March/April 2006/Shanghai

Spring in Shanghai is a very pleasant time of year. The weather is comfortable, but unfortunately, we are not outside enough to enjoy it. The kids kept busy with basketball and soccer. Jay was selected to join the AKSIL soccer team in preparation of their trip to the Taiwan tournament (see May/June 2006). Shaun, Rowan and Jay also played recreational basketball. Shaun also played in the AKS All Star Team and also played for his School Team.

Meanwhile, Rajjina kept her schedule busy by continuing her architectural design classes. The house was full of all sorts of models, protractors, construction board. In Shanghai, she gets to put her theoretical work to practice in designing a couple of old Art Deco homes including our own (see House Restoration). Sareet snuck off for a 4 day golf trip to Thailand to play a fun tournament.

The true highlight of the month was the Rolling Stones first ever concert in Communist China. We took Shaun and Jay, and they actually liked a few of the songs that we “old people” listen to. It was pretty impressive to see a 60+ year old Mick Jagger strut up and down the stage with boundless energy. The government did not allow them to sing 4 songs including “Brown Sugar”, “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” In a perfect deadpan line delivered to the local press, who did not notice the sarcasm, Mick Jagger was quoted as saying, “I am glad to see that the Ministry of Culture is protecting the morals of expatriate merchant bankers and their Chinese girlfriends.”

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The Majumdars