Shanghai Family: The Tale of Traveling Friendships

Let me start this by saying, the people described below are some of my closest friends and greatest 'friend-enemies' in the past 24 years of my life. So any rude or seemingly unproportionate responses to their character is warranted and generally accepted by them. I am going to put them in order of when I met them! This is a comprehensive list of foreigners! A better one with the locals will come soon, but I didn't forget to add them, just not intensive descriptions!

Let's begin with the first person who I fully bonded with once I arrived in China, Tahira! She is a sweet woman from my onboarding group! She comes from the Midwest in the States. She and I bonded over lost luggage and wanting to stay inside during the unbearably sweaty, humid first few weeks of my travels to China. Who knew from those small moments we would strike up a bond that has lasted my whole visit! She and I share one day off a week, Wednesdays. We have gone on various adventures like the Natural History Museum,  the Aquarium, Shanghai Disneyland, various work events, and even more lovely days out for dinners and lunches. She was actually one of the few people who celebrated my birthday with me! What a great gal~! I am looking foward to spending more time with her in the future! She and I will both be re-signing our contracts here at EF! So here's to another year of Wednesdays together! Tahira is in the middle!

Also pictured is Jean on the right side! Jean is another wonderful woman from my onboarding group! She is an avid traveler and came with her sister Hannah to China. Jean and I don't have the same days off, but when we see each other at teachers' events it is so great to reunite! She is a very bright woman and is always there if you need good advice and a good nerdy talk about anime! Can't wait to see her next!

Next is Sophie!! My first British encounter abroad! Let me tell you, this girl is crazy amazing!! She can light up a whole room with her personality. She has been one of the most welcoming people and we came in the same onboarding group! She will also be re-signing at EF so I get to look forward to another year with her. She has different days off than I do, but when I see her, it makes my whole day/week! She is honestly one of the friendliest people I've met here! The picture below is from her Birthday party in March! Thanks for always making sure I feel included Sophie! :)

Lastly, 2/3 of the closest brits I know would be Connor~! I don't have any decent pictures with or of him. But let me just say he is pretty handsome! He is a very bubbly optimistic guy! He really kept me going while my luggage was lost when I first arrived. I see him periodically when we have teachers events or gatherings with other onboarding friends! Hope we can get some good pictures in! Miss you Connor~!

Now that pretty much covers my onboarding group close friends! There were plenty of people who I got along with, but none quite as well as these three ladies above! Thanks for making my first two weeks and beyond great! 

Onto my center: SH23~! (Shanghai 23). I spent the first few days in Chinese a bit dazed and relatively confused. But let me tell you, I never knew when I met this one amazing woman that my whole life would be changed here. From the beautiful landscape of South Africa, Kelly is an amazing lawyer who knows her shit and takes no shit. Kelly, you don't understand the extent in which you have made me feel more at home here. From Day 1 in the center, you made it your mission to make me feel included. We had our first hotpot adventure in China together! We almost stole a shopping cart together. We traveled 6 houts out of Shanghai and found that the only thing to stand between us was a frosted glass bathroom wall. We love chocolate and coffee like no one's business. We are constantly buying dinners, coffee, snacks, and various things for each other. How do our families still know what to do with us? All in all, we've traveled to amazing places together with more places to come! While we have had our ups and downs like all friendships, we have managed to pull it back together and show the world who runs it. While we don't share the same days off, we manage to find times on the weekend and holidays to get closer and have great fun! We just spent an amazing day at your birthday day party and can't wait to make more memories with you~! Here are a few stunning pictures of the two of us from our adventures! 

While not from my center, I need to make an chronological addition to this list! Evyan, Evy for short. This wonderful lady comes from Atlanta, Georgia! A place near and dear to my heart. I met Evy at the Shanghai Teacher's Conference in September! She and I bonded instantly over anime and nerdisms. She is a fantastic art student and a pretty great teacher if I do say so myself. She reminds me a lot of the female version of one of my best guy friends back at home! She and I have been on a few adventures together in Shanghai like the Square Enix Cafe, Shanghai Disneyland, and some bookstores! She and I shared Wednesdays off until she switched companies. We still talk pretty regularly!

Evy is on the left! Tahira again on the right! 

Next in chronological order throws me all the way into nearly December. On the very last day of November, while feverishly cooking a turkey for the first time alone, I met someone. It was a breezy day like no other. Our center was having a Thanksgiving lunch, so I cooked a turkey for everyone! Midway through cooking the turkey, one of our newest arrivals walked in. I remember bouncing back and forth from the kitchen to talk with him. Dear Reader, at this point, let me just tell you, this man was exhausted from lack of sleep and still managed to hold a decent conversation with me. Who is this sleepy traveler you may ask? It is none other than the famed the other brit I have the honored of being acquainted with, James. If I had known that day all the shenanigans and things we would get up to, I may have never walked up to him that day. I have off Wednesdays and Thursdays where he has off Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We both share Wednesdays off, as you can see, and use our other days off as a break from each other... usually. Initially he lived super far away, now he lives 3 floors above me. Safe to say, we hang out a lot. Museums, work, adventures to other places around Shanghai, lots of drinking nights, and late night gaming. All in all, he's great banter, often a bit of a prick, but is some of the best company I've had since coming to China. When he's not being a snobby Brit reminding me I can't pronounce Zebra in the Queen's English, he's definitely one of my best friends here. Wouldn't trade him away for the world... most days. To the person who leans on me more at work and home than any reasonable person should! Thanks for forever reminding me that I will be the optimist! So let's take a gander at the trouble maker! Here's to more good times fam~!

Hangzhou adventure!

Dario in the back, then me, then Kelly, then XO~!

Okay, okay enough of this prick! Onto the next two friends! So chronologically, let's hope another few months to February! Kelly and I went on a fabulous trip to Suichang county in Zhejiang province in Shanghai. We proceeded to meet two unlucky gentlemen. Unlucky because they were about to meet two overly charismatic women from Shanghai who love having fun and being chaotically good. In enters, Dario and XO~! These two gentlemen did not know what hit them. Dario comes from Costa Rica. XO from Africa! We met them on an unlikely bus ride encounters after the bathrooms and various adventures on our trip. We hiked with them, swam with them, and played an intense game of ping pong with XO! Dario had fallen asleep like the old man that he is! We have proceeded to only see them once since then for Kelly's birthday this week. However, we have a group chat where we have conversed since the trip finished! Here is to the goofballs we met in China, who remind me that I am one of the dirtiest minded people in my friend group! Hoping to KTV with them real soon! Here they are!

Dario top left, XO next to me!

At Kelly's Bday party (May 8th, her actual bday!) 

Rebecca: I didn't get to spend more than a day with Rebecca but all in all it was a great day! I boarded a bus to a small day excursion out of Shanghai proper. I was traveling to a chocolate factory and a hot spring. I happened to start speaking to this friendly woman in front of me. We managed to bond enough on the short bus ride to then talk throughout the day. Turns out, she was a former public school teacher from Maryland! Yes, that's right, I met someone from Maryland on accident. She is a mother, with a son the same age as me back in the USA. He is living his own life back there, while she teaches at an international school here! She is super charismatic and great fun to be around. We spent time at the hot springs together running between all of the different springs and even got a joint massage! Turns out we also live in the same area of Shanghai! Wow! So glad we got to spend time together Rebecca. Until we meet again!

I've got two more internationals to introduce: Gloria and Brandon! These two were rather late arrivals in the grand scheme of this list.

Gloria is one of our newest arrivals to my center. She is a amazing Canadian with legs longer than trees and gorgeous curly ginger hair! She is a bubbly, bright, and social person who happens to be scientifically gifted. I also have one of these individuals in my friend groups if not a ton of them. She has gone on a few adventures with me since we share wednesdays off together. She danced with me at our annual party when she first arrived and that was really telling how awesome she would be. Despite all of the dirty jokes we make, Gloria you are one wholesome gal, even though you have a distaste for gamers. ;) 

Onto Brandon! Brandon is Gloria's roommate. I met him on a sunny beautiful day in a train station far from the depths of suburban Minhang. I had just come from an early day at HQ and decided to head over to Gucun Park on the other side of Shanghai. Gloria and Brandon had decided to join me. I didn't know that day would be the day where I met an amazing person with the same exact days off as me. HE HAS WEDNESDAY THURSDAY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS UNHEARD OF! Safe to say upon hearing we have the same days off, I jumped for joy. This guy is amazing! He is so bubbly, he loves alot of the same shows as me. He is clever, super cool, and has the best laugh. Legit, Gloria and I want to record his laugh for endless laughter. He has the kind of laugh that just makes you want to laugh more. It is so wholesome. We have occasional get togethers and chill convos about life. He works at a adult center in the city! Looking forward to more fun adventures with Brandon!

Gloria on the left, Brandon on the right

Safe to say I've made a lot of friends here so far! This isn't even including all of the locals I've had the luck of befriending!

My mentor: Cathy Ma from SH23!

Cladys: Former TA and PA

Nicole: PA~!

Fellow Teacher: Erin~!

Our lovely CCs at Chinese New Year. Left to right: Owen, Me, Rita, Joy

Our newest CC Ally(left) and my new friend Tiya (right)

The staff at my center's Xmas party. 

SH23 staff at Chinese New Year

It's hard to not mention all of my local coworkers. These men and women have helped me form a new life here in Shanghai. They've dealt with my annoying questions and fast handed phone calls when someone is angrily shouting at me in Chinese. They've gone through my apartment changes, my life changes, and even many of our work changes. I cannot express enough how greatful I am for all of the adventures and life experiences I've shared with all these amazing people! Here's to more amazing days to come!