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Published: April 6th 2007
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BKK-SHA
At the check-in counter for China Eastern Airlines, my bag weighed in at 8.9 kilograms--roughly 20llbs. Five shirts, two paints, long underwear, undergarments, socks, a sarong, toilletries, two reading books, flip flops, camera, cell phone, notebook.
Our flight left BKK at 1:55 a.m. on April 4th, 2007. Xiang Yi was nostalgic all throughout the day. She was very sad to finally leave her apartment. Those of you that visited for a dinner party or movie know how spectacular the view is from her flat. She lived on the top floor, 31, in a nice modern condo along the Chao Praya River. However...as we headed towards the airport, she reverted to her no-nonsense attitude and assumed 'world traveler' mentality.
We hardly got any sleep on the plane. It was about 3am before we fell asleep, only to be woken up by the cabin crew. They handed out these strange plastic trays full of cookies, chips, seaweed, a kit-kat chocolate and water--nothing warm or cooked. In another time, I would have been delighted to eat so much junk food but after living in Bangkok, I have gotten used to eating freshly prepared meals of whatever cuisine I fancy
that night. I've probably never eaten as well as I have in Thailand!
Arriving in Shanghai, we were a bit confused because 1)everything is written in Chinese 2) herds of people stampeded their way towards immigration. When it was my turn to have my visa checked, the govt official kept looking at my passport photo and then back to me again. She asked me to sign my name on a different piece of paper and asked me several questions, including why I was coming to China and why had I been to Thailand so many times. It was a little strange. Come on, do I really look that suspicious?
After that, getting on the city shuttle and checking into the hostel was a breeze. The shuttle is called Meglev, and is suppost to 'levitate' --allegedly reaching speeds of over 400 km. That morning we only reached 301, so no levitation for us!
The weather here is much cooler than in Thailand. Thank God for that because I was getting sick of living inside an oven. There's nothing worse than sweating in the morning--as was often the case in Bangkok! I like the cool wind in my face,
and the strong breeze of the Pacific Ocean. There are some people making food on the street, but its not in the large amounts as in Thailand, nor do they appear next to trash heaps. Shanghai was surprisingly clean, with well-paved roads and no rabied dogs roaming the streets.
At least in Shanghai, there are no sharp contrast between rich and poor. Most of the shops are well stocked with things that look like they were made in the 1970s. Microwaves, blenders, other kids of gadgets--and guess what? All made in China! The clothing stores aren't crazy like in Thailand. You won't find shoes with 101 buttons, feathers or flowers. Sure, they have the upscale stores like Prada, Channel, Versace, etc. but most Shanghainese people dress conservatively, including construction workers and taxi drivers. They wear blazer jackets from the 80s and typical Chinese shoes you've seen in movies.
We spent one entire afternoon at the Shanghai Museum--well worth the money. Each floor featuring Chinese bronze, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, and artifacts, and furniture. Yes--the entire afternoon! What I particularly found memorable were the coins used along the Silk Road. The vases were pretty but after seeing so many--well--they
all started to look the same except for a blue or orange one here or there.
Later in the evening we went looking for a jazz place listed in the Let's Go travel guide. Despite the type o in the directions, we ended up enjoying the evening listening to a New Orleans based band named 'The Continuum.' The female vocalist sang a nice rendition of "I wish you love" --although I did not particularly care for her syrupy version of "ByeByeBlackbird." We ordered nachos and beer. Thumbs up for the beer--and well, nachos in China? Ehem....
We left Shanghai this morning. Now I'm in Suzhou (Sue Joe)--an hour outside of Shanghai.
http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/English/pic.shtml
We arrived late this afternoon, after just missing our train. We've just gotten back from having some delicious hot and sour soup and some pork buns. Tomorrow we'll be visiting some gardens and a Silk Museum. Apparently, this is the birthplace of Chinese silk. It was also the capital for 50 years, during the Ming dynasty.
xxoo jessica
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