Entertainment

posted by Alan
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Before I get started, as I was gently rocking Janie back and forth in her bassinet today, I realized that "Rock-A-Bye Baby" is a horrific song.
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The cold has come in Shanghai. The temperature here during the winter isn't as low as New York, but the cold is different. In New York, it's a dry, bitter, painful cold. In Shanghai, it's more like a damp, creepy, nagging cold. Fortunately, we've been blessed with a cozy apartment that stays much warmer than our last one. That plus the little one, have been the perfect excuses for staying inside over the past month. Not to mention the endless stream of friends who keep bringing us food so we don't even have to go out for that.

So, since Janie is pretty good and spends most of her time sleeping, so I'll fill you in on what we do to keep amused.

Books
When my mom came to visit, she brought me The Book of Basketball by ESPN.com writer Bill Simmons. I'm also reading The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel and have Tony Dungy's book The Mentor Leader on deck. It's not too easy to find hard copies of American books here in Shanghai, but they can be found. There are even book carts that roam the expat neighborhoods that sell more popular titles for only a few dollars each, but to find new and unique titles, you gotta import.

TV/Movies
In China, the internet is a different animal than it is in the US. Yes, the restrictions are annoying, but the lack of copyright infringement laws almost makes us forget all about it. Allow me to introduce you my good friends, Youku, Tudou and PPTV. These are the Youtubes of China, only with no time limits and no restrictions. Daisy and I just finished Season 1 of Modern Family and are now on Season 1 of Community, both of which we find hilarious. I just finished the HBO documentary series, 24/7 about two NHL hockey teams and it was awesome. I never thought I'd use hockey and awesome in the same sentence. HBO produces shows like no other. I just got started on Boardwalk Empire and I love it so far. After The Wire, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers and Rome, I have extremely high hopes for this one. Friday Night Lights, How to Make It In America and Entourage are also on the list to see next. I like to wait until the entire season is finished and then watch it all. PPTV is my answer for all live sporting events. Every game at the click of a mouse. Even past games are streamed, so I can go back and watch.
Youku.com; Split screen NBA games!

127 Hours on PPTV; UFC 125 on demand


Shopping
Yes, I said shopping. This one, I saved for last. China is widely known for easy access to cheap goods. I don't know if they're fake, stolen or just mass produced, but you can find almost anything in China. And there is ONE place find it all. A magical land called TaoBao.com. It is Ebay on steroids. In fact, it is the reason that Ebay won't make it here in China. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is available on Taobao. Things you would never imagine you could find in China. At incredible prices. And for about $3 USD shipping, it arrives at your door within 2 - 3 days. A short list of a few things we've purchased from Taobao in the past few months:
- Fire Extinguisher and Smoke Alarm
- Air Jordan 1 Retros/Nike Lebron Zoom Soldier III
- Huggies Diapers (our main source)
- MMA fighting gloves
- Motorcycle Helmets
- Snuggies
- Baking supplies
- Dr. Seuss Books (in English and Chinese!)
It is an online shoppers dream. I'm not sure if you can access it in the US, but give it a try and let me know. The site is in Chinese, but you can search using English brand names. Google translate also is a great help. The standard answer when one of us says "I want to get ______." is "Check Taobao."
Taobao.com and some of the purchases we've made




Sorry if this post seemed mundane. But as this blog is about what we're doing out here in China, that's what I shared. Caring for a newborn is tiring, so it gives us an excuse to unwind when we can. If you guys have any recommendations on books, shows or movies that you like, let us know, I'd love to hear them.