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Published: August 22nd 2008
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Photo 1
The "gym" is a converted hotel room directly under us. This is room 1... Tuesday was a day of getting to know our neighbourhood. Before leaving though we checked out the gym in our building....and decided we definitely need to join a local external gym. Check out the photos.
So firstly we walked down to the People’s Square - also known as Renmin Square - which is just a couple of blocks south of our hotel. By now we’re starting to be able to walk slightly longer distances in the heat - keeping in mind that at any given time with the humidity the temperature is in the mid-40s. So we filled our water bottles and walked to this area, which was actually fairly large. I don’t even think we covered the entire place but we came across what looked like some amusement park rides as well as a large grassy area surrounded by benches. We were approached by several people who were trying to sell the usual street-hawker fare - DVDs, purses, shoes, etc. but they generally leave you alone when you’re clear that you’re not interested. It was extremely muggy that day (I think it was around 48 degrees) and I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the heat, so
Photo 2
...and this is room 2. we decided to hit the mall again for the air conditioning. We took about an hour in the mall, exploring all the floors and I have to admit I was very impressed by the variety and quality of what they sold. Those who know Jen and me know that we like to shop and we certainly won’t have any trouble in that department around here. Jen spotted a purse she really liked and I saw a nice pair of shoes at the Adidas store so we’ll probably go back there in the next few days to pick them up.
Beside the mall is the Radisson New World hotel, which boasts several restaurants and a 45-storey tower topped by a revolving restaurant and a bar. We decided to check out the restaurant as we’re trying to scope out good places to eat and drink. We were most definitely not disappointed. The restaurant’s menu (which was probably the most comprehensive I’ve ever seen) was divided into cuisines from four regions - Europe, China, Japan and India. They had appetizers and mains from each, over which a chef from each region held responsibility. The selection was incredible and we decided this was
Photo 3
The big tower here is part of the Radisson and we ate at the top that night. where we’d like to have our first dinner out in Shanghai. We booked a reservation for 7pm, and the hostess politely reminded me about the dress code which basically consisted of “business casual” attire. I couldn’t blame her for this, since we were both covered in sweat, and I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of Pumas. It’s hard to be dapper in weather like this.
We took a short nap that afternoon, freshened up and returned to the restaurant for 7pm. The view was breathtaking - you could see over all of Shanghai and take in the dramatic views of 21st century buildings lit up with billions of lights. The smog reduced the visibility a bit but you could still get a good appreciation for the modernity and vastness of this great city. They sat us at a table and positioned the chairs so that we sat at 45 degree angles to one another facing out over the city. The last time I was in a restaurant like this was at 360, the revolving restaurant at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. I remember being slightly nauseated by the slow revolution of the floor
Photo 4
Part of Renmin Square but was happy to see that it didn’t bother me so much in this restaurant. Maybe I was just too distracted by the much more impressive view of Shanghai. It was actually heartbreaking trying to decide what to eat because the menu had so many mouthwatering dishes from around the world. We concluded that this was a place that needed to be visited more than a few times during our stay here, and we decided to order Indian food for our first meal. I realize this will make some of you roll your eyes, because you’re thinking “OK Johnston I know you like your Indian food but shouldn’t you have Chinese food for your first meal in (wait for it…) China?” Well, perhaps, but Jen and I have this weekly ritual of eating Indian food and I thought that ordering it tonight would be a good compromise of enjoying a new place while still acknowledging some of our routines from home. Besides it’s not like I ordered a burger and fries. We toasted our homes, both here and in Canada, and enjoyed an absolutely incredible meal. My appetizer consisted of small pastry medallions covered in tomatoes, dill and raita while
Photo 5
In speaking with the maitre d' at the restaurant apparently the tower here is a JW Marriott hotel my main was a bowl of paneer in a tomato and cashew paste, served with basmati rice and pappadum. The taste of the food was matched only by the quality and attentiveness of the restaurant staff. The waitress was always on hand and only too happy to address any question or need we had, and the maitre d’ diligently ensured that Jen’s vegan needs were catered to and answered questions about the beautiful buildings we were looking at outside. For anyone interested, the restaurant is called Epicure on 45 and I highly recommend it. We will definitely be back.
Before leaving, we nipped upstairs to check out the bar called the Skydome bar. It was very clean and well designed inside, with a nice seating area and - at the time we were there - there was a cover band singing 80s adult contemporary music. We’ll definitely need to check this place out as well.
So that concluded our Tuesday of this week. We’re starting to get nice and comfortable in our new surroundings. In a way it almost makes me feel concerned, because while I’m here on a six-month work visa, Jen was only given a 30
Photo 6
Us at Renmin Square day tourist visa as the Chinese Consulate didn’t recognize our common law status. We were advised though that once we arrive in China we should be ok to get a six-month residence permit for Jen, but there’s no guarantee they’ll grant it. The immigration lawyers seem fairly confident we’ll be ok and I’ll feel a lot better once we get all the paperwork processed - likely in the next week or so. Things seem to be going well here and I’d hate for all that to suddenly come crashing down.
Hopefully in the next week we can enjoy all these great amenities in Shanghai worry free!!
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