Shanghai society

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Well I can't believe I'm here at another Saturday, with its attendant soundtrack of scales and ditties live at the Pudong Czerny furnace, under the watchful ear of Professor Wang...ee orr san (1 - 2 - 3!).

I see in the nooz that much of China is in crisis because of the snow. Shanghai has a few flakes all right but nothing to write home about. So I won't. Frightening stuff on the telly though from other provinces - no water, no electricity for more than a week. Shanghai is doing its bit by turning off the flashy lights of the skyscrapers to divert power elsewhere. It's great to have Clifford Coonan's Letter from Beijing in de Irish Times to catch up on what's astir around this heuuge country. The good news is that the president and PM are flying around the place with their shovels, so it should be sorted soon. And I heard on the news here (through my translator) that though conditions were not favourable at one particular airport, the president heroically took his life in his gloves and insisted on landing anyway to help with the relief work.

Yesterday was the last day of the conducting course, which was thoroughly enjoyable and reasonably enlightening. The 2 demonstration choirs totally came into their own in the final concert, particularly the young adults' choir rehearsed by Hailing. They were fantastic - Vaughan Williams, Britten and Monteverdi. There were some entertaining spats between some of the participants who wanted to change the course schedule to suit their travel plans, with those from outside the city accusing the Shanghainese of characteristic selfishness. I ended up in looooads of photos in the last few days. I think they wanted a foreigner to add a splash of colour to the picture.

I will devote a paragraph to yesterday's lunch. Wow! See the photos! Amn't I brave! Some man paid for it. Usually the person who is paying chooses the food and then everyone just shares. The main treat was a special type of crab from a lake not far from Shanghai. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted, but you really have to work hard to get at the edible part. This actually sounds gross when I write it down - sorry! (especially to Claire - maybe this blog is not good for your insides!). Anyway, there's a particular technique for opening the crab, but after the first one it really is a doddle. I was not helped my Hailing's musings as to whether my crab was male or female. There is a noticeable lack of conversation while everyone tackles the crunchy crab, and Jenny joked that this is the only time Shanghai people actually stop talking. It was like an improvisation piece for oral percussion. The post-crab scene was one of total table-top devastation. All the dishes were totally delicious, as usual, and I bravely soldier on (I'm reading Sebastien Faulks's Birdsong at the moment, hence the military terminology) despite Hailing's rather annoying habit of refusing to tell me what meat I'm eating until I'm well into it. I do trust her though! Should I?!

It's fairly chilly here, especially inside, where it's essential to wear plenty of layers and some heavy duty featheryness. There is no central heating in Shanghai, so everyone just wraps up and turns on the air conditioning at a high temperature if it gets too cold. But it's totally fine for me, with my new coat I'm happy in and happy out, and the food is designed for maximum internal heat I reckon.

A few more days in Shanghai, then off to the wilds on Thursday, all going well with the national transport. But I'm happy anywhere, loving it!
Hailing is onto her fourth piano student of the day, so I'm learning lots through the wall here.

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