Shanghai'd

Fruit.

The coldest days of winter are upon us, and although Shanghai is in a sub-tropical zone (we do get typhoons), Shanghai winters are cold. The concrete shell buildings and cheap doors and windows mean we wear long underwear, clothes and coats indoors, even at work. It rains quite often and other days it is foggy and humid and today it even hailed. The pollution levels are elevated and we hope for cold fronts to clear out the dingy grey-brown cloud that hangs over the city. Its really quite miserable.

But Shanghai winter does have its saving graces. A clear, crisp day or a hint of spring here and there (crocuses at my office this week). And then, in mid-January they come. From where I don't know, but in the stores, every corner you can now buy winter shuiguo. Strawberries, kiwis, pineapple right around the corner... and the star of the show: delectable, sweet, juicy, tender, golden mangoes. All fruit is sold perfectly ripe and ready to eat. This year we even found Organic strawberries.

And so, on this grey and dreary day, as I snuggle on the couch in my fleece and fur-linned Uggs, watching the sleet and hoping my 2pm flight to San Francisco is not delayed, I am quite content eating juicy strawberries next to a French bakery chocolate tart. Maybe it has something to do with knowing I could be standing on the Golden Gate Bridge in 12 hours, but Shanghai winter doesn't seem so bad, after all.