making the correct and safest decision by not fleeing from Shanghai. I’ve talked with a lot of people about what they are doing. Many of us are concerned about the potential for quarantine upon arrival to the US as well as the fear of getting on a plane for 12+ hours with someone who is sick or being in heavily crowded areas (like airports or train stations). So, I think for the time being staying here is the best option.
While the city at times feels relatively empty, many restaurants, malls, and stores are still open and there is some small sense of life returning to the city as people return from the lunar new year holiday. However, below you can see Fuxing Road and Huahuai Road, two generally busy streets that are practically deserted on a Sunday afternoon.
Having already been through self-quarantine for a week, another week of quarantine wasn’t too bad. Unlike the author of the recent New York Times op-ed, I am getting dressed every day and not staying in my pajamas. I’ve spent a ton of time doing research and writing. So, I’ve been super productive. I’ve had multiple telecons with collaborators in the US, which has allowed me to have some scientific interactions and conversations. In terms of my research. I’m currently finalizing the results of my first Dark Energy Survey project and will be writing those up this week. I also wrote a draft of my paper based on conversations with Song Huang. So, in about the span of a month, I’ve done the research and written a paper! I’ve never had such a quick turnaround and it feels awesome! I plan to continue revising this paper this week and send it to some collaborators for feedback. Additionally, although we haven’t been doing AstroCoffee since SJTU is closed, a group of the postdocs have gotten together (via zoom) to chat about new figures and results each day. It’s been really nice to see and hear from my colleagues and friends! Thankfully, they are healthy and safe as well.
In terms of the rest of my life, I’m still able to get groceries delivered via Kate & Kimi, so I have a stocked fridge and plenty of healthy food to eat. My internet is still working well so I can catch up on tv. I’ve also been reading a lot of comics!
Despite the quarantine, I did get to do some fun things. On Friday, members of Kehilat Shanghai got together for Shabbat dinner (more on that later). Then on Saturday, I got coffee with my friends Shimi and Heather. It was really nice on both occasions to see physical people (not via my phone or computer) and relax and not talk about the coronavirus. As I’ve said before, it’s very reassuring that so many of my friends are still here in Shanghai. This outbreak has really made me grateful for the supportive Jewish community and the many new and interesting friends I have made.
I also went on another walking tour with Historic Shanghai this week. This time, we explored the old French Concession. This is an area that isn’t too far from where I live and is full of tons of interesting looking art deco buildings. I’ve seen a lot of these places before on my runs to Xujiahui park and walks around Shanghai (including my visit last summer), but it was really nice to learn from Patrick and Tina about the history of this part of the city.
The Shanghai Library 
The green building reminded me of the brightly colored co-ops in Ann Arbor 
As you can see in the pictures above these are really interesting and unique looking buildings. Many of these are apartment buildings, built in the 1920s-1940s, that are far different from the majestic skyscrapers that make up Shanghai’s skyline. Prior to joining Historic Shanghai on so many tours, I really hadn’t noticed how prevalent the art deco style was in Shanghai.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to go outside and stretch my legs on the walk. Since I haven’t been running (I did see runners during the walk), it was nice to stretch and move around. Running is definitely one of the things I’m missing most right now. While I could run in a mask, I have a lot of trouble controlling my breathing when I wear the different masks, so running would probably not be best for me.
I also saw a few more photo worthy things on my way to and from the walk.
Food in Shanghai
While I didn’t have any extravagant Chinese meals this week, since the tour was through the former French Concession, so we stopped at three bakeries!
I enjoyed a butterfly cookie, a piece of chestnut cake with mocha creme, and a matcha and red bean cake. The matcha red bean cake was my favorite! Interestingly deserts aren’t very sweet in China, despite the European/French influence on deserts. I still haven’t really determined if there is a traditional Chinese desert yet since every bakery I’ve been to is heavily French influenced.
Jewish Life in Shanghai
This week, the Kehilat WeChat group became much more active. From community members trying to find out who else is currently in Shanghai to those same members organizing get togethers for coffee and Shabbat dinner. It was really comforting to see the community come together! I’m really glad that these things happened, since prior, I was disheartened by the absence of any messages from the community leaders.
On Friday, my friend Barbara hosted Shabbat dinner at her lovely lane house home!
As you can see, a group of 7 of us came together for Shabbat dinner. We had delicious food (I made a quinoa, couscous, and roasted vegetable salad). It was wonderful being together to celebrate Shabbat. We were also joined via zoom by other members of the community who were either unable to join or outside Shanghai. Since going to Shabbat services and dinner has become a part of my weekly routine, it was comforting getting to have that opportunity again! I hope that these sorts of events continue to happen!
Despite my continued semi-self-imposed quarantine this week, it was a good and productive week. As with last week, it is comforting seeing people I know who are still here and makes me remain comfortable with my decision to stay.
I hope that this update about life in Shanghai (and the coronavirus) has reassured you about my health and safety. Hopefully the spread of the virus will slow and a cure will be discovered soon. I hope that you enjoyed my pictures from the former French Concession as well. I plan to make this a productive research week. I look forward to updating you all about my life and adventures next week! If you have any questions/comments about Shanghai or my safety, let me know!
In peace,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
I’m glad to hear that you’re still finding ways to be productive even when you’re stuck in your apartment all day. That’s fantastic about both papers? How is your work with Ying going? I’m glad you’re been able to do a few fun things and it isn’t just video chatting with people. It’s great that you’ve found a nice Jewish community to get together with. I liked seeing the Art Deco influence in Shanghai. The buildings look really cool. Also, those are some yummy looking pastries. I’m glad you got to get something sweet. I hope you have another safe, healthy, and productive week.
Hi Emmet! Thanks! Getting research done has probably been the best thing to come out of this epidemic. I haven’t made much progress on the Luminosity function research though. I am close to recreating the first result, but I’m waiting to hear back from Ying about what he thinks may be causing this small difference. I’m glad that you liked seeing the buildings. Architecturally, Shanghai is a really interesting city! It was nice getting some sweets, too!
Jesse, this was another excellent post. The situation with the coronavirus is worrisome, but your post was very reassuring. You are taking precautions in wearing the mask and gloves when you go out and not running, as hard as that is for you. You are making the best of the situation and, to recall one of my wise father’s (your Bompa’s) wise sayings, what’s good about this challenging time? Well, you have found an inner resilience and used what you do have access to to your advantage. Astro Coffee is now happening virtually, and you are in regular virtual contact with colleagues near and far from your own abode. You are being exceptionally productive with your scholarship. And you have found a way to connect to the Kehilat community as well. I loved seeing the French quarter and will want to go there when we come to visit! I would like to try a butterfly cookie. Sending you much love and wishes for another safe and productive week ahead. I love you. Mom
Hi Mom! I’m glad that my post was reassuring. Thanks for being so supportive. It’s been really nice making tangible progress on my research. We can definitely visit the former French Concession when you visit. It’s not far from where I live and there are a few great Vegan/vegetarian restaurants in that area!
Jesse, another interesting post. I was wondering since the malls are open are the stores running good sales to get people out to the mall? It’s great that you have Shabbat friends too. What professions are they in?
Is the Shanghai food anything like the Chinese food state side? I’ve heard that it is very different.
I find it admirable that you making such great progress on your papers during such constrained times.
Take care,
Art
Hi Art! I’m glad that you are enjoying the blog! Thanks for the words of support. As far as I can tell there haven’t been any sales. While the malls are open, not all the stores are, so I think they don’t want to encourage people to go out unless it’s to buy essentials (food, cleaning products, …).
In terms of the Jewish community, it’s a mix of a lot of different professions. Most of the people are involved in business, working for Israeli or Chinese startups. One of the members works for the US consulate. There are also people who work in the tourism industry. I’ve also met a lot of people who are teachers (some at NYU Shanghai and others teaching English). So there are other academics, but no other Astronomers (that I know of).
The food is definitely different. Other than the portion size (which is smaller), the main difference I’ve found is that the dishes don’t have quite as heavy and sticky sauces as what’s found in the stereotypical Chinese American restaurants. I’ve also found that there are a lot of more inventive and interesting vegetarian proteins (so it’s not always tofu). I’ve also tried some really spicy dishes, which I usually avoided in the US. The deserts are the biggest difference because, as my Chinese colleagues have told me, they don’t enjoy sweet deserts.
Hi, Jesse. I can’t help but think that I am looking at a contemporary version of Albert Camus’s The Plague as I read your entry–and too many news stories–about the coronavirus. There isn’t a moral lurking in the outbreak, but there surely are powerful lessons about human behavior and individual character. As I wrote privately, I’m struck by the creativity and resilience you and your friends in Shanghai are demonstrating. I hope it can continue and strengthen. Life limited to your apartment–even as spacious as your new apartment is–can’t be easy. I get claustrophobic just thinking of it.
I am also reminded of when I was in late high school and college and worked several summers in the warehouse for the company your grandfather worked for. The job was mindnumbingly boring and repetitious. And inside a cavernous, dusty warehouse with no natural light. When I got fed up ( I needed the paycheck), I had to remind myself that at the end of the summer, I was going back to school, back to Columbia and NYC, where life was much more engaging, varied, and rewarding. But most of my coworkers were stuck in the job to support themselves and their families. They didn’t have any easy way out. And I wonder if the circumstances of your ex-pat group isn’t somewhat analogous: if conditions get intolerable, threatening, scary, or suffocating, as citizens of the US and other Western countries, you still have an escape key, even if it does require a two week quarantine. I wonder how that impacts your perception of things. What about your Chinese neighbors and fellow post-docs who have no other country to escape to? What about the people from Kim and Katie who are delivering groceries throughout the city? Can we be more empathetic to the people in whose country you are a welcomed guest? Can Kehila and the other groups do anything to make life easier for them? Wearing masks may create a feeling of solidarity among the citizens of Shanghia, but should you also be thinking of more meaningful actions?
Love, Michael
Hi Dad! Thanks for sharing your very interesting and thought provoking comments. I am also impressed by the resiliency of those of us still in Shanghai. We’re trying out best to make the most out of a less than ideal situation. Life isn’t super easy in my apartment, but I’m glad that I have two floors, so I can at least feel like I can move around and not see the exact same thing. It also helps that I can do work, so I get less bored.
I think that you raise excellent points about feeling empathetic to the locals and my Chinese colleagues who can’t flee. It’s one of the main reasons why I’ve been so bothered by the US’s response of evacuating personal and by some of my friends choosing to leave. While I think leaving can be justified, I personally can’t understand how the situation isn’t safe for me, but is safe for Ying (my boss) and other colleagues and the millions of locals who work around the city. I do think having a break glass in case of emergency option keeps me slightly more optimistic, especially since I can work from anywhere, but it has bothered me.
In terms of doing things to help, one of the community members has organized a fundraiser to buy masks for the people living in Hongkou, which is the district where the historic Jewish neighborhoods of Shanghai are. I’m planning to donate. However, I still wish there was more I could do to help. I’ve personally stopped ordering things (other than groceries) and tried to limit my reliance on people working around the city, but it does feel like there’s more I and the Kehilat community at large could do.
Hello Jesse! I find it so interesting reading your blogs. Thank you for sharing your insights, travel and friendships. I enjoyed the descriptions and photos of the varied architecture. The Kehilat Shanghai group must be a wonderful source of friendship and camaraderie. I loved the picture from the Shabat
Whoops! I’m not sure why my response posted before I was ready! I will continue now.
I love the picture from the Shabbat dinner. It was so nice to be able to associate faces with a names. It is great that advances in technology allow you to work and communicate with colleagues, friends and family near and far. Continue to be safe, Jesse, and keep up that positive outlook. Peg
Hi Peg! I’m so glad that you’re enjoying these blogs! Kehilat has been one of the best parts of my life in Shanghai so far. The community has been very welcoming and I’ve met so many different people working if a lot of different fields. Thanks for the well wishes!