2006
Trip Start
Dec 27, 2005
1
6
20
Trip End
Jan 15, 2006
Shanghai,
China
Monday, January 2, 2006
The Bund
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Headed to the Bund after lunch. I don't know what the deal is about the Bund. Crowded as hell, smoggy too. It makes the view pretty ugly. Took a token tourist photo & left
Bund 1
. Samir bought a local candy skewer (bing tong hu lu). It wasn't all that great. Must be an acquired taste as we tossed it after 1 biteOld Shanghai
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Walked over to the old Shanghai district. Went to the Yuyuan gardens. This was the old residence of a former governor of Shanghai. This garden was quite magnificent and is exactly what you'd imagine China to be like hundreds of years ago. After the garden we had tea at the famous teahouse on the lake. Had some high end tea along with the set dessert. Excellent although quite pricey compared with other meals. Tea set was 200 RMB for 2, which is the same as most meal paces. However the ambience & architecture is impeccable. This is a definite "must do" in Shanghai. Probably the most ironic thing is that right across the street is a Starbucks. Starbucks is really EVERYWHERE!
Walked around the old Shanghai bazaar afterwards. Typical bazaar market except the architecture made it unique.
Random Side Note
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So far throughout Beijing & Shanghai, everybody whom I've had a long conversation inevitably asks if I am from the Guangdong province
Bund 2
. Apparently I have the "look" of the people there. No idea what that means but since my dad's family was from around there it's pretty accurate (& uncanny) how the people can distinguish the various types of Chinese.Beijing vs. Shanghai
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Beijing is very different from Shanghai. I guess the equivalent US analogy is Washington DC vs. NYC. Culturally the 2 areas are very different. The people from Beijing are much prouder of their heritage & take lots of pride in the country. They all seem to be decently educated as well. Shanghai seems to revolve around capitalism. Everybody cares more about money & status. The Beijing people we talked to at the foot massage place say that the "Southerners" are much flashier w/their wealth whereas in Beijing you can't really tell the difference from outwardly appearance. Furthermore Beijing is a culturally rich region whereas shanghai is a shopper's paradise. There is also a huge presence of the CCP military in Beijing whereas in Shanghai you don't see any soldier at all. I guess it's pretty much the same in the US w/the military centered around the DC area.
Side Note #2
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The Shanghainese people really like to smoke & spit
Bund 3
. Most of them enjoying smoking WAY too much. Apparently they sort of stopped spitting after the SARS scare. It has been a few years since those days & apparently spitting is now back in Vogue again.Living in Shanghai
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Living in Shanghai would probably be like living in NYC, except that it would be 25% cheaper. The place to stay is in the French Concession because it is where all the boutiques & bars are. All the action is on that side as well. Pudong is over rated. It's mostly office buildings & a few expensive hotels. There is not much else there. From a location perspective the Okura Garden hotel seems like a better choice than the Grand Hyatt. It may not be as luxurious but it is sure as hell much more convenient.
The other thing about living in Shanghai is that probably it would be nice for the short-term. It's basically just eat & shop. After ~3months it may seem rather repetitive. You can only go bar hopping so much before it gets old. Must be that I'm getting old. Quiet life is a good life but maybe it'll be different if I had a group of friends living here as well.
Bund 4
Shanghai Women.
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We met a Shanghainese woman on NYE. She seemed like a career woman type w/something to prove. My 1st impression of her was that she had a lot of attitude. It was as if she wanted to prove to everybody how good or how well she was doing. Every 2-3 minutes was something about her having her own business or how her ex-bf thought she was perfect but she didn't think they were ultimately compatible. Blah, blah, blah....Anyways the 3 of us went to dinner & she kept on talking about the same things. Something about going to the US to attend a seminar or something w/Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha. Basically your typical name dropping session. That continued w/about how fat she was and how she tries to stay slim. When we asked about the bars we were thinking about going, she said that it was full of hookers. Personally I think it's because she would be intimidated by the younger hotter chicks.
The dinner conversation got stranger as the night went on. She started by saying that her assistant (& supposedly her best-friend) was a virgin and also that she was fat & ugly. Then she proceeded to peddle her to Samir. Next came something about her aunt being 46 and dating a 20-something Jordanian guy
Bund 5
. Something about her aunt looking hot & having big breasts. It was then when I looked at her breast. Looked like implants. Then she started to try to convince Samir to date her aunt. Whatever. She was pretty hostile towards me because I was unimpressed w/all the BS.We headed to Sasha's for a drink. The bar was a typical expat hang out & mostly guys. Obviously it was her idea. After a drink we ditched her & went to the People's 7 bar. Very cool, like something you'd find in Tokyo. Bartender guy was super hip & helpful on the fun places to go. Crazy decor in a minimalist ultra-modern style. Counterintuitive door. Essentially they open opposite to the door knob. I couldn't figure out how to open the bathroom until a couple walked out (they were probably having sex). All and all, it's a great place. Must be awesome on a Thurs/Friday night.
