Shanghai Part I (Shanghai)

So the fam and I took a little trip down south to Shanghai and some neighboring cities over the last week. It was real hectic, because we moved around alot, but the plus side is that I got to see a whole bunch of stuff rather than just one area, which is nice sometimes. Also got to experience trains, buses, and taxis of all forms. Ok, just a few forms.

It was real mother-loving COLD when we left Dalian. Imagine our excitement when it was a balmy 65 in Shanghai.

That was at two in the afternoon.
This is important, class.
Remember this fact.

We got to take a Mag-Lev train! It was sweet.
You can't really see the track at all, but you know you're moving really fast, so it sort of feels like you're hovering over the ground and flying really fast. Its max speed is 431km/hr, which is about 250 mph. I pity the bugs that got in the way.


So once we found our hotel, etc, we went a-wandering.
By seven pm it was COLD.
Then it started to rain.
It was wet. Cold and wet.

But made for some awesome scenery down East Nanjing Road, which is one of the main famous shopping areas. Pop got harassed by a lady selling glowy half roller skate things for nearly twenty minutes.




Sleep happened.
The next day we went to the old town area, which involved walking by lots of construction.
All my pictures of the crazy stuff they're building are really boring, so I won't put them here.

But we went through little alleys and side streets crammed with folks selling all sorts of stuff.


Silk tassels of all colors.


Made it to the Yuyuan Gardens, which were built for somebody important's parents.
I think.
Anyway, they were lovely.
Chinese gardens are always really nice.
There's a neat zig-zag bridge at the beginning.


Crazy doorways upon doorways.
I was sort of expecting it to rain glitter at this point and a Chinese David Bowie a la Labyrinth to appear. Alas, no such luck.
*sigh*


Less of the expecting Jarreth the Goblin King here.
(for the love of Mike, go youtube Labyrinth if you haven't seen it)


Here's my feet.
again.
note the neat cobbling.
expect more of these.


Detail on a railing.


Koi fishies.
Maybe they're called something else in China.
I dunno.


I hate this picture. I think its awful.
But it shows the neat dragon dude on top of the wall.
The wall all around and inside the garden was wavy and scaly on top.
With this guy eyeballing everyone.
You'd better quit eyeballin' me, boy.
Yeah, that's right. Look away.


Bet this is real purty in the spring/summer.


We did some more ambling around after we left there, including having a lovely tea service/meal at a historic tea house. By the time we left the tea house, it was getting dark.
Man, the sky was weird.


Its dark here at about 4.30 (like it is everywhere in winter, Rae, duh)
so we had some time to head across the river to Pudong, where all the big sexy buildings are.

Here's a giraffe posing near the Oriental Pearl TV tower.
He was lovely, very polite.
He's from LA and this was his third visit to Shanghai.
Business, of course.


Oh hel-lo ladies.
How you doin'?
Jin Mao tower (SOM, 1998) and the new Shanghai World Financial Center, finished last year.


Oh, you are sexy.


My poor dad was perhaps a bit perplexed by my desire to go to the (more expensive) observatory in the SWFC, rather than the cheaper one in the JinMao tower next door (also shorter), since that's where everyone else was.
While I'm sure they're all lovely people, I made sure to tell him that they were all simply less awesome than we were and preferred to go to the less awesome tower. (no offence, JinMao)

Here's the elevator. Still going up!


the Padres in the blueish futuristic-y elevator.
ears popping.


Haro, Shanghai!


Pity its a bit hazy.


This is the remote control for the toilet on the 97th floor.
It's a Japanese toilet.
The seat is heated.
It washes...you....if you want.
I don't know if I'm a little freaked out or impressed.


On that note, END OF THAT DAY.

We spent about half of the next day in Shanghai as well, and then, unfortunately, we had to move on. I thought it was an awesome city- very vibrant and full of life, buzzing around on so many levels. I've heard all sorts of things about the city, good and bad- but I'm choosing to ignore the people who call it capitalist and soul-less. Maybe it is for some, but I guess were all entitled to our opinions. That's what blogging is for, eh?

We managed without much difficulty to catch a train to nearby Suzhou in the afternoon. It was really comfortable, heated with squishy seats (key!). By the second day the weather was pretty much super cold at all times and I spent a lot of the day not feeling my toes. (this theme may come up again).

I haven't got time to put up the stuff about Suzhou, Tongli, and Hangzhou, so you'll have to be content with this photo of the Suzhou train station. I'll be blogging up a storm in about two weeks, but not before that, because I am off to Japan tomorrow! Whoo! Adventure! Excitement! Sushi! Uncertain hotel reservations!

See you all in two weeks. much love.

Fogs and Dogs

Lots of dogs in this.
Anyway, sorry kids. I haven't been doing a whole lot lately so Ive been waiting to accumulate stuff to share with you. What kind of a blogger would I be if all I had to say was "made eggs today", "dissected shrimp", "windy today" etc. A boring one, that's what I have to say.

So anyway, it was mother-loving COLD for a few days a couple weeks ago.
I'm a super wimp about cold, so I complained bitterly to myself.
Since no one else would listen, because they all speak Chinese.

I also experienced this.
If it looks like nothing, that's because it is.
Its crazy fog.
There's supposed to be a building out there, rather close, in fact.
Cant see it at all.


More frog. ooooo...ribbit, ribbit!


Weekly cooking class.
There's funky light in that kitchen.
I cant tell if the photos are always too warm or too cold.
Bah.


Its high time I put up a picture of Alice, our lovely cooking teacher.
She's my age, which is cute.
She's very nice, and puts up with our awkwardness rather well.


Garlic shoots. NOMS.


This is her little dog, Ji Dan.
He's kinda cute, for a dog the size of a loaf of bread.
Ji Dan means "chicken egg". heeheehehe


Took hazy apartment pictures.
I love these....its like a beehive, all those people stuffed in there.




Right after I took this, the donkey's owner came out and started trying to get me to pay him for taking the picture. I smiled and shrugged and batted my eyelashes and acted like a colossal idiot and it worked! He smiled and shrugged and said ok and I ran away and laughed.


The Snaggle-Toothed Ugly Dog is back!
I'm sure he has a beautiful personality.


More market pics. (can you see a trend here?)
(I can)
These slimy brown blocks are fermented blocks of pigs blood.
Don't get me wrong, the food here is fantastic.
Ive eaten amazing, delicious stuff.
But there's also some things I'd rather not experience.
Fermented Blood Blocks are one.


Some other things that happened:
Pop jerry-rigged our broken rice cooker with a clove of garlic.
He seemed exasperated when I took a photo and cackled.


I went to Ikea (again).
I sat in the display and took a Chinese-style picture, just to see what it was like.
It was pretty much what you'd expect.
And the book was blank.


I made soup.
The light above our kitchen stove is burnt out, and we don't know what the hell kind of weirdo lightbulb it takes to replace it, so we don't have light. I strongly desire to see my soup while I'm cooking it, thank you very much. Good thing I brought a headlamp! So I can cook soup!


If you don't like dogs, leave now.

I also went to a Chinese dog show with Alice, our cooking teacher, and her boyfriend.
She has the little dog mentioned above, and he has a border collie- we've talked a few times about how I really want to get a dog, and she invited me to tag alone to this thing.

Of course, the first thing I see when I get there is THIS:
(don't worry about the cage, its big and open top and not the point)


Here's their border collie, who was not interested in me but won an award for doing some tricks.


I don't want to post pictures of the dogs being judged, because they all suck. Instead, here's some canine beasties for your viewing enjoyment. p.s. dogs are hard to take pictures of since they don't want to hold still for something that isn't bacon.

There was this beautiful bear dog...they wouldn't let me throw myself at it and cuddle its soft fluffy fur because it was freshly groomed, but I guess that's ok.


This was the biggest dog I have EVER seen. BEAR DOG!


Food? Food? Food? OMG? Food?


There were ugly dogs dressed up like no self-respecting dog should be.
I'm sorry baby.


There were show dogs dressed up like no self-respecting dog should be.
I'm sorry, darlin'.


This guy was really goofy, all dressed in red, with a red faux-hawk, walking around with a Schnauzer on his shoulder smoking a pipe. ooooo-kay.


And then there was this.
And my little heart just exploded on the spot.


And this. Puppy Loaf!


Here's the Puppy Loaf from a different perspective.


I still squeal like a little girl and have to run away when I see this picture.
The only reason I didn't grab this dog and run away was that I had been forbidden to bring home a dog on pain of death, homelessness, and refusal to sign for any more student loans.
Only sort of joking...


So that's been about it, folks. Cooking, cold weather, and lots of dog monsters.
Halloween came and went, I didnt embarass myself too much but there are no photos cause party pictures always suck unless you were there. I hope you all woke up with splitting headaches the next day (you know who you are). Just kidding. Sort of..

Anyway, Im off to Shanghai for about six days. It should be a good time. The weather has turned cold again here but will be a bit warmer down there. Right after I get back from Shanghai, I have about three days and Im off to Japan to visit a good friend of mine! Aaaaaahhhh! So excited!

I really want to buy a sailboat.
And wear only white linen. And black linen. I can't give up black.
Someday.