Soaking in Shanghai

DATE: May 16, 2011

After landing, navigating with all of our luggage through the airport, we arrived via cab to our beautiful hotel! It’s modern, clean, sleek, beautiful, and has air conditioning! The downside is that I don’t speak the language…and I will say there are quite a few items that get lost in translation.  Let’s say when you are checking in, it may be important to tell your guests that in order to turn on the lights you will need to insert your room key card into the slot by the door! It took me 10 minutes, a call to the building engineer, and the bell hop to help me turn on the lights! Its super hard to unpack in the dark.

After getting situated with lights, I cleaned up for dinner. Luckily prior to washing my hair I checked out the hair dryer, as this was a concern before I left, and I chose to believe the hotel that they had a blow dryer...  I have learned something about the Chinese they either A. Don’t have thick hair. Or B. Don’t have naturally curly hair that gets super frizzy if not managed with proper hair care products and tools! Or all of the above! This particular hair dryer is vintage, circa 1971… Although I love some good vintage, hair care tools best left to be the latest and greatest! Given this discovery I thought it best to address the clean hair initiative the next morning.

After a little revival the troops rallied and we headed out to find dinner in the Bund! We cruised down with most of Shanghai to the Huangpu Park overlooking the Huangpu River and the Far Bank that hosts the Oriental Pearl Tower.  The brilliant lights and skyline are amazing! The architecture is even more amazing, I can’t wait to see it in daylight. After a few snapshots we then headed back through the Bund to find dinner.  We ended up at Chinese restaurant for Chicken and some Chow Mein.  The Chow Mein was quite good! The chicken I steered clear of, it still had bone fragments and skin, it didn’t appear to be that appealing or perhaps safe.  Hey up until now, I have thought I was a pretty good eater, it’s not like I am starving thin, but it appears I am picky!

Pearl Hotel

We were home and in bed by 9:30pm, which for our bodies was 6:30am. I was exhausted but decided a Benadryl was still in order.  It got me through about  1am, in which I was wide awake and chose to take another to get me intermittent sleep til 7:30am local time. 

DATE: May 17, 2011

Pablo, Heidi, and I started emailing early to plan our day.  I had a little “continental breakfast” in our hotel, and then we hit the town.  A continental breakfast includes cereal, pastries, chow mein, fruit, bacon, pickled eggs, waffles, quiche, anything and everything! After a good fueling we hit the streets and just started walking…we wandered through the Bund, seeing local purveyors of fish, vegetables, and clothing.  I watched a fish monger throw a fish on the ground to kill it prior to scaling it for a customer.  I wasn’t totally ready for that!

We then took the Metro to The Old City.  We had according to Heidi the world’s best dumplings at Nanxiange Steamed Bun Restaurant.  Pablo and I started with Crab Soup, which Heidi ordered for us in Chinese.  The soup is served in a large dumpling and consumed through a straw that has a tag on it that says HOT.  I not going to lie, I wasn’t ready for that either.  It was good, but I am not sure it was my favorite.  It’s basically crab stock, with super small chunks of crab that you sip through straw, slightly more fishy that I prefer.  The dumplings, those were the BEST of have ever had!! A wonderful mixture of pork and crab stuffed into a yummy little pasta like casing.  Delicious!!

After filling our tummies, we cruised around The Old Town a bit, seeing The Bridge of Nine Turnings.  The Bridge literally has nine zig-zags, this is thought to halt bad spirits that are unable to make turns. As we wandered, we had a little coconut juice, to keep us hydrated. It is quite warm and humid in Shanghai, now you understand my “hair issues” a bit more.  Our next stop was The Temple of the City God.  It was beautiful lots of gold and little creatures on the roof protecting the temple.  Many people including Heidi burned sage to clear the spirits and then prayed.  The Temple was built in 1402 and was neglected until recently it has been restored to its original beauty and purpose.  

Pablo lead us on our next adventure to Xintiandi, we trekked across streets, over streets, dodged bicycles, mopeds, and cars.  It is amazing to me the diversity in the city.  One moment you will be in a neighborhood that appears to be quite impoverished and the next block there will be a Rolls Royce dealership.  Very disparate.   I am still trying to understand Communism fully, but have the gist that the government manages all money, no one has an income.  This is what I am still trying to understand why there is such a disparate line between the wealthy and the poor… I will study this more and get back to you!

Xintiandi is beautiful, the old and the new delicately married into wonderful architecture.  It feels like you are in Paris. We stopped to have a beverage at a Luna Bar, it appeared to be owned and ran by an Italian.  Very Euro, and priced like Europe.  It was still a nice place to rest, cool off, and soak in a more culture. 

Pablo led us again on another adventure to Tian Zi Fang, a little area with passages of shopping, art, handmade crafts, lots of fun stuff.  And as always good people watching!!

On the cab ride home, (I will talk about the cabs in Shanghai later) we took a street that I was told sold hair care items, so I jumped out and bought myself a new Chinese hairdryer for 100RMB ($15)! If only there was a plug in the bathroom! The plug that is in the bathroom says, “Shaver Only”.  So I will dry my hair at the mirror over the mini bar!!

We are now resting before Bejing Duck! I will try it, but a little concerned about its presentation…especially after all I have seen in the market place today!

Oh Boy!





Goodness I hope we don't have fish today!

After a great day of seeing the city we came back to the hotel to rest before having Beijing Duck, a craving of Pablo’s.  I got back did a little blogging in a word document, and then took a brief cat nap.  Eager to use my new blow dryer I used it to finish drying my hair. Yep my hair was not dry from my morning shower at 7:30am.  Love the new blow dryer! Agh the simple things that make me happy, please don’t read into my vanity!! I also plugged in my rather new US flat iron, into the mini bar area with my one of my handy dandy converters.  My most favorite purchase in the last few months, it’s fabulous!! While considering the proper outfit for Beijing Duck, I smelled something burning…rushing to the mini bar, I see the flat iron smoking!! I quickly unplug it, rushing it to the bathroom, afraid that it will set of the fire alarm.  After feeling confident that the sprinklers have not been triggered, I started to get upset.  Are you kidding me? What does China or the Sofitel for that matter have again my golden locks? I am not happy! Not happy one bit!! One of the metal plates has separated from the plastic area, and you can see where the plastic melted. Ugh! RIP Salon Tech flat iron…



Eco Friendly?





Fuming from my recent loss, I went down stairs to meet the team for dinner.  Pablo and Heidi were very sweet about my grieving, and even suggested we could get another one tomorrow.  I’m over my fro, it’s really beginning to take on a life of its own, distracting me from enjoying Shanghai. I am not here to see all of the hair care options!



My fuming was abruptly interrupted by our cab ride.  Pablo and I sat in the back while Heidi braved the front. We have all been in a crazy cab in SF or Mexico, but they have NOTHING on Shanghai Cabbies. Red lights are merely suggestions. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right away.  No need to look behind or in the mirror before changing lanes, they will move.  It’s WILD! My fuming turned to all out laughter.  Heidi bravely sat in the front chatting it up our cabbie in Mandarin.  He gave her great shopping tips, while psychotically weaving in and out of people and cars.  We had experience the other side of this on our sightseeing earlier.  While crossing the street it is not uncommon for mopeds or buses or cars to go even if you are in their way.  Pablo said it was best to stand still, close your eyes, and pray as the masses whizzed around you!!



Despite me thinking we would not arrive in one piece, we did! We were promptly sat and handed a coffee table like picture book, with the word MENU on the top.  We flipped through choosing by picture and little description about the item, “Fungus”, meaning sautéed Mushrooms. We decided on beef short ribs, pot sticker, broccoli rabe, Beijing Duck, and of course Tsing Tao.  The beverage of choice in Beijing, it’s the Coors Light of China. Dinner was good! The duck came in carved on several plates, crisp duck fat, meat, and meat with duck fat still on it.  It is served with a Plum sauce and “tortillas”.  The crisp duck fat is bit much to eat alone, but combined with the meat, plum sauce, and tortilla it is good. The short ribs were a bit over cooked, but the broccoli rabe was yummy!

I asked for napkins and go tissues!

After dinner were quite beat from a big day combined with a little jet lag. So back to the hotel we went. Heidi suggested that for me to get the full experience I should sit in the front of the cab. Without a seat belt! Pablo said it was better that they take me home in a box rather than maimed.  This cab driver seemed to be in less of a hurry, and MUCH safer!   I returned back to the Sofitel in one piece!

Before bed I got online for my first time in China, I get my email, Facebook, and all I need on my phone, but it’s incredible slow plus I wanted to update my blog.  This is where I got a little more education on Communism.  The government does not allow anyone to access blogs or Facebook or Twitter or YouTube.  No seriously!! The People’s Daily, a daily newspaper and the official publication of the  Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP) stated on July 9, 2009 that such sites severely violates China’s national interests. 





Communists 1

Kristi 0

Hello Shanghai!

DATE: May 15/16, 2011

Super late, I get that! But for those who want to know about my be trip to China...Here ya go!

My Chinese adventure began at reasonable hour this morning with a ton of luggage.  And for once I was not the one with the all luggage, it’s all for the tradeshow.  My big suitcase has empty compartments in it, a miracle I know!  A friend of mine, Mrs. Gudteacher recommended I leave some extra space for all of the Chinese deals I will be getting, I’m so excited.  Check this out! I only brought 5 pairs of shoes! And one handbag! The handbag is going to be on the Chinese Noah’s Ark, it goes on by onesie, onesie and coming off by sixy sixy! Ah I digress; I am traveling for work for a tradeshow with 2 other people, Pablo and Heidi.   We each have a suitcase and a box; I am hoping my tradeshow stuff will stay in China, to leave me more room for handbags!  

I am now on my 11 hour flight from SFO to Shanghai after a 4 hour layover in SF. Pablo and I kept ourselves busy having a beer, which is good cause it kept me out of Duty Free! We are 7 hours into our flight, and I am getting a little rummy! Maybe that’s what I need, some Rum! I wonder if they can make me a Rum Runner, the thought of a cute little Chinese woman saying Lum Lunner, really brings a smile to my face!

One of my main concerns on this trip has been smells, boat loads of people with NO personal space, and the food. I have managed to experience all of my fears in my first 7 hours of travel.  I am sitting in Coach, and have approximately 1” for my long stems, and a nice but throat clearing, coughing man sitting right next to me.  The lack of personal space is one that will take a bit more emersion therapy to get over. Just as I took my seat for takeoff, my throat clearing neighbor chose to let his little nugget feet air out a bit…DUDE not cool in confined spaces!!! No emersion therapy needed, it’s just gross! This now brings me to my 3^rd fear of the trip, what to eat! Our first meal was a lovely institutional tv dinner, with reconstituted chicken and some pasta.  Not entirely awful but no 5 Star meal! Hang on I need a minute to think of some of my favorite foods and restaurants, the Burrata @ A16, the Escargo @ the Dynasty (god rest his soul), and Beignets at Café du Monde.  Snack time rolled around about 3 hours ago, it is clear at this point we have crossed the proverbial border between the US and China…We had what I was originally pumped up about, Top Ramen! I was handed Ramen and an almond cookie (yummy), and then told to wait for the hot water coming around. While waiting I performed my Ramen ritual, remove all dehydrated veggies or meats or whatever it is that floats on top.  As I conclude my ritual, I thought to myself perhaps I should read the packaging to see if I am even interested in “cooking” this snack.  Through my haze of my sleeping pill, I failed to read the section that said fish flavoring. So much to my displeasure, after watering and waiting 4 minutes for the noodles to grow, the soup was fish flavored… No thanks! This then lead me to think, is everything in China going to be fish flavored.  They do like their fish!  I am sure the food will be delicious!!