Welcome to Astronomer in Shanghai! Thank you for following my blog during my first year in Shanghai and for your interest in my future adventures in Shanghai! As covid-19 continues to plague the US, and you are (hopefully) wearing masks when you go outside and are social distancing, I hope that my blog highlights that the world can recover from covid-19 and that following these practices leads to recovery. Once things improve, I hope you’ll look forward to small interactions with friends and family. I’m sure you’ll find that these interactions will be meaningful and enjoyable. In Shanghai, life has returned mostly to normal. Since outbreaks may still occur, it’s important that you wear masks and cooperate with social distancing guidelines so things improve.
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Life in Shanghai
Whenever and wherever you are reading this entry, I hope that it finds you safe, happy, and healthy. I know that there have been rising cases of covid-19 in both the US and Europe over the past week, so I wanted to let you all know that I continue to keep you all in my thoughts. Given the recent increases, it’s now more important than ever to continue to wear masks, wash hands, and follow social distancing guidelines. While I know many of you are lamenting the end of warm weather, I hope that you continue to follow such practices to have a safe and healthy winter.
While little has changed in terms of the political landscape in this past week, I do want to again emphasize to all of you the importance of voting. While I’m sure all of you (who are eligible) are planning to vote or have already voted, please encourage your friends, colleagues, and students (especially those) to vote! It’s abundantly clear that the current administration has no intention of doing anything to attempt to reverse the course of covid-19 or any of the systemic problems that exist in America. Therefore, I again implore all of you to vote for the candidates that care about you, that care about morality, that trust science, and that want to make America better for everyone, not just those of us who are rich, white, and Christian.
In China, covid-19 remains largely under control. There was a small new outbreak in Qingdao. In total the city had ~ 30 cases, but in response, the government tested over 3 million people. This is the kind of large scale response the US needs! The numbers have risen slightly in Shanghai as more people have returned from abroad. However, all the cases here have been imported. In total, there are 76 active cases (1 in Beijing) and a recovery rate of 92.3%. For China as a whole, the recovery rate is 94.3%. So, again, clearly it is possible to contain covid-19.
In terms of Astronomy, this was not a super productive week. However, that was mostly because I spent a lot of the week looking for a new apartment, which I’ll discuss later. We’re almost done with the draft of my first DES paper! So, that should be shared with my collaborator and friend Yuanyuan soon. Additionally, I continue to make progress on the Luminosity Function analysis. While there are still some discrepancies, we have a good plan of what data we will analyze going forward as well. Additionally, I worked on drafting my DESI secondary observation proposal, which probably needs a bit more work before the Thursday deadline.
In addition to working and apartment hunting, I went for 1 run. I’ll try to increase that this week, since I know I won’t spend 2-3 days bouncing between potential apartments! In terms of weather, it’s still very nice. Most days the highs are in the mid-low 70s, with lows in the upper 50s/low 60s. So, it should be perfect running weather for quite a while!
Despite the hectic nature of apartment searching, I still had fun photos to share with you! I know which one will be my Mom’s favorite!
The primary activity of my week was searching for a new apartment. Thankfully, I was successful (and wrote this from my new apartment)! Since apartment hunting is a little different here, I thought I’d describe the process. Before doing that, I do want to take the time to thank my friends Heather, Hannah Maia, and Kate for all their advice in terms of which apartments to visit and rent as well as their never ending support. I found the prospect of having to find a new place very stressful, so I’m so grateful to them as well as to my family for helping me remain optimistic and positive!
- Contact Rental Agents — In Shanghai, at least for expats, renting is done through rental agents. These are somewhat like real estate agents. However, unlike in the US, there’s no public listing. The agents have access to all of the listings. There are some online databases, but they’re not complete, so I really couldn’t look for places myself. Moreover, the agents negotiate on your behalf and help you get the best deal possible.
— I had three different rental agents working for me. - Rental Agents Share property images — This is exactly as it sounds, though done entirely via WeChat. After expressing my preferences, the agents then used those to make recommendations for different options. In total, I think I was shown ~ 30-40 different options via WeChat. While I couldn’t decide on an apartment solely on images, I was able to throw out a lot of options due to poor lighting, small cooking spaces, or generally not modern looking.
- Visit Apartments — Once I found a few places that I thought looked nice, I started to set up visits with my rental agents. In total, I ended up visiting 8 different apartments before I found the one that I wanted. There were 3-4 that I visited that were nice, but some of them had 1-2 things that I didn’t really love. Since my goal was to find a place that I wanted to live in, with a nice kitchen, and space to have friends over, I didn’t want to compromise on any of those options.
- Negotiate with the Landlord — Once I decided on the apartment that I wanted, my rental agent (who is compensated 35% of 1 months rent) negotiated the price down for me (and got them to put in a desk and chair! After this, I paid a security deposit.
- Sign the Lease — I signed my lease on Saturday afternoon! In China, rent is paid for multiple months at a time, so I pay for 3 months at a time (though the lease is for 1 year). I also had to pay a security deposit.
- Move in — Thanks to help from Heather and Shimi, I was able to have a moving service transport all of my stuff (I have so much stuff) to my new apartment in Shanghai. There was a ton of schlepping my suitcases and heavy boxes down from the fourth floor of my old apartment up to the 4th floor of my new apartment. So, it was an exhausting day. My old lease expires on Tuesday, so I’ll go over before that for a final walk through and a chance to clean it up a little. Additionally, I need to return my keys.
- Register my new Address with the Police — In China, all foreigners are required to register their address with the police. Thankfully this can now be done on line, so it takes less than 5 minutes.
I hope that this process was enlightening! It’s a little more complex than when I looked for apartments in Ann Arbor. For those of you familiar with Shanghai, I’m know living in Xuhui (instead of Xintiandi), which is the Former French Concession! It’s about a 30 minute walk from my old apartment, but close enough that I can now walk to the SJTU bus every morning (so yay less metro!). Plus, it’s conveniently located, so I can get to where my friends all live easily! I’ll share some photos of my new apartment once it’s all set up! However, overall, I’m really happy with my new apartment and looking forward to living in and exploring Xuhui!
Food in Shanghai
I had lots of yummy food this week! On Monday night, I got dessert with Heather. We went to a traditional Asian style desert restaurant (yes, the restaurant only serves desert)! I got a yummy mango and pomelo sago with strawberry ice cream! This is pomelo (one of my absolute favorite fruits) and mango in a mango custard filled with sago (which are like boba in bubble tea) and then topped with a scoop of strawberry ice cream! It was really yummy and equally refreshing!
Then, on Saturday night, I had a fantastic dinner with Hannah Maia! We went to a new vegetarian restaurant Duli! This restaurant was quite different from a lot of the Buddhist style vegetarian restaurants that I’ve enjoyed eating at in Shanghai. Overall, the food was a bit more modern, with a more global approach. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in Shanghai so far!
We enjoyed corn and cauliflower fritters stuffed in a baozi (the best dish), stir fried vegetables with tofu and crispy lotus root, Doubanjiang noodles, delicious gnocchi (haven’t had these in forever), and a delicious lemon and strawberry tart with Jasmine tea! It was a fantastic meal and I look forward to going again with more friends!
Jewish Life in Shanghai
This Saturday, three members of the Kehilat Shanghai community celebrated their B’nei Mitzvah at the historic Ohel Moishe Synagogue, which is located within the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum in Hongkou (a district of Shanghai).
The three kids did a wonderful job, each reading from the torah and delivering short d’var torahs to the community. Hannah Maia helped facilitate and lead a wonderful service with the three B’nei Mitzvah kids! As a Kehilat Shanghai Board member, I had the honor to attend and offer words of Congratulations to each of them on behalf of the community. I couldn’t help but think back fondly of celebrating my own B’nei Mitzvah with Emmet at the Canfield Casino 16.5 years ago and reflect on some of the words that were said to me by my parents. 🙂 The whole experience was lovely. I could tell how important it was for the families to have this happen.
Plus, I think you’ll all love the kippahs that were made! They have Baozi on them!
For me, one of the unique aspects of the B’nei mitzvah (that will probably only be clear in photos) resulted because one of the families is half Shanghainese, and as a result had more than 50 family members in attendance and by accident, I ended up sitting in the middle of their family. So, whenever photos are shared, there will be quite a few photos of me, in my tallis, in a sea of older Chinese grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles. 🙂 However, I think by having me there, I may have helped them follow along with the service, when to stand, when to sit, and probably made the service make just a little more sense. Moreover, for me, they reminded me just how unique an opportunity it was to celebrate a B’nei Mitzvah in Shanghai! Overall, the experience was a lovely mixture of traditional Jewish rituals, surrounded by Chinese flourishes, including bits of Chinese and even words of Congratulations from the Head of the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum in Chinese. It was wonderful to experience this event with my community!
As I noted, the B’nei Mitzvah was held at Ohel Moishe synagogue, which is part of the Jewish Refuge Museum, which I visited last year. However, since then, the facility has undergone a 90 million dollar renovation! After the B’nei Mitzvah, a group of us got to be in the first Jewish tour of the Museum! Sadly, we weren’t able to take pictures; however, once it’s open to the public, I’ll definitely be back to visit and share the experience with you all! If any of your family spent time in Shanghai during or following WWII, let me know. They have a wall of names and I’m happy to do a little sleuthing on your behalf.
This upcoming week will be a mixture of some fun and interesting social events while also spending time getting my new apartment set up! Hopefully, I’ll find a nice balance of research, life, and apartment setup. Regardless, I’m sure I’ll have many fun things to share with you all (plus pictures of my new apartment)!
I hope that you enjoyed reading about the Community B’nei Mitzvah and my successful apartment hunt! If there’s anything you’re curious about, please let me know.
In peace,
Jesse
Dear Jesse,
I enjoyed reading about the process of finding an apartment in Shanghai! It certainly is so different than apartment hunting in the US. It is wonderful that you have found a place where you can cook and have friends come over too. And it is nice that you will be able to walk to the SJTU bus, saving you some time in the commute via public transportation. Did you visit any of the apartments on a moped or motorcyle like you did with your rental agents last year?
Of course, I like the Golden picture. But I am eager to know what the Golden collection entails. Is it related to the Golden week autumn festival? I also loved seeing the synagogue in the Jewish Refugee Museum. I am making lists of things I want to eat–sword beans and corn and cauliflower fritters in a borzoi–and places to visit–that museum newly renovated to boot! And I think your new apartment sounds great. Let’s hope that this week will be a productive one for you in terms of research now that you are all settled with a new place to live.
The weather is clearly fall, but when it is sunny out, we can take walks and even sit in the garden. I am still picking raspberries! I made vegan applesauce bread using homemade applesauce this week, and it turned out well. I love teaching the Brontes and Austen, and my classes are going well. We love having Emmet with us, but we know he is ready to launch his China postdoc officially, so we hope he gets a date for when he can move there.
Thank you for another wonderful post. I love you and miss you.
Mom
Hi Mom! Thanks! I did get a chance to ride on a moped for a few of the visits. Slightly less terrifying than last year, but still not my favorite thing.
I knew you’ld like the Golden sign! I think it probably is related to golden week, but I didn’t actually go in the store. . I think you’ld really like the baozi! We can go there when you are able to visit! I also hope that I’ll be able to be productive in my new apartment.
I’m glad to hear that you’re still able to go outside. The raspberries and applesauce bread sound yummy! I’m happy you’re enjoying your classes as well! I hope I get to see Emmet soon, too!
Hi Jesse,
It sounds like you had a busy week. I’m glad you were ultimately successful in finding a new apartment! I didn’t realize how close to the wire you were. That’s pretty strange that you can’t view apartments yourself. I guess I’m so used to the Craig’s list model from Boston, that that just seems like how it should always be. I’m excited that you’ll be in a better area and closer to your friends. I hope schlepping everything wasn’t too tiring though, I know dad and I were pretty exhausted when we packed up the truck to move out of my apartment. I like all the pictures you shared, especially the rhino and poke-ball. :). Now that you’re all settled, will you go running in different places? The B’nei mitzvah sounds lovely. How many people were there? I really like the kippahs! It’s nice that you were asked to represent the community. All of the food you shared look amazing, especially your vegetarian feast! I did think that the food looked like a bit more of Chinese fusion than some of the other pictures you’ve shared. I hope you have a good week and stay safe and healthy and are able to find a balance between work productivity and setting up your apartment.
Love,
Emmet
Hi Emmet! Thanks! Yeah, I guess if I spoke Chinese I could do parts of the process on my own, but they’ve really built the agents into the system. Schlepping was exhausting and I’m still a little sore. My new apartment is actually not far from some of the streets/routses I used to run on, so I’ll probably just modify some of my runs to start with!
I think in total there were ~ 100 people at the b’nei mitzvah (maybe more). I saved you a Kippah! I agree about the food being more of a fusion. It was delicious! We can try it once you’re here! I hope you also have a productive week and stay safe and healthy!
Fascinating information about apartment hunting, Jesse. Who pays the rental agent – you or the landlord? And if their fee is a percentage of the first month’s rent then how good a negotiator might they choose to be to make sure that you get the best deal? Conflict of interest? It’s a little like real estate agents here. They help the buyer find their home but they in fact usually work for the seller – unless you hire an agent who is then working for you.
Your comments on ice cream made me think of something. Aren’t most people in China lactose intolerant? In fact most humans should be lactose intolerant. What other mammal is able to consume milk after they are weaned? So how common is “ice cream” and is ice cream typically made from animal milk or from vegetable milk? Ad if from animal milk is the milk then modified with lactase enzymes to break down the lactose into glucose (and fructose?).?
You will almost certainly have learned of the spikes of infections in parts of NYC. Hard to believe how some of our own tribe are behaving – invoking their religious needs over the protection of the health and yes, lives, of others. The irony is – and it is very ironic – that according to the same Jewish law that these people insist they live their lives by the value of “pikuah nefesh” saving a life is tantamount and supersedes very single other Jewish law. Every single one. So great Rabbis during cholera epidemics would eat food in synagogue during yom kippur to show that it is false piety to fast and put lives at risk if one was infected. Yet in parts of the city weddings and funerals and other religious events are held with hundreds of people many unmasked and few maintaining social distancing. I don’ t know that a mask 100% protects me from getting sick but I do know that it inhibits any spread of the virus from those who wear a mask to others.
Take care and stay safe and well – and enjoy your new apartment.
Hi Bernard! Thanks! I paid the rental agent, so there is the same double edged sword as in the US. However, a lot of their clients come via referal, so I’d like to think that they would do a good job.
You’re are correct that most people in Asia are lactose intolerant (at least mildly). However, milk (from cows) is super popular here). I do think that they remove/modify the lactose though. Milk and cheese are weirdly eaten a lot, which I didn’t expect.
I have heard about the spikes in New York, which is frustrating. It’s definitely made worse by the behaviour of members of the Jewish community. You’re example of Rabbis during cholera epidemics highlights that many of these super religious Jews don’t always understand the interpretations of our beliefs in the proper manner. I completely agree about masks. It’s not a perfect fix, but it’s the best way to prevent spread. Hope you also stay safe and healthy.
Hey Jesse! That’s pretty interesting how different the apartment search is. And it’s great you found a place that you really like in an ideal location.
That mango dessert looked sooo good! The poke’ ball art installation was also super neat. The kippahs looked pretty fun too!
Thanks for all the photos! It’s pretty interesting having that window into your life in Shanghai. And thanks for your help with postdoc applications. Balancing finishing this project + working on applications is getting a bit tricky;I’ll likely send you an email about that in a few days.
Thanks Ryan! The poke’ ball was actually on the back of someone’s car! It made me laugh seeing it!
Glad you’re still enjoying the photos! I’m happy to help with your postdoc applications and look forward to reading them! I know what you mean about balancing applications and research. I’m sure you’ll do great!