I want to share my passion for travel and empower you to see the world. I've traveled in more than 25+ countries, flown millions of miles and lived in China. A professional at both business and leisure travel, I can coach you to spread your wings and experience the best of what the world has to offer. I hope my blog posts help inspire you to take that first step and start planning your next adventure but, if you need more personalized help, please contact me directly.
Is this crazy or what??? I actually saw this happening on Friday when I was at a business lunch a few blocks away. At first, we thought it was workers being lifted to a construction site but then, they stayed in the same place, hoisted above the city, for quite awhile. Then, I see this article on the front page of the Shanghai Daily explaining that this is just a restaurant stunt and a very over the top way to show your status by dining in the sky. Three courses for lunch, no less! And you just know that they were drinking the whole time. I can only imagine the tipsy patrons after the next stunt–a seven course wine dinner. Perhaps the restaurant will provide not only food and alcohol but nets and bouncy mattresses on the ground below to catch the guests if they tip over. This is just nuts–eating and drinking while hoisted by a crane with no doubt limited safety features. When in China! Only in China!
The culture here, especially in warmer months, is to enjoy the outdoors and stroll with friends, family and pets. I’m all about walking and having adventures so I embraced this tradition and took a walk last night along the Huangpu River in Pudong near our apartment. It was hot and humid with the AQI in the 160+ “Unhealthy” range, which in Shanghai means a lovely evening, so everyone was out enjoying themselves. Without Thom, it’s not as much fun but he will be home soon, so in the meantime, I had to get out and enjoy some unhealthy air all by my lonesome. So, off to the river walk I went with an end destination to pick up some healthy salad at Fresh Elements and take home to eat while I watch Veep, Season Three, purchased at the local DVD store.
Basketball is big here in Shanghai!
Walking by the courts along the river, it’s easy to see that basketball is big here as there are usually always several games going on. I have never seen girls playing basketball so I wonder if that is done here. The only sports that I have heard that local girls play is tennis and badminton. Sports in general are not really a way of life though watching the World Cup is definitely HUGE here–probably because it involves drinking and partying as well plus I’m starting to see articles about the gambling that is going on with people betting on the games. Now, that is definitely a huge sport here with people going to Macau to “make money” not like Vegas where going to shows and entertainment is a part of the total experience. I’m told that they take gambling very seriously here.
Going further down the river walk, I happened upon what looked like an organized ritual going on. There were probably 20 people, including a monk, chanting specific wording off laminated cards. Facing the water and solemnly reading the words over containers filled with live eels, I wished I could understand Mandarin well enough to know what the hell was going on. It was definitely a “Shanghai moment” and I’m so glad I was there to experience it.
Even though I’m alone right now, I force myself to get out and see this wonderful, unique country while I can. I don’t know how long we will be here and I want to soak it all in while I can. Looking forward to my son, James, coming this week so we can go on adventures with him. He came at Christmas but the weather wasn’t as accommodating to get out so hopefully he brings his walking shoes because instead of playing Xbox and ordering from Sherpa’s as he loves to do, we are going to wander and explore China while he is here-just what 21 year olds like to do with their parents!
The news made it’s usual trip to crazy town this week in the “Around China” section of the local newspaper so I thought I would share with you this collection of news briefs that showcase the absurdity of human behavior:
“Big rooftop house measures 1,630 sq m”. So this illegal house was “discovered” recently though it was erected between 12/2012 and 4/2013. Was it under an invisibility cloak all this time? Did it just fall out of the sky on top of the building when no one was looking? In typical fashion, “Local urban management officials could not stop the project because they didn’t meet with the owner, though they attempted to.” Not surprisingly, the owner “cannot be found” but the house remains as testament to the craziness of the housing industry here. Anyone need a room with a view? Anyone want to bet that the urban management officials have moved in until the owner returns to keep it safe?
“Wife seeks divorce from blabbermouth husband.”. Yes, that’s a quote. Seems the hubster was sharing details about their sex life with his parents. Now, men here are very attached to their family and all but this is a little too much sharing. The court supported the woman’s request based on her plea that there was “no understanding between them and they had a poor emotional foundation.” You think?
“Man drinks own urine for ‘treatment’ for 24 years.” This retired “official” (inquiring minds wonder what he was officially In charge of?) has now been diagnosed with kidney failure at age 88. He said he “felt good for first 20 years” but now, not so much. “Experts said there is no scientific basis to believe that drinking urine improves health.” Now, there’s some good news.
And finally, don’t come rushing to visit me to get your surgery done when you read this one:
“3-D printing used in surgery for first time.”. A hospital in a province that shall not be named has become the first to “experiment” with 3-D printing technology in vascular surgery. Yes, Doctor, please experiment on me too and print me out a new heart or hip. So cool. Let’s see if it works after you cut me open. Beautiful. I bet they could work you in to the surgery schedule too if you ask nice.
The headline in the Shanghai Daily reads, “Early dinner for lovers of dog meat”. NOT. KIDDING. It seems that there is an annual summer solstice festival in Yulin City in southern China where residents gather to eat dog meat and lychee in celebration of the longest day of the year. This is so wrong on so many levels that I can’t stand it! We didn’t bring our beloved Izaak to China with us because it was very difficult and a long hard journey for him to endure. Now, while I miss him so much, I am feeling much better about our decision.
Many Chinese Dog Owners love and take care of their best friends
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is huge here and beliefs around what each type of food you eat can do for your body. Apparently local residents believe that dog meat strengthens the body, especially in summer and ensures good health throughout the winter. Man’s best friend elsewhere is just another way to prepare for the long winter ahead here. I get that life in China is rough and that people will try anything to stay healthy but let’s just get these folks some Walgreens with OTC meds readily available and they can go back to enjoying their puppies as pets not meals.
Now, I see dogs everywhere I go in China and while they sometimes have pink hair or are wearing jogging outfits and booties, you don’t see dog meat on the local menus. A co-worker did admit to having dog “hot pot” with a friend and told me it was considered a delicacy in some places. He also said it was delicious. I don’t think I’ve looked at him the same ever since. Yes, I am judging you.
Animal rights activists have caught wind of the dog meat festival and are protesting. The paper said that strays are grabbed off the streets and could have diseases. Oh, so the animal rights activists are concerned with the effect on the people eating the dog and not really advocating for the dog??? Activists are also quoted as saying “the public backlash was damaging the image of Yulin and China.”. You think? The local government only asked restaurants to take “dog” off the menus and signboards but did not ban the sale and consumption of dog. So, if you are travelling in Yulin in the near future, as always in China, watch where you eat. That could be Fido in your Hot Pot.
First question to Tim Robbins, “How tall are you?”. Answer: 6 foot 5. Yep, folks, he is one tall drank of water. Even with white flowing hair, he reminds me of his character, “Meat”, from Bull Durham, one of my favorite movies. These days, Tim has moved on to directing, though when questioned why he changed from being an actor to director, he replied that he first acted at 12 years of age and started directing at 14, so he has been at both for awhile. These were not deep questions to probe the inner workings of the director but hey, it’s China. I enjoyed hearing what was on the minds of the Chinese audience after seeing the play.
Magical
All the actors and their director gathered on the stage after their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Shanghai. Opening night and it was not sold out. These were Actors’ Gang thespians and they rocked this surreal world of fairies, spells, lovers gone bewitched and crazily complicated language that stayed true to the original story with few exceptions. To see it in China, the first time that The Actors’ Gang has brought a play to the China mainland was special.
Chinese audiences are still learning how to react to concerts/plays in my experience and true to that, it wasn’t until the end that the audience started responding with some laughter in appropriate places. Having gone to concerts where the audience doesn’t quite know where to clap or respond, the lack of a standing ovation for this wonderful performance didn’t surprise me. When the announcement came that the actors would speak to the audience who wanted to stay after, I was surprised to see how many people ran for the exits. Maybe they didn’t understand but here was a unique opportunity to ask the whole cast direct questions. From my seat in the front row, it felt very intimate and very interesting. Tim was questioned why he chose this Shakespeare play to direct. He said, in this time of turmoil in the world, that this play spoke to love and how fragile yet important it is to all.
I was super proud of myself for going by myself, though I wished Thom was there throughout. It’s always more fun with Thom. Since he is still in Boise setting up our new house, I decided I had to get out of the house and see this great play. After the taxi driver took me on the scenic, more expensive Laowai route, and then got misdirected to buy tickets, I hustled to my seat with minutes to spare. For about $40 US I got a front row seat on the side behind the one man band, which was interesting to watch. I don’t know his name but I’m betting he has done many different musical pursuits in his career. He played the guitar, drums, bells, tambourine, etc. to add drama and flair to the performances.
One Man Band
With Chinese subtitles broadcast on big reader boards, several of the predominantly Chinese audience craned their necks to read what was being said in English but most people just let the performance flow over them, actions taking precedence over words. Even if they could not understand everything that was going on, and really, who can with Shakespeare, everyone enjoyed the dramatic acting and ambience created with simple props. There was no fancy sets-actually none. The imagery for this production was created by the creativity of the characters, music, and costumes. I love Broadway plays and saw many when we lived in NYC but the sets are usually very elaborate and can distract from the actors’ performances. During this play, I was mesmerized by the ability of the twelve actors to create the mood with branches of trees, flowers and their bodies moving fluidly about the stage.
With dressing lockers on stage at either side, I thought it might detract as the actors raced to change between costumes and characters. The article in the Shanghai Daily today explained that this set up was a decision by Tim to “strip away the artifice of theater” and it worked. Tim even told us that he had to add a dream scene to the play because the actors needed to stall for more time to transition costumes.
Dressing rooms on either side of the stage facilitated quick changes for actors
Why is it that men in drag always draw a laugh, no matter what language they are speaking? That and crotch grabbing are universal and always appreciated by audience. Crazy but very predictable. Well, whatever, it was nice to hear everyone laughing and having a good time. Many families were there, exposing their children to the great Shakespeare, probably for the first time.
All in all, even though I was Thom-less, I’m glad I ventured out to experience this wonderful production. I am in awe of the troupe’s amazing ability to transform words into a magical world where love conquers all despite the chaos of the world around us. Thank you, Tim Robbins. Well done indeed.
I am one of those people who enjoys eating cereal for dinner…not eyeballs. Tonight, I had Special K and a banana and loved every bite. Everyone always ask me if I love the food here in China. For a “foodie”, China would be paradise. For a non-foodie like me, it’s challenging. But not only do I really, really not like eating weird stuff, I get sick so easily. So, travelling all the time, I am constantly invited to go to business dinners where I get to watch but not eat the food because I know, without a doubt, that if I do try it, I’ll be projectile vomiting into the nearest potted plant like that unfortunate airport incident that haunts me to this day. So. Not. Pretty.
You looking at me shrimp?
Thus, one general rule I embrace is that if the entrée is staring me down, I’ll stare right back at it but no way in Hell is that going into my mouth. Mmmmm…..eyeball juice. So at a recent fancy business dinner, I was lucky enough to have not just one course giving me the stink “eye” but several different ones, all attractively presented but all with eyes. DAMN. Amazing how those little eyes pop out when boiled..ughhhh! At a beautiful restaurant with great service, we were offered a “set” menu to choose from with five options. Since all reflected selections were not my cup of tea, I let my dinner mate pick my menu and I gave him my food when he finished his selections. I appreciated the smoke emoting from one of the dishes and the bark/coral/flower decorations. Fancy! Now slap that on a turkey on whole wheat bread with tomato and mayo and I’m in.
Second course, more eyes
The poor wait staff was so concerned with my lack of embracing their cuisine that, while they had informed me earlier that they only served bottles of wine and not just a glass, they took pity on me and brought me a glass of Cabernet to enjoy. Bring that lady some alcohol! Then, maybe, just maybe, she’ll eat our food. Sorry but no amount of wine gets me eating eyeballs but I appreciated the thought. So, between everything either having eyes or being raw, I ended up with an all liquid dinner. My first course was sake followed by a carafe of iced spice punch with a Cabernet chaser. Not bad but damn I was hungry. I even sampled the dessert out of desperation but it was hot red beans with taro ice cream-pretty presentation but it tasted like putty.
Sake..punch…Cab=Dinner
Finally, after consuming my lovely liquid trio, I got to leave and try to navigate an unfamiliar subway station to find my way home, all alone, late at night. Surprisingly, I actually made it home in one piece with no damage and didn’t get lost at all. First stop at home…enjoying a boring raisin roll and a glass of milk because I was starving. YUM. Good Times in Shanghai!
World Cup Fever has taken over China. It’s pervasive in the media, merchandising, and, of course, the bars. In no way, is the World Cup as big in the U.S. as it is in China. The World Cup is a huge part of life here in China for the next month. Stay up all night watching games? No problem. To call off sick here, you need an official hospital note, which you can obtain online from various nefarious sites. The article in the paper yesterday said that interest has surged for these notes so that people can watch football all night and call in sick the next day. There is even a special insurance policy offered for Cup excesses. The article in China Daily today details how for only 48 cents U.S. (3 yuan) you can get the “World Cup hooligan insurance package” guaranteed to compensate you up to 10,000 yuan if you are attacked or robbed by thugs while out partying hard during Cup games. Another policy pays out for sickness caused by alcohol poisoning to cover inpatient and outpatient costs.
Why the rabidly scary interest here? China didn’t qualify this year and has only appeared in the World Cup once in 2002–can’t even imagine the partying going on then. While there is great international presence here in Beijing due to the Embassies, from what I have read, the Chinese will root for anyone except Japan. The drink deals are plentiful–buy 5, get 1 free on beers could be renamed the “good luck walking home” offer. At the fake market, the sellers were doing a huge business in selling football shirts in all sizes. You want it, they got it–“lookey, lookey, best friend” discount and all. At the Blue Frog, my new favorite Western style restaurant, they even have a machine counting down to the opening with an embedded Kinect to play soccer games while dispensing special edition Budweiser Beer World Cup bottles–what an all purpose machine!
World Cup Shrine
The Blue Frog manager quickly looked up for me when the US plays–at 6 a.m. this coming Tuesday vs. Ghana. I am hoping that my Shanghai TV package gets these games live. I get to go home tomorrow! CCTV has boots on the ground covering tape delayed games but as much as I would love to work on my Chinese, I would love to hear the game announced in English. So, I’ll be up early cheering on my US team and dodging the early morning drunks on the Shanghai streets as I go to work and the World Cup partiers struggle to make it home in the morning hours. Work? No Way-not for them for at least a month and even then it might take another month to get the alcohol out of their blood system. Party on, World Cup Fans!
On my walk last night to find food and enjoy the rare blue sky in Beijing, I took a back road by the canal near the Westin. There is a large construction site there and nearby a large group of workers had gathered, talking and laughing. You could see relief on their faces that it was Saturday night and tomorrow would probably be their only day of rest for the week. As I walked by, I saw a bus in the distance and realized they were all waiting for a ride back home. Suddenly, some of the workers broke away from the larger group and started running towards the bus, probably to ensure a seat since there were so many people for only one bus. The driver was not deterred by the rush of people and kept on rolling down the street toward the “official” bus stop, ignoring the rush of workers. I thought about how hard the life is for the workers, probably living away from their families, and reminded myself to be more appreciative of the life I have been given. Watch this video and you may feel the same way-enjoy:
Up at 4 a.m. to catch the sun rise, I was in awe of the morning sky. The strong wind and rain yesterday cleared out the air and, for the first time, I got to see blue skies and the mountains surrounding Beijing. Who knew??? Obscured by thick, grey pollution almost all the times I’ve ever been here, it’s quite lovely when the pollution is washed away. Too bad they can’t program a typhoon every week to clear it out.
After Skyping with Thom, Hannah and a sleeping Mia, it was still only 5:30 a.m. so I decided to do a walkabout and see who else was up in my neighborhood. Surprisingly, I did see some joggers taking advantage of the clean air. Run while you can breathe! The street vendors were just hauling their carts out to make the morning breakfast for the commuters. That could be onion pancakes, eggs or steamed buns. Traffic was light and not the usual clogged mess on the “ring” roads. This trip I’m staying at the Westin near Sanlitun. I like this neighborhood more than the Grand Hyatt near the Forbidden City–too touristy for me there. Here I can walk to more Western restaurants in the Sanlitun Mall and there is a nice canal next to the hotel. When I say “nice”, I mean picturesque but I would never, ever dream of swimming in it unless I wanted to die quickly of many and varied diseases. Walking by today, several gents were bathing/swimming in the canal in the early morning. One had on a bathing cap–cute but what you really need is some scuba gear and a full body suit!
Guard at one of the Embassies coming to get me because I’m taking his picture!Canal near the Westin and bathing pool for some gents I saw today.
I continued down Embassy Row where the guards were at attention protecting the occupants. As I looked at the bars on all the windows of the buildings inside the locked gated areas, I thought to myself that they probably need those precautions in case of a protest or attack but it wouldn’t make for very comfortable living. As I took a picture of the guard, he immediately started to come at me. Yeah, right buddy—you aren’t confiscating my phone. No way. No how. I just started walking fast and he backed down, returning to his post. I can’t even imagine how boring it would be to just stand in one place for hours. I wonder what he thinks about while he is standing prone watching and waiting. Are they so bored that they actually wish someone would attack them so they have something to do? I feel for them. No job is really easy but being bored is the worst.
It’s the weekend but I am working straight through on my current project. No rest in sight and no Thom until July. Then, life will get better. In the meantime, I will put one foot in front of the other and wake up each day to appreciate the chance to live in the moment and look to the future. The blue skies today helped for sure! Yesterday, there was even a rainbow after the rain. Everyone was stopping to take pictures-I’m sure rainbows are unusual in the gloomy Beijing grey skies. I’ve always loved rainbows and think they are a sign of hope and renewal. As they say in Hawaii: No Rain, No Rainbows. Bring on the typhoons baby–I could get used to these blue skies in Beijing.
Finally back in Shanghai after working in the U.S./Hong Kong/Beijing for two months, I enjoyed a rainy weekend being back among familiar things. My very own bed and pillow-heaven! Access to all my clothes and a refrigerator I stocked quickly-oh joy. You don’t realize how much you miss having your own kitchen until you live in hotels for two months—being able to have a quick snack at 9 p.m. that doesn’t require getting dressed and going out is quite wonderful.
Video Store Shop Dog getting pretty on the sidewalk
Walking around the neighborhood filled with familiar sights and sounds was lovely. I bought the latest Jack Ryan movie at the DVD store and watched the shop dog getting a proper grooming on the sidewalk. The fruit lady was busy selling her tasty morsels on the sidewalk and gave me a big smile as I walked by. I swear the little cherry tomatoes of Shanghai are like fruit-sweet and delicious. Being raised in all that toxic water enhances the flavor so who am I to care? Sometimes it’s best not to think about where the food comes from in China. Just eat and enjoy. Life is short, especially here.
The Beijing TV programming for Westerners leaves a lot to be desired compared to my satellite package at home so I soaked up all the reality shows, though I have to have seen the finale for The Voice at least 20 times…give it up, folks, it’s been over for weeks. Usher’s dude won and rightfully so. Move on.
Pink and Fiona
Eager to indulge in my favorite foods, I hopped a taxi to Egghead Bagels on Shaanxi Lu and gobbled up an egg/cheese laid out on a chewy, dense Everything Bagel with a sack of Strictly Cookies to take home. Limiting myself to just one moist Peanut Butter delight took huge restraint and a stern conversation with myself about how that other cookie was not necessary so I managed to wrestle with the diet devil and leave the rest in the freezer to await my return. I also found a new favorite bookstore, Garden Books, just down the street that has all the recent English titles to buy and even magazines. The mother lode! I can’t wait to take Thom there.
After having a reunion party with my Ayi, Pink, and my Chinese tutor, Fiona, we talked to Thom via Skype and the ladies all enjoyed hearing his voice and mocking his Chinese skills. It’s just not the same without Thom around. Having never done laundry before, I managed a few loads with only minor flooding of the floor. Oopsie! With Fiona’s help, I figured out how to pay the utilities bills and felt very self sufficient indeed.
I decided a massage/mani/pedi was in order to treat myself so off to Dragonfly I went. After 90 minutes of being physically manhandled with hot stones, I was just glad to be alive. Seriously, at one point after screaming in pain, she let up a little but I would love to know why she kept digging her thumbs into my hips. Is that a healing action because after enduring that pain, there better be some medicinal upside.
Catching up on life after being gone so long felt so good, well not the massage part, but I look forward to at some point getting off the road and being home more. Until then, it’s off on the bullet train to Beijing!
Travels with Melinda 