I’m watching your vlog from Tokyo, and thanks for your updates with neutral/positive information about China. We are flooded with propagandas about China in the mainstream media here, nothing is positive. Appreciate your great work and demo to everyone the real China is. Pls keep up your great work and look forward to more of your updates.
@@melissa_renee I’m referring your updates to some of my friends and we feel grateful of your updates, like the spring breeze in the middle of freezing winter. 😊
I am living in Taipei, Taiwan. Love to watch your life in Shanghai and your positive view about China. There are just too many unfair Propaganda about China in the US press.
Greetings from sunny Florida. It is so refreshing to watch your amazing videos on your daily life in China. I could only dream about visiting Shanghai, maybe one day, soon hopefully! Thank you!
Hi Melissa! Thanks for sharing this with us. Exploring China has always been in my best interest. It's been so much fun watching your vlog. I am now so excited to visit Shanghai in winter as the city looks so charming in this season. Looking forward to the borders opening up to tourists. Sending love from the Philippines! ❤
hahahaha Restaurants and stores are always open in China. I remember when I was in Houston maaaany years ago, on one Christmas day, my hubby and I drove around and found every store closed except Walgreen! Now that there is no more restricition on travelling, you can explore many other parts of China. 😄
Oh I love your videos. They’re so authentic and wholesome. Learning any new language is difficult but knowing the basics of the local language helps and makes things easier. And I love your playlists.
Well, if you guys are going to be there for a couple of more years, you might as well get some Disneyland passes. Zootopia land is going to open up soon. 😂 So cool that you hanged out with Expat Nat. I like her, too.
Ooo that sounds fun! We have looked into them. Maybe we will have to do that for the summer. 😊 and yes it was so cool to get to hang out! I’m glad you watch her too.
Thanks for sharing! I used to work in Shanghai for 7 years and moved back 2019! I had a great time while staying there! It’s an exciting place indeed! Hope to visit Shanghai soon!
Monks in China are vegetarians. There is a whole class of vegan foods called 仿荤菜 or imitation meat dishes. There are restaurants that specializes in that sort of foods which gives a new experience to the palate other than leafy greens.
Greetings from Singapore! LOVE LOVE LOVE your video style and music choices. Lovely to see how you share your family journey. Heading to Shanghai in a week and I have been taking notes on where to check out simply based on your vlog. Thank you! Take care!
There are 43 cities have subways in China as far , in every city has at least two languages from the public announcement : mandarin and English. in Guangzhou /Shenzhen /HK, there are 3: mandarin/Cantonese/English, in Urumqi ,xinjiang province there are 3: mandarin/Uighur languages/ English; in Xiamen there are 3: mandarin/south fujian dialects (hokkien)/English, in dalian city of Liao Ning province, there are mandarin/English/japanese etc , so basically you can hear 55 minority languages/mandarin/English in different provinces, mandarin and English is necessary
@@melissa_renee i posted a lot of links of vegetarian restaurants in Shanghai , but all of them been deleted by CZcams , make a search “上海素食餐厅”from “baidu “ then
Your videos are so calming! Great editing style. I was wondering how did you get the Voiceover gif? So interesting and keep making these great contents!
Made my day! Thank you! That is my goal so knowing you think that is a big deal to me. =) And the jobs I get through my agent, and getting an agent was literally just knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone. I didn't know this coming here, but it's all about networking and meeting people. I got super lucky.
it snowed on the day I left for my subtropical home for holiday! I have been waiting for it for 2 and a half years since I moved to Shanghai! At least I saw some of the snows from the windows in the airport! As a subtropical kid I am always really excited when I see snow!
You and your family are the cutest! Your videos have put a smile on my face all night! Thanks for showing me my lovely country is doing better and better, really miss it (haven't been back for 5 years..T-T). Wish y'all all the best!!! Cheers from Austin. 🥰
Oh good ol' Austin...we are from Oklahoma City so we have been there a bunch! =) And thank you soooo much. Your comment made my day, hopefully you can come visit soon!!
@@melissa_renee btw, I think most of Chinese restaurants can cook veg dishes for you since we use lots of vegetables and tofu in our daily meals. You can just save this text "我是素食者，请帮我做全素的" - "I‘m vegetarian and please prepare full veg for me"to your phone and show to the waiter.
Happy snow day. Enjoy your time in China for as long as you do spend time there. I am glad you enjoy the smiles and the kindness there. All that delicious looking food. ahhh. How tall are you? I am 5'9" but feel you and are are near in height, no? Interesting that the one bookstore you went to is called 1984. I guess in reference to the book? A chocolate company job? What did you do for them!? That is really nice.
I'm close! 5'6 but i has tall boot on that day and it made me about 5'9 i bet. You're taller than i imagined! Yes, the bookstore had copies of 1984 everywhere, it was really cool. and a little ironic. lol And I'm doing voice over work here now! It was a chocolate commercial for tv. I do the english voice dub. Its so fun!
Ironic in the sense that you feel you are being watched in your daily life in Shanghai? Or in the sense that it is supposed by many that it's the life in China?
@@wannago905 You're definitely not being watched in your daily life in China so it'd be the latter, western media wants people to think that's what happens in China but the reality is totally different.
Happy cow is very useful! Howeever it's a shame you haven't been able to add restaurants there now.. And some should definitely get deleted from there.. But this was such a lovely vlog! ❤
I actually haven't tried adding new ones, so far I'm just using what I've seen on there =) I agree, some are not what we expect when we show up. Some are even closed. And thank you so much!!! I'm glad you found me. It seems my demographic has been mostly male viewers and it's so nice to see a girl!! haha!
🎶Love my music? You can access a music playlist of all the songs I use on Spotify: open.spotify.com/playlist/5lCcJmzSBfTiIJhDbyZFJj?si=fb39928e70d64012 Wanna use it too? I use Epidemic Sound, sign up for a 30-day free trial here: share.epidemicsound.com/s046cw
Mandarin is indeed quite a difficult language to learn especially to read and write. But it would be extremely helpful if you know at least to communicate. Have some local Chinese friends and get the hang of it. You'll enjoy China even more then.
@@melissa_renee really admire your courage! Wish you can find some true friendship and comfort just like home while living in China. I am going to live in Europe with my husband for a few years, I 've learned lot from you, your attitude being open mind , so thank you!!😊
@@melissa_renee I did. Greetings from Iowa! Man I miss all the local delicacies in Shanghai小笼包 生煎包 粉丝汤yumyumyumyumyum. Enjoy plenty of them for me, will ya =)
You are missing out on so many amazing and delicious food going vegan especially in China. China is a food paradise! I like to think of myself as half vegan hahaha. At home, my diet is plant-based and is more strict than vegan as I also avoid oil as well. But outside I have no restrictions at all. I can eat anything. So probably more than half time on plant-based and lesser half on world diet though I've gone many months only on plant-based diet in the past.
Thank you for your comment. However I don’t see it missing out when it’s something I don’t want to eat in the first place. 😊 I feel like I can still enjoy foods here and stay aligned to my values. It’s a win win!
(ExpressVPN has done now, confirmed by their representative) Hi guys, what kind of VPN do you use now in China? I am about to go there for 7 weeks, really need one!!!
Hello, I've been asked this before and I don't think I will be doing that. I am not able to translate the content into Chinese so I don't think it would work well. =)
Hello, I've been asked this before and I don't think I will be doing that. I am not able to translate the content into Chinese so I don't think it would work well. =)
A lot of dishes in China have meat or animal fat in it, even the soup without visible meat may be broth. you'd better explain to the waiter that you are a vegan. It is difficult for a vegan who can't speak Chinese to eat in a Chinese restaurant. Maybe you could learn a few sentences in Chinese which can express your need as a vegan. The best way is to cook at home or go to a vegetarian restaurant.
@@melissa_renee In a normal Chinese restaurant other than a vegetarian restaurant, a vegetarian(meat) dish does not always mean that it contains only vegetables(meat), but that vegetables(meat) are its main material. Vegetarian dishes may contain small amounts of meat, and meat dishes may contain small amounts of vegetables. If you tell the waiter you want some vegetables, then you may be offered a vegetarian dish with a small amount of meat. For example, some restaurants may add a small amount of minced meat to mapo tofu, but it is still called a vegetarian dish. So, telling the waiter you want some vegetables or a vegetarian dish is different from saying that you don't want to eat anything with meat in it. My English is poor, so I don't know if I have conveyed my meaning correctly.
There is almost no vegetarian community in China, and none of my friends around me have ever heard of anyone who is vegetarian. If you are vegan, then it does make it a little difficult in terms of eating in China.
Monks are vegetarian in China, vegetarian food is actually super popular in China, super tasty too, if language wasn't a problem it should be easy. There are lots of 素食主义者 in China.
Greetings from Singapore! LOVE LOVE LOVE your video style and music choices. Lovely to see how you share your family journey. Heading to Shanghai in a week and I have been taking notes on where to check out simply based on your vlog. Thank you! Take care!
I’m watching your vlog from Tokyo, and thanks for your updates with neutral/positive information about China. We are flooded with propagandas about China in the mainstream media here, nothing is positive. Appreciate your great work and demo to everyone the real China is. Pls keep up your great work and look forward to more of your updates.
Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it. It helps me know I'm doing the right thing.
@@melissa_renee I’m referring your updates to some of my friends and we feel grateful of your updates, like the spring breeze in the middle of freezing winter. 😊
@@maru8217 Your words are so incredibly kind. Thank you!
@@melissa_renee really looking forward to some special edition of the Chinese new year updates, if possible ;-)
@@melissa_renee really miss the honeymoon dessert(满级甜品 )in Shanghai, it is more than yummy 😋would like to recommend to you for a try.
I am living in Taipei, Taiwan. Love to watch your life in Shanghai and your positive view about China. There are just too many unfair Propaganda about China in the US press.
Thank you for your kind comment. I hope I can be a positive light with my experience.❤️
So nice to finally hang out! I look forward to doing it again soon ❤❤
Same here! ❤️❤️
Good video, beautiful images from this great Chinese city and excellent presentation!
wow, thank you so much for your kind comment.
I'm from Shanghai. Enjoy your time in this city.
Thank you😁
Greetings from sunny Florida. It is so refreshing to watch your amazing videos on your daily life in China. I could only dream about visiting Shanghai, maybe one day, soon hopefully! Thank you!
Hello Florida! I hope you get to come. It’s an amazing city and country.
It's dope you've recorded the scenes of snow in Shanghai, it rarely snows in Shanghai. 兔年快乐，幸福，健康，如意，安康，大发。
Right? It was so cool to be out in it as well. Happy new year to you too!! 🐰
Hi Melissa! Thanks for sharing this with us. Exploring China has always been in my best interest. It's been so much fun watching your vlog. I am now so excited to visit Shanghai in winter as the city looks so charming in this season. Looking forward to the borders opening up to tourists. Sending love from the Philippines! ❤
hello! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I hope your trip to Shanghai is amazing!!
哈哈哈哈 Come to Shanghai in Spring. It’s fabulous and beautiful!!!! The best season in Shanghai definitely ❤
Living it up in Shanghai, I see! A really fun vlog to watch! Thank you to u and Natt!🎉
Our pleasure! It was so fun doing it together. ❤️
hahahaha Restaurants and stores are always open in China.
I remember when I was in Houston maaaany years ago, on one Christmas day, my hubby and I drove around and found every store closed except Walgreen!
Now that there is no more restricition on travelling, you can explore many other parts of China. 😄
Oh yeah, America we close everything on Christmas Day. But that is changing a lot the last 5-10 years. And yes! We plan to do lots of traveling now!!
@@melissa_renee I see. Maybe I should be visiting the States again. 😀
You should! It’s got a lot of cool places to see. 😊
Oh I love your videos. They’re so authentic and wholesome.
Learning any new language is difficult but knowing the basics of the local language helps and makes things easier.
And I love your playlists.
Thank you so much! 😃 I really appreciate your kind comment. It means a lot to me to know that.
Love the music as usual…..and the fun things you do.
Thank you so much. ❤️ glad to know I’m not boring. Haha!
Well, if you guys are going to be there for a couple of more years, you might as well get some Disneyland passes. Zootopia land is going to open up soon. 😂
So cool that you hanged out with Expat Nat. I like her, too.
Ooo that sounds fun! We have looked into them. Maybe we will have to do that for the summer. 😊 and yes it was so cool to get to hang out! I’m glad you watch her too.
Thanks for sharing! I used to work in Shanghai for 7 years and moved back 2019! I had a great time while staying there! It’s an exciting place indeed! Hope to visit Shanghai soon!
That's awesome! And now you CAN visit! yay!
Love shanghai so much👍
It's amazing!
Monks in China are vegetarians. There is a whole class of vegan foods called 仿荤菜 or imitation meat dishes. There are restaurants that specializes in that sort of foods which gives a new experience to the palate other than leafy greens.
Thank you for the tip! We have plans to visit a temple restaurant soon. I’m excited to try the cuisine. 😁
Greetings from Singapore! LOVE LOVE LOVE your video style and music choices. Lovely to see how you share your family journey.
Heading to Shanghai in a week and I have been taking notes on where to check out simply based on your vlog. Thank you! Take care!
There are 43 cities have subways in China as far , in every city has at least two languages from the public announcement : mandarin and English. in Guangzhou /Shenzhen /HK, there are 3: mandarin/Cantonese/English, in Urumqi ,xinjiang province there are 3: mandarin/Uighur languages/ English; in Xiamen there are 3: mandarin/south fujian dialects (hokkien)/English, in dalian city of Liao Ning province, there are mandarin/English/japanese etc , so basically you can hear 55 minority languages/mandarin/English in different provinces, mandarin and English is necessary
Thank you for that information! =)
@@melissa_renee i posted a lot of links of vegetarian restaurants in Shanghai , but all of them been deleted by CZcams , make a search “上海素食餐厅”from “baidu “ then
Your videos are so calming! Great editing style. I was wondering how did you get the Voiceover gif? So interesting and keep making these great contents!
Made my day! Thank you! That is my goal so knowing you think that is a big deal to me. =)
And the jobs I get through my agent, and getting an agent was literally just knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone. I didn't know this coming here, but it's all about networking and meeting people. I got super lucky.
Thank you for taking all of us along with your walks and coffee outings. Can’t wait till I get back for my visit!
My pleasure! So glad you’re enjoying it. And happy for you that you can get back now.
@@melissa_renee wishing you and your family a joyful and healthy CNY!
The food looks really good ! really nice to see you two colab on a video
Thanks Matt!! it was so fun to actually meet in person and chat youtube lol
it snowed on the day I left for my subtropical home for holiday! I have been waiting for it for 2 and a half years since I moved to Shanghai! At least I saw some of the snows from the windows in the airport! As a subtropical kid I am always really excited when I see snow!
Oh no! I’m so sorry you missed it. But hey, I’ll switch you places! Haha. I’d love to go to a subtropical place right now. 😁
@@melissa_renee hainan or yunnan or guangxi provinces are all warm
@@weizhang2834 Guangdong and Fujian: ????
You and your family are the cutest! Your videos have put a smile on my face all night! Thanks for showing me my lovely country is doing better and better, really miss it (haven't been back for 5 years..T-T). Wish y'all all the best!!! Cheers from Austin. 🥰
Oh good ol' Austin...we are from Oklahoma City so we have been there a bunch! =) And thank you soooo much. Your comment made my day, hopefully you can come visit soon!!
Oh Wu Kang Road, where my home is. really like the vibes of your video. So Shanghai!
That veg restaurant is very close to my office, and have eaten once. Nice restaurant.
That's so cool, and yeah it was so good! =)
@@melissa_renee btw, I think most of Chinese restaurants can cook veg dishes for you since we use lots of vegetables and tofu in our daily meals. You can just save this text "我是素食者，请帮我做全素的" - "I‘m vegetarian and please prepare full veg for me"to your phone and show to the waiter.
5:05 Shanghainese here, please by all means stay in Shanghai, I love your VLOGS and you are literally a better Shanghainese than me, no kidding! Love!
hahaha! That's so kind of you to say.
great vlog, waiting for the next ones..
I watched all your videos and absolutely loving them! I’m also amazed by your chopsticks skills now haha
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you like them!! ❤️ haha thanks for the compliment. I need to practice more though I think. 😬😁
Happy Chinese New year there! enjoy your life in Shanghai!
Thank you! You too! ❤️
absolutely enjoyed watching your videos, and the background music is great!
Thank you very much! ❤️❤️
Happy snow day. Enjoy your time in China for as long as you do spend time there. I am glad you enjoy the smiles and the kindness there.
All that delicious looking food. ahhh. How tall are you? I am 5'9" but feel you and are are near in height, no? Interesting that the one bookstore you went to is called 1984. I guess in reference to the book?
A chocolate company job? What did you do for them!? That is really nice.
I'm close! 5'6 but i has tall boot on that day and it made me about 5'9 i bet. You're taller than i imagined!
Yes, the bookstore had copies of 1984 everywhere, it was really cool. and a little ironic. lol
And I'm doing voice over work here now! It was a chocolate commercial for tv. I do the english voice dub. Its so fun!
@@melissa_renee That is a bit ironic haha. Oh man, congratulations on the chocolate commercial. That is really cool.
Ironic in the sense that you feel you are being watched in your daily life in Shanghai? Or in the sense that it is supposed by many that it's the life in China?
@@wannago905 You're definitely not being watched in your daily life in China so it'd be the latter, western media wants people to think that's what happens in China but the reality is totally different.
Really enjoy video, very warm and nice!
Thank you very much! That is the goal I have when editing so that makes me happy to know.
Happy cow is very useful! Howeever it's a shame you haven't been able to add restaurants there now.. And some should definitely get deleted from there.. But this was such a lovely vlog! ❤
I actually haven't tried adding new ones, so far I'm just using what I've seen on there =) I agree, some are not what we expect when we show up. Some are even closed. And thank you so much!!! I'm glad you found me. It seems my demographic has been mostly male viewers and it's so nice to see a girl!! haha!
OMG Melissa & Natt! 双厨狂喜！
Yes we are friends!!
Beautiful video!
Thank you so very much!
Shanghai really cool place🎉
🎶Love my music? You can access a music playlist of all the songs I use on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/playlist/5lCcJmzSBfTiIJhDbyZFJj?si=fb39928e70d64012
Wanna use it too? I use Epidemic Sound, sign up for a 30-day free trial here:
share.epidemicsound.com/s046cw
It seems that being a vegetarian in China is not so hard to bear, after all, they are very good at cooking.
We have been getting by pretty well!
Monks are vegetarian in China, vegetarian food is actually super popular in China, super tasty too, if language wasn't a problem it should be easy.
China ,beautiful and peaceful land
Really like your video and video's music ~
Thank you so much!
Mandarin is indeed quite a difficult language to learn especially to read and write. But it would be extremely helpful if you know at least to communicate. Have some local Chinese friends and get the hang of it. You'll enjoy China even more then.
I agree. I have plans to learn some basics in an in person class very soon. 👍😁
👍👍👍
Love your video😊
You are so kind, thank you for watching!!
@@melissa_renee really admire your courage! Wish you can find some true friendship and comfort just like home while living in China. I am going to live in Europe with my husband for a few years, I 've learned lot from you, your attitude being open mind , so thank you!!😊
Shanghai❤
❤️❤️
Welcome to my hometown! Guess we switched places =)
Haha! Did you move to the US??
@@melissa_renee I did. Greetings from Iowa! Man I miss all the local delicacies in Shanghai小笼包 生煎包 粉丝汤yumyumyumyumyum. Enjoy plenty of them for me, will ya =)
You are missing out on so many amazing and delicious food going vegan especially in China. China is a food paradise! I like to think of myself as half vegan hahaha. At home, my diet is plant-based and is more strict than vegan as I also avoid oil as well. But outside I have no restrictions at all. I can eat anything. So probably more than half time on plant-based and lesser half on world diet though I've gone many months only on plant-based diet in the past.
Thank you for your comment. However I don’t see it missing out when it’s something I don’t want to eat in the first place. 😊 I feel like I can still enjoy foods here and stay aligned to my values. It’s a win win!
@@melissa_renee Hahaha, yes from your perspective totally understandable. Plus we don't miss what we haven't experienced. Enjoying your vlogs BTW.
Being the first one to comment❤ Btw Is the weather bad in Shanghai? The weather in Beijing is quite nice.
yay for being the first! And it's pretty cold this week but overall yes, the weather is good. Are you in Beijing?
@@melissa_renee there are central heater systems in all northern China including Beijing. Shanghai doesn’t have that system unfortunately.
Can you make videos on life as a foreign student?
Unfortunately I'm not a student anymore and haven't been for some time. =)
(ExpressVPN has done now, confirmed by their representative) Hi guys, what kind of VPN do you use now in China? I am about to go there for 7 weeks, really need one!!!
Astrill! It's like the only one that works now. =) Good luck!
@@melissa_renee thanks!!!!
Very nice videos! 🎉
I’m wondering how you upload these videos? Isn’t CZcams kind of illegal in China?
Thank you. And it is blocked however I use a VPN to upload and access the internet sites I can’t in China.
不违法 很简单的😊
VPNs are easy to get and are perfectly legal in China.
Will you upload your videos on Bilibili for chinese ？😊
Hello, I've been asked this before and I don't think I will be doing that. I am not able to translate the content into Chinese so I don't think it would work well. =)
Hello, I've been asked this before and I don't think I will be doing that. I am not able to translate the content into Chinese so I don't think it would work well. =)
@@melissa_renee Chinese subtitle is not required , English works fine on bilibili 😊
@@xuronggu5013 Whaaa? for real? ok...thank you. I will look into this then.😃
Hi, what phone do you use for video? Thx!
👋 hi! I use the iPhone 12 pro max
0.35" it must be a drunk architect designed that building.
🤣🤣
A lot of dishes in China have meat or animal fat in it, even the soup without visible meat may be broth. you'd better explain to the waiter that you are a vegan. It is difficult for a vegan who can't speak Chinese to eat in a Chinese restaurant. Maybe you could learn a few sentences in Chinese which can express your need as a vegan. The best way is to cook at home or go to a vegetarian restaurant.
Yes we avoid a lot of local food for that reason unfortunately. Even if we did explain to them it doesn’t always make sense.
@@melissa_renee In a normal Chinese restaurant other than a vegetarian restaurant, a vegetarian(meat) dish does not always mean that it contains only vegetables(meat), but that vegetables(meat) are its main material. Vegetarian dishes may contain small amounts of meat, and meat dishes may contain small amounts of vegetables. If you tell the waiter you want some vegetables, then you may be offered a vegetarian dish with a small amount of meat. For example, some restaurants may add a small amount of minced meat to mapo tofu, but it is still called a vegetarian dish. So, telling the waiter you want some vegetables or a vegetarian dish is different from saying that you don't want to eat anything with meat in it. My English is poor, so I don't know if I have conveyed my meaning correctly.
There is almost no vegetarian community in China, and none of my friends around me have ever heard of anyone who is vegetarian. If you are vegan, then it does make it a little difficult in terms of eating in China.
We have had some good luck here in Shanghai. But I know I’m in a too tier city and it is very difficult in smaller places.
Monks are vegetarian in China, vegetarian food is actually super popular in China, super tasty too, if language wasn't a problem it should be easy. There are lots of 素食主义者 in China.
R u cia or nsa?
Hufflepuff.
I think ox sixty one IS a CIA stooge trying to divide and conquer
Greetings from Singapore! LOVE LOVE LOVE your video style and music choices. Lovely to see how you share your family journey.
Heading to Shanghai in a week and I have been taking notes on where to check out simply based on your vlog. Thank you! Take care!
Oh wow thank you SO much!! I hope you are enjoying your trip!! Or enjoyed it if you’re back already 😊 I really appreciate your kind comment. ❤️