Hey all! I'm now using this as my permanent blog. It looks better, and what's more, it's not blocked by the Chinese government! Apparently, Xanga is blocked by government censors. Strange, since Facebook, MySpace, and Blogpost are not.



Shanghai is an awesome place. Yes, pollution is an issue, but if you can get past that, Shanghai is awesome. Coming back to China is always like a pseudo-spiritual experience. Don’t quite know why, but I suspect it’s like going back home. As a Chinese, China is my motherland. My grandparents hail from Fujian, Hebei (Wuhan), and Henan (Kaifeng). I suppose this is a taste of heaven. Let’s not kid ourselves—going to heaven will be like going to a place where we actually belong!  Speaking of which, I learned that my grandma’s family were next door neighbors of Yuan Shikai. Who’s he? Go to wikipedia and find out yourself.



We spent time in four places. Our hotel’s in the Pudong financial district, and so we spent a good deal of our time there. Staying in the Pudong district is relatively boring if you value things like a nightlife or nighttime shopping. However, it has a mall and several cool restaurants. The mall has a Din Tai Fung restaurant (for those of you who sojourn to Taiwan often, you know what I’m talking about… right?). However, it sucks compared to another one across town (see below).



We also spent some time in Yuyuan, where there’s a Taoist temple, and a Buddhist temple. However, who needs Confucius and Buddha when Capitalism’s at the doorstep? Yuyuan is bargain heaven, so bargain away! Speaking of which, you know how when we normally bargain, we ask for a ridiculously low price and then bargain our way up? Well, my mom asks for a ridiculously low price and stays there! We left with about 50+ gifts, and spent about USD $20.00. Awesome! According to my mom, ask for a price at most 30% of what the store owner mentions (i.e. for a 100 yuan good, do not accept a price above 30 yuan.). A German family next to us didn’t bargain. So, they bought a silk scarf for the store’s asking price. We would’ve helped them… if only we spoke German.



We also spent time in Xintiandi, the ultimate coolest spot in Shanghai. This is the equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Michigan Avenue. Indeed, it is the symbol of what every Chinese hopes for their children—the ability to afford Xintiandi goods. The prices here are the same as in the United States, so you all can afford to buy stuff at Xintiandi. Of course—why buy stuff there when you can get it elsewhere for cheaper? By the way, there’s a Din Tai Fung restaurant here that’s as good as the original restaurant in Taipei. Interesting fact: here in Xintiandi, the first National Party meeting of the Communist Party convened.



Perhaps the highlight of the trip is to the city of Hangzhou, about an hour’s train ride away. Hangzhou holds a special place in my mind because when I was in Youth Group, our youth director left my senior year to teach English in Hangzhou. Awesomely beautiful place, if I may add. Hangzhou is known for its supposedly beautiful women, excellent tea, and beautiful silks. I got to see the latter two. West Lake is unbelievably scenic. There was a slight breeze that brought a smile to my face as my family walked along its banks. I do recommend a sojourn to Hangzhou if any of you run out of vacation ideas.



China is in the middle of dynamic change, and even that is understating things a little bit. Economic change is obvious. However, Chinese people are deeply spiritual. 8 still remains a lucky number, and 4, 7, 14 remain the uber-unlucky ones, and all skyscrapers in the Pudong district are devoid of floors 4, 7, and 14 (you go and watch). The time is fast approaching when the movers and shakers of Christianity are not in the West, but rather, centered in the Orient. In fact, the pastors and bishops of Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, India, and the Phillippines are already making their mark on world Christianity. It won't be long before China joins the list of nations. They say that if China ever grants religious freedom to its people, the Roman Catholic Church easily has at least 5-7 new cardinals coming from China alone, with as many as 15 new archdioceses added to the Roman Catholic Church. Keep posted my friends-- the sun is rising in the East.



Shanghai’s not a bubble like Wheaton College, so news of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination spread quickly through national TV and BBC. She is yet another victim of American-centric “foreign” policy. I was reading an analysis on America and it was interesting because the analyst was critical at America’s desire for security at the expense of other countries. By security, we do not mean 9/11 attacks, but instead, we’re talking about the ability to lead the lives that we’re used to. We want to be able to buy our boats and oversized houses. However, when something threatens that, be it an attack by a terrorist, currency manipulation, or whatever, we quickly flex our military muscles. However, we do it at the expense of others. It’s not okay when something endangers our democracy, but when another country’s democracy is threatened (e.g. Pakistan), we don’t care as much. In Pakistan’s case, we turn the other eye, since Musharaff is on “our side”. It’s not okay when we can’t afford luxury goods, but when others can’t afford even the bare necessities of life, we can care less. Our government needs God’s touch as much as the Chinese government. Let’s not be mistaken—Christian politicians do not imply a Christ-like government. As my mom is fond to say, “In politics, there is only black.” Republican candidate Mike Huckabee was prescient when he noted, “Jesus was smart enough to not get into politics.”



The awesomest part of Shanghai, however, is just the time spent with my parents. There’s nothing that can really replace parent-to-child time.  I know many of you think your parents are always breathing down your backs and are so annoying, but count yourselves unbelievably blessed. Really, nothing makes you understand how important your parents are until you’re not living with them for most of the year. At the same time, during my conversation times with my parents, I think I have a better picture of what God wants me to do in the not-so-long run. So we’ll see what things may come!



I’ll be back right before Lock-in. I could actually go, but obviously, it makes little sense for me to feel sleepy when you guys are so actively praising God, and for me to be wide awake when everyone’s sleeping. So I won’t be attending. I’ll see you guys within the next week! In the meantime, my family and I wish all of you a blessed 2008. It's the Year of the Rat, and for all of you my age or born in 1996, it's your year! Woo hoo! Rats rock, and as the movie Ratatouille shows, they are awesome at gourmet cooking.