November: A Slow Return to Normalcy in Shanghai

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to Astronomer in Shanghai. I hope that all of you are doing well and staying safe and healthy. As the weather is finally cool in Shanghai, and transitioning to winter for many of you, I hope that those of you in colder climates are still doing well (and not buried under snow yet). For those of you in the Buffalo area, I hope you are safe and didn’t get buried under too much snow. I hope that all of you have had a nice and enjoyable fall and wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

As I’ve done the last few months, I’ll begin by updating all of you on the current covid-19 situation in Shanghai. As I’m sure some of you are aware, China officially eased some of the covid restrictions that had been put in place. However, zero covid is still very much the primary policy. Some of the main policy changes included reducing the quarantine time for new arrivals into China from 7 days at a hotel and 3 at home to 5 days at a hotel and 3 at home. (That said, being allowed home for those 3 days is at the discretion of your neighborhood committee and is by no means guaranteed). They also got rid of quarantining people who were secondary close contacts (i.e., close contacts of people who themselves were close contacts of people who tested positive for covid-19). However, while these policy changes are certainly a step in the right direction, they are still very tiny steps and there’s still a very long way to go before things reach a level of normalcy that exists in the US and elsewhere around the world. There has been an increased pressure for people to be vaccinated, but this still leaves me puzzled as to why China has refused to allow the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines be used (though there were promising reports that thanks to a meeting from the German ambassador that the Pfizer vaccine may soon be made available for ex-pats living in China. If that does happen, Emmet and I will both sign up as soon as possible). While these policy changes are a step in the right direction, I really wish that China would ease policies related to travel in a transparent way (they’ve announced some easing, but it is still unclear how that will be enacted), in particular travel around China, as I’d love to more easily visit Emmet in Beijing (or have Emmet visit me) and not worry about getting stuck in another city.

Despite these policy changes, the actual situation hasn’t changed that much. Shanghai still requires that you be tested within 72 hours to go on public transportation and to enter large shopping spaces. As a result of this, I’m generally being tested at least 3 times per week and since my last blog post, have been tested 16 times. As a result of the new policies, Shanghai ended mass testing, so there’s no longer the testing that was done directly in my neighborhood. That said, I’m fortunate that I can walk around the corner to get tested, since it’s still a part of everyday life. Although the situation in Shanghai appears to be okay (there are a small number of cases ~10-20) each day, elsewhere in China, the situation is more worrisome. In Guangzhou (southern China, near Hong Kong), there have been 10s of thousands of cases and rumors of a city-wide lockdown. In Beijing, where Emmet is, cases have started to flare up to a few hundred a day, leading to many people being asked to work from home, lots of schools being forced to go online, and the closure of dine-in restaurants (thankfully Emmet and his cat, Goldie, are both safe and healthy).

Overall, I hope that the situation will improve soon in Beijing and Guangzhou and that policy restrictions will continue to be loosened over the coming months.

Astronomy in Shanghai

This was another very busy and productive month of Astronomy research. For the most part, I split my time between doing research/writing and doing new job applications (mostly for postdoctoral positions at universities in the US). So, far, I’ve submitted 23 applications (still about 15-20 to go). While each application isn’t as time consuming as it was the first time I put all my application material together (since I can reuse the same research statement), I do spend a lot of time going over department websites to figure out which faculty I could work with and writing cover letters. Once I know where I’ll be going next, I’ll make sure to let all of you know.

In terms of Astronomy research, this was another productive month. First, I received only minor revisions for my DES Intracluster light paper! While I haven’t started those yet (because of the job applications), I plan to address them in the coming month. Once the paper is published, I’ll share the link here!

Additionally, I’ve made significant headway on Project Population, my analysis of the conditional luminosity function done using both SDSS-redMaPPer and the Yang (2021) cluster catalogs. I’ve actually finished all the science and am almost done writing the paper! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but Ying and I are trying to get this out by the beginning of December to help with my applications! We have some very interesting results about how the different cluster finders and their methods for identifying the cluster centers result in different populations of red and blue galaxies. We also use weak gravitational lensing measurements to show that despite these differences in the galaxy populations, we don’t see large discrepancies in the estimated halo mass. Once the paper is posted on arXiv, I’ll share the link here and discuss it in depth a bit more!

One fun thing that I got to do this past month was give a guest lecture at NYU: Shanghai! Thanks to one of my friends from Trivia, I was invited to go in and give a guest lecture on my research (and galaxy clusters/dark matter) in English for Academic Purposes: Gaze into Space! I had a fantastic time visiting NYU: Shanghai! The students seemed to really enjoy meeting me and asked excellent questions (ranging from background questions about what inspired me to study Astronomy, to more technical questions about parallel universes and the nature of dark matter)! I hope that I have the opportunity to do more teaching or guest lecturing in the future!

On another positive note, I’ve finally been back to SJTU’s campus! After 8 months of exclusively working from home, I’ve now been back at SJTU twice. The first time was to collect all the necessary forms for my visa renewal (which is now completed) and the second time was for my research group meeting. Going forward, I’m planning to go in 1 time per week for the group meeting (since Ying, my supervisor, is still not going in more than 2-3 times per week). The process of entering campus is a bit annoying, though. I have to apply to enter campus the night before, which is a formality, since they just want to see your green QR health and travel codes. Once you enter campus, they scan you in and you can only leave campus once, or else you have to apply again to enter. Moreover, it’s entirely unclear to me how the campus shuttle works, since I have to apply to enter the Minhang campus, but take the shuttle from Xujiahui. So, instead, I’ve been taking the metro, which is a bit more of a schlep.

Despite the annoyances of schlepping out to campus, it was really nice to be back! While it was much quieter and less lively than I remembered, it was nice to see some of my colleagues, many of whom I had only seen virtually or communicated with via WeChat for the past 8 months! Plus, the campus is very beautiful, so I’m glad that I’ve gotten (and will continue to have) the opportunity to go in this fall/winter.

One other cool thing was that ~ 2 weeks ago, there was a full lunar eclipse visible in Shanghai! I could see it from just outside of my apartment! It was really cool watching the moon slowly transition to being a full eclipse (Blood Moon)! While I wish I had been somewhere with fewer buildings in the way, I’m glad that I was able to see it!

Plus, I let the Kehilat Shanghai community know about the eclipse and many of the community members were also able to go out and see it!

Life in Shanghai

Given all of the work that I’ve been doing this past month on job applications and writing a new research paper, there wasn’t a ton of time for fun activities. Most of my free time has been spent trying to unwind, exercise, cook, or playing with Scottie and Charlie. I’m still going to F45 4-5 times per week, but it’s finally cool enough here that I can run comfortably! So, I’ve been doing that 1-2 times per week as well!

Despite the busier work month, there were some fun highlights, including two different trivia nights and dinners with friends that I’ll share later!

Despite Halloween, not really being celebrated in Shanghai (outside of the expat communities), I did want to share some of the fun Halloween decorations that I saw around the city (mostly in places that cater to younger people or expats). I even bought myself some Halloween candy and my Mom sent me a goody bag via Baopals!

I also wanted to share some cool photos from around Shanghai! Despite having lived here for over three years, I still find the city so beautiful and love to walk around because I never know what I’ll see!

I also saw some cool comic and anime related or inspired things!

There was also this awesome Bleach display at the Lawson’s (a Japanese convenience store) around the corner from my department in celebration of the new Bleach anime!

Lastly, over the past two months, I’ve noticed tons of these cute cat statues all over Shanghai! Though, it seems like they’re no longer up now. While I have no idea why they were up in the first place (they seem to be in commercial locations), it reminds me a lot of the horses that are decorated/designed by artists and setup around Saratoga or the Buffalo statues around Buffalo!

In addition to the always adorable Scottie and Charlie, I also saw some of the cute cats at F45 and in the neighborhood!

Scottie and Charlie

Despite me now going in to the office once a week, I’m still getting plenty of time with Scottie and Charlie. I’m not sure they really understand why I leave on some days, but I know they’re always happy to see me (and get fed)! It makes coming home a lot nicer, too! Overall, this was a fun month for them, filled with some new toys to play with and somehow a new high perch for Scottie!

Most importantly, they continue to be absolutely adorable! They love cuddling with one another (and me) and always know how to cheer me up when I get stressed about work or job applications.

They’re also just as adorable when by themselves!

This month, Scottie continued to explore and find new places to sit!

Charlie also continues to be super playful and loves to play with me! Scottie also wanted to play with the feather toy, but Charlie wanted it a bit more 🙂

Food in Shanghai

The main culinary adventure this month was a fantastic hotpot dinner that my friend Sarah organized (including my friends Kate & Ilan)! We went to a vegetarian hot pot restaurant that was amazing! From the fun appetizers (like chik’n nuggets, spring roles, kaofu, jiaozi – dumplings) to the amazing xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) to of course the fantastic hot pot! It was so much fun and so delicious! I have wanted to try xiaolongbao (Shanghai style soup dumplings), so that was one of my favorite parts (since they are traditionally not vegetarian)!

We had a fantastic mushroom broth, featuring exotic mushrooms from Yunnan (Western China). You can also see the most gorgeous display of vegetables (mushrooms, greens) and a wide array of mock meats (different tofus, and vegetarian sausages) for the hot pot! I used a lot of different mushrooms, tofu, and other vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli! I can’t wait to go again! Plus, since everything was vegetarian, I didn’t have to worry about selecting the wrong broth or cooking item!

In addition to this amazing hot pot experience, I had some other great meals! Tacolicious had two awesome vegetarian/vegan specials this past month. First, they had a vegan (made from Zrou, a chinese brand of mock meat) burger topped with vegan chili! Then they also had a nopales (cactus) taco! I don’t think I’ve had nopales before, but it was really great! And nopales are apparently grown in China!

Additionally, when I went to NYU: Shanghai, I had a lovely lunch ahead of time with the Professor who invited me and my friend who invited me, including a falafel bowl, coconut raspberry milkshake, and miso tofu!

While most of what I had was savory food. I also had an interesting Shanghai specialty lemon cake when my supervisor Ying and I met at a coffee shop in Pudong to finalize the plans for our luminosity function paper. It was also really nice to see Ying in person, as it had been 7 months since we saw each other face-to-face.

Plus, how could I not share this adorable photo of how Oreos are packaged in China!

In addition to the amazing food I enjoyed with friends, I also did a lot of cooking for myself! It’s been cooler, so I’ve been making a lot of different curries! Some of the highlights include Pra Ram Tofu (twice), Malai Tofu, Sticky sesame cauliflower, spinach and chickpea curry, and sweet potato and chickpea curry. I also made delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies for this month’s Family Shabbat!

Jewish Life in Shanghai

This past month, was a bit quieter for Kehilat Shanghai. We had a lovely Family Shabbat this past weekend as well as two fun trivia nights (that I’ll share the questions from below). However, the main highlight was two weeks ago when Roberta (from Kehillat Beijing) was stuck in Shanghai, so my friends Shimi and Heather hosted a lovely Shabbat dinner!

It was so nice to gather with friends and have a relaxing Shabbat (and not have to do the organization myself)! I look forward to more Shabbat gatherings in the coming months! An added bonus was that since Roberta sees Emmet almost every week for Shabbat in Beijing, she was able to bring Emmet some of my homemade jam and a book for him! For those of you wondering, travel is possible, but there is no guarantee you won’t get stuck and SJTU needs to approve any travel I take.

I also participated in two fantastic Zoom talks organized by Historic Shanghai about the history of Jews in Shanghai. The first was by author Liliana Willems who spoke about her experiences growing up in Shanghai (as a refugee from the WWII/the Holocaust). She also spoke about her book, Stateless in Shanghai. The second was this morning, and was a discussion led by Marina Cunningham, where she discussed her experience growing up in Shanghai (in a Russian Jewish family) and the experience of staying in Shanghai until the late 1950s. Shanghai has such a rich and fascinating history and I’m so grateful that I have so many opportunities to learn about it. It was particularly interesting to hear more about the Jewish experience in Shanghai after WWII, as much of what I’ve learned has centered on just that time period (and the Shanghai Ghetto experience is different from those who lived in Shanghai before and after WWII).

What I’m Reading and Watching

This month, I want to highlight two manga/graphic novel series the I finished. The first is Fairy Tail! It’s a 63 volume manga epic that Emmet and I had started reading when we were beginning graduate school! Although Emmet had finished it prior to moving to Beijing, it took us longer to find a way for me to read it legally online. However, during the lockdown, Emmet and I found that it was available on the INKR app! Fairy Tail is a fun series about the adventures of Natsu Dragneel and his wizard guild mates as they go on jobs to defeat evil wizards and monsters and ultimately save the world! I loved this series and have really enjoyed all of Hiro Mashima (the author/artists) works, so was thrilled that I could read it digitally!

The second series was Hilo, by Judd Winnick! Hilo is an all-ages graphic novel series about a robot boy who falls to earth and the adventures he has with his best friends DJ and Gina. I had met Judd Winnick when he visited Ann Arbor while I was a grad student and had bought the first volume then. However, I was able to pick up the rest of the series, volumes 2-8, (more will come out later) at the Foreign Language Bookstore over the summer! It’s such a fun series and one I definitely recommend for kids as the story and art are both filled with so much heart and love for the superhero genre!

I also finished a few TV series. I finished watching the latest season of The Flight Attendant on HBOMax, which shows the out of control adventures and downward spiral of Kaley Cuoco’s lead character’s life and battle with alcoholism. I also watched Night Sky on Amazon Prime, which was an interesting sci-fi concept where the lead characters have a portal that takes them to another planet under their backyard shed. The world building of the porals and who was using them was interesting, but unfortunately the show was cancelled so didn’t ultimately get to be lead to anything. I also finished watching the 2nd season of Ozark and am looking forward to continuing to watch the rest!

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for so much for reading my blog and for your interest in my life and experiences in Shanghai. I hope that you enjoy this update, seeing the fantastic food I’ve enjoyed, and hearing about a relatively normal month in Shanghai, with tons of photos of Scottie and Charlie! If you have any questions about anything I’ve written don’t hesitate to reach out either in the comments or via e-mail. I hope that all of you have a safe, happy, healthy, end of November and that all of you have a lovely Thanksgiving filled with friends and family!

In peace,

Jesse

Trivia

October:

Round 1: Things that are Orange?

ž1). Otto the Orange is the mascot of this University in New York?
2). William of Orange was a noble who later became King William the III of England.  Prior to this, he led this revolution in 1688, supported by the Protestants.  Bonus: Where is the Province of Orange?
3). žThough Fanta’s most popular flavor is orange, name the other 8 flavors of Fanta that are currently sold (neither orange or orange sugar free).
4). žThough this sports team has a different color in it’s name, it’s helmets are not that color, instead, they are orange.
5). žInstead of jam, this type of preserve ižs often made with oranges, using the rind.
6). Garfield, the comic strip cat, is a classic orange tabby cat. Name his owner?
7). žIn 2005, this work of art was installed in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne-Claude featuring a series of saffron-colored nylon fabric.
8). žIn Hinduism, these ascetic wandering monks or holy men often wear orange clothing.
9). žDespite it’s flag being red, white, and blue, athletes from this country always compete wearing orange.
10). žThis television network, home to many of my childhood classics from Rocket Power to Rugrats, has a logo featuring an orange splat.

Answers: 1). Syracuse 2). The Glorious Revolution — Southern France 3). Orange cream, Dragon Fruit, Pineapple, Strawberry, Grape, Peach, Pina Colada, Berry 4). Cleveland Browns 5). Marmalade 6). Marmalade 7). The Gates 8). Sadhu 9). Netherlands 10). Nickelodeon

Round 2: Monster Mash (by Emmet)

1). The Golem Is the quintessential Jewish monster.  This man of clay is brought to life by writing this word on his forehead (Please give the Hebrew and English).  He is returned to his slumber by putting this word on his forehead (Please give the Hebrew and English)
2). žThis British TV show (which had a US remake that aired on the SyFy channel in the early 2010s) features a werewolf, vampire, and ghost all living together.
3). žHoward Carter famously discovered this Mummy’s tomb in 1922
4). This “Mother of Frankenstein’s Monster” is also a famous Daughter.  Name both the author and her mother.  Bonus points if you can name the book that the author of Frankenstein’s mother is best known for
5). This real historical figure is commonly believed to have served as the inspiration for Count Dracula.  Name him and the historical kingdom he was the Prince of. 
6). These two mythical monsters are known for seducing men and women (respectively) into sexual relations
7). What are the names (and monster type) of the two leading love interests in the Twilight series?
8). Although more famous for playing Wolverine, Hugh Jackman also played this legendary monster hunter in this self-named film. 
9). žThese mythical Japanese swordsman monsters are known for their raven-like wings and red skin.  They were also believed to teach the way of the sword to Minamoto no Yoshitane.
10). žLess of a monster and more of a mythical figure, this Monkey King of Chinese folklore served as the inspiration for Goku in Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga (proper name only) 

Answers). 1). Emet (אמת) – Truth; Met (מת) – Death 2). Being Human 3). King Tut 4). Mary Shelley; Mary Wallstonecraft; A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects 5). Vlad Tepes; Wallachia 6). Succubus; Incubus 7). Jacob (therianthrope – werewolf is acceptable); Edward (vampire) 8). Van Helsing 9). Tengu 10). Sun Wukong

Round 3: Connections

1). žThough he didn’t live up to his hype, this American soccer player became the youngest man ever to sign in the MLS, when he signed with the DC United at Age 14
2). žThis city was founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers arriving in the Americas.  It hosts Americas first subway system and public library and is home to many institutions of higher learning
3). žName this rhyming named turtle who appears in children’s books and is also an estimated 90 year old turtle who lives at the New England Aquarium.
4). žName the mother of Jacob and Esau?
5). žThis fictional mathematician who specializes in Chaos Theory was portrayed by Jeff Goldblum in the Jurassic Park Series
6). žName this Jamaican singer, musician, songwriter and pioneer of reggae
7). žThis California-based fast casual dining chain with more than 300 locations (mostly in the US) was modeled on Chipotle, but for Pizzas.  LeBron James is one of the original investors in the company
8). ž In the Pirates of the Caribbean series, this ship was captained by Davy Jones?
9). žIn 2022, this man became the first Norwegian-born tennis player to compete for a grand slam championship (when he did so twice)
10). What is the Connection

Answers: 1). Freddy Adu 2). Boston 3). Myrtle the Turtle 4). Rebecca 5). Dr. Ian Malcolm 6). Bob Marley 7). Blaze Pizza 8). The Flying Dutchman 9). Casper Ruud 10). Famous Ghosts

November

Round 1: Thanksgiving Foods

1). žThis popular starchy tuber comes in a variety of colors, both inside and out.  Including brown, yellow, orange, red, or purple skin and white, orange, or purple inside.
2). Name this popular Turkey substitute in the US, with a name based on a portmanteau.
3). žThough these terms are often used to mean the same thing, what is the technical difference between stuffing and dressing?
4). Pumpkin pie spice is traditionally a combination of these 5 ingredients?
5). žThough not always the most popular side dish, this dish is traditionally topped with crispy, crunchy, fried onions.
6). žPotatoes are used in all manners of Thanksgiving food.  They are native to the Americans and are thought to have been domesticated 7-10,000 years ago.  Name specifically where Potatoes are thought to originate?
7). žEating or drinking the juice from too much of this ingredient can lead to diarrhea and upset stomach.
8). žSouthern families traditionally serve Macaroni and Cheese at Thanksgiving dinner.  However, the first recipe for the modern interpretation of Macaroni and Cheese appeared in 1769 in a book published in this country?
9). žThis green, sour, apple popular in apple pie originated in Australia in 1868.
10). žName this member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages grown for its edible buds, which has long been popular in Belgium.

Answers: 1). Sweet Potato 2). Tofurky 3). Where they are cooked 4). Ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg 5). Green Bean Casserole 6). Andes region of South America 7). Cranberries 8). England 9). Granny Smith Apples 10). Brussels Sprouts

Round 2: The World Cup

1). ž5 Countries have hosted the Men’s World Cup twice.  Name them
2). Only one country has participated in all 21 Men’s World Cups, name it
3). žThe World Cup hosted by these two countries in 2002 featured the most host cities and host stadiums.
4). Name this country that has won a record 5 world cup.  Bonus, Name these two countries that have been runner up the most?
5). žJust Fontaine, a striker for this country holds the record with the most goals in a single World Cup with 13 in 1958
6). žMiroslav Klose of Germany holds the record for most overall Men’s World Cup goals with how many?
7). žName the year and champion for the first Men’s World Cup?
8). žThe women’s World Cup was first held in 1991, hosted in what country and won by who?
9). žDespite many countries competing for the World Cup, in total, only how many countries have actually won?
10). žThough Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most goals for men, this Brazilian superstar holds the record for women, with 17.

Answers: 1). Germany, Brazil, Mexico, France, Italy 2). Brazil 3). Japan & South Korea 4). Brazil; Argentina-Netherlands 5). žFrance 6). 16 7). Uruguay – 1930; 8). China; USA 9). 8 10). Marta

Round 3: “Remember, Remember, the 5th of November” (by Emmet)

1). žOn November 5, 1572, this famous Danish Astronomer (famous for his incredibly intricate naked eye observations) observed a supernova in the Cassiopeia constellation. 
2). žFamously Guy Fawkes Night, November 5 in the UK remembers when Guy Fawkes was arrested for trying to place explosives under this house of Parliament in 1605
3). žOn November 5, 1639, the first post office in what would become the United States was established in this colony
4). žOn November 5, these five presidents were elected president of the United States (One in 1872, one in 1912, one in 1940, one in 1968, and one in 1996 )
5). This famous Jewish musician (part of a famous musical duo), who once recorded under the stage name Tom, was born on November 5, 1941
6). November 5, 1955 is the day that this film character returns to in Back to the Future
7). This musical, featuring famous storybook characters like “Little Red Riding hood”, “Cinderella”, and “Jack” was released on November 5, 1987 (name the musical and the person who wrote the music)
8). In honor of the 400th Anniversary of Guy Fawkes night, this movie (based on a graphic novel) was released in 2006 (although it was delayed off the November 5th intended release date)
9). žThe Chang’e, this country’s first lunar satellite, entered orbit around the moon on November 5, 2007
10). žOn November 5, 2018, this NASA probe became the 2nd man-made object to leave the Solar System and enter the Interstellar Medium

Answers: 1). Tycho Brahe 2). The House of Lords 3). Massachusetts Bay Colony 4). Ulysses S. Grant (1872); Woodrow Wilson (1912); Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1940); Richard Nixon (1968); Bill Clinton (1996) 5). Art Garfunkel 6). Marty McFly 7). Into the Woods – Stephen Sondheim 8). V for Vendetta 9). China 10). Voyager 2

Round 4: Things I am Thankful For

1). žAstronomy: Last week, this type of event was visible in Shanghai?
2). žHealth: This type of booster shot has been released by Pfizer and modern to protect against both the original and Omicron strains of Covid-19
3). žFamily: Although I haven’t seen my family in three years, I’m grateful for this apple application that makes it easy for me to video chat with them
4). žFood: That I know no longer have to eat this long stalky Chinese vegetable, with leaves on the end that was commonly provided to me during the lockdown.
5). žCats: Cats don’t have thumbs, instead they have this type of nail/claw on the inside of the leg 
6). žTV: That Netflix renewed this show, based on a comic book series by Neil Gaiman, for a 2nd season
7). žSports: That this tennis player won his record setting 21st (and later 22nd) grand slam in 2022 when he came back from a 2 sets to love deficit to defeat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open
8). žBooks: That this author of The Road is releasing two new novels, The Passenger and Stella Maris, the first since 2006.
9). žPolitics: That thanks to John Fetterman flipping the senate seat from this US State, the Democrats were able to maintain control over the Senate.
10). žMovies: That this actor was announced to be returning as Superman following his cameo in Black Adam? 

Answers: 1). Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) 2). Bivalent 3). FaceTime 4). Celtuse/Woju 5). Dew Claw 6). The Sandman 7). Rafael Nadal 8). Cormac McCarthy 9). Pennsylvania 10). Henry Cavill

Round 5: Connections

1). žMovies: That this actor was announced to be returning as Superman following his cameo in Black Adam? 
2). žName this American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill, who’s hit songs include Sex on Fire and Use Somebody?
3). žName this long running food network program about the baking artistry of Duff Goldman and his band of friends/co-workers originally set in Baltimore, Md.
4). žName this author of books including The Game, White Fang, and Call of the Wild?
5). žName this American comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live, who’s notable works include The Emperor’s New Groove, Joe Dirt, Rules of Engagement, The Benchwarmers, and Hotel Transylvania
6). žName this singer, whose most popular song is played during the 8th inning of every home game at Fenway park for the Boston Red Sox.
7). žName this popular video game, first released in 2002, which was done in collaboration between Disney and Square Enix?
8). žName this American rapper and Actress whose debut album was All Hail the Queen and later appeared in tv shows/films including The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Ice Age, Hustle, and The Equalizer (reboot).
9). žName this comic book character played or voiced by actors including Mark Hamill, Jared Leto, and most recently Barry Keoghan.
10). What is the Connection?

Answers: 1). The Cavern Club 2). Kings of Leon 3). Ace of Cakes 4). Jack London 5). David Spade 6). Neil Diamond 7). Kingdom Hearts 8). Queen Latifah 9). The Joker 10). All parts of a deck of cards



8 Replies to “November: A Slow Return to Normalcy in Shanghai”

  1. Thanks, Jesse, for another delightful blog. It’s incredibly challenging for me to understand China’s approach to Covid. it’s as if they think that they can eradicate this virus simply by preventing its spread in China – whereas there is the rest of the world, but more than that, zero tolerance would appear to be leaky and so the cost to everyone may be more than the benefit of such control… unless you view the philosophy of control as in and of itself valuable- where the state and not the people are at the center of political thought.
    The fact that PRC is still restricting Pfizer vaccines suggests (to me) that the PRC demands that its science and its medicine trumps (excuse that four letter word) Western science and medicine…
    Good luck with the paper you are working on. Publication would seem to be another important feather towards any post doc position you are seeking.
    Just learned that Buffalo and the region got hit with 6.5 feet (2 meters) of snow. Hochul has called the National Guard to help with snow removal. One of my colleagues who works at Empire State from Buffalo told me that when they had the 7 foot snowfall some years ago, she was unable to open her front door to get out. And here’s the irony: in NY front doors are required to open inwards to allow exist and egress after a snow storm… but storm doors typically open outwards and if there is a pile of snow outside the front door you cannot get out because of the “storm door”…
    Your pics of the lunar eclipse were lovely, although a telephoto shot would have been astounding. I heard a few days ago that there is to be a full eclipse of the sun in Rochester (NY) I think in 2023 and so they are planning for a huge influx of solar tourists from all over the world.
    You say that it is cool enough for you to run, these days. Here, it is cool enough for water to freeze! In the Bronx , this morning , it’s a balmy 33 F but I here that it is a tad cooler in Saratoga. Will be back in Saratoga in a few hours so I will be able to confirm this (or not) later. brrrr.
    Those pics of the dishes and dumplings look delightful, and your cooking is a great deal more adventurous than mine at this time, although I have to say that in the last couple of months I am into sourdough bread making. The secret is not to keep a large container of starter but to use just about all the starter you have in the next loaf and use the scrapings as the base for the next active starter which you feed 12 hours before you intend to start the dough. You can then add say, 50 or 100 g of flour and 50 or 100 ml of water (as you may know, the volume and the weight of water (ml and g respectively), is the same). I aim for about 70% hydration – which means whatever the weight of the flour you use, 70% of that weight is the water you will add. (and if you make a starter that is 50% water and 50% flour you simply add those weights to each side for your calculation. The greater the hydration , the larger the crumb, (those random holes in the bread caused by the gas produced by the yeast. The challenge with sourdough is that the amount of yeast in the dough is tiny compared to lab cultured yeast packs and so the fermentation time must be extended considerably. It can take 24-36 hours or longer to make a sourdough loaf from start to finish…
    Something you may be interested to watch… Alaska Daily. It stars Hilary Swank who is also a producer and it deals with a journalist who finds herself demoted to work for a small Alaskan newspaper after working for a major national, (the reason for her loss of position is part of the storyline – so I won’t spoil it) but the main arc of the tale is about the enormous numbers of indigenous women who go missing and/or who are murdered but who are all basically ignored by the police and the state. This is such an important and awful story and the TV series while not brilliant, gets it so right… I certainly recommend the series which is being streamed on HULU but is being broadcast on one of the network TV channels (ABC, I think).
    Jesse, Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.
    Best wishes,
    Bernard

    1. Thanks Bernard! I think that your summary of China’s covid policy is 100% correct. They only are trying to address the spread in China, which is a failing strategy in the long term. I also think that you’re right that China wants to tout it’s own vaccine as being just as good, which is unfortunately not the case. Thanks for the well wishes about my paper. You’re right that having another paper would be a great help for landing a new position!

      That was really interesting about storm doors, that seems to me to be something that should easily be fixed. I know that there will be a solar eclipse visible in much of western NY in 2024, so maybe that’s what you’re thinking of. I definitely hope to see it! It’s certainly much colder for you than it is for me (it was 80 today). Hope you stay warm! Thanks for all the tips about the sourdough! I haven’t made that yet, but hope to try once I’m back in the US! Alaska Daily sounds very interesting! I’ll definitely try to check it out!

      Hope you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

  2. Hi Jesse,
    Thank you for another great blog post. I’m glad that the COVID situation in Shanghai is far better than the situation here in Beijing and that you can enjoy (at least a bit of the very slow easing of some of the policies). I’m hoping things in Beijing get better soon, but I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be rough. Even if we can’t get Pfizer, I’d take the aerosol booster if it was available for foreigners (spoiler, it isn’t). I’m glad that you remain incredibly productive on the research front. Great job on all of the applications. From what I’ve read, they seem quite strong. I’m glad that your DESI paper was received so glowingly! I’m really impressed by how quickly you churned out the writing for Project Population. I’ll try to channel you when I aim to write up Project Morphology in February/March. It really helps when you can make a plan with your supervisor (or really any collaborator). That’s great that you were able to present at NYU Shanghai! How far is the campus from you? I’m glad that it was so much fun and I hope you get to do it again. I’ve made a few connections with some middle school and high school teachers here, but the COVID situation has made it difficult to do anything lately. That’s great that you’ve been able to return to campus. Maybe you’ll be able to have some in person seminars in the Spring. It’s ironic that as you’re finally getting back to normal, things are worsening here. I just want the cases to go down. Your pictures of the eclipse were great! I’m so glad we both got to see it! Given that we’ll both have a rather non-festive Thanksgiving, I’m glad we could have a more festive Halloween (at least in terms of getting some candy and seeing some decorations). I love all of the random sculptures and lights that you see around Shanghai. We have a little of that in Beijing, but not much near where I am (although there was that cool Dragon statue). As always, I love seeing the anime figurines! Did you end up getting a Bleach Coke? I still have those Dragon Ball Super sodas (so hopefully you’ll be able to visit and try them). And the cat statues were really cool! If they had little ones at X11, that could be a fun gift. As always, Scottie and Charlie are adorable. I love how often they seem to be on top of each other. You can certainly see how bonded they are. Sometimes I worry that Goldie is lonely, so I hope my working from home is a comfort to her. And Scottie sure is a climber. It’s weird that he avoids the cat house though. I’m definitely envious of your Vegan hot pot! That looks amazing! We need to go there when I visit you next (which hopefully will happen before you leave). I feel like hot pot is one of the few dishes that I haven’t really experience (I had a mini soy milk hot pot at a Japanese-Chinese fusion vegetarian restaurant, which was great, but it wasn’t like the array of what you showed). I’m especially envious of all of the mushrooms. And those soup dumplings look amazing! Your tacos/burger at Tacolicious also look great! I think you’ve found better Western food in Shanghai than I have in Beijing. Your other meals/desserts also look great (as does your own cooking). I’m so glad that you’ve been able to do some fun Kehillat Shanghai events. I know Roberta said how much she enjoyed Shabbat dinner with all of you and that she’s looking forward to joining you on December 2. I’m glad trivia is still a hit! I really enjoyed the Historic Shanghai talk this morning. It’s nice to hear a different side of Jewish life in Shanghai beyond just the life in the ghetto. I hope you continue to stay safe and healthy and that the rest of November and the beginning of December is a safe, healthy, and productive month (and you find a bit of time to do some fun things, too!). Here’s hoping to lower case numbers for everyone.
    Love,
    Emmet

    1. Thanks Emmet! I hope that the covid-19 situation in Beijing improves soon. Thanks for all the well wishes on my application and paper writing. I appreciate all your help in reading my different statements and cover letters. Plus, it’s been great to do more writing sessions as we’re both working from home. NYU Shanghai is about 50 minutes by metro/walking, but the campus is moving to a new building in the winter (not sure where that is). I haven’t bought a Bleach coke. I don’t really like Coke, but I guess I should. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for a little cat statue! I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos of Charlie and Scottie! I hope that Goldie isn’t lonely, though I’m sure she’s really enjoying the quality time with you! We can definitely go to that vegan hot pot whenever you’re able to visit! I’m also looking forward to the Shabbat on December 2nd, it’ll be nice to have Roberta join! I hope that you also have a safe and healthy month and that the covid-19 situation in Beijing improves and the number of cases continues to go down.

  3. Dear Jesse,

    This was a very enjoyable post. I particularly liked seeing the pictures of SJTU since it has been quite some time that you were able to visit the campus. It is very lovely. The cat statues also reminded me of the statues of horses in Saratoga and buffalo in Buffalo. I also always enjoy seeing the street cats and photos of adorable Scottie and Charlie. You look so happy when they are sitting on your lap. I am so glad we can share our love of cats!

    When you wrote that you have been in Shanghai for three years, it really hits home. I certainly do miss you! I am also very proud of you and all the great work you are doing with paper writing and job applications. My fingers and toes are crossed for you that you will get many good offers in places where we can visit you and you can visit us.

    I had a fun weekend meeting up in Hudson with Pam and Cousin Caren and her family. Pam had a piece in an art show at a gallery in Hudson, and we all met up there for a family reunion. We had not seen Caren since just before the pandemic began. It was so nice to be together.

    I drove straight to the park on Sunday, so Dad and I took our usual walk in the park, but it really was cold today. We have had some snow already, which is too soon for me. Of course, we do not have snow like Buffalo. Happily, everyone I spoke to has not been impacted too much.

    I send you all my love, Jesse, and think fondly of the Thanksgivings we had as a family. I am thankful for you. I love you, Mom

    1. Thanks Mom! It was really nice to get to go back to campus! I’m glad you liked the cat statues and all the photos of Scottie and Charlie! I also hope that I can get a new position that’s closer to home so that it’s easier to visit you and Dad. I’m glad that you had such a fun weekend! It was really nice FaceTiming with everyone. I’m glad that you’re still able to go for walk’s outside, though I’m sure it’s pretty chilly already. Glad you didn’t get too much snow and that none of our family was too badly impacted. I’ll be thinking of you and Dad at Thanksgiving and looking forward to Zooming together as a family! Hope you have a safe and healthy month!

  4. Hey Jesse, great to hear all that you’ve been up to. It’s nice that China is slightly easing restrictions and hopefully the trend continues. Really cool on getting pictures of the blood moon! I think it was visible here technically but kinda poor weather. Awesome about all the great research progress you’ve been making! Good luck getting the project with Ying done and good luck with all your proposals! Also nice to see you got to enjoy food while being busy this past month! (I don’t think you had as much to share last month.) The fake meat burger looks interesting! I wonder how it tastes compared to seitan “chicken.” Congrats on finishing reading fairy tale – and cool a new season (or adaption?) of Bleach is coming out. I loved the first season of Bleach but the pace slowed down too much for me after that — and it was also really long. I hope you get to enjoy MHA6 soon! Although it’ll probably be more enjoyable to binge it all at once if you haven’t started yet. Looking forward to hearing updates on your job applications and life in general!

  5. Thanks Ryan! It’s certainly nice that China is moving in the right direction. Thanks for the support about research and applications! I’m hopeful that everything continues to go quickly for the paper so that we can get in on arXiv while I’m still submitting applications. I’ve had both Seitan chik’n and z-rou (the mock meat) and they taste quite different. Seitan has a bit more texture, but not being a meat eater, I’m not sure which is better. That said, I’ve enjoyed both!

    So, for Bleach, this is an adaptation of the final arc, the battle against the Quincy’s. I read the manga, but am excited to eventually watch the anime! Overall, I enjoyed Bleach, but the anime had a lot of filler arcs that were hard to get through. I haven’t started MHA season 6 yet, but am looking forward to it! I’ll definitely let you know how all the applications go! It’d be great to chat sometime soon!

Leave a Reply to Emmet Golden-Marx Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

css.php