Balancing my chi in Shanghai

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As evening falls, the sounds of honking horns signal what must be a rather significant traffic jam and the banging on wall next door leads me to believe that maybe the "Do not disturb sign" is construction-related, and not jet lag-related.

I have just returned from a two and a half hour yin yang massage at the hotel's Chi spa. Their brochure again quotes James Hilton's Lost Horizon, saying "You will achieve calmness and profundity, ripeness, and wisdom. And the clear enhancement of memory. And most of all, you will have Time..." I certainly found all of these things this afternoon. After a two hour lunch at Nadaman, the hotel's Japanese restaurant, a lunch which took two hours because there were so many courses, I was ready to bring some peace and quiet to my mind and my body. I was running a few minutes late, as I waited for housekeeping to finish up with my room, so I felt rushed as I raced over to the spa. But as the elevator dinged on the sixth floor of the Grand Tower, I was again reminded why the Chi spas are my favorite. I stepped out into a hallway decorated in deep, rich brown tones. Soothing music and cool air, combined with the hushed tones of everyone in there immediately quieted my mind. As I waited, I was given a small glass of tea - the glass was a sphere, with an inset where the tea was poured. I tried to guess at the type of tea, after yesterday's demonstration, and I think it was jasmine. Quite a pleasant way to ease into the spa experience.

The spa asked me to fill out a questionnaire to determine which element I am, wood, earth, water, fire, or metal. The questions asked my two favorite colors, which type of weather conditions I liked least, and things of that nature. It turns out that I am metal - although not my birthday element, metal means liking power, being rigid and resolute in expression, guided by strong feelings, and someone who will pursue their objectives with intensity and little hesitation. For the massage, this meant that my spa therapist used eucalyptus in my treatment, which makes me think that I should be using more of the eucalyptus oil that I have at home for relaxation!

The yin yang massage is especially created to harmonize and balance the flow of chi within, using deep rhythmical strokes. Focus is given to specific meridians, to release tension and restore peace and harmony. My massage therapist started with a foot bath, using a copper pot filled with hot water and rose petals to warm my feet. As she looked on, I drank a cup of ginger tea, whose spiciness was rather surprising and warmed me from the inside. She used a scrub on my feet and legs, and after rinsing and drying my feet, instructed me to change into an incredibly soft robe. She brought me back out to the small entryway for a cup of green tea, and then had me lie face up on the massage table. The massage was one of the best I've had, with the strong rhythmical strokes serving to lull me into a state of semi-consciousness as she massaged me from head to toe for almost two and a half hours. By the end of the massage, I was so relaxed, I felt as though I had melted right into the table. I had more green tea before I left and feel very mellow and relaxed. I think my unblocked chi has readied me to fully enjoy this evening's dinner at Yongfoo Elite!

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Tim, our events planner, was right when he said that it takes about thirty minutes to get anywhere in Shanghai. We found this to be the case again tonight, as we headed to Yongfoo Elite. We again enjoyed the night lights of Shanghai, while they lasted and I thought about what Phoebe had told us the evening before - that during the day, Shanghai is like a powerful man, but at night, with all of the lights, it's like an elegant lady. We had also had a discussion about seeing a large number of pregnant women, which Phoebe attributed to the last two years being lucky. Both the year of the rat and the year of the pig are lucky, so women try to give birth during these years. So many women are giving birth that they've had to shorten the time a woman spends in the hospital from one month to twenty days (one month?!?). There are twelve animal years in the Chinese calendar - rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. These are combined with the five elements to represent the year - so last year, for example, was the golden pig. Apparently, I was born in the year of the sheep, and it was an earth year. It's the most feminine of the animal signs, because sheep are regarded by Chinese astrologers as having a strong essence of "yin." I won't go into the other boring details of what this year means, both because I'm tired, and because it's eerily accurate.

After a short time, we arrived at the restaurant for dinner. Yongfoo Elite is one of the most exclusive restaurants in Shanghai, a members' club housed in a 1930's villa which formerly belonged to the British consulate. Although British, it is ironically set in the former French Concession. According to ThisIsTheLife.com, "you sign in at a table at the foot of a long driveway and make your way up to a rambling old house with a Buddhist statue and magnolia tree in its gleaming garden. Antique Chinese furniture, vintage European artifacts and a bright green Gucci leather sofa create a merging of interior styles that is effortlessly matched by exquisite Euro-Asia fusion cuisine." Apparently, it's the closest you can get to having "arrived" in Shanghai, although I don't feel any cooler than before.

A series of Chinese ladies holding lanterns lit the way for us as we wandered into the back gardens, where we had arranged for a welcome cocktail. Unfortunately, it was rather cold, which made it a little difficult to really enjoy the atmosphere. But the building was beautiful, with a colonial flair, and we had a couple of activities to keep us busy and warm. The first was a fortune teller, who read my cards (but not my palm, a little disappointing). He told me that my lucky number is 7, which I have always thought, and then said that I have been very lucky in the past to do things correctly and well. He said that in order to continue to be successful in the future, I would have to ask my friends for help so that I could do things perfectly. He also told me that I should work on my hobbies, because they would help me in my business. A few of the delegates thought that might mean my cartooning, which was what first came to my mind as well, so although it was a little on the positive side for me to believe, it seemed to have some truth in it.

Next, I went to have a message and my name calligraphed onto a Chinese fan. I chose the message "All the best," so now I have a lovely memento of my trip to China. I think one of the delegates had him write "Check please," which seemed to be some sort of inside joke. Ah lawyers. Finally, it was time to go inside, where it was warmer. I chose a comfortable bench towards the back, while a band of girls played some traditional Chinese music. Dinner was delicious, although I was a little embarrassed to have to reveal to a new set of people how picky an eater I am. There was quite a bit for me to eat though - I tried the seasonal garden greens, and the marinated meat combination (although I avoided what looked like a shrimp turned to leather). I also had the boiled beef fillet and peanuts soup, along with some sauteed bamboo. I really enjoyed both the fried rice beef with black pepper sauce and the authentic Shanghai noodle dish. My chopstick skills have picked up, but I must say that I was sorely tested with both the rice and noodle dishes. It was hard to engage in conversation while I was so deeply concentrating on picking up my food! Dinner ended with a crispy dates pancake, which I tried but didn't like all that much. And then before we knew it, dinner was over, handshakes and promises of future visits were made, and we were whisked back to the hotel to say goodnight. Then, almost as if Shanghai were saying goodbye, as I was sitting at my desk, a series of fireworks started just over the river. I am ready to go home, but I wouldn't mind a return to this captivating city, with it's huge potential and great warmth.

I will leave you with tonight's bookmark quote from Lost Horizon - "He was discovering happiness in the present. When he sat reading in the library or playing Mozart in the music-room, he often felt the invasion of a deep spiritual emotion, as if Shangri-La were indeed a living essence, distilled from the magic of the ages and miraculously preserved against time..."

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