Advertisement
Published: September 10th 2008
Fengshui of building
The rectangular hole at top of building is to allow success to flow thru the building .. Do we let success flow through ourselves? When you ask people about transportation in China everyone advises "don't bother looking for subways or buses -just go with cabs they are so cheap!"
I started to look for a cab after a vegan meal I had on Songshaw rd. The food was extremely spicey and I found myself sweating and drinking lots of tea to cool down the fire that was going down my stomach. This vegan meal was stupendous. With my belly full, something not to be taken for granted, I decided that it was time to hail a cab back to the hotel.
Crossing the street from the resturaunt I saw the blue taxi sign and decided that my best choice would be to stand under it so there would be no misunderstanding that I was in need of a TAXI.
Now visualize this picture: The begining of fall in the air, blue clear skies and large avenues lined with large trees that are desperately holding on to the hand shaped leaves that are turning colors from green to a light brown. At 14:00 I was feeling so good and happy that I was sure those energies would bring the cab to me with
in minutes. WRONG!
First of all, the locals are so fast at jumping into the cab that by the time I realized the cab had stopped it was already taking its new passanger to its next destination. Its 14:15 I am not concerned but I decided to make a strategic move and walk down the avenue to where no one was standing.. minute by minute I watched full cabs pass me by and nice chinese people empathetically smiling as they drove by my strategic standing place.
Not to worry , the mixtures of tea and an alovera- lemon and melon drink was starting to wake me up , so I started on a 20 minute walk in search of the best place to stand to get a cab. My decision was to stand in the middle of the scooter bike lane.
You can imagine for the average chinese cab driver seeing a caucasion girl, who am I fooling I'm almost 50, corrected:
You can imagine what the average chinese cab driver would say to himself upon seeing a mature women, with some weight to loose, standing in the middle of the scooter- bike lane waiving her hands
old part of shanghai
looking for beads for paula, she said it's mostly junk and she was right around " not picking that one up!" I was adamant about have a taxi stop for me - I wasnt going to move and I didnt care if a bike or scooter ran me over .. maybe a policeman would take me home! after 25 minutes of trying this out- I realized I was beaten!!
That was a moment of clarity , my situation demanded to either fight or walk the 3 hours back to the hotel (shanghai is huge).
The conclusion: If you need to hail a cab in Shanghai stand on a corner , dont be nice and open the door as the cab is still moving.. it's the only way!! Yet that theory didn't hold the moment I went out with Jeff for a night on the town..Jeff would go to the street and before you could say " lets dig a hole to china" I would find myself in the cab!!!!
Talking about choosing the right cab Yesterday I visited the Shanghai Synogogue in the old - what use to be - Jewish quarter. Believe it or not but I'm not embarrased to say that when I travel I refuse to go and
Shoe polisher
The contrast between old and new is very stark see the Jewish sites. I figure all day long I'm living and breathing one big Jewish site so I am exempt from any guilt and just don't go. My tour guide thought otherwise, he had arranged for me to see the old shul, "First thing we do today is to see your heritage, most important for everyone to know the heratige of their people in new place". so much for my theories.. he actually sold me on that comment.
So off we went and what I found was the quaintest synogugue so beautiful in it's bare simplicity.
Quiz time:
Did you know that that Tens of thousands of Jews, fled the Russian Revolution and then escaped from Hitler's rath to Shanghai from Europe in the first part of the 20th century. In 1943, the victorious Japanese forced all stateless Jewish immigrants into the "Designated Area for Stateless Refugees" in Hongkou District, where they lived until the end of the war.
It was a brilliant strategy for these Jews. They chose the right cab! Who would think that China would or could be an option in the fight for survival ?!!! It was a great choice too. Just an added tid
The oriental pearl tv tower
I became so emotional when I saw this building. The pink tiles are so out of the box.. it did something to me. bit most of the Bund was built by the Sasoon and Kaduri family.
The dictionary defines the word "strategy" as a plan, method, or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result.
If I could describe Shanghai I would say it is a life lesson in strategic planning.
Shanghai can teach us alot about strategy especially about turning life around, going from a difficult situation to a great one. For decades after the Communists took over in 1949, there was relatively little housing construction or office building. But since the early 1990s, Shanghai has been making up for lost time. Shanghai has 4,000 skyscrapers, almost double the number in New York and there are designs to build 1,000 more by the end of this decade. Dont get me wrong there are serious concerns and problems with this building frenzy but I want to look at their change- as the power to change cabs or even better to get out of one when you feel its going in the wrong direction.. That is definitly a life lesson Ive learned from being in Shanghai .
Anyway enough of my history class. Last night we went to
a bar called The JayZ Club. We had heard about it from our shabbat with chabad as we sat next to the russian - israeli jazz pianist and his chinese wife. Nothing like hearing American Jazz and inprovisation while drinking chinese beer and water that cost 6 $ water. It was Great.
I cant say this enough because i am always suprized how much Survival Skills one needs at the road crossing:I have described the crossing the road, I have to admit I am still amazed and in awe how it can be physically possibe that you have everyone driving in every which way and somehow everyone gets to the otherside of the road. No picture could capture the experience. I still find myself preparing how to cross , who might hit me and my escape plan.
We are off tonight to Beijing- got those xanax ready!- so my wishes to all as I leave Shanghai,
May you know the direction you want to go, may you be blessed to find the cab that goes in that direction but if you find that you are in the wrong cab dont be scared to GET OUT, spiritually or physically.
Up in the sky
45 second elevator ride and your on top of the world what ever works ..
SEE YOU IN BEIJING
p.s I am trying to upload a video of me tasting different teas. I am experiencing some probs.. if i cant get it on line now I will try later. If i do succeed enjoy the movie of me choosing tea.. watch it till the end!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.307s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 19; qc: 91; dbt: 0.0844s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Paula
non-member comment
love the pink building and video
The video was great so were the credits at the end, thought Jeff was taking the video, was wondering why he sounded Chinese ??