Xmas is back and New Year is coming

After Leonor and Tomás were born, Xmas recovered all its fantasy…like the days we [the 7] were still young with all the mess we made around Xmas tree…looking for our presents…so as you can imagine it was great…next year Matilde will join the “mess”…

I spend Xmas teasing with my mother saying that next year we would have one more person at the table…“my Chinese fiancé”…she couldn’t stop laughing…neither do I…it’s difficult to imagine…however we never know…do we? Can you imagine…little Chinese with blue eyes and blond hair? [Laugh]

Next year is going to be…definitively different…that’s the least I can say…I’m sure I will seize every moment of it!
Jota said that I should always say “yes”…even if I’m tired or not in the mood…“we never know what’s around the corner!” …especially in the beginning and in my situation…alone in Shanghai…scared? No way…looking forward for this adventure!

I take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful 2005…and if you are in the “neighbourhood” please call, you will be more than welcome…you already knew that…

By the way…a little of Chinese culture…next Chinese New Year begins in 9th February, it will be Rooster’s year...unfortunately…it seems I will still be in Portugal…that’s a shame…but I will have more opportunities in the future…then I can invite you...

There are 12 animals in the Chinese horoscope…so each 12 years it goes over…this year [2004] is the Monkey [my sign, I was born in 1980], 2005 the Rooster, 2006 the Dog, 2007 the Pig, 2008 the Rat, 2009 the Buffalo, 2010 the Tiger, 2011 the Hare, 2012 the Dragon, 2013 the Snake, 2014 the Horse, 2015 the Goat…try to guess which is going to be in 2016…yes! the Monkey again…lucky me!

A piece of heaven

Although not being directly related with Shanghai I believe it’s worthy to write about it…yesterday I had one of the best days I can remember…it started with a breakfast at Sheraton Porto – Hotel & SPA with one of the most attractive women I know…oh! I nearly forgot…FC Porto team, the European and World Champions in title were also there…then I went to the SPA centre [now you start to understand the title of this post]…

…choosing the right massage wasn’t an easy task…but after a while and with technical support I managed to decide…for the Full Body Relaxing Treatment with aromatherapy – 1h50 minutes in paradise…I scheduled to 5 pm letting me with 6 hours to enjoy the rest of the equipments…

…I started with the vitality pool a Jacuzzi with 5 different treatments…cannons of water, water cascade, bed and bench of bubbles…an incredible experience as you may imagine…followed by an intensive swimming in the pool…in order to get really tired to fully enjoy the relaxing zone - hot beds with remote control allowing to choose the best position to relax…

…I spent the rest of the time before lunch in the Sauna and the Hamman [Turkish bath], a very “hot” experience…I lunched in the Juice Bar [an amazing salmon sandwich, a natural orange juice and a tropical fruit salad] I was only using a robe and my bath suit …a very posh picture…

…afterwards I continued my heat experience with the 3 saunas treatments - arranged by heat, aroma and humidity…followed by a cold water douche and a deserved rest in the relaxing room…when I was waiting for the therapist I read several magazines and I’m now sure that men should read more woman’s magazines…we can learn lots of “interesting” things…and they will appreciate…

…I don’t know how to express what I felt during the massage…or which part I preferred…I only I can say that I recommend you vividly to do the same…that was my "piece of heaven"…believe or not I already know that in my next girlfriend birthday I will offer her a full day in the double suite - specially prepared for treatments which take a holistic approach - an immersion bath with aromatic oils and rose petals followed by two full body massages…you can imagine who will be the second person…it can me quite romantic and all the rest…you know what I mean…

…the day at Sheraton Hotel finished with a hot chocolate and a toast…I spend 9 hours and 95.00 € [not much for "cloud nine"]…I look forward to experience the Asian SPAs [hopefully they will be cheaper]…Thailand here I come [I’m sure C+D understand]…and next massage will be the hot stones one…

Oops

…despite a normal jumpiness, for someone that is going to work in China, everything is going really well…I already know that I will be responsible to make the link between Shanghai and Porto’s offices…however there is a tiny problem…I don’t know a single badly word in Chinese…it’s true that they speak English at the office…but the suppliers only speak, in the best chance, mandarin…it would be nice to deal with them…I’m hopping to have lots of interesting stories to tell you…I was also told that I will do some trips over there, I hope to have some business trips to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand…I don’t know if that’s too much to ask for…

…yesterday I had my 3rd class of mandarin…it’s quite hard…there are more than 40,000 characters…you can imagine what I will be facing…the funny thing is that in Shanghai they have their own dialect…but I don’t want to make such a big deal of it…who I’m I fooling…I’m totally screwed…

…I already spoke with some people that already have been or lived in Shanghai…I couldn’t be more exciting after hearing what they had to say…big news…there is an IKEA in Shanghai…decorating the apartment would not be a problem…if I’m staying there for 9 months…I have to feel at home…I only have to know what that means…

…not knowing what will happen…it’s quite trilling and exciting…

...I promise to write "next post" in Portuguese…and believe or not in Chinese…I will try to teach you some words and sentences…those easy ones…