After we came back from Hangzhou we had a small fruit fly infestation. They were breeding in the drains and though they didn't harm us in any tangible way, they made the women of the household very upset, which caused the men to be upset. Liz and Arleen hatched a silly plan to use detergent and incense and whatnot. Seth demanded that he finally be allowed to get a rechargeable 2.3 kilovolt electric tennis racquet bug zapper. Here is a video of the zapper in action.
A Total Eclipse of the Eclipse
Did we mention that Shanghai has a stone gray perma-smog hanging over it? During what was billed as the single coolest eclipse for at least 500 years, we were unable to see the sun or moon. However, at 9:30am we did see the sky go completely dark inside of 10 minutes and for another 5 minutes it seemed as if it were midnight. The most shocking part wasn't the darkness but the sudden temperature drop. We were out on our balcony taking pictures and noticed that the summer breeze started to feel a lot like air conditioning. We can't wait to write a followup blog post in 2509 A.D. By then China will definitely have dealt with the smog situation here.
Eclipse in Chinese is Ri Shi ('Ri' as in 'rip' and 'shi' as in 'ship')
Labels: blogsherpa, China, Shanghai
You guys were in the right place at the right time....the eclipse coverage was all the rage in the states and there you were in Shanghai where it lasted longer than anywhere else! Quite an experience to add to your other adventures!
Arleen and Steve, I think some of Seth's moves with that zapper would come in handy on the pickleball courts. Maybe he can give you some tips before you leave!
Any progress with the fruit fly situation? Ugh....
Love,
Arlene
Arlene said...
July 23, 2009 at 5:43 AM
The Boston Globe reported there were festivities and fireworks in Shanghai for the eclipse. Guess they missed you balcony blog about smog.
The fruit fly purge was downright hilarious. Seth's panache with a racket and the music selction, ha!
Beth said...
July 23, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Seth:
Try pouring bleach down all drains and check your indoor/outdoor plants too, good luck!
Ali said...
July 23, 2009 at 7:10 PM
The musical choices for both videos are excellent! I swear, you have a future in travel TV if you want. And why not???
It's so exciting to see all you're seeing.
gillian said...
July 25, 2009 at 7:22 PM
The video of the eclipse was "wow" unbelievable how auspicious that you guys were visiting during this special time.
Arianna Harr said...
July 26, 2009 at 2:59 AM
You guys seriously this blog is too funny. I love the and feel so sad about the electric tennis racket bug zapper. I mean they are really annoying but watching them being murdered by my sniper brother in law was so sad.
I did laugh never-the-less and find I continue to enjoy the show!
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July 26, 2009 at 3:01 AM
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May 25, 2014 at 7:12 AM