Shanghaied in Shanghai

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As I write this, I'm sitting at my hotel desk looking out over the river as the sun sets behind the Pu-shi side of Shanghai (Pu meaning river, and shi meaning west). It's my favorite time of the day, when evening first begins to creep in, the air gets cooler and the sun causes the buildings to glow with warmth. It's especially my favorite time of day whenever I'm near water, because the water glitters and moves as if it is alive. It gives me a peaceful feeling, one that I've been encountering in a multitude of places here in Shanghai.

The last couple of days have shown me what an interesting city Shanghai is, but this afternoon I learned how special and magical it can be. But I'll begin with where I left off. Yesterday dawned hazy and rainy, which did not bode well for the conference. We headed out in the morning to visit our host firm, and got the first taste of old Shanghai, across the river. The traffic was in full force as we headed to the tunnel, and I quickly learned that other drivers would sooner push you off the road than let you into their lane. But despite a bit of stop and go and a few close calls, I didn't feel scared the way I have in other cities, where the driving seems much wilder. Once we reached the other side of the river, Shanghai seemed more like any other city - crowded, busy, and dirty, unlike the newer, Pudong side. We arrived at our firm's offices, which took up a whole floor in a modern building, and enjoyed their hospitality for an hour. Then, it was back to the hotel to relax before the welcome reception and dinner kicked off the conference.

With a small group such as we have at this conference, you really spend a lot of time together with the same people, which is nice and intimate. Last night, we had two tables of eight for dinner, and ate family style. Our main utensil option was chopsticks, and I was game to practice, although one of our Chinese lawyers kindly suggested that he request a fork for me. Mostly, I was successful, though not nearly as adept as my Asian colleagues! The meal was Chinese, and I did stay mostly within my comfort zone food-wise - no vegetables, and almost no fish. But I did try (and like!) the shark's fin soup, although I did feel a tad ill when I found out that it included shark eggs as well as fins! Since I'm trying to be more open to experiencing the culture when I visit a city, I thought it was important to at least try this famous soup!

Luckily, the rain had stopped in time for dinner, so we had a nice view of the hazy cityline, and learned that because of a bad snowstorm in China a few months ago, Shanghai turns off most of its lights at night to conserve power for those struggling to the south. One of our members told a story about being in Shanghai to celebrate the New Year one time, and at midnight, when they expected everyone to celebrate and set off fireworks, instead, the city shut off all of its lights! So it should be interesting to be traveling around tonight in a city that is mostly dark!

This morning began with meetings, as is our usual schedule. We played it safe with a lunch at the hotel, and I enjoyed one of Yi Cafe's many cuisines - middle eastern. I had a chicken kebab, two kinds of rice, and lots of naan bread with hummus. Then, it was off to finally explore the city!

Phoebe was our tour guide, and she told us that in China, all children are given a Chinese name when they are born, but not an English name. It is up to them to choose an English name, and she chose her name as a senior in high school. "Phoebe" means goddess of the moon, like Diana, but more interesting, she thought. She was incredibly knowledgeable about Shanghai, and gave us some interesting tidbits about the city. The Pudong side of the city, where our hotel is located, is part of the Central Business District (CBD), which was developed only in the last 18 years. In 1990, this side of Shanghai was only farmland and the ferry was the only way to cross the river. A lot of buildings have been built over the past eighteen years, and it's amazing to note that despite the speed with which these buildings have been constructed, there seems to be no lack in quality. Phoebe pointed out three apartment buildings which are considered prime real estate here in Shanghai. The apartments start at $40 million - not surprisingly, only three have been sold over the past three years. The tallest building in Shanghai right now is the Grand Hyatt, which has 88 floors, eight being a lucky number in China. (This has a lot to do with the Olympics beginning in August (8) on the 8th, of 2008) However, a new building is being built, which will be the Park Hyatt. It will have 101 floors and plans to have its lobby on the top floor. Although I think that's a fairly cool thing to do, I can't imagine having to ride all the way to the top just to check in, after traveling 24 hours to get here!

Phoebe also pointed out my favorite "futuristic" building in Shanghai, the tv tower. It was built after 1990 and is the tallest tv tower in China, the 3rd tallest in the world. The most interesting thing about it is that there are five smaller spheres in between the two larger ones, and these are hotel rooms. It is called the "hotel in the air," but not just anyone can stay there. These rooms are reserved for honeymooning couples only.

Shanghai is a huge city, as I've mentioned before. At 6,348 square kilometers, it is ten times the size of Singapore, eight times the size of New York, and four times the size of London! But it's only a small city to China - although 18 million people are registered residents, there is another Chinese city with 30 million people! Shanghai has 2 million cars, and 43,000 taxis, and 5,000 20+ story high-rises. Pretty incredible!

So our first stop on our afternoon tour was the Shanghai Museum, which I had heard was amazing to see, but you can never tell with museums. Although I always enjoy artwork, some people are museum buffs and will really talk up a museum, when it might not appeal to the masses. But I can assure you that Shanghai Museum does not disappoint! It showcases Chinese art, from bronzes to sculptures, calligraphy, currency, furniture, paintings, and even a Chinese minority nationalities' art gallery overview! We checked out five of the galleries, including the bronze, sculpture, calligraphy, furniture, and the minority nationalities' ones. Although I didn't get to learn as much about the history of each of the pieces, because I am not technologically advanced enough to figure out the individual audio sets, I enjoyed walking around and looking at each of the pieces. There is something about Chinese art that I really enjoy. I think the facial expressions on their sculptures really touch a chord in me, and I love the intricate designs and delicate lines of their woodworking. I also think that Chinese calligraphy, while communicating a message, is also beautiful artwork in its own right. The museum itself was also beautiful, and because each of the galleries was relatively small, it was easily managed without becoming overwhelmed. The other nice thing about the museum is that each of the galleries is low lit, so it inspires a quieter atmosphere among visitors, who are limited to a certain number at a time so that the museum never felt crowded. We spent a short hour exploring, and then it was back to the bus to head to Yu Garden.

As we left the museum, Phoebe pointed out People's Square, which is the cultural, political and transportation center of Shanghai. Nearby is People's Park, which has become famous as a place for dating - but not in the sense that you'd expect. Because in China, families are restricted to having one child, the parents are often concerned about their children getting married. For a time, it was popular for young adults to engage in speed dating, but everyone realized that it was hard to really get to know someone when you only had three minutes to make an impression on them. So people's parents began to step in, and in Shanghai, on Saturdays and Sundays, parents will take a "resume" for their child to People's Park, to meet with other parents and try to match their children up. Phoebe assured us that this actually has a high rate of success, because the parents know their children well, and understand what they are looking for in a mate. I suppose it's no different to having your hairdresser give out your phone number to potential dates...

Anyway, we arrived in Old Town Shanghai, which is authentic China - some tourists call it the Chinatown of Shanghai, and it certainly feels that way after being in the incredibly modern CBD. To get to Yu Garden, we walked through the "gauntlet" as some of our lawyers were calling it - a narrow path filled with people hawking cheap souvenirs. The most popular of these were roller skates that could be clipped right on to your shoes! Some of the lawyers felt flattered that they would be offered these skates, and it made me laugh to picture everyone trying to get around on them! I also wondered to myself if the only English that these sellers knew was "Hello" and the cost of the skates. Cash transactions certainly seem to be the universal language. Once we passed through the gauntlet, we were led down another narrow alleyway of wall to wall shops, perfect for cheap souvenirs. Phoebe was adamant that we follow her and not get separated, because it truly was a maze that you could easily get lost in and not find your way out! It was tempting to get distracted though, because there was so much to look at, and it was fascinating to see how the architecture really changed to that of a more typical Chinese look.

Eventually, we made it to Yu Garden, and we were transported from the hustle and bustle of the streets to a tranquil haven. The noise seemed to melt away, and the sweet scent of flowers swirled into my nose as birds lightly chirping completed the peaceful picture. Phoebe led us first into a small building, where a tapestry instructed all who entered to "calm their hearts." It reminded me to just breathe, release the tension of the day, and soak in the beauty of the garden. I think it's an essential reminder so that you get the most of the experience in the gardens. We walked through the gardens and enjoyed the ancient architecture, which was commissioned by a poet who lived there. We saw his study, which faced a series of three rocks which the poet loved so much, he wanted to see them all the time. We learned that because there was no such entertainment as tv or radio, the Chinese looked to nature to be their music. They planted banana trees behind the study, so that in a rainstorm, the poet could sit with a cup of tea, and listen to the sound of the raindrops on the large banana leaves. As Phoebe was describing this, I could almost picture myself doing the very same thing. Being in the gardens brought not only outer peace to the chaos of the surrounding streets, but also an inner peace that was very soothing. I greatly enjoyed the experience.

It was a bit jarring to then be thrust back into the noise of the outside world. But we were in for another reprieve, as Phoebe led our tired group to a Chinese tea shop. We were expecting to sit down with a cup of tea, but instead, we were treated to a tea demonstration! While we sat together at a long table, our tea guide walked us along a path to tea enlightenment. She started with jasmine tea, which she passed around for all to smell. It did smell just like tea, as someone noted, but looked rather like a grassy nutmeg. She put a "Romeo" and a "Juliet" jasmine ball in each of two glasses and filled them with hot water. As we went through some other tea descriptions, the jasmine began to bloom in the hot water and expanded into these beautiful flowers - it was really incredible and like nothing any of us had seen before. Our guide went on to make oolong tea first, explaining that the first cup of tea is not to drink, but to warm the cup. She roughly poured the hot tea into each of the cups before dumping them out. The cups were tiny, so by the time we were actually allowed to drink the tea, we had to have several of them, first drinking the light oolong, which is good for digestion. Next, we had green tea, which is good for the liver and the eyes, as well as fighting cancer. Next came the jasmine tea, which is good for the skin. And finally, she passed around a black tea, infused with coconut and rose petals. The strongest of the teas, it was also sweet from the extra flavors, and was the best received. It was a fabulous way to end the afternoon, and everyone was excited to purchase a tea-related souvenir. I bought a dragon teacup (and two tiny teacups), which change color when hot water is added. We descended by elevator back into the chaos outside, but thanks to the experiences in the garden and at the tea shop, I felt so peaceful, I was able to tune it out and feel relaxed and present for a change. What a wonderful gift.

Our tired group headed back to the hotel for a short respite before heading out to tonight's dinner at Mei Long Zhen. According to Yahoo, "Mei Long Zhen first opened in 1938 and is often touted as Shanghai's most famous Chinese restaurant, an icon of Shanghainese cuisine. It is also a historical site having housed the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party in the 1930s." The food was again served family style, and was delicious. Our host explained that Shanghai-style cuisine is spicier, which was certainly the case. I had some pork with mashed garlic, bean curd with spring onion and soy sauce, fried sliced beef with fish flavor, diced chicken with cashew nuts in chili sauce, double cooked pork wrapped by cake, fried rice, fried pancake with date paste, and a crispy spring roll, eaten almost entirely with chopsticks! By the end of the meal, after a few Jackie Chan references, we were all well and truly spent and ready for bed. When I returned to my room, the bookmark of the day, the usual excerpt from Lost Horizon, said "That evening, after dinner, Conway made occasion to leave the others and stroll out into the calm, moon-washed courtyards. Shangri-La was lovely then, touched with the mystery that lies at the core of all loveliness. Conway was physically happy, emotionally satisfied, and mentally at ease." What a nice thought to end the day with. And although I am already dreading an early wake up, I am certainly looking forward to the yin yang harmonising massage that I have scheduled tomorrow afternoon in order to balance my chi.

I can certainly say that I've been shanghaied by this city - as you may know, shanghai also means to be kidnapped. When they used to transport cotton to the United States from Shanghai by boat, no one wanted to work on the boats. So they would kidnap men in order to do it. They would hire women to lure the men to a bar, where they would drug them and kidnap them. By the time they came to, they would already be on their way to Shanghai. Luckily, I haven't been physically kidnapped, but the city has captivated me with its fascinating juxtapositions and character. I look forward to enjoying its charms more tomorrow, when we head to Yongfoo Elite to close the conference!

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