Shanghai again - but a very different experience

Hi guys. Its another week, another blog - this must be getting quite routine for everyone! Before I start, I want to say Happy 21st to Shamil and I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. I hope that everyone's eaten their Easter eggs and hot cross buns, and been to church for Sunday service, watched the weekend's football (or not, as the case may be), etc etc etc.

I am writing after a second, marathon weekend in Shanghai, although this one was of quite a different nature to the first. If you recall, the first weekend in Shanghai consisted of clubbing for three nights in a row, not waking up before midday and getting my wallet stolen. Whilst I have to say that a weekend of clubbing with Mum and Dad was tempting (not!), we had a very busy and interesting weekend!


Just in case you're wondering, there wasn't much of note that took place during the week. There was one 21st birthday on Wednesday night but aside from that it was quite ordinary. Oh, and I watched Ray - which was an incredible film, and gave me a new love and respect for both Ray Charles and Jamie Foxx. I strongly recommend the film to anyone who hasn't yet seen it (Mum and Dad have bought a pirate copy, so borrow it off them when you get back!!!).

I arrived in Shanghai, mid afternoon on Friday and it seemed like the sun was shining in honour of my arrival. Nothing was planned for that day, so we decided to start work on the 20 page shopping list that Mihir had given us. We headed to the local market, where I was able to practise (notice the 's', not the 'c'!) my bargaining skills and wow Mum and Dad with my Chinese at the same time. Mission complete! I had shown the parents that my stay here was not just an extended holiday, and that I had actually learnt some Mandarin.

In the evening, we went for a pizza and I then left Mum and Dad to recover from their jetlag.

The next morning, we set out early for the Jade Buddhist Temple. This temple was so-called because it housed two, four-metre high statues of the Buddha, made completely from jade. The temple and the statues were very impressive but the serenity was somewhat ruined by the thousands of tourists, pushing and shouting and walking in the way of photos!

Then we visited a pearl factory, which was basically a front to sell pearls to poor, unsuspecting tourists from which the tour guides would take a nice commission.

The tour guide had happened to let slip that there was a Confucian temple, hidden away, and Dad took the opportunity to pounce, and got him to take us there. This temple really was hidden away, and in perhaps the most eye-opening part of the weekend, we were able to see the "authentic Shanghai". Anyone who knows Shanghai, knows that its a huge metropolis, similar to any other major world city, with skyscrapers, and a river, and dozens of McDonalds' and Starbucks' (sorry, I don't know the plurals of these words). This part of Shanghai, showed a place not influenced by foreigners, with street vendors selling everything imaginable, and local people shopping, eating and chatting. It's a place left out by the guidebooks.

The temple itself was very pretty, amazing grounds, and unspoilt by tourists. It had also served as a university during the Qing dynasty.

We also visited a tea house, where we were told how to brew the different types of tea, and were offered a taste of these types. I think that Mum and Dad might come back and give up Indian tea and English coffee completely, drinking only wulong, ginseng and lychee tea!

In the evening, we went to see a Chinese acrobat show. Despite Mum falling asleep numerous times, the show was incredible. People were doing stuff with their bodies that I never thought possible - I thought that there would be at least one serious accident but miraculously, no fatalities!

After that, we went to the Grand Hyatt which is the tallest hotel in Shanghai. It was a once in a lifetime experience - sitting in a piano bar, having a pint, overlooking Shanghai at night time.

We took an excursion to Suzhou on Sunday and we were told by the tour guide that this was one of the most beautiful places in China. It was actually very nice, and a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai but again, there were way too many tourists. Chinese tourists are even worse than Western tourists in that they are always smoking, they tend to shout at each other, even when they are only a few centimetres away, and they have no concept of queuing.

We visited three major places of interest. Some imperial gardens, which were very nice, but overcrowded. A silk embroidery, which I was sceptical about at first, but then was very impressed by it. And Tiger Hill, which is another set of gardens, with a Buddhist Pagoda, and a temple on top.

That was it, that was my weekend in Shanghai over.

For the journey back, I had decided that I was fed up with the cramped seats on the coach and had chosen to take the train. Shanghai station was incredible - it was an example to any country of how to build a train station. The journey itself was a completely different story. I had been given a first class ticket by the hotel so I had high expectations. How shocked I was, then, to be greeted by a carriage that stank of urine, with curtains and seats that had questionable brown stains on them. The passenger sitting next to me seemed to need to clear his throat precisely every 30 seconds as well. I look at it as a learning experience.

Aside from that, I've been in Ningbo for the past three days. We had our first competitive 3 on 3 basketball match, and whilst we ended up losing by a big margin, we played very well.

I'm off to Beijing tomorrow morning to meet Mum and Dad again, so will be updating you on that trip.

Hope that everyone's well.

Congratulations to all Man Utd and Chelsea fans (if you're confused about the discrepencies in the blog, I started it on Monday, and finished it on Wednesday). Hopefully Tottenham can replicate their performances.

Same time, same place next week.

Lots of Love,

Nihal