Thanks for joining me for another Shanghai adventure! I hope my photos and words make you feel like you’re exploring Shanghai with me!
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Now, on to this week’s adventures!
Life in Shanghai
This week was a normal week of research. AstroCoffee, the 3x per week discussion of recent Astronomy Journal articles, that I organize, has been going very well! The presentations have been good and the attendance has been growing beyond just members of the Zu research group, which is great! We’re now getting a lot more of the postdocs and even some of the other graduate students.
In terms of my actual research, I’ve been spending most of my time focusing on understanding how to measure the Luminosity Function (which, put in simpler terms is a measure of the number of bright galaxies within a galaxy cluster binned in terms of the absolute magnitude, the astronomical measure of brightness) for low-redshift SDSS galaxy groups and clusters. I’ve been making progress on reproducing some of the results from a prior study, which is the first step in successfully measuring this relation myself. I think that’s enough Astronomy for this week, so onto the adventure!
It was a rainy and gray Saturday, so I decided to visit the Shanghai Art Museum in Pudong (located on the other side of the Huangpu river that divides Shanghai). This museum mostly houses modern Chinese art (from 1950 to the present) and has a wide variety works: sculptures, paintings, animation, graphic art, pen and ink works. As you can see, even the outside of the museum looks like a piece of modern art!
This is a massive museum . Despite spending three hours there, I didn’t see the whole museum, so I’ll definitely be back to visit again. For the photo’s I’ve divided the pictures based on the different types of exhibits that I saw.
As a huge fan of comic books, some of my favorite types of art work are graphic pen and ink artwork. Here are some of my favorites. I was particularly impressed by the detailed line work in the two pieces on the sides of the bottom row.
There was also an exhibits highlighting work from the Shanghai Animation and Film Studio, as well as some about Chinese comic books, including some pages from the story of the Monkey King!
The museum has displays of Chinese paper art (which was really cool!) as well as displays of more traditional styles of Chinese paintings featuring landscapes and animal imagery.
This was another favorite of mine!
The most jaw-dropping exhibit was the animated version of the landscape Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival. This animated version of the traditional Chinese landscape scroll is spread over an entire wall and some of the floor of the uppermost floor of the museum. The animations show people move around and even transitions from day to night (as shown in the last two pictures in the next gallery). This was an amazing and inventive way to use technology to experience such a beautiful piece of traditional Chinese art!
The lower floors of the museum also had exhibits of different modern art sculptures. I love these kinds of sculptures and found them to be fascinating to look at!
This reminded me of one of the horse statues in Saratoga! 
I love the way this is displayed! 
Penguins! 
One of my favorite pieces was the painting shown on the left. While not as breathtaking as some of the other works I photographed, this one reminded me of the beauty I see in my own Astronomical data!
The only downside of the museum is that all of the descriptions and name placards are in Chinese. However, I still had a great time exploring the museum and wold definitely recommend visiting!
While I clearly saw a lot of amazing artwork at the Shanghai Art museum, I also saw a ton of cool displays and advertisements this week. Downtown Shanghai (especially the commercial areas) are getting ready for Christmas, so there are decorations and trees set up as well. My personal favorite was the giant panda sculptures!
Pandas! 
Despite the rainy weather this weekend, I am still running! I did a 4.6 mile run this week. The weather is still warm (at least by my personal standards). It’s been a nice adjustment running in upper 40/low-50 degree weather in December.
Food in Shanghai
For those of you wondering, I am still doing a lot of cooking for myself. Since it’s colder now, I’ve been making soup. However, I also got to try a lot of different vegan foods this week! I’ve had great luck when it comes to food here. I went to dinner on Friday with one of my friends and then out to lunch on Saturday! Everything was delicious. On Friday, I had tempeh for the first time since I moved to Shanghai!
Dumplings 
Stuffed Tofu Dumplings 
Tempeh and vegetables! 
Braised Mushrooms 
Beans 
Basil Tofu
This week, I also had my first vegan desserts in Shanghai! A coffee cream cake and a chocolate mousse bar! It’s great to know I can get excellent vegan desserts here!
I also had to share this picture of these cute panda cookies that I bought!
Jewish Life in Shanghai
Sunday was the first night of Channukkah! Chag Sameach and Happy Channukkah to all who are celebrating! I went to two Channukkah celebrations this week. On Monday, the Moishe House did a pre-Channukkah Breakfast for Dinner (“Brinner”) featuring latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). I made homemade applesauce, using my Mom’s recipe! I had a fun time hanging out with friends and making new friends. It’s great being part of that community!
On Sunday, for the first night of Channukkah, I attended the Chabad of Shanghai’s Channukkah celebration. This celebration was held at the Ohel Rachel Synagogue. Ohel Rachel is a beautiful, grand, and large syngogue that was built in 1921. It is currently owned by the Shanghai government, so it can’t be used as a synagogue. However, the government does allow the building to be used a few times per year for different holidays.
The Channukkah celebration featured short remarks from representatives from the US and Israeli consulates as well as remarks from Justice Richard Bernstein of the Michigan Supreme Court, who was visiting Shanghai. As an American, one of the Chabad Rabbi’s introduced me to Justice Bernstein and I got to talk to him a bit about a). having gone to Michigan and b). what I was doing in Shanghai. Given that he’s on the Michigan Supreme Court, I’m curious if my cousin Margaret has ever met him.
In addition to the speeches, there were prayers, some short performances by children, lots of singing, a group menorah lighting, and tons of delicious latkes and doughnuts! While I didn’t know many people at the event, it was a wonderful being able to celebrate the start of Channukkah together!
My celebration of the first night of Channukkah was completed by lighting the menorah in my apartment for the first time!
I hope you enjoyed experiencing my visit to the Shanghai Art Museum and Channukkah celebrations! This week will be another regular research week. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you next week, which will include more Channukkah celebrations! For those of you celebrating either Channukkah or Christmas this week, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends! If you have and questions/comments, about life in Shanghai, let me know!
Happy Holidays!
In peace,
Jesse
Well, this was another excellent blog entry! I am definitely enjoying discovering Shanghai along with you, Jesse. I am delighted that your AstroCoffee has grown beyond the Zu group. And I am fascinated about the luminosity function. It certainly makes sense to see if you can reproduce results from a previous study accurately before you attempt to measure a new data sample. One question. Does redshift have anything to do with luminosity function? That is, would you find a higher ratio of bright galaxies in high-redshift cluster like the ones Emmet works on versus a low-redshift cluster that you study?
The artwork was amazing—you are a great museum tour guide—and I loved the Chanukah celebration complete with balloon sculpture dreidels, latkes, sufganiyot, and homemade applesauce with my recipe! I am kvelling from afar.
Think of us as you light your menorah! And we will be thinking of you. Thanks again for another great post. Love, Mom
Thanks Mom! Redshift would affect the Luminosity Function. However, at higher redshift, there would be fewer bright galaxies, since galaxies grow (in brightness and stellar mass) over time.
I’m glad that you liked the pictures from the Art Museum and Channukkah celebrations!
Jesse,
Following your postings is absolutely horizon expanding. I didn’t have much of a preconception about Shanghai (hadn’t really try to imagine it) and your descriptions and photos are creating an exciting and vivid image, from the modern art to the modern desserts! I particularly like the Chinese paper art, as well as the architecture of the museum.
Lisa
Hi Lisa. I’m glad you’re learning about Shanghai through my experiences!
Hi Jesse, the art museum looks amazing. Like the Asian wing at the MfA on steroids! I really like the mix of modern and Classical Chinese art. The transition from art to ads is pretty seamless. I’m glad you’ve been able to celebrate and eat latkes! And how cool to meet someone from Michigan. Have you texted Margaret to ask her if she or Dave know him? Do they do anything different for Channukkah (food wise) in Shanghai?
Thanks Emmet! I agree, some of it did remind me of the MfA, too! I’ll send Margaret an email and ask her if she’s met him. The food so far has been pretty traditional in terms of latkes and sufganiyot.
Happy Hanukkah from Maryland!
Looks like a spirited celebration there, classier than the very homey Kehila celebration we had last night. Did you buy candles there for your menorah? I’m also be curious as to how Christmas is celebrated there, beyond the commercial dimension.
No ‘winter break?’
Hope all continues to go well.
Love, Judy
Hi Aunt Judy! I bought candles from Chabad the week earlier. Christmas appears to be mostly commercial. I’ve asked the Chinese postdocs and they don’t do anything for Christmas. There is a winter break, however, it’s built around the Chinese New Year in a couple of weeks. We do get January 1 off though.
Wow Jesse!
Lots of amazing art you’ve seen!
I particularly liked a kind of dense print with a man riding on the back of some animal? Dragon? And all the spiral designs around him!
That animation wall sounds way cool too!
Thanks for the tour!
Do they change their exhibitions?
Food looks fabulous!
Hanukkah fun!
Glad to hear your work is going well!
XoxPam
Hi Aunt Pam! I thought you’ld enjoy the photos! I think the one you’re referring to is a Chinese Paper art piece. Most of the exhibits are permanent, but a bunch of the sculptures that I photographed were part of temporary exhibits, so I’ll have to go again to see what’s new!
You certainly ushered in Winter 2019-2020 with a flurry of events and activities, Jesse. Happy Winter Solstice.
It’s exciting to hear how the “Journal Club” has taken off so well and its participation is spreading. Does that give you an opportunity to learn about what other kinds of research are being done at JTU, what is of interest there, and how the scientific community is thinking? Well done!
As we celebrated the first night of Channukah at Temple Sinai last night, I shared the photographs of your Chabad celebration with lots of of friends here. Everyone is glad you are making and becoming part of a good community there.
Will the turn to 2020 be anything in China or is the Chinese New Year the “pulling out all the stops” celebration? Figures it would be the year of the rat. Ugh.
Love, Michael
Hi Dad! The AstroCoffee is not super specialized. So far, it’s been mostly topics that interest other people, so it’s been a good way for me to learn what other people are interested in and become more familiar with topics unrelated to my research. I’m glad that you shared the photos I sent from the Channukkah celebrations. We do get January 1st off, but I don’t think there’s really much of a celebration. That’s saved for the Chinese New Year.
Hey Jesse!
So glad to hear that your research is on its way and that AstroCoffee has really taken off! All of the museums you have visited have looked so incredible. (I love the Chinese paper art!) It sounds like you could go back and spend another week at each one and still not see all of the exhibits! Your food adventures sound amazing as well. I have a feeling the pictures are not doing it all justice. It is so nice to see all of the Chanukah festivities going on around you! The picture of all the menorahs on the table is wonderful. We are all wishing you a very Happy Chanukah and the happiest and healthiest New Year as well!
xoxo,
Peri, Kev, and Eli
Hi Peri! I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing all of the pictures from the museum! I probably could spend a few more days visiting the museum. The food has been fantastic. Even though I’m particularly cautious about what I eat, I’ve had great success at all the vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Hope you all have a wonderful Channukkah and New Year as well!
Jesse, Seriously you should consider writing a book using your photos, magnificent descriptions of food, art and Jewish life in Shanghai. I could almost taste those vegetable soups, especially tempeh. You’re helping me increase my vegetables intake also. My vocabulary is improving with each post of your research. Learning how to measure Luminosity Function for low-redshift galaxy group/clusters and connecting it to results from prior research sounds like you’re onto to finding how to measure the relation. You meeting Justice Bernstein at Channukkah celebration in China is memorable. Happy New Year.
Hi Dora! I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying all of my photos and writing! I might just have to consider writing a book once I’m done living in Shanghai. I’m glad that you’re learning via my descriptions of my Astronomy research. Happy New Year!