Shanghai

Trip Start Jul 28, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of China Shanghai, China
Thursday, August 10, 2006

Today we travel to Shanghai and I do not allow nearly enough time for us to make our flight so we have to take the next flight out. We arrive in mid-afternoon and check in. The hotel is fairly nice and our room is much larger than the one in Hong Kong. Matthew still doesn't feel well so I give him some time in the room to sleep. I go to the spa and sauna, which is too cold for me, and spend a few hours in the lobby by myself. I admit to feeling very homesick. I haven't heard from anyone except for a few brief emails and Matt is always on the phone when I could reach someone in the states. I miss my Bonnie and am feeling very alone. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Today I meet the rest of the members of this escorted group. I am surprised there are only 11 of us but our guide; Mr. Shen assures that we will be able to do some extra sightseeing since we are so small

400 year old banyan furniture

. This is my first experience with an escorted tour and I will try my best to be obedient and follow the rules. The group, I find, is delightful. There is Sally, her daughter, Debbie, and her 17 year old son-a black family from NYC; a couple from Phoenix; and two sisters traveling with their husbands on their annual trip to celebrate their birthdays. One couple lives in the Ricoletta district of Buenos Aires and the other couple recently moved from Houston to Miami. We seem to really bond quickly and are pretty agreeable in what we want to do. Matt remains behind in the room again but I know he will enjoy the others as much as I do.
We spend the morning traveling around Shanghai, the largest city in China. I am struck again as I was in Japan and Hong Kong on how clean the streets are. It is obvious, however, that this part of Asia is much poorer. There are touts (peddlers) everywhere and beggars line the streets. We are taught how to say hello in Chinese, sounds like "knee how" and warmly welcomed everywhere.
Mr. Shen explains how China has undergone dramatic change since the death of Chairman Mao in 1976. And, of course, the county underwent a massive change in 1911 when the last emperor, Dr. Yat Sun, was overthrown and the country became Communist. Today, China is a nationalist country that retains much control over its citizens but encourages free enterprise

Calligraphy Class

. It is amazing to me to see how modern parts of the city are, while other parts remain very poor. The focus seems to be on the young and children in China are prized as each family is only allowed one child. According to Mr. Shen, many, many of the young are very egocentric and spoiled. This policy has been in effect for 30 so years so it will be interesting to see how the future of this county plays out.
Our first stop is the Children's Palace where children attend classes in the arts-especially dance, calligraphy, dance and painting. Just how much the children in China becomes evident as we find the classes crowded with tiny tots studying away while throngs of parents wait in the halls or sit next to their child to encourage them. It is the summer session but many, many parents use these off months to further their child's artistic talents. The children are in varying stages of involvement. Some are mastering the arts as one classical pianist of about 11 we heard. By contrast, a 4 year old yawned through his private piano lesson while his parents took notes nearby, the better to reinforce the lesson at home.
Next we went to the Yuan Garden, a small garden built originally by a government official for his family. The garden was packed but it was interesting to see the dragons made of stone that are over 450 years old. A quick stop at the Bund-Shanghai's waterfront and then we stopped for Mongolian bar-b-queue-nothing like Texas bbq, I can assure you-and then to a carpet factory where we watched girls make incredible carpets from silk
threads-the largest and most intricate can take years to complete.
A quick trip back to the hotel was followed by a traditional Chinese style dinner served family style with dishes rotated on a lazy susan. I have certainly had better, but the highlight of the day followed as our guide agreed to take us to see the famed Shanghai acrobats. A vaudeville/circus of sorts, I think the feats they performed were more impression than other cirque de sole shows I have seen.