Writing in Shanghai

This week I've been whiling away the days writing to get my Spice Doc site finished and up, currently it's still only functioning as a blog (it has been a year+++ since the comprehensive site idea manifested, 6 months since it began with my fabulous designer, and finally 2 months with my awesome programmer). I'm dying for this to be done! But it's going to take more time than expected, I need to dig in, write, then write some more, and then write again! Revise. Write. Regroup. This blog helps to fill in the moments of blank staring and procrastination when I don't know where to begin.

I have a nice view from the hotel here. Truth be told there are few blue sky days, though the air is pretty crisp and the streets in the French concession district are spectacular. I'll post pix of those soon when I go for a walk today. Besides the Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung, we've only gone on one other adventurous meal to Shintori, a new fab Japanese restaurant off a little hidden path in the French concession, leading you down a bamboo lined path with dim lights, through two large beautiful wooden automated sliding doors, into a humongous loft-like space with sexy lighting, bare concrete walls, an open kitchen, etc etc - food was great, service was spotty, crowd was fun to watch (sake cup selection in below picture).

Boy has Shanghai changed! It's only been a week that we've been here and the last time I was here was 5 years ago but it hardly feels like being in China, whatever that may mean. It's more like an amalgam of all the major international cities (New York, Hong Kong, London...) where you could be anywhere and if you wake up from a dream it's hard to remember where exactly. Which I've been doing consistently for a week now. Add to that incessant nightmares about packing and always finding another cupboard or drawer or whole entire room that hasn't been packed and shipped! Argh. Who knew stuff could occupy your brain in such a profound way. Chuck it all out! Anyhow, today my goal besides working hard on Spice Doc biz is to find a proper medical foot massage. I checked out Dragonfly Spa and while the setting is gorgeous and the service is great, it's not a real medical foot massage in my opinion. I would rather have less frills and more medicine.