Coming Soon…

Happy New Year, everybody. It’s been a while since my last entry, I know. In the meantime a lot has happened (although really, not much).

I have completely moved into my new apartment in Shanghai, and it’s awesome. My ZUCC co-worker friends were all going to help me with the final move, but they all bailed on me at the last minute for lame reasons like “no money,” except for Greg. He was a great help, and strong as an ox, that lad. Alf tried to placate me by later showing up with a potted plant for me. What a charmer.

Anyway, I don’t hold grudges, so I’ll be happy to put any of them up should they feel like coming to visit me in Shanghai. Those guys are great, and I’ll really miss them. Sometimes it’s hard for me to explain even to myself why I would voluntarily leave such a great community of people.

I also met the notorious Brad (of BradF.com) recently. Very chill guy. Much more into music than I expected (if you read Chinese, make sure you check out his ideas for his new band!). Hopefully I’ll be hanging out with him again soon.

I finally bought a new hard drive yesterday. 80 GB of Seagate goodness. Works like a champ so far. I’ve actually found that I didn’t lose as much data as I thought I did, due to my inadvertently backing important documents up in the past for various reasons. That includes my book, to my extreme relief. My publisher has just recently informed me that they’ve finally made the official decision to publish it. Cool. Only took 3 months.

Hmmm, every paragraph is beginning with the word “I”. But not this one.

My ADSL internet access will be installed tomorrow, and then I can finally quit with this internet cafe hanky panky.

I paid a huge wad of cash for my apartment on Christmas Day. My new job doesn’t start until after Chinese New Year. I was getting paid very little all last semester because I was teaching very few clases to make time for my full-time Chinese studies. That all amounts to me being pooooor. My older sister Amy is coming for a visit next Wednesday. Fortunately she’s bringing funds. Everything’s gonna be cool, I’m sure.

Things are looking good. I have lots of ideas for Sinosplice in the months to come, but I’m gonna need that internet access first. Expect more pictures. My new surroundings have imparted new inspiration to me.

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John Pasden

John is a Shanghai-based linguist and entrepreneur, founder of AllSet Learning.

Comments

  1. Welcome to Shangers 🙂

  2. Hey, I bailed at least a few thousand minutes ahead of time.

  3. glad to know the move went well. maybe it’s about time i see how shanghai’s like. taking a big step as well, moving back to manila in a few weeks, after 4 years of being away. wondering how it’ll be, being an expat back home.

    did you ever get gallery to work? their newer version is pretty nifty, even the default templates look alright. let me know if you need help setting it up.

  4. Congrats on your book, I was wondering what happened with that. Hopefully that should be a nice little supplement to your income. 🙂 Can’t wait until I come up in a few to hang out with you in Shanghai. I only realize now that you have yet to have the intense pleasure of going out with me in that town. Also, I plan on using my secret code at the new Papa John’s to score us the half-off discount, supposed to work at any corporate store.

  5. John,

    I’ll be in Shanghai the first week of February on my way to Hangzhou and ZUCC. I’l be dropping you an E-mail. Good luck with your new job, and the book.

  6. Welcome to shanghai!I hope that you will like the city and be accustomed to living here,:)

  7. Upon reading this again, Hahaha Alf rules.

  8. Da Xiangchang Says: January 11, 2004 at 9:11 am

    John,

    I didn’t even bother reading the longass entry until the comments told me you got published. Cool cool cool. Congrats. I’m jealous. 🙂 Are you getting royalities or a standard advance? I gots to know!

  9. there’s papa john’s in shanghai?!?!?!! ok, so much for me dropping the pounds in china… 😉 carl, would you be willing to use your hook up while i’m in town? (i am so pathetically american…)
    NOT that i don’t want to try chinese food — i totally do! i just think i’m gonna be eating fairly vegetarian based on my pickiness w/ meat products. (but i promise i’ll try, john)

    i’m so excited!! see y’all soon!!

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