Welcome to Astronomer in Shanghai! Thank you so much for your interest about my life and experiences in Shanghai! As the world continues to deal with the covid-19 epidemic, I want this blog to serve as a message of hope that while this entire experience is difficult, eventually things will improve. It will take awhile to return to normal, but nonetheless, things will get better. You can see the arc of improvement over the last 8 entries. I do note that this may not be the same timeline everywhere. If you haven’t been following along with my blog, please check out these entries.
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-1/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-2/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-3/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-4/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-5/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-6/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-7/
https://astronomerinshanghai.com/uncategorized/life-in-quarantine-week-8/
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Life in Shanghai
As I did last week, I want to ask all of you how you are doing. Hopefully you and your families continue to stay safe and healthy. As the number of cases around the world, but particularly in the US have skyrocketed, I continue to feel for all of you and hope the the situation will improve. Covid-19 has brought the world to a standstill. I’m sure that many of you are adjusting to a new normal. Whether it’s your first week or two of working from home, having to deal with kids who are now going to school online, or figuring out how to get groceries delivered, I’m sure this has been a difficult experience. While the situation that I’ve experienced living in Shanghai is not entirely the same as what you are experiencing, I hope that you can take comfort in reading about my experiences and learning how things are moving in the right direction here in China. As I said in my opening, things are generally improving and they will begin to elsewhere as well.
I hope that all of you are taking social distancing to heart. That practice, along with maintaining good health and hygiene (WASH YOUR HANDS FOR 20 SECONDS) are the two most important things to slow the spread of covid-19 and stay safe. Additionally, while social distancing is difficult, I hope you can connect digitally via Skype or Zoom or over the phone with friends, family, and colleagues who are in similar situations. Those conversations have really helped me stay positive during this situation.
Before I discuss the situation here in Shanghai, I want to emphasize that we must refer to this virus as covid-19 and not by any of the racist names that have been touted by the current administration. Being here in China, I can see how deeply the virus has impacted people’s day-to-day lives as well as many businesses. These people and other Asian peoples around the world are not to blame for covid-19 and by referring to this virus in any of the names that the current occupant of the White House has used only gives credence to the notion that someone is at fault for this pandemic. This is clearly scapegoating tactics being used to distract from the fact that the current administration has failed the United States. Moreover, the world needs to come together to support doctors, nurses, and scientists who are working to fight and prevent the spread of covid-19, not be divided by racial lines.
While life is generally moving in the right direction here, we are still not in the clear. Although I remain healthy and safe, everything is not normal. The situation in Shanghai has unfortunately gotten worse in the last week. Many of the museums that were previously reopened have been closed again. Additionally, while there have been almost no local cases, there have been a large number of imported cases this week. In total, there were 98 imported cases this week (492 total). This is the largest single week increase in quite some time. Based on the number of imported cases here in China, there is a lot of fear of a second wave of covid-19. In an effort to curtail this situation, China has temporarily banned all foreign visa holders from entering the country. However, given that a number of the imported cases are from native Chinese citizens returning home, it’s unclear how effective these efforts will be. Currently, in Shanghai, the recovery rate is down to ~68%. Most of those still infected are recent returnees. However, for China as a whole, the recovery rate is currently ~ 92%. So, hopefully, Shanghai’s number will increase and over time, the number of people who fully recover will start to drastically increase both in the US and elsewhere abroad.
I also want to emphasize that China has been dealing with this situation for over 2 months and is still not fully recovered. Thus, I want to emphasize that any belief that the situation in the US will be fully recovered (or recovered enough) to fully reopen the economy for Easter is both foolhardy and dangerous. So, I ask that all of you continue to follow social distancing guidelines and help to flatten the curve.
Given that the number of cases has continued to rise in Shanghai, it is unsurprising that SJTU (the university where I work) remains closed and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. While this is disappointing, I am still able to productively do my research from home. I made some great progress on my first DES paper and only have one final research task to rerun before finishing the paper. Additionally, I was finally able to take the time to start work on my DESI research. Additionally, I continue to have good research meetings with my research group here at SJTU and with colleagues abroad. One benefit of everyone working from home is that it’s been a bit easier scheduling meetings with collaborators in different time zones. 🙂
In addition to work this week, I was able to go running twice! It was very warm earlier in the week, even reaching near 80 (it’s back in the 50s/60s now)! I’m very glad that I’m able to go running surrounded by so many beautiful signs of spring!
I also saw an adorable cat during my run! There are lot of stray cats all around Shanghai.
Additionally, there continues to be no shortage on food. So, I’ve continued to buy lots of delicious and healthy food. This week, I made black bean soup and chocolate tahini cookies!
In addition to my runs, I also did some fun things this weekend. There aren’t restrictions on groups, so on Friday a group of 12 of us got together for Shabbat dinner. We went to a hot pot restaurant, which was a lot of fun (more on hot pot later)!
Then on Saturday, a group of my friends from Moishe House got together to play games! We played Quirkle, Cards Against Humanity, and Ramen Fury! It was a lot of fun to hang out together and enjoy a rainy Saturday playing games! The experience almost felt normal (except that we weren’t able to meet at the actual Moishe House, since foreign guests aren’t currently being allowed in that residential complex). Also, my chocolate tahini cookies were a hit! 🙂
Food in Shanghai
For Shabbat dinner, we went to a hotpot restaurant! For those of you unfamiliar, hot pot works like this.
1). Select your soup — I got a vegan vegetable soup
2). Select your veggies/proteins — We got loads of vegetables for the table (mushrooms, carrots, squash, lotus root, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, potatoes). Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of tofu 🙁
3). Make your dipping sauce — I mixed together soy sauce, fermented bean paste, peanut butter, chilis, sesame seeds, and scallions for a peanut sauce.
4). Cook your vegetables/proteins in the soup
5). Enjoy!
Below you can see the different ingredients I used in my hot pot meal as well as some scallion pancakes!
In general, hot pot is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to eat a ton of veggies, but some (like the lotus root took a long time to cook). I do wish we could have had some tofu though.
Additionally, on Wednesday, I also got lunch at a vegan restaurant with my friend Hannah Maia to talk about planning the Passover Seders.
We had tofu with bamboo and mushrooms, seitan ribs, noodles with vegetables, and eggplant! Chinese eggplant is amazing! Overall, it was another delicious vegan meal!
Jewish Life in Shanghai
In addition to starting to plan Passover, on Friday, as I mentioned earlier, a group of my friends from Moishe House got together to celebrate Shabbat.
You can see photos of us saying the blessings over the wine and over the Challah! It’s been really nice to see more and more people joining our weekly Shabbat gatherings, especially as the situation has begun to improve here in Shanghai. While I enjoy the Zoom Shabbats, and virtual activies, it’s been really nice to get together with people in person again.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been following the self-isolation guidelines and working from home for 9 weeks now. For the most part, I think that I’ve adapted well to my new routine and I’m glad that I’m still able to be productive. As many of you start your new work from home routines, I hope that you’re able to find the same success. If you need any advice about how I’ve been productive feel free to reach out.
I hope that this update about the covid-19 situation in Shanghai provides comfort and assurance that things will improve. It’s very important to take social distancing seriously and help flatten the curve. I plan to continue working each day on my research from home this week as well as planning the Passover Seders. I look forward to updating you about my life and adventures next week! If you have any questions/comments or concerns about the current covid-19 situation, let me know. If you need advice for dealing with a more isolated life or need someone to talk to, please reach out. Given all of your support, I’d love to provide you with my own.
In peace,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on covid-19. I’m sorry to hear that Shanghai has so many new imported cases. Hopefully things will improve again as those returning continue to quarantine themselves. I’m glad you’ve remained productive through this time. I know now that working from home can be tricky, so I’m glad you’ve made so much research progress. I love the picture of the cat from your run. What a stretch! I’m glad you can go running with the weather starting to turn into full on spring. As usual, both the hot pots and the vegan Chinese food look amazing! I’m glad you’re able to still have small get together. I hope planning a Seder isn’t too stressful. Continue to stay safe and healthy!
Love,
Emmet
Hi Emmet! I hope that things improve both here and for you in Boston. I hope you’re able to be productive as well. I also loved the stretch that the cat was doing! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed seeing the food pics. Hope you stay safe and healthy as well!
Thanks, Jesse, for these always informative thoughts—now more necessary to your readers in the US than ever. I’ll keep this brief because your food photos have made me hungry!! I must go make breakfast. The spring pictures gave me hope, and the stretching cat made me smile. Stay well. Barbara
Hi Barbara! I’m so glad to hear that your finding my blog informative and hopeful. I’m glad you enjoyed the food pics as well! I hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy!
Jesse, this is a very inspirational post. As you note, the world needs to come together now and not place blame as Trumpty Dumpty is doing. I admire your optimism and applaud your productivity. I, too, find my academic work a place of solace along with my teaching on Zoom. The snow from last week’s storm is finally almost washed away, but spring is still far off in Saratoga. Seeing the flowers really made my day. And the cat caught mid stretch reminds me it is time to do my morning stretches. The cat reminds me of how our cat Lee looked, although a tad lighter. It warms my heart, too, that you are planning Passover seders and coming together for Shabbat each week with your new community in Shanghai. Lots of love, Mom
Hi Mom! I’m glad that you found my post inspirational! I’m glad that you’re able to still enjoy your teaching, even if it is on Zoom. I hope that Spring comes for you (or at least no more snow) soon. I also thought that the cat looked like Lee! Hope you and Dad continue to stay safe and healthy!
Jesse , your blogs are something l always look forward too on Sunday mornings. As you know from the news , your parents and friends we are all practicing social distancing ,wearing masks and gloves when going to the grocery store. Life as we knew it has changed for now but you give us hope that this will be temporary.
The food you and your friends make looks amazing and yes l am busy cooking, cleaning doing puzzles and watching movies. Sol is finished with his treatments and starting to heal his body. It has been an awful passed seven months but we are looking forward to a bright future .
I love that your able to have Passover with friends. Happy Passover to you, your family and friends. Shalom
Halli
Hi Halli! I’m so glad that you are enjoying my blog! I’m glad to hear that you’re all taking social distancing seriously. I’m glad to hear that your able to keep busy watching movies, doing puzzles, and cooking. I’m so glad to hear that Sol’s finally finished with his treatment! I hope that his health continues to improve. I hope that you both remain safe and healthy!
Thank you for your blog, Jesse. As always very thoughtful, informative and useful for us here in the US. If you have a chance see if you can get hold of a book Quarantine! by Howard Markel. He looks at the cholera and typhoid and typhus fever pandemics in 1892 as it affected NYC and the “nativist” characterization of those who were struck down with these awful diseases by the political and medical authorities. The book was published in 1997 – so before populism was the by-word for racism but you can hear the precisely same ideas and claims being made at the end of the 19th Century as Trump makes today, and Markel highlights how the racist (Jew-hatred, anti -Italian sentiment, anti-Chinese views) helped stoke the epidemics rather than mitigate them.
On a very different note, loved your description of the hot pot. What a great idea to be able to tailor each meal using the same basic ingredients. Sorry that you could not find tofu. Do you by any chance make your own tofu at home (from soy beans)? It can take a few hours (over night soaking excluded) but making your own tofu from beans gives you soy milk, tofu and okara so there is zero waste. You do need a blender, I think, though I am not sure how tofu would have been made by hand before such kitchen tools were invented. A giant pestle and mortar?
Some question: when you were wearing face masks could you wear the same one repeatedly? Did you need to constantly disinfect them? And although CDC suggest 6 feet separation is enough is it in fact the case that when we sneeze or cough the particles that fly from our mouths are not wind swept and they simply drop to the ground before they can travel 2 m? I guess I am skeptical that if staining material was used and someone coughed and sneezed evidence of what was expectorated would not be found 15 or 20 feet away on walls… But that is my Scottish skepticism creeping through.
Hi Bernard! I’m glad that you found my blog post thoughtful and informative. Thanks for recommending Quarantine. It sounds very interesting and timely. I’ll look to see if I can find it.
I’m glad you enjoyed my description of hot pot! It is a lot of fun. I’ve never tried making tofu before. I can get tofu from the grocery store, but I’d definitely be interested in trying to make it! So, if you have a recipe, please share it. 🙂
In terms of facemasks. I’m still wearing one when I go outside. I have a few facemasks that are good for multiple uses (i.e, 2-4 months). For those masks, I wash them every week, since I don’t go outside every day (and usually when I do it’s only for a few hours at a time). So, I think you can disinfect them. I’m not entirely sure of the projectile nature of spittle/cough residue, but I would assume that (in the absence of strong winds), the primary forces acting on the droplets would be the force from the initial cough and gravity. So, the 2m recommendation makes sense to me. But even then, it’s not a perfect scenario, since there usually is some wind.
Hope you continue to stay safe and healthy!
Hi Jesse, Here is one recipe for making tofu from scratch – You need to make soy milk first and then coagulate the milk much like you would coagulate cows milk when making curds for cheese. Here you use an acid (lemon juice ) or epsom salts (I think that might also be called nagiri in Japan.
The more gentle the stirring, the better the curds and the more firm the tofu after pressing (the pressing removes the liquid from within the curds. Good luck!
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Tofu/
Thanks so much Bernard! This looks really interesting! I’ll have to buy some of the equipment needed, but I hope to try it!
Hi Jesse!
The food that you make always looks delicious!!
Chocolate humus cookies?
Recipe please!!
Wonderful to see the flowers!
Glad your work goes well!!
Sending a hug!
Pam
Hi Aunt Pam! I’m glad you enjoyed the food pics I shared. Here’s the recipe for Chocolate tahini cookies. To note, tahini is a sesame paste, it’s one of the main ingredients in a good hummus, but it’s not the same thing. I hope that you enjoy the recipe. I hope you, Uncle Craig, Alex, and Robbie stay safe and healthy!
https://www.veganricha.com/chocolate-tahini-cookies-grainfree/
Always great to hear from you, Jesse, and much appreciation for your hard-earned words of wisdom for those of us in an earlier phase of things!
Thanks Mason! I’m glad you’re finding my posts helpful. Hope you continue to stay safe and healthy!
Hi Jesse,
It’s great to hear your still doing well, and research is progressing quite nicely it sounds like! To be honest, I was quite surprised to hear from you about the resurgence in China; I was hoping/expecting that things would be returning to normal for you soon. I suppose the US has even longer to go than I was expecting. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll get through this!
Best,
Ryan
Hi Ryan! I was also disappointed to hear about the resurgence in China. It’s still almost entirely imported cases, which is good, but there’s some fear of spreading. I imagine this could also happen in the US as well. I agree with your positive attitude though! We’ll all get through this! Hope you’re able to be productive in your research and are staying safe and healthy.