If you don’t know… It’s the day before December 1…. can you believe it’s the end of November and that tomorrow is the first day of the last month of this year? What a year it has been. My year started with me celebrating and brining in New Year 2022 in Zhuhai, China making gin at a gin distillery, In February I celebrated my last birthday in Shanghai with a bang, and March to May was an up and down rollercoaster of citywide quarantine-lockdown life in Shanghai, with a BIG decision to move home. Do I miss Shanghai, of course, at times – but I am still happy with the decision I made to leave. I have been here, home, in the states since mid-May and it has been wonderful being home with my family, friends, BBQ, tacos, DR PEPPER whenever I want, and elote!
Tomorrow is December and great things are happening in December … look out for a post from me to see whats happening with me this month! Any cool things happening with you? Please share with me… I would love to know about it.
I end every post the same …. life is a journey and I am going to enjoy it.
Thank You For Following my online journey. I hope you are well. As always feel free to comment, like, share the post!
I am not sure what happened, but this post was supposed to “POST” last week. I checked my posts and I didn’t see it. But I am excited to get back to writing, blogging, and sharing about the journey that is my life! Yes- I titled this blog “K-Marie- Takes Shanghai” in the spring of 2017 before I left for China – and I did take Shanghai! I took it by storm and really enjoyed living there. I will be honest, living there, through COVID was difficult and challenging and their requirements and restrictions for daily living are tough and intense to say the least! But, I did it and to say the least, I am HELLA DOPE for that.
Well I moved back to the states and my relationship with my blog pretty much became non-existent. I hope to bring some consistency back with it. All I can say is that I am very thankful and happy to be at home with my family, friends – tacos, BBQ, and elote! Life has been a whirlwind since I have been back, but a good twist of it all. The breeze and the winds have been working well in my favor.
You know that Ms. K loves kids, students, school, and being a part of the education system. This year I took a position working on elementary school campuses helping them with their reading/literacy skills. It’s very different from my life as the classroom teacher, but I am really starting to enjoy it so far! One thing I know for sure, the ability to read is life changing. You know, as well as I, that reading is a part of all of our school subjects and our daily living – even if its just being able to read a menu. I am thrilled to be a part of the process to develop reading and literacy skills for young learners.
Never Stop Reading. Never Stop Dreaming. Never Stop Reading. Never Stop Dreaming.
I have said it before and I say it again, thank you for following my journey! I had some really amazing experiences living abroad and I am so happy to share them here. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT REGRET living abroad. I wouldn’t change it for anything and I do plan to share more of my lockdown thoughts so you can have a peek into what it was like (for me) living abroad, in China- Shanghai, China, during COVID.
I want to connect you to a few previous posts that I have done that you may find helpful
I am so happy to share that I wrote a children’s book! I have been working on this project for so long and now I am ready to share it with the world. Check out the cover below!!!
Yes! My book has two covers …. why do you ask? WHY NOT! This is the beauty of creating something that really showcases who you are and what you love!
Who Am I? Besides the obvious (a beautiful multi-faceted Black Woman) – I am a teacher
What Do I Love? KIDS! Anyone who knows me knows that I love kids. I love being an aunt, a teacher, and hanging out with young learners.
I really enjoyed working on this project and even having friends daughter put her talents to work and design the front cover of the book. She went through edits and edit drawing and working on what the cover could look like and even back and forth with a digital illustrator to take her drawing and make it a digital image! Once she was pleased we went with it. My sweet little niece designed the front cover and I absolutely love it.
I promise to share here with the book is ready for purchase! I have shared tips for the classroom here on my blog and here are two links to previous posts. I look forward to sharing my completed work with all of you in just a few weeks and hope that you can support me!
I wanted to share some thoughts from my journal from when I was in Lockdown. I thought I had a Day 60 post but I have – Day 50/54/57/58/63/69 – I wrote some thoughts down when I thought about it. I really wanted to mark this time and not forget this one of a kind experience I went through in Shanghai. Below are my thoughts from April 30th – my 50th Day of lockdown and next you will find my thoughts form today! My 60th day of being home in Dallas. Read and Enjoy….
Long Post from Day 50 of lockdown and Day 60 of being home!
Today is day 50 of being at home. In the last 50 days I have had 19 Covid tests. I’m not sure what this achieved since we are not allowed to go anywhere or leave home.
Wait…. I have left home
On Day 48 my apartment complex received passes to go outside. Yes passes. To control how many people are out AM/PM. I went for a bike ride. Alone. Everything is alone these days. Biked about 5 kilometers then returned home.
By that evening, these passes were invalid and we were told not to go outside anymore. I have not heard of one case in my building or in my immediate community but we are not allowed outside. We just keep taking tests. I have had a test everyday since April 17 and sometimes more than one in the same day.
This is all so very exhausting and we have no idea 🤷🏾♀️ when things will look up.
So today. On day 50. I of course took another at home self test. My results are still negative. And I am at home with my streaming apps and my books.
Wow! Scrolled in my phone to find any images from this day. I had this. I probably shared this update on social media.
Me and my pass to be outside… I kept some of these passes. This is as part of history. I cant wait to share with a grade school class about my experience during Shanghai’s lockdown.
Wow! Today makes day 60 of me returning back to the states. I am doing so well in Dallas. Living in Shanghai was amazing. Like a dream- but after five years my time came to an end.
I’m ecstatic being back home. I am back with my family, friends, church community, and all the foods and snacks that I love so much.
Bluebell Y’all/ Bluebell!!!
They turned one of my favorite treats into ice cream….
life just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter
I’m ready for Fall Yall!
What’s the toughest part? This heat! This Texas heat is no joke and we have had a couple weeks of consistent triple digit heat. If you’re a person who enjoys walking or running you need to do it EARLY morning or late evening when the sun sets because it’s extra warm by 7:59 AM. 8AM on the dot you’re working up a sweat. To combat the heat?!? Stay inside with AC! Ice water! Slurpees from 7-11 – Sno-Cones – Ice cream – Swim days (if you can even make it the very HOT outside) and naps when you’re tired.
Being home has been great. Last month I went zip lining with my friends, a vacation with my sisters and niece, and that was all well and great and now I’m settling into my work & daily life here.
Reunited with my family!out zip lining in Plano, Texaspreparing to go down the last zip line!
I’ve started a new job & even decided on where I’ll live (since I’m currently living with family). It was a HUGE LEAP OF FAITH making the decision to move and live and do life in Shanghai. It was a BIG LEAP OF FAITH moving home. Both leaps great and needed for my life. I made some moves with my time in Shanghai and they helped to change my life. I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish while abroad and I did them all and more. I am beyond proud of myself.
+Pay of debts ✅
+Save for my future ✅
+Make great life long friends ✅
+Travel the world ✅
-Covid hit and I didn’t get to see all of the new countries that I planned on visiting, but I did see a lot of China- and how cool is that?
+Grow and develop in my position and career as a teacher and educator ✅
+Try new foods ✅
+Smile A Lot ✅
….and then some (things that happened but I didn’t plan on them happening)
+I received my Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University
+I was given a raise and promotion from my school- Shanghai HD Bilingual School
+I visited closed to half the provinces in China
+I made it to the top of Yellow Mountain ⛰ (preciously shared one my blog) – a hike that took about six hours with a lot of stops but I finished it!
+I received an award for a writing contest where so shared my experience “Home Away From Home”
+I received the “Game Changer” award from my “home away from home” – my Black community in Shanghai
+I received top medical care for some health issues I was dealing with
So much happened that I never expected or imagined to happen. I’m so thankful to God for His protection and hand over my life! I’m thankful for my time in Shanghai and I am so happy and thankful to be home.
Lots of stories and sharing to come.
Wow! I have been home sixty days.
I’ve accomplished so much in these two months and there is nothing but Greatness to come.
“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”
– Hellen Keller
Oh and since I’ve been home I have of course been to a PJ Morton concert! Here’s a song off of his latest album ‘Watch the Sun’ – the song is title “My Peace” Enjoy
….you know what I do! and I plan on enjoying all the good things in the hours, days, and weeks to come!
all smiles at a cafe in Shanghai
You deserve all the good things….
As my time was ending in Shanghai, I met a sweet lady from S. Africa who goes by KG. It was a lot for me to take in at first because I too go by KG – but, we both got use to seeing our initials in the same group chat and using context to know when someone was sending one of us a message. KG must be one of the sweetest people I have ever met & and I am really bummed that I met her in my last weeks of my time as an expat in China. On the bright side, through the vehicle of technology we can stay in touch with one another.
Recently the two of us KG’s were chatting online and I was catching her up on my life back in Texas and she was catching me up on her life in Shanghai and towards the end of the conversation she said “KG – You deserve all the good things” and when she told me that – I am happy it was through an audio note so I could hear it – I was so encouraged. She is right! I do deserve all the good things. I’m thankful for the reminder and the encouragement.
Soooooooooo there is so much to share with all of you and I will! I want to share about my experience during Shanghais ’22 Lockdown- But – – I am home in the States. No longer is it K. Marie takes on Shanghai- She took it on (so I GUESS a new name for the blog coming soon) – and she did great and amazing thing while there.
I gave five years of my life to that city and there were so many great moments and there were some very low and tough moments. COVID has absolutely changed the world and everything that we do and how we operate. I don’t regret my time in Shanghai at all, it just came to an end. It felt a bit abrupt – but sometimes life can be hard and abrupt. I have been home for 48 days and I have been at peace. Shanghai took a serious toll on me in the last three months. As COVID numbers spiked the city went into a serious and intense lockdown. Shanghai/China’s lockdown is unlike that of any other country, and I have some thoughts I wrote in my journal that I want to share soon about that. I wanted to take some time to get settled at home and adjusted to life back with my friends and family. All is well with me, and I do pray that all is well with you! I look forward to sharing with you about my last weeks in China and about all that is to come for K. Marie!I’m so happy you’re following my blog. Who knows what I will take on next?
Thank You KG for encouraging me. It makes me think of this verse- John 10:10 – …. I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.I plan to live my life and live it abundantly!
@The Press Cafe & Restaurant in Shanghai China- taken in February 2022
@Jingan Temple, in Jingan District in Shanghai,China – taken in February 2022
@ YuYuan Gardens in Shanghai, China- taken February 2022
Before the city closed I took some pictures at various sites around the city. I’m so glad I did this before the 2022 lockdown started. These will be great memories.
Here I am again with some wonderful news. This article was posted on Afro Tech’s website just last week and it made me smile seeing a family grow and excel together. I actually have never been to Bronx, NY – but if I ever find myself in that borough I will check out this restaurant.
“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”
– Hellen Keller
I love the adventure that my life is on. I have been unable to travel in the last two years because of travel restrictions here in China. Here is one of my favorite travel memories from right before the pandemic.
Here I am …. Still at home. I have been at home since March 11 – it is not the first week of April. The government gave an official notice that we are on lockdown from April 1-5. During this time there would be no movement at all in the city – only very essential workers/volunteers are allowed out in the city. We also had to do at home COVID test and in person COVID test. Shanghai had the entire city mass tested- a city of about 24 million people. The city is closed. It is quiet. The streets are empty. The shops are not open. I look out my window and I see no movement. It’s so surreal to be living through this.
What else can I tell you? When we got the word days before April 1 that the city would close and that we would be in lockdown we had time to prepare- or so we thought! 24 million people all ordering and buying food at the same time? What do you think that looks like? Its madness. Apps were on overload, restaurant workers are working overtime, shops are restocking shelves hourly/daily – everyone is in a state of panic.
So, we spent the days leading up to April 1 working, and stocking up on food. Many apps wouldn’t allow people to order because everyone was ordering at the same time or because they were out of items. Amazingly, restaurants made deals and specials preparing large amounts of food to last individuals and family for a few days at a time. Soon restaurants started selling food items because they would have to close soon and couldn’t have people inside to eat. So, you could literally buy fruits, vegetables, and meat from your favorite dining places.
April 1 hit, and the city closed. We all had to stay home. I am still at home. During this time, we are all being mass tested and anyone who tests positive is whisked away to a COVID quarantine facility by local medical professionals or CDC workers. You have some time to pack a bag and prepare to be taken away. You don’t want to go. The center isn’t a fun place to be. From what I have read and seen it is an exhausting experience mentally and physically.
Now…. April 9th has arrived, and we are still on lockdown – and it is indefinite. We DO NOT know when the lockdown ever will end. Pray for healing for this city. Shanghai/China is serious about this Zero Covid policy and if there are any cases- they remove you from the public to contain the spread of the virus. It is hard to be hopeful in these exhausting times, but I am really hoping in the next two weeks we see a change and a move back to some form of normalcy in the city.
How did we get here? It is surreal to be living through this two years later. Empty quiet streets. People fighting for water and food in the supermarkets. Stocking up to survive the pandemic. With the shops closed and many drivers forced to stay at home we are unsure of how/when we will be able to order food again. Currently, I have plenty of food – but things run out. Many communities/neighborhoods have been working together to order food packages in bulk/group buys and your neighborhood community leader will deliver it to you since we are not allowed to be out and about right now. Its wild here. We are connecting with virtual workouts, virtual Happy Hour, virtual meetings, virtual book clubs- virtual everything. Social Media and technology is a life saver in times like this – but we are not made to live in isolation.
What have I been doing? I cook! I bake! I read! I sleep! I do video calls with my students once a week to check in and see how they are doing. They really miss school and their friends. So its tough! We are all having a hard time. Parents are home with their kids all day. Teachers are home all day. Kids are home all day. Just about all of the city is closed. It is extremely difficult to do anything/.
#COVID2022 or is it #COVIDTwentyAndToo #Shanghai2022 #COVIDIsStillHere #COVIDNeverLeft #SurvivingTheQuarantine #IsolationLife #TheCityIsClosed -kinda #EmptyShanghaiStreets #QuietCity #Quarantined #SelfTestAreHereToo #thankfulfortechnology #moviesandbooksandtvandcooking #virtualbookclubs #virtualhappyhour #virtualhangoutswithfriends
To Everyone who has reached out – thank you so much. So much is happening all around the world … and we here in Shanghai are still dealing with the effects of COVID and being locked down to avoid the spread of the epidemic. Here’s to looking towards better days.
Are we locked down? Is the city closed? Are we quarantined?
I am getting messages from family members and friends from home and in other countries asking about the lockdown and quarantine here in Shanghai. Thankful and my heart is warm with all of the contact I am getting from everyone. It means a lot that I am not forgotten about.
Where to begin? What to say? I’m at a loss for words (which is not often for me).
I have been at home pretty much – off an on – since February. Yes, I have been outside, at the park, for walks, and even made it to a friends birthday brunch at The W in earlier this month, but now the city is pretty much closed. Restaurants are working on minimum capacity as many workers are stuck inside because of the quarantine – so they are doing delivery and take away only (and even the takeaway option is beginning go away).
I am trying to focus on #peace
Am I locked in? Yep – kinda, sorta. Some days I can go out… Some days I can’t. Currently I am staying inside to avoid it all.
Is the city closed? Yep – kinda, sorta. A lot of venues are closed to the public, restaurants are at a takeaway/delivery option, school is currently closed, some government offices are open, most apartment compounds (apartment complex) are not allowing visitors and have asked people to say inside. The shelves of the supermarkets are empty. People have purchased food in a panic because we don’t know how long we will be at home.
Are we quarantined? Yep- kinda, sorta. It really depends on where you live in the city, and what COVID numbers are like in your district. Some people are free to move about the city with very little to do while out and others have to stay inside. Everyone is having a hard time with this. It’s not easy.
COVID numbers are rising all over the city in many districts in Shanghai and as a result of that the VAST majority of the city is quarantined. We have been mass testing by district and now even testing at home. Self-tests were just introduced and many compounds are having residents self-test at home to make sure no one is testing positive in recent days – if they were out and about before the lockdown. Apartment compounds are being closed off and many compounds are not allowing individuals to leave their home. You can’t even spend time in common spaces. You need to leave your trash right outside of your door and someone will come to get it and take care of it for you. Walks with your pets, family, friends, and play outside in public spaces is prohibited.
#COVID2022 or is it #COVIDTwentyAndToo #Shanghai2022 #COVIDIsStillHere #COVIDNeverLeft #SurvivingTheQuarantine #IsolationLife #TheCityIsClosed -kinda #Quarantined #SelfTestAreHereToo
If you are interested in a foreigner/expats experience with COVID and in a quarantine center here in Shanghai feel free to follow this contact on TWITTER: @leaningshane – I don’t this person but I have been following their Twitter posts
I have been following and keeping up with the experiences of others. It is TOUGH! What I am going through is tough too. It is extremely tough being home- alone all the time. I do all the things recommended to do to survive quarantine life- But people should have interaction with others.
It’s exhausting.
I am looking forward to better days that are on the way. I hold on to hope! I hold on to my faith! I don’t know when it will all be over and when school will open again. Currently- I’m home until further notice.
This is some great news worthy to be shared! If you know anyone who this may benefit please pass the information along. It is also very exciting to share this as I am alumni of this campus. Look into ‘UT Arlington offering free tuition to more students’
Of course there is always fine print, and work to be done – check out the requirements and share it with those in your circle AND on your social media platforms. You never know whose life this can change.
FEARLESS in SHANGHAI 