Two weeks have passed…

…since we started our new life in Shanghai. It’s still a strange feeling to be waking up in a mega-city where we have no anchor, yet. When I say we, I should probably say I. I have no anchor, no daily purpose, no setting to fit into. Yet.

Kristian will start his Shanghai job after the Chinese New Year. On February 5th. The girls started school on January 16th and had two days the first week, then a full week, and now they are off for the Chinese New Year.

Since our passports have been handed over to the authorities, we are unable to make any sort of plans, but hopefully, we get them back today and will be able to explore the city while the Chinese are off visiting family and celebrating the start of The Year Of The Snake. Shanghai should be a little less crowded these days.

As Swedes, yes, we did to go to IKEA to pick up a list of household items. We went twice actually. Saturday, we had a long list and went off to the closes IKEA. It was a disaster. A surreal experience of walking around a place that looked like the apocalypse had come and gone. Empty shelves everywhere, showrooms with some random furniture and no decoration. Snack booths closed. No vegetarian option in the restaurant. And. A little boy following us for a really long time. Apparently, his mom has two Lambourghinis.

Yesterday we went back. To a different one, further away in Pudong. And it was almost the same as going to an IKEA at home. We could get almost everything on the list. But, alas, we are in China. Some things are bound to be different. Like measuring cups, and the lack of wooden butter knives, and not selling chopping knives in any of the two stores. Do we need to visit more IKEA locations in Shanghai? I guess we did not come to China for everything to be the same as at home.