If only hugs and sunshine could be stored in boxes

Fearing potential lockdowns, some areas in Shanghai, as well as the US Embassy, instructed people to stock supplies for at least sixty days.

The fear and stress are quite telling of Shanghai in 2022, and I wonder. I can get fruit and vegetables in a tin, but do I meet more with friends now because I might not be able to do so in the next few weeks? Will I walk in the rain now because soon I have no steps outside my door? If only hugs and sunshine could be stored in boxes, enough for sixty days.

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A summer’s day in autumn

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Mary in Qibao

Mary in Qibao

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Empty shops

Empty shops

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October 11, 2025
My favorite places in Shanghai (2025 update)

My favorite places in Shanghai (2025 update)

I saw this message from Curt about how difficult it is to love Shanghai, and there’s some truth in that. Maybe it’s too big a city to love, and I just love some specific locations of Shanghai. Let me have a go. Ye Garden Ye Garden (叶家花园), a ~100-year-old park in Yangpu, hidden behind a […]
October 10, 2025