God saw me do it, no one else

Today I played tourist on a weekday as I have finished teaching and await my last piece of assessment I am giving my students, which is a test on Thursday.

The 993 bus was as crowded as ever, I swear the road works are getting worse in the new expo construction area and I had to stand almost the whole way, grumpy and tired to start the day.
Got to Lujaizui and paid my 35Yuan to see the TV tower museum. You can choose to pay more and go up to the first level, yet more for the top and a meal etc.

The museum is located under the ground in the basement of the first dome, along with gift shops, coffee shops etc. One of the bookshops has a wonderful collection of books on China and Shanghai and their histories, best I have seen.
The museum is fantastic, a very informative look at the history of Shanghai from the 1700 to present, mostly all done as life sized dioramas, with computer animation for some displays, informative English boards on each setting and also computers for many areas playing a small excerpt of interest. I suppose what you don’t find in the Museum in People’s Square you find in all these others dotted around the place.

Next stop on the tourist itinerary was a walk along the river but on the opposite side to The Bund. Very nice and way less tacky, and what is marvelous is the lack of touts trying to flog watches and what ever they decide you need at that moment. Quite restful and every bit as scenic as the other side of the Huangpu river. Stopped off at Starbucks for a coffee and a mungbean scone, sounds yucky but it was lovely, just imagine instead of dates, mung beans!

Back to the metro at Lujaizui and off to Xujiahui on Metro 1. This area is the site of Shanghai’s Catholic Cathedral and is within a complex of buildings initially set up by the Jesuits in the 17th century.
Could not get into the Bibliotheca Zi-ka-wei, which is apparently well worth a visit. It’s a library housing an extremely large and historic collection of books, an art gallery, reading room and beautiful building. I walked around it looking for an entrance but did not find anything obvious, so hard to find things out when you do not read or speak the language.

Just down from this, is the St Ignatius cathedral and also the housing area of the priests, imposing buildings that somehow survived all the religious purging of various governments. I was lucky to wangle my way in to the Cathedral, various Asians all were made to stay outside behind the gate but the guard let me in. I felt guilty for being a foreigner, but must have looked like a tourist with my camera slung around my neck. Little did he know that I live here and these poor people may have only been visiting Shanghai on a once only trip. This cathedral was built in 1904; it’s really very lovely with a wonderful little garden in front, looking so out of place in all the surrounding modern architecture.
I was told no pictures inside but…………. God knows I did it!!! I am intending to go there on Sunday for Mass, 10am it starts, so will have to leave here I reckon around 7-30am to get the bus, 2 metro lines, and then a little walk! Dedication for you! Well I do love sacred music and I am hoping there may be a choir and some beautiful organ music, maybe asking too much.
Across the road is the old St Ignatius Convent, now a restaurant.

Finished off the day by plunging myself into the 6 storey Oriental Shopping Centre which has the metro stop beside it, full of the usual clothes and shoes and handbags etc. Seen one seen them all!

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