A beautiful rainy week

The weather is getting colder here. Since Wednesday I’m wearing a sweater and today I bought a scarf, so the summery feel has ended and we find ourselves totally in autumn, getting close to winter. My week here has been interesting and beautiful. After my short holiday to Chengdu I found it hard to get back in the working rhythm and the Shanghai life. I just wanted to be out there and enjoy the holiday live. So, Monday was not a very inspiring and I felt restless during the day. But I had a great diner with Frank Bijen and also got a new bike (borred it from a friend). So I’m cycling again.

Tuesday was a busy day with a few meetings, and at night Chinese lessons and a music rehearsal with Jim (sax) en Cathy (sax) at Jim’s place (5 minute walk). Wednesday was also fully booked with an extra music class. This was of course the historical day in which Obama became president of the USA. I had a breakfast at an American bar with Frank B. – together with over a hundred USA-citizens that were really enjoying this moment in history. Thursday again meetings for de Baak and I attended an interesting conference in the afternoon where I introduced myself to a few representatives of the International Business Schools. Nice people!

Friday was definitely the best day of the working week. I went to Tebodin (an engineering company that designs factories). They gave me a potential assignment – extremely small, but still fantastic and a good feeling! I also got a new agreement with de Baak. I’ll stay here at least until June (so they’re happy too with the sweet developments on the working force). Friday night I had a diner with Amy Wang. She is a very interesting girl and owns a management training company. I hope we can do some things together in the near future next to my collaboration with ASI – where I will be again tomorrow. So slowly I’m getting some ‘business’-friends here. Guanxi, guanxi, guanxi!!

My weekend has been nice. An Saterday morning in bed with ‘Prison Break’; band rehearsal on Saterday afternoon – we felt totally ready for our gig on Sunday; and a diner with Xiao Ben at night. She tried to make it nice, but in the end we both didn’t feel at ease and the whole feeling was a little tensed. Some of you probably can image this. We’re still searching for a (new) way to communicate - not easy (at least not for me). After diner we had a drink and she went home. I had a few more drinks and made an effort to introduce myself to the Spanish community here in Shanghai. They talked friendly to me, so in that sense I was successful - didn’t make it late, because I wanted to go to bed …. and sleep!

Today was the big day of my first gig!!! I was great!! I enjoyed a nice breakfast alone in a bar – where I study my Chinese (still slow progress). At four we went to the place where we played - outside on Yandang Lu. We just played for 20 minutes and I made so so so many mistakes, but I enjoyed it anyway – and I’m sure next time it will be a lot better. And like always the audience thought is was good! I was a beautiful experience and I can’t wait until our next performance on the 7th of December. After the gig my Dutch friends, Chinese friends and part of the Band joined force to have a celebrating drink. I laughed a lot tonight (today was the best day of this beautiful rainy week).

I will watch one more episode of Prison Break before heading to bed. My coming week will be busy (and hopefully interesting). In 2,5 week I’ll go to Hong Kong. My God, I not ready, yet!