ARRIVAL IN SHANGHAI
Our travel to Shanghai couldn't have been any more effortless if we'd have been beamed here by the Enterprise. Flights on time, smooth ride, and other than the fact that neither of us can sleep worth a damn on a plane, it was great. We even had a decent movie enroute ("The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton).
We arrived in Shanghai late on the evening of Thursday, January 18. It was cold and foggy (which I was later to learn is a fairly constant state of the weather ... the fog/smog, I mean ... at least this time of year). We found our driver with no problem and headed into the city. It seemed to me that we could've been driving down I-75 in the middle of the night except for the fact that all the billboards were in Chinese. As we got closer to the city, the buildings suddenly appeared taller, and there were more and more lights heralding our arrival to Shanghai. I will say this about Shanghai ... everything is lit like it might be a holiday or something. Pretty impressive.
The apartment complex is on the Puxi side of the river which is considered the "old Shanghai" side of town. In spite of the fact that it's the "old" side (which is obvious as one notices some of the older, and sometimes, more dilapidated, buildings in this area), there are many new structures including our apartment complex, and constant construction is everywhere. In fact, I'd said to Randy just today that it seems our complex is somewhat an oasis of luxury among a seemingly utilitarian part of town. But we are within easy walking distance of some great shopping and dining. Acutally, some of what could be the best dining in town is right on our street being hawked by street vendors cooking various traditional local favorites right out on the sidewalk. We've been warmed against these street foods (think "meat on a stick") as we've been told it can wreak havoc with the digestive system, but it's hard to resist ... smells just terrific!! And these odors waft through our windows most of the day and evening. I am sure that we'll succumb to the temptation soon. We keep the Maalox handy!!
Along with the wonderful aromas, there often seems to be other, less lovely odors. Randy explained to me that the sewage system runs just beneath the sidewalk, and often is open or near the surface. And that is also obvious occasionally.
The streets here are incredibly crowded and noisy with people, bikes, and vehicles from around 5:00 AM until well into the night. For a country gal raised out on the farm, it's quite an experience. I sometimes find myself simply staring at the hustle and bustle out any of the windows of our 11th story apartment at the constant commotion. To say that I'm overwhelmed is a bit of an understatement. I would say that there are at least twice as many folks on bikes and scooters as in cars, trucks and service vehicles, and there are also big buses (that will run you down if you are not careful, and I'm NOT exaggerating!) full of people. I sometimes wonder where all these people could possibly be going because it's like this all day long! Traffic signals are a mere suggestion, and in spite of the fact that pedestrians have the right of way by law, it simply a matter of wills who is going to make it across the street first. I have quickly learned to not only look both ways (twice), but also be bold and move along quickly if you are to get anywhere. And apparently is is impossible to drive here without constant use of the horn. Luckily, our apartment is fairly sound proof.
I hope I am not sounding too critical or negative. It's all terribly interesting and exciting. The people are here friendly, curious, and for the most part, eager to please. I was not very brave about attempting the few phrases of Mandarin that we have learned with our collection of CD's, but I've realized that even if the attempt is futile, it is appreciated. And pigeon sign language is more than acceptable in all cases. Randy and I have been out almost every day since our arrival to purchase as much as we can carry on foot to stock the apartment. All the stores have many folks on hand to try to assist (too many, actually), but they are not overly pushy or rude, and will run from one side of the store to the other to retrieve the appropriate item if it can be made clear what is needed.
I've spent the last couple of days unpacking boxes that have been shipped from home (OK, I guess THIS is home now, but you know what I mean), and everything arrived timely and intact (bless you Shipping and Receiving Department of Kaumagraph). The apartment is spacious and nicely furnished, but is somewhat stark as there is nothing decorative in place yet. Randy and I have started a list of things we need, and every evening on our nightly adventures, we knock a few more items off the list. Last Sunday, we shopped the Chinese version of Walmart called Carrefour. Christmas rush in the states has nothing on a weekend at the Carrefour! I believe all 25 million people living in Shanghai were at the Carrefour on Sunday. Tests one's patience BIG time because the Chinese have no sense of personal space (and how could they when living in perpetually crowded conditions?). If you are in their way, they simply move you. I think my butt still has the impression of a shopping cart on it!!
Grocery shopping is a bit of a crap shoot. There are items that are obviously American brands, but those are much pricier than the local brands. Of course, the local brands are all in Chinese, so sometimes we're not absolutely certain what we might be getting. So far, we've done OK. Tonight we splurged, and picked up a couple pieces of tiramisu from a bakery in one of the larger markets that we frequent. It was nice to have a sweet treat which is not something the Chinese seem to go for in a big way, so it's not always available, and dessert is never offered in a restaurant.
We're having a lot of fun trying new restaurants. Shanghai has so many restaurants that you could try a new one every day for a year and still not hit them all. Every kind of ethnic food you can imagine (we've had Thai, Italian, American, and of course traditional Chinese) is available and usually at a really fair price. Tonight we tried a local spot called the Tea and Rice Room (and we didn't have tea OR rice ... hmmmm). We ordered several seafood items which were quite tasty, and many we weren't able to identify. Often the menu will say something like "delicious seafood delicacies in a spicy sauce served in a hot pot." Sometimes one must simply close the eyes and go for it ... usually it's pretty good. And there are several typically American establishments when we feel like we need something familiar ... McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Hooters, just to name a few. We had lunch at Hooter's on Saturday. We walked in and about a dozen 12-year-old girls (OK, maybe they were 15) in orange hot pants and tight, white tank tops yelled, "Wah-come to Hootah's!!" Cracked me up! As we lunched on fish sandwiches and quesidillas, we noticed a sign advertising the Super Bowl special. Seems that for $10 a piece, we can get a big eggs, bacon, and toast breakfast and 10 Budweisers at 7:00 AM on February 5 to watch the Super Bowl. Can't say that I've ever had beer with my breakfast but there's always a first time for everything!!
At some point, we'll have the kitchen stocked enough that I suppose I'll need to cook, but why rush it? Well, I could go on and on, but I'll save some for another post. Tomorrow is a big day ... I get to go to the hospital for my physical in preparation for application for the temporary residential visa, and then I will probably get a big city tour from the relocation service as well.
Ta ta for now!
We arrived in Shanghai late on the evening of Thursday, January 18. It was cold and foggy (which I was later to learn is a fairly constant state of the weather ... the fog/smog, I mean ... at least this time of year). We found our driver with no problem and headed into the city. It seemed to me that we could've been driving down I-75 in the middle of the night except for the fact that all the billboards were in Chinese. As we got closer to the city, the buildings suddenly appeared taller, and there were more and more lights heralding our arrival to Shanghai. I will say this about Shanghai ... everything is lit like it might be a holiday or something. Pretty impressive.
The apartment complex is on the Puxi side of the river which is considered the "old Shanghai" side of town. In spite of the fact that it's the "old" side (which is obvious as one notices some of the older, and sometimes, more dilapidated, buildings in this area), there are many new structures including our apartment complex, and constant construction is everywhere. In fact, I'd said to Randy just today that it seems our complex is somewhat an oasis of luxury among a seemingly utilitarian part of town. But we are within easy walking distance of some great shopping and dining. Acutally, some of what could be the best dining in town is right on our street being hawked by street vendors cooking various traditional local favorites right out on the sidewalk. We've been warmed against these street foods (think "meat on a stick") as we've been told it can wreak havoc with the digestive system, but it's hard to resist ... smells just terrific!! And these odors waft through our windows most of the day and evening. I am sure that we'll succumb to the temptation soon. We keep the Maalox handy!!
Along with the wonderful aromas, there often seems to be other, less lovely odors. Randy explained to me that the sewage system runs just beneath the sidewalk, and often is open or near the surface. And that is also obvious occasionally.
The streets here are incredibly crowded and noisy with people, bikes, and vehicles from around 5:00 AM until well into the night. For a country gal raised out on the farm, it's quite an experience. I sometimes find myself simply staring at the hustle and bustle out any of the windows of our 11th story apartment at the constant commotion. To say that I'm overwhelmed is a bit of an understatement. I would say that there are at least twice as many folks on bikes and scooters as in cars, trucks and service vehicles, and there are also big buses (that will run you down if you are not careful, and I'm NOT exaggerating!) full of people. I sometimes wonder where all these people could possibly be going because it's like this all day long! Traffic signals are a mere suggestion, and in spite of the fact that pedestrians have the right of way by law, it simply a matter of wills who is going to make it across the street first. I have quickly learned to not only look both ways (twice), but also be bold and move along quickly if you are to get anywhere. And apparently is is impossible to drive here without constant use of the horn. Luckily, our apartment is fairly sound proof.
I hope I am not sounding too critical or negative. It's all terribly interesting and exciting. The people are here friendly, curious, and for the most part, eager to please. I was not very brave about attempting the few phrases of Mandarin that we have learned with our collection of CD's, but I've realized that even if the attempt is futile, it is appreciated. And pigeon sign language is more than acceptable in all cases. Randy and I have been out almost every day since our arrival to purchase as much as we can carry on foot to stock the apartment. All the stores have many folks on hand to try to assist (too many, actually), but they are not overly pushy or rude, and will run from one side of the store to the other to retrieve the appropriate item if it can be made clear what is needed.
I've spent the last couple of days unpacking boxes that have been shipped from home (OK, I guess THIS is home now, but you know what I mean), and everything arrived timely and intact (bless you Shipping and Receiving Department of Kaumagraph). The apartment is spacious and nicely furnished, but is somewhat stark as there is nothing decorative in place yet. Randy and I have started a list of things we need, and every evening on our nightly adventures, we knock a few more items off the list. Last Sunday, we shopped the Chinese version of Walmart called Carrefour. Christmas rush in the states has nothing on a weekend at the Carrefour! I believe all 25 million people living in Shanghai were at the Carrefour on Sunday. Tests one's patience BIG time because the Chinese have no sense of personal space (and how could they when living in perpetually crowded conditions?). If you are in their way, they simply move you. I think my butt still has the impression of a shopping cart on it!!
Grocery shopping is a bit of a crap shoot. There are items that are obviously American brands, but those are much pricier than the local brands. Of course, the local brands are all in Chinese, so sometimes we're not absolutely certain what we might be getting. So far, we've done OK. Tonight we splurged, and picked up a couple pieces of tiramisu from a bakery in one of the larger markets that we frequent. It was nice to have a sweet treat which is not something the Chinese seem to go for in a big way, so it's not always available, and dessert is never offered in a restaurant.
We're having a lot of fun trying new restaurants. Shanghai has so many restaurants that you could try a new one every day for a year and still not hit them all. Every kind of ethnic food you can imagine (we've had Thai, Italian, American, and of course traditional Chinese) is available and usually at a really fair price. Tonight we tried a local spot called the Tea and Rice Room (and we didn't have tea OR rice ... hmmmm). We ordered several seafood items which were quite tasty, and many we weren't able to identify. Often the menu will say something like "delicious seafood delicacies in a spicy sauce served in a hot pot." Sometimes one must simply close the eyes and go for it ... usually it's pretty good. And there are several typically American establishments when we feel like we need something familiar ... McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Hooters, just to name a few. We had lunch at Hooter's on Saturday. We walked in and about a dozen 12-year-old girls (OK, maybe they were 15) in orange hot pants and tight, white tank tops yelled, "Wah-come to Hootah's!!" Cracked me up! As we lunched on fish sandwiches and quesidillas, we noticed a sign advertising the Super Bowl special. Seems that for $10 a piece, we can get a big eggs, bacon, and toast breakfast and 10 Budweisers at 7:00 AM on February 5 to watch the Super Bowl. Can't say that I've ever had beer with my breakfast but there's always a first time for everything!!
At some point, we'll have the kitchen stocked enough that I suppose I'll need to cook, but why rush it? Well, I could go on and on, but I'll save some for another post. Tomorrow is a big day ... I get to go to the hospital for my physical in preparation for application for the temporary residential visa, and then I will probably get a big city tour from the relocation service as well.
Ta ta for now!
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
5:32 AM
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