Winter has definitely hit Shanghai. Last week we had snow all weekend and it is starting again today and will continue all of this weekend. Granted we are only talking a few inches (nothing like WI has had) yet people here have not had this much snow in 50+ years.
On a happy note, we have enjoyed playing in the snow. Having not expected snow here, poor Ty gets to wear a mix of anything we can find to keep him dry and warm. He loves it which bodes well for all the snow back home! Here are some pics from our snowy neighborhood. I did not capture it at the height of the accumulation but maybe I will get more of a chance this weekend.
You may have seen the pictures on the news of 500,000+ people stranded at one train station while trying to make it home for Chinese New Year on Feb. 6-8. For China's massive migrant population this is the one time of the year parents see their child or families. It is heartbreaking to see their hopes dashed by the weather. The country is really taking a huge blow with the transportation systems being shut down. People are stranded on the highways and in train & bus stations, food supply lines are cut and prices are skyrocketing, crops are frozen, and many people who live in shacks are freezing cold. International companies are unable to get supplies in and their products out so the rest of the world will soon feel the affects of the storms with delayed shipments and higher prices.
Some of the train lines are up and running again but the mass of people are facing stampedes for the buses and trains to get out. Shovels are hard to come by so workers are sweeping the streets and bikes are pushing flat blades to try to move the snow. When you figure in the fact that people here rarely see snow, much less drive in it, and add in the number of cars on the roads in Shanghai it is almost impossible to go places during the snow. In fact, Tyler and I were home bound for most of the week out concern of getting into an accident. The concerns were validated when I read the paper on Wednesday. On a four lane "highway" a mile or so away from our house, 2 men were killed when the company bus they were riding on flipped over. Twenty more were injured.
Our dear friend and driver's wife was stranded with their son at the airport for over 24 hours. Much of the time was spent in the plane. Yikes! They made it to their destination but are heading back Saturday when it is supposed to snow.
Luckily, one of Peter's coworkers made it back to WI so we now know they have the capability to de-ice planes at Pudong airport. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather here and in Chicago next Tuesday will enable us to return home for a quick visit!
The snow certainly reminds us of home, yet it is bittersweet in China.
See many of you soon!
