A KMG Update ….

UPDATE!!! This post is short, but I wanted to catch up with you all …

(soooooo i meant to post this a couple weeks ago back in June and life happened but here it is)

….the world is still sick. Countries are grounded and closed- and countries don’t want Americans -ahhhh! Remember the days when having a blue passport was a privilege and an honor? Oh My! Now they don’t want us.

I already miss summer traveling. I had plans of traveling to GHANA this summer and making some other SE Asian stops during my summer holiday. All of that is on hold and I will be in Shanghai all summer and probably until the end of this school year. Now I am working through July and I will have some time off in August. I am looking forward to that for sure.

Shanghai is pretty much back to normal. A lot of places have closed as a result of the virus they couldn’t keep their business open and running, but most places are back open. You have to have your temp taken before entering restaurants and most businesses and even the metro station.

Events are happening in the city which is great. Remember my posts from February? When the city was quiet, dark, and empty? Well this isn’t the case any longer. The city is noisy, busy, and full of energy. Here are few pictures from recent adventures around Shanghai!

As always thanks for following my blog! Also I inquired of Google about the happiest songs around and these were the results. These songs are said to ‘trigger dopamine release and subsequently increase your happiness’… let me know if they do anything for you!

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Its Dragon Boat Festival weekend or Duanwu Festival:

Here’s a little information on the holiday we are celebrating right now. I have a 4 day weekend, there are tons of Dragon Boat events happening around the city, and loads of brunches, and deals at local restaurants.

 

(https://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/dragon-boat.htm) Information below taken from this website.

What is Dragon Boat Festival for?

Commemorating Qu Yuan

Why is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated? The earliest origin of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival can be dated to the “dragon worship” in the Prehistoric Times (1.7 million years ago – the 21st century BC), while the most popular origin is closely related to the great poet Qu Yuan in the Warring States Period (475 – 221BC).
Qu Yuan was a minister in his home State of Chu, who wrote a lot of poems and proposed many reforms to show his care and devotion to his country. After the reform failed and he was exiled by the king, he chose to drown himself on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the river rather than seeing his country invaded and conquered by the State of Qin. After he drowned himself, people rowed boats to save him but failed. Since then, people commemorate Qu Yuan on 5th day of 5th lunar month every year, by rowing a boat to feed fish with Zongzi, so that they would not give a bite on Qu Yuan’s body.

Great people like Wu Zixu and Cao E also died on the same day, so in certain areas, people also commemorate them during the festival.
Easing Diseases, Preventing Epidemic and Warding off Evil Spirits 

Why is the Dragon Boat Festival so important? In addition to its memorial meaning, there is some actual use. Originally, the festival was set close to Summer Solstice, when pests, other poisonous animals and germs start to become more active, so people took measures to prevent the diseases and epidemics from happening on that day and later evil spirits were also added to the list to be prevented. Many of the customs have been handed down till today.

 

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What a time to be alive! I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! I sure am 

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*