San Diego 2011

Before we made it to NYC, we flew directly to San Diego to attend the wedding of our good friends, Jeff and Helen. San Diego itself is amazing. It's like the whole city is a resort. As our Brazilian sister Su kept saying, "This isn't real life!"

About the wedding, Jeff is Chinese-American, Helen is Chinese-Brazilian and they met and fell in love here in Shanghai. About 30 of us from Shanghai were there for the wedding and made a weeklong vacation out of it. It was one of the most enjoyable vacations we’ve ever had, really enjoying the sense of community we shared with our friends. Jeff’s parents hosted a July 4th BBQ at their awesome house overlooking Rancho Bernardo. It was a perfect way to end a great week and send Jeff and Helen off as newlyweds.







Shoutout to Rachel and endless Chick-Fil-A!


Click here to see a full album of our San Diego trip

NYC JULY 2011

posted by Alan
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It amazes me how as life progresses and things change, we constantly learn and grow with it. We just returned to Shanghai from our sixth (seventh for me) visit home to New York since we first moved out here in 2008. After every trip, Daisy and I usually reflect on what we experienced, and each time we learn/see/realize something new. I won’t go into the specifics here, but we’ve learned to appreciate the process and it certainly keeps life exciting. One thing I DID learn is how many people actually read this thing (despite what the number of comments might suggest), so here goes another post.


Grandpa Chan and Grandma Gong

Even without the growing experience, this trip was easily justifiable with two weddings (congrats Bum and Wendy!) and the birth of Janie’s first cousin, Hayden. It also marked Janie’s first time at the beach, in a pool and lots of quality time with her grandparents, uncles, aunts and friends. And compared to the usual Shanghai summer, the NYC heatwave felt like nothing. We hope to be back yet again during Christmas, but can somebody please do something about those NYC gas prices before we get back?






Great Grandma Gong, Uncle Steven, Great Grandma Yuen

Click here to see a full album of our trip to NYC: NYC July 2011

California - NYC

posted by Alan
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As is usual in Shanghai, life never stops moving. As was the case two years ago when we first came here, we never know what's going to happen next here, but we know it's not going to be boring.


Shanghaifellowship.org

About 6 months ago, I was presented with a couple of job opportunities. One of which was presented by my good friend Jeff, who at the time was the Community Life Director at Shanghai Community Fellowship, the largest international church in Shanghai. Since then, he has moved back to California where we will attend his wedding on Saturday and I am now the full time Community Life Director at SCF. My job is to look after over 50 small groups and a community of over 1000 foreigners here in Shanghai that attend our church. Training leaders, coordinating events and building community. This job allows me the flexibility to spend time with Daisy and Janie, affords for Daisy to not have to work, and me to utilize certain gifts that I was blessed with. I'm never less than amazed with how God works things out when we trust Him.



Tonight we leave Shanghai for sunny San Diego for the wedding of our good friends Jeff(Cali) and Helen(Brazil), who met here in Shanghai. It will be a mini-reunion of sorts with over 40 Shanghai people flying over there. On July 5th, we'll head back east to NYC until the 25th to see you all again and so you can play with Janie. Also Daisy's sister giving birth, my cousin Wendy's wedding and picking up new visas. Send either of us an email to make plans. We'd love to see as many of you as possible.

agong029@gmail.com
daisydaze@gmail.com
(if you don't know which email belongs to whom, you probably don't know us well enough to see us anyway)

See you soon!

Summer Plans

posted by Alan
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Expat life in Shanghai kind of mirrors the school year. During the summer, most people take time to travel or visit home for an extended amount of time. Then in the fall, everyone returns and a new batch of people arrive and settle in for awhile until Christmastime.

Our summer travel plans are booked. In two weeks, I’ll be travelling to Sichuan province with our church youth group to work with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild homes in places that were decimated by the 2008 earthquake. A step out of comfy Shanghai and back into real China.

A few days after that, we head to San Diego for the wedding of our friends Jeff and Helen. He’s Chinese-American from Cali and she’s Chinese-Brazilian from Sao Paolo. They met and fell in love in Shanghai. That stuff happens here.

Then on July 5th, it’s back to NYC for a few weeks. Daisy’s sister Cecilia is going to pop out Janie’s first cousin and we’ll also be able to go to my cousin Wendy’s wedding. Lots going on in July and it’s going to be an exhaustingly good time. See you all soon!

Lots of Janie:

=)

posted by Alan


Dear God,

Thank you for summertime. =)

Love, Alan

Macho

posted by Alan
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Before you read this post, just note that I am not confused, nor wavering on my manliness…

vs.

After watching Fast 5 yesterday (which I enjoyed very much), it got me wondering. Girls in Shanghai see girls in western movies and seem to be influenced by the way they look, act, etc. Guys on the other hand.... I was once told ‘In Shanghai, girls aren’t attracted to guys with muscles because it means you have to spend time in the gym, which means you’re not focused on making money.’ This is a city where it’s common to see skinny guys with tousled hair, wearing capris and carrying man purses. Shanghai women have the stereotype of being “li hai” which means fierce, while the men are stereotyped to be submissive. It’s hard to argue when you see guys holding the girls hand on one side and her purse or frilly umbrella in the other. It’s weird to say this, but I try to exude a sense of masculinity. I think as Americans, we’re conditioned as men to be big, tough and assertive. Most of you reading this are from there, so you know what a picture of masculinity looks like. It makes me wonder what they think of when they see that here. Do they not recognize it? Do they see it, but dismiss it? Or do they say ‘Ew, who would want to be like that?’



What I’m about to say is merely my personal opinion. Feel free to disagree with me. We can still be friends.

I’ve wondered if I should concede to the different culture and accept that this is what manhood means here, but I can’t do it. I believe it’s not a cultural thing, it’s an inherent thing. I believe that men SHOULD be masculine. Men and women are different and it’s meant to be that way. There is room in masculinity for patience, sensitivity and compassion. But we should also be bold and firm in what we believe and not be afraid to make tough decisions and assume responsibility for them. We should command respect.

Of course, these are stereotypes and not ALL men here fit the description. I know some local chinese guys that are as manly as any red-blooded, meat-eating American. But I feel that in general, the guys in Shanghai need to man up. I will now step down from my soapbox.

Modern Family

Posted by Alan
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Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren (minus Daisy and Janie)
In 1911, Chen Fung Yeu was born in Tai Shan, China. 100 years, 6 children, 18 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren later, on April 24, 2011, 120 of us gathered in Queens, New York to celebrate the matriarch of our large and awesome family.


Family portraits; Granddaughters


While much of the family is based in New York, dozens more came in from Canada, Boston, California, Hong Kong, Georgia and me from Shanghai for this reunion, hosted by her grandchildren, headed up by my cousins Shirley and Jennifer. It was years in the making and when it happened, it was pretty incredible that everyone was actually together in one place.

Granddaughers and Grandsons

Restaurant Takeover


I always knew our family was pretty special. I’ve always appreciated how we truly enjoy being with each other and no matter how far or how long it has been since we’ve seen each other, we still feel close. This weekend gave me a new appreciation for the gift of family. Thanks to all of my cousins for making it happen.

The Grandchildren