Well with only a few weeks left until I return to Shanghai, things are becoming increasingly busy here. Selling my interest in Death by Murder, the interactive murder mystery theatre company I have run for the past 6 years and additionally I have both business and personal taxes to complete, along with the disposal of some belongings I don't plan to keep. With the temperatures in my neck of the woods in the teens, I'm actually expecting it to be warmer in Shanghai than here upon my arrival.I have given my notice at work and it appears now that most if not all my work colleagues are aware of my imminent plans. Suprisingly some of the people you least expect can suprise you, one person who I have known for quite some time actually teared up upon hearing of my plans.
As my excitement builds, I must confess to a certain amount of aprehension. I have asked myself "what are your thinking" at least half a dozen times. It's not that I'm afraid of making the move, on the contrary I think Shanghai is a city of huge opportunuity and in my own case the home of my future wife, but there are so many major cultural changes to consider.
By the time I arrive in Shanghai, Spring Festival will be in full swing and my fiancee's parents will have arrived having travelled 22 hours from their hometown of Chifeng (赤峰) in Inner Mongolia to celebrate with us. One of the traditions associated with Spring Festival is the giving of red envelopes called "Hong Bao" containing money to the young. As there are a couple of youngsters in the family I plan to make my own custom version of the hong bao envelope to give to them.
