7/9/06 ~ Officially a Tourist

Here I am in a self-portrait, back at the hotel room, with a Chinese fan. Unfortunately, my camera isn’t working, even in auto mode, so I must apologize for the picture quality. Hopefully I'll figure out the problem this week.

The rain finally let up yesterday afternoon so I was able to venture out and explore the neighborhood.

I found a large bookstore that has an English book section. So I bought "Foreign Babes in Beijing" which is about an American who came to China in 1994 to work for an American PR firm but ended up starring in a Chinese television drama. The other book is "Goldie: A Lotus Grows in the Mud", the memoirs of Goldie Hawn. I always liked her: she’s funny, smart and happy.

While shopping and buying a new microphone headset to use the internet phone, the shop lady of course starts talking to me in Chinese. What do I do? I start answering her in broken Turkish! For example, instead of saying “dwawshow” for “how much?” I said “Ne kadar?” Of course, to her it was probably no different, but I started laughing. Just another crazy American.

Then, as I was walking home, the guy in front of me (he's about 50) starts doing kung fu-like moves – kicks and arm punches. Minded, this is a very crowded sidewalk. I was worried for the woman in front of him, but he never touched anyone.

The movie theater lines were quite packed for a Saturday afternoon. The big hits out are Superman Returns and MI:3.

I took the metro for the first time today. The metro is quite similar to the DC Metro or the SF Bart system. It is possible to buy a reusable card, like the DC SmarTrip card, but today I just bought a one way farecard from the ticket vending machine. It was very easy and English is provided. The metro was super crowded, just like a DC rush hour. I will eventually get a reusable card, as its valid not only on the subway, but also buses and taxis.

I got off at Remnin or People’s Square. Renmin Square started as the Shanghai racetrack (the city gentry raced short-nosed Mongolian ponies). It was first built by the British in 1862 and races were held in the spring and autumn of each year until the Japanese occupation in 1941, when it became a holding pen for enemy nationals. During the Cultural Revolution it was the venue for pro-government propagandizing. Only since the 1990s has the area become a major shopping zone and home to City Hall and the Shanghai Museum. I ventured into several silk shops – the materials are so beautiful!

I used the bathroom at McDonald’s. No matter where you go in the world at least you can count on the McDonald’s bathroom being clean – even if it is a Chinese style one – which I actually prefer in public places.

My primary destination for the day was the Bund and the Tourist Tunnel that takes passengers under the Huangpu River to the city section of Pudong (think going from Manhatten to Brooklyn within New York). The Bund is an embankment along the river with a raised promenade, and the view of the skyline of Shanghai is magnificent and quite sci-fi. Huangpu Park was originally created in 1868 as a “public” garden, although Chinese were not permitted to enter until 1928. The promenade gardens are quite beautiful. I was surprised to see palm trees here. There are restaurants and cafes along the river front, as well as numerous benches to just hang out. It’s also a good place for watching ships maneuver through the city. I so had the feeling of being in Istanbul.

The Bund Tourist Tunnel is quite the trippy experience, literally. Passengers ride in glass-enclosed capsules that whiz along a 2,123 foot tunnel of strobing lights. There is a section of stars, meteors, a screen with sharks swimming around you, then you pass these large blow up dolls (like you would see at a car dealership or similar to the Sponge-Pants Bob that was stolen from Burger Kings). So far, this has been the high-light of my visit to Shanghai! Some of the pictues turned out ok, but I have to figure out how to include more than one picture per day on this blog site! So check back all you acid-heads.

Now I just have to figure out what’s wrong with the camera…