Wednesday, we all had to get up early to leave the hotel by 7am to take the speed train again, but this time to Shanghai, 5 hours away. I had downloaded some TV shows on my computer to watch on the train. I was told I was very lucky to have had my headphones on and missed some interesting conversations going on! Oh the beauties of travelling in a group!
Once in Shanghai, we went straight to sightseeing. All I have to say, well not actually all, is NOW I feel like I’m in China. Shanghai is much more “Asian” looking than Beijing. Other than the historical sites in Beijing, it didn’t feel very Asian. Shanghai, on the other hand, has more people, more bikes, more action, more China character! First we stopped by the Jade Buddha, which was in a Temple looking building, in the middle of the city, again very Asian. Must have been here before, don’t remember. After we made our way to the YuYuan Garden, set in the center of a market. That was very pretty and luckily it was a gorgeous day outside. But we were in a rush to get back to the hotel, not quite understanding why we needed to go back to rest after a 5 hours train ride of resting time, so we didn’t have time to stop for the shops in the market. Also because we rushed back to the hotel, we skipped the stop at the Bund, which is the walkway across the river from the Financial Center, where the Pearl Tower and all the skyscrapers are. And that was the only nice weather we were going to have here in Shanghai. Oh well I don’t want to argue with the opinionated voices. So we got back to the hotel and checked-in. I decided I wanted to go to the hotel hot tub because I had seen on the hotel website a room with three large hot tubs. So I put my bathing suit on, put a robe on, and walk barefoot down to the amenities floor. I try to ask for the hot tub, but not sure that they call them here. I try spa, but that’s their actual spa treatment. Then I try sauna, thinking it might lead me in the right directions, so they point to the women’s locker room. In there I see the sauna, but no hot tub. I look through another door and find someone to ask. I try a couple variation of hot tub: Jacuzzi, pool with hot water. Until they tell me: “only for men!” REALLY??? WHY??? They can’t explain of course! So I go back to my room and hang out until we leave for another meet and greet / happy hour, this time with Rutgers Shanghai. Same idea, different city. Well, guess what? I met another Canadian. A Chinese-born Canadian who teaches at the University of Shanghai, but lived in Vancouver and thought at the University of British Columbia for several years. Such a big country in a small world.
After dinner most of the group went to a club, for which we only had the address written down once. We had to take several cabs and miraculously managed to all make it there. I’m still impressed by that. In my cab, our driver ended up having to call someone that spoke a little bit of English to have one of us try to explain where we wanted to go. And we made it there. The club was very interesting. It was a club like any other club, but it was filled with stylish Asian people…obviously…but it was still funny to look at. At some point in the night, there was a mini show: three girls lip-synching (everything is fake in China!) to Christina Aguilera’s Burlesque song. Then later in the night, two Lady Gaga singing with two S&M-looking guys. Several of us left the club at the same time and somehow, the cabs all dropped us off at the hotel across the street from ours, even though we showed them the hotel card. Kind of a weird coincidence, almost makes me think that there’s a mistake on the small map on the hotel card. Anything is possible in China!
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