The Joys of the 993

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December 13th 2008

Published: December 13th 2008

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rosy59

another day

Recycled bottle Christmas tree at the Shanghai aquarium

The 993 bus is always a little surprise package waiting to happen.

Yesterday I took the bus into the Luijaizui area to meet someone for lunch at Superbrand Mall.

It was so packed, people were standing 4 deep inside the entire length of the bus. If you were in the inside 2 rows, there was no need to hang on to anything, as you would not move an inch if the bus stopped. If you were in the outside rows if you had your arms up hanging on to a strap that is where they had to stay as it was almost impossible to change your body position. When someone had to get off, half the bus had to adjust their position which every does without a murmur or a comment, the co-operation is amazing.

As we got nearer to the city proper I was standing next to an older man who asked me if I spoke English. There are many Westerners here but huge amounts of French and Germans, so not all English speaking. So we started a conversation.

He spoke really elegant English, not at all like the younger generation who all sound like bad

another day

the bottom half of the Pearl Tower in Luijaizui

Italians with sentences like “ youa want toa comea with mea to goa to the shopsa”

I commented on how wonderful his English was and he modestly said no it was not good. I asked him where he learnt it and he said he learnt it when he was a student before the Cultural Revolution. Am looking around at this stage to see if anyone is taking interest in our conversation. He had just finished high school at 18 when it all happened, and was sent to the country to be a farmer. He is a pianist and violin player, can sing songs in solfege with ease (doh, soh, la etc) and was a lovely man who had been a teacher once he finished being a farmer. He invited me to his house, which I felt bad about declining, just could not take that risk. I so enjoyed my conversation with him, and I think he relished the chance to talk English, contact with other Westerners here are few and far between unless you hang around the expat areas.

What a great chance encounter.

Lunch at a most gorgeous spot followed.

The Superbrand mall in Luijaizui

another day

One of the guards at the tower. you see these young men at every hotel, apartment complex, shops, anywhere standing all day

is 9 floors of blatant commercialism. Shop after shop of really wonderful clothes all real brand names, all expensive prices. Same as in Oz really, no cheaper even if it is made here.

We had lunch on the 9th floor overlooking the Huangpu river. It was nice and sunny outside, so it was a great day to take photos of the scenery.

Fantastic dishes; fish, live before we ate it, Fried pork and Tofu, Bamboo and Chinese bok choy stuff, Dumplings filled with crab meat and quite liquid inside, and to finish off Chicken soup which is very much like a broth with a very scrawny half chicken to give it some flavour. No rice or noodles, in a good restaurant they are only served if the diner is still hungry after all the other dishes. Almost like an insult to the cook. Had a local beer with the meal as wine was by the bottle, no single glass price, was 300Y a bottle which is around $75-, no thanks!

Wandered from floor to floor looking but not buying, and finished the day with a bottle of water from the supermarket for 1-20 and then a coffee

another day

top half of the Pearl Tower

for 30Y. Coffee is soooooo dear.

But I did make a great find, a salad, which I will have for lunch today. Got it from Lotus supermarket for 5Y. Its all pre made and in a bag with dressing so will add local tomatoes and cheese. Cannot get cold food here, its always all hot. Salads just do not exist and you have to be careful with any raw food, best not to eat anything unless you can cook it or peel it.

Christmas had arrived in China, even if it only means Santa and trees and shopping. Christmas decorations are everywhere, did not expect to find this at all. Outside the aquarium they had a tree made from recycled bottles. Shanghai Aquarium is running a competition to see how people can make a tree out of recycled materials. Environmentalism is slowly coming to this country, there are articles in the paper, but basically there is not a lot of effort other than you cannot get plastic bags at the supermarket anymore.

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For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A...more history