Shanghai and Back...

After my last blog entry, Jerel and I returned briefly to Shanghai to obtain longer term Russian visas. While I could have done without the extra travel, our 6 days in Shanghai were well worth the trip; Jerel and I both found ourselves looking forward to the comforts of 'home' and came back refreshed and recharged. In Shanghai, we experienced a renewed appreciation for the friendliness, cheerfulness and helpfulness of the locals, and were quick to take advantage of the amazingly good deals in everything from clothing (Jerel doubled his suit collection) and restaurants, to luggage. We were also lucky to have the chance to visit with Pat Brown (friend/colleague/thesis-advisor); we introduced him to our 'hood' near People's Park, and to the adventure that is shopping in Shanghai, while he introduced us to some great spots in his area - the French Concession. Since returning to Moscow on June 17, Jerel continues to wrestle with the Russian pharmaceuticals market while I wrestle an equally formidable opponent - the Moscow short-term apartment market - so that we can have a kitchen and a tad more space than our overpriced hotel room for the next 5.5 weeks (who's counting). Jerel and I are both struggling to adjust to the stoic Moscovite way and thus have recently been drawn to unlikely American venues...we have embraced TGIF as a sanctuary of smiles and service, and have frequented MacDonalds (actually, MacKafe) more in the last week than in the last decade!