Category: Shanghai

Nightime in Nanjing

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Nanjing, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai2 Comments

Nanjing is an enchanting “2nd tier” city in China, just one hour by bullet train north of Shanghai.  Full of history and friendly people, Thom and I took to the streets to explore and experience the culture firsthand.  There is nothing better than seeing the look on the hotel concierge’s face as we ask for a map, tell them where we want to go and then explain we are going to walk there.  At this moment, their heads explode and they start arguing with us that we can’t do it.  Want to bet?  Want to try and stop me???  And off we go…

Spring is almost here in Nanjing!
Spring is almost here in Nanjing!

From the hotel window, a grey sea of concrete looks totally uninviting but street level reveals small businesses vying for the locals hard-earned dollar and a not-yet-developed city with sidewalks teeming with crowds as they walk to/from work and play.  A lovely lake with a park in and around it will provide us with many chances to explore within the stone walls that surround the city, built in the 1300’s to provide protection.

Of course after blowing the hotel staff’s minds with our plan for the evening, Thom and I wandered the streets of a city we have never been to before, walking for miles in the dark to find Pisa Pizza, that came highly recommended online.  Finally giving up with feet aching and bellies screaming out, “FEED ME or DIE!”, I asked a friendly barista at Starbucks for help and her friend kindly wrote us out a map and we hailed one of the few available cabs to try and find it.  Mr. “I don’t give a damn” Cabbie gave up and let us out without finding it but, determined and stubborn as I am, we continued to roam and finally found it tucked away on top of a stone walkway-totally hidden and out of the way.  It looked very “local” but I was not going to leave without a hot pizza pie.  Basic cheese with pesto, it was hot & delicious.

Best Pizza in Nanjing
Best Pizza in Nanjing

Of course, by the time we finally found it and then ate, it was late and the last thing I wanted to do was walk back to the hotel far, far away.  Oh, we’ll just hail a cab-WRONG!  They must be using all the cab apps here in Nanjing because every cab was taken and no one would look our way as we braved traffic to try & hail one so off we trudged home, stopping along the way at another hotel just to use the facilities.  The pizza place was a “squat only” so I passed and ended up wishing I hadn’t as we walked miles.  Luckily, a Laowai like me can walk confidently into any nice Western hotel and find a lobby restroom.  Score!

We noticed so many little things about life here as we walked.  Karaoke shops with pulsating lights are HUGE and there is a significant lack of Western restaurants that you would find in Shanghai, though McDonald’s and KFC are popular.  You don’t see people eating on the streets like you do in Vietnam or even Shanghai, maybe because it is colder here?  You definitely don’t see the fancy cars like in Shanghai either with more bikes than Lamborghinis.  On a cool March night, the people are out walking and enjoying the mild weather with their dogs and families.  The streets are clean but don’t expect to find your way with English street signs because there aren’t any–one of the reasons we got lost going out for pizza.  We had a map but, hey, it’s China so it wasn’t really made to scale or accurate in any way, shape or form.

Learning about Buddhism
Learning about Buddhism

Tonight, we walked through the park and enjoyed seeing a Buddhist museum.  We thought it was closed but the door was open so we peered inside and found a young guy reading a book.  He welcomed us, speaking in English and proceeded to share with me the Buddhist culture.  While Thom snapped photos, he and I chatted as he told me that the piles of food were to symbolize sharing and were given to various groups who came to the temple.  I look forward to seeing the park and temples later in the spring when the trees are in bloom.

Close to the hotel, we walked by a very old woman sleeping beside her sweet potato cart.  We had gone about a block when I stopped and told Thom I wanted to go back and buy a potato from her and grossly overpay her.  He agreed, of course, and off we went.  Waking her up with a cheery, “Ni Hao!”, she carefully weighed the one I picked out on her ancient wood scale and asked me for 5RMB.  I handed her the 100RMB note and walked away smiling.  She returned my smile after it dawned on her what I was doing and she waved and repeated, “Celia”, meaning who knows what but if my late night sale allowed her to end her very long day of hard work with some money in her pocket, then I am happy.

Sweet Potato Lady
Sweet Potato Lady

If I ever think I am having a hard day, I will look at my new screensaver on my fancy way-too-smart phone and I will smile at my dear sweet potato lady.  God bless her.

p.s.  Thom ate the sweet potato and pronounced it DELICIOUS!  I swear he can and will eat anything.  🙂

Bullet Train to Beijing

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Beijing, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside ShanghaiLeave a comment
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Shanghai Train Station

Just call me a local because my new regular work commute is to Beijing via the bullet train–a four hour journey speeding through the polluted countryside.  We set off today for a week long adventure to Beijing and Nanjing.  Thom and I are always amused at the security “lite” detail at the train station that consists of putting your stuff through the scanner while the security gal texts her friend and shops online and being wanded haphazardly as they yawn in boredom…it is quick and painless, at least for us.  They seem bored to death.  My husband who always seems to pack something he shouldn’t is lucky that they are so bored and not very attentive.  He doesn’t mean to pack sharp objects but, hey, you never know when you might need something in an emergency.  Of course, hours before our trip today there was an “incident” at another rail station in China that was concerning.  Never worry–we will be as careful as we can and, after dodging traffic in Shanghai and Vietnam, we are very nimble and can get out of the way of trouble quickly. We have also learned to be prepared and pack first aid and meds just in case.

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Disney Shop at train station. Disney World opens in 2015 here.

After racing through security, we walked through various American stores like Disney (featuring the blingiest Mickey stuff imaginable), Jeep, Polo, etc. that line the train station.  We never see anyone buying anything but the snack shops are always busy with folks buying tasty treats like dried seaweed to take home to the relatives.  Then, we head over to Costa Coffee (they have a Starbucks too, of course) and sometimes we score an egg tart at KFC but today Thom got a toastie-a yummy breakfast sandwich with a meat-like substance.  He’s really not that picky and never seems to get sick like I do from the food so I passed.  After Thom visited the men’s room aka the “smoking lounge”, we headed over to the gate, dodging the DNA that seems to come hacking out of most passersby.  COVER.  YOUR.  MOUTH.  It’s really not that hard!  I wait to go to the ladies room on the train–the station has “squat” bathrooms which I avoid if at all possible.

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And I thought I overpacked! People here haul LOTS of stuff on the trains!

 

At any time/any day the station is packed with people and they do NOT travel light.  I thought I overpacked but, holy Hell, the crowd here is loaded down with those ubiquitous plastic expanding bags that haul LOTS of stuff and you learn to get out of their way fast as they drag their possessions through the tight aisles or you WILL be mowed down.

Playing the “laowai” card, we go to the VIP gate and talk our way through feigning ignorance of the real process of waiting with the masses streaming through the regular gates.  We board the first class car and settle in for the four hour ride to Beijing.  Strap on the air masks and off we go!

Trying Desperately to Stay Healthy in Shanghai

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shanghai, TravelLeave a comment

Life in China is difficult to say the least.  Some days just staying alive seems to be a challenge….will the bus hit me or will the pollution get me first?  I regularly go into the epicenter of bad air, Beijing, where the frequent  AQI of 500+ is apocalyptic to say the least.  But, business needs dictate, so off I go!  My new masks will be put to good use.   The breathing valve helps to not fog up my glasses and looks oh so fashionable as well.

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I hate wearing my mask!

In order to combat all that seriously unhealthy stuff we face daily, I am trying to take some steps to stay alive.  First, we only use bottled water. Okay, I use bottled water and Thom doesn’t–he has a stronger stomach than I do.  I even had to yell at Thom today to make sure that he washes our food with bottled water too.  No tap water ever passes my lips.  Ever.  Then, we have started buying fruits and vegetables from the online Western store that guarantees organic quality produce.  Who knows if it is really organic since I don’t trust anyone or anything in China but their food has got to be healthier than the van on the corner pedaling produce.  We also go to the gym in our apartment complex and we take lots of walks when the pollution isn’t too bad (again, our standards here are very low as anything below 150 AQI Unhealthy Level seems good to us now).

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Fruit Juice Bars are plentiful in Shanghai

This week I got a cold and then life seemed very difficult indeed.  I worked from home today so I wouldn’t have to go through the commute which is difficult and where I probably got the cold in the first place from my millions of fellow commuters who hock and spray me with their DNA daily.  Thank goodness we have all the OTC meds you could want because you can’t get them here in China.  Someone today suggested I try Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM) but no thank you!  The only time I tried CTM, I bled from a place that should not ever bleed.  Nuff Said.  I did end up going to a doctor eventually for my self-diagnosed bronchitis.  He barely spoke to me and told me to rest to get rid of it.  I laughed and asked for antibiotics and cough meds instead and he then grudgingly gave me a prescription.  I would love to just “rest” but I am on the road again next week to Beijing and Nanjing and need to get well fast.  Give me drugs that work quickly!!!

People say that in Shanghai there is nothing to do but smoke and drink and eat.  Not exactly a healthy lifestyle!  It’s hard to make friends when you are empty nesters like us.  I actually met another woman executive when I was waiting for Thom outside our massage place, Dragonfly, and she and her family seemed to be checking it out.   We had a nice talk (she’s an exec with Disney) and Thom actually has already gone out with her trailing spouse to play cards with some expats.  We also met another nice couple on the plane home from Vietnam and I look forward to getting to know the gal, who is another woman executive with a trailing spouse.  Go women executives in China -there are a few of us!  Of course, we go to Trivia Night at the Pub.  We really enjoy the crazy Brits that are in our group but healthy it is not—between the greasy pub food, alcohol and plentiful smoking, we come home and have to immediately strip our smelly clothes that have absorbed a pack of Marlboros.  Yuck!

Of course, the stress from living in China, being away from family and friends, working at a new job, etc. is tough on us as well.  We have started to go to church and that is helpful to me.  I have to remember to pray frequently and remember all my many blessings every day.  Some days are harder than others but it’s always better when I pray.

Massage Date Night in Shanghai

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It’s Date Night and foot massages are once again on the agenda!  Arriving at Dragonfly, we didn’t think to schedule the private couples room for our massages so we were shown to the “big” room where 8 barcaloungers were spread out in the darkened room.  After initially recoiling because I like my privacy, the soothing water fountain and twinkling lights on the ceiling put me at ease.  Thom joked that he had arranged for the “big” room because I had to shut up and not talk to him or risk disturbing everyone else-he thinks I have tendency to gab instead of quietly enjoying the massage as he prefers.  So, since I couldn’t jabber,  I slipped on my headphones and listened to Cyndi Lauper because “girls just want to have fun”!  Cuddling with a blankie and warm lavender infused rice pillow….ahhh….now, this is my idea of fun on a cold night in February in Shanghai!  At only $23 US with our VIP discount card, it’s expensive by China standards for a foot massage but Dragonfly is very clean and upscale, especially the one in the IFC Mall where we go in Shanghai.

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Reclining in the leather loungers looking up at the twinkling lights while they rub our feet for 60 minutes…ahhhh….

With thumbs of steel, even though it was a 60 minute foot massage, she started with my shoulders first while my feet soaked.  Moving on to my feet and calves, every inch was massaged in great detail.  Last time, we had the hot stone foot massage but this was equally nice and I actually preferred it—those stones were FRICKIN’ HOT!

As my massage ended, I was a little jealous of the person across the room getting the double treatment—one gal massaged his feet while another worked on his shoulders.  Maybe next time!  You would think 60 minutes is a long time to get your feet rubbed but it actually goes by very quickly and ends before you know it.  Thom’s ankle, which was still hurting ever since his Vietnam incident, actually felt better after being massaged—we were worried it would hurt more but it ended up being very healing.  Putting on my Uggs for the long walk home, my toes were happy, warm and content at least until the cold, long, ugly subway commute on Monday morning.  BLAH!

You know you’ve become a Shanghai local if….

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shanghai, TravelLeave a comment

You know you’ve become a Shanghai local if:

1.  You schedule your entire day around your foot massage appointment and are a card-carrying VIP member with Dragonfly.  60 minutes of pure pain & pleasure.  Hot Damn!

2.  You don’t stare in horror at the man peeing into the shrubs on a busy street, his not-so-privates fully exposed to any and all passing by.  You just think to yourself, glad he’s not taking a crap ‘cause that would be really disgusting.  My standards are in the gutter and so is A LOT of urine.

3.  You are touched on your body by 10+ complete strangers in the course of a subway ride and it doesn’t bother you in the least.  A little hand sanitizer and off you go!

4.  The baristas at the local coffee shop greet you by name and ask about your CNY, which for most expats means exploring Asia.  For me, CNY was a quick trip to Vietnam.

5.  Lady selling fruit out of her van on the corner near your home recognizes you and greets you enthusiastically.  You feel guilty with the knowledge that you started buying organic fruit online instead of from her because you know her fruit comes from the polluted fields and has been sitting outside getting even more polluted by the minute.  The organic fruit is probably just as bad but you have to try to eat healthier food to make up for all the “foggy” air you breathe in.

6.  The Doorman lights up when he sees you get out of the minivan but then promptly groans as he lifts the five 75 pound suitcases filled with U.S. cheese and sausages and vitamins, oh my!   Best import–Girl Scout Cookies!!!

7.  You give your Ayi a key to your apartment so the plants won’t die and the dust doesn’t pile up while you travel all over the world and hope she enjoys trying on your clothes while you’re gone.

8.  A scooter almost hits you and your blood pressure doesn’t even rise…you just count yourself lucky and try to be more careful cause if you do get hit, you are SOL.  You know no one will help you, no ambulance will come and take you away so you better drag your ass over to the curb quickly before a bus finishes you off and pray you can hail a taxi to take you to one of the few Western-style emergency rooms, the address of which I’m considering getting tattooed on my chest just in case so it’s handy.

9.  You don’t even bother wearing an air mask until the AQI (Air Quality Index for those of you inhaling clean air who don’t have to track this type of thing to save your life) hits 150 or more.  Once again, our standards continue to slip—Seattle AQI is 20 or lower most days but here in Shanghai, anything less than “hazardous” is considered a beautiful day.

10.  The hocking sound of phlegm getting ready to take flight sounds like home…watch your step!

Living the “local” life by riding the ferry across the river for a walk along The Bund.

Welcome Home!

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shanghai, TravelLeave a comment

When the count got up to 8 people physically touching my body in the packed subway car this morning (one guy was actually sleeping standing up because, hey, no need to hang on to the pole when you’re packed in so tight), I thought it couldn’t get worse.  And then it did.

Sleeping standing up..packed in like sardines.
Sleeping standing up..packed in like sardines.

At my final stop,  a huge crowd surged to get on cutting off my escape.  I locked eyes with one sturdy gal, one of the many who was also fighting like Hell to get out of the subway car, and proceeded to grab on to her for use as my battering ram.  Did she mind that a crazy Laowai was physically touching her?  Probably but I prefer to think that she appreciated the additional brute force needed to move in the mob scene.  Teamwork in a time of need!  Shouting at the top of my lungs, “GETTING OFF!”  and not caring that they couldn’t understand a word I said because the surging masses could by God understand my no nonsense “GET THE F*&@  OUT OF MY WAY” tone and look, together she and I elbowed and pushed our way to safety.  Alone, we might still be in that subway car or trampled to death but together we provided enough critical mass to move forward.  Policeman were screaming at the crowd as the overcrowded train was barraged by more people trying to get on before others got off.   This experience on my first day back from our trip to the U.S. was by far the scariest moment of my commuting life so far in Shanghai and that’s saying a lot.  WELCOME HOME!

Shanghai vs. Seattle

On By Travels with MelindaIn Dog, Seattle, Shanghai, TravelLeave a comment
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Izaak, we miss you buddy! He would like China-the smells would drive him crazy!

I’ve been living in Shanghai now for about six months and it’s starting to feel like home.  I wondered what I would miss most about Seattle and, of course, besides our wonderful kids and family, my heart aches for my dog, Izaak, that we had to leave behind with Hannah.  Though I know he gets lots of love from Mike & Hannah and his new brother, Ollie, the Great Dane, I miss him so much.  Seeing all the dog crazy people this week in Seattle walking their best friends, I was soooo jealous.  We will get to see him this weekend when we visit Boise and I’ve already warned Thom he should don a plastic poncho because when Izaak sees him, he is going to jump into his arms for a full body hug and then Thom can expect a warm river of piss to run down his torso as Izaak has a tendency to leak a little when he gets excited.   Nothing says love like sharing some warm urine, right?   We may not miss that little habit so much but we do miss you buddy.

So, Thom and I are back in Seattle this week, for me to work and for Thom to get a break from China.  We notice the culture contrasts constantly.  For example, this guy in a bathrobe and slippers came trudging onto our elevator at the hotel, all sweaty from the steam room I presume as there is no pool here (am I painting a pretty picture here?).. a Chinese gentleman, of course.  You see, in China, many men in their bathrobes, pj’s and slippers walk in the streets of China every day but here in the U.S., it’s not a regular sight, thank God, especially in a nicer hotel.  Thom and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing as he wandered to his room.

Staring out my hotel window overlooking downtown Seattle, I just sighed deeply because the bright lights shining in the darkness of the Seattle night are so crisp and clear compared to the eternal grey fog of China that hangs like a veil over everything.  Even on a less than 100 AQI night, the lights don’t “pop” out of the dark like they do here.  I miss clean air so much.  WINNER:  SEATTLE

Thom is very committed to take one photo a day as a personal challenge.  Last night before our son James came to visit (and celebrate his upcoming 21st birthday), we walked to Pike Place Market to take some pictures of the bright neon lights.  While at no time have I ever felt uncomfortable or in fear of being attacked in China, I definitely felt that way walking the downtown streets of Seattle.  Having lived here, I have personally witnessed drug deals, people acting out their mental illnesses and actual physical violence.  I have not seen that at all yet in Shanghai.  WINNER:  SHANGHAI

I just spent an hour in Bartell Drugs, the Walgreens of the Pacific NW, and loaded up a cart of first aid supplies (so we can self medicate when Thom hurts himself, which he always does), cheese, sausage, vitamins, Sudafed (for my newly ruptured ear canal that happened when the plane landed) and other miscellaneous items that I just had to have and could not get in China.  I just hope Mr. Customs Officer isn’t hungry when he searches my luggage and finds my horde of treats.  WINNER:  SEATTLE

Our first night in town, we immediately went to the supermarket and loaded up on deli–cole slaw, potato salad, broccoli salad, cheese, ham, etc. and had a picnic in our beautiful hotel in downtown Seattle.  I miss my deli, not being much of a cook.  For James early birthday celebration, we got some Cheesecake Factory takeout and watched the Olympics.  Staring at the ENORMOUS portions of cheesecake at the front counter of this very popular restaurant, it occurred to me that everything is bigger here.  The portions we serve in the USA are huge.  Big is not always better (men, and some women, of course might disagree with me on this point) but I do appreciate the confidence I have in eating the food here and drinking the tap water.  WINNER:  SEATTLE

Stepping outside to go get those huge portions at Cheesecake Factory, the sidewalks seemed quiet and, quite frankly, boring.  In Shanghai, every time we step outside we are confronted with a barrage of sites to see.  The people watching on the busy sidewalks is always interesting.  Dancing on the street corners, morning and night, and the masses living their lives on the sidewalks, eating and socializing, is so completely different than life lived here in our comfy heated homes with kitchens and hot running water–luxuries in China.  Just as in NYC, we are never bored in Shanghai.  It’s just impossible to see it all but we are giving it a go.  WINNER:  SHANGHAI

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Thom’s beautiful photo of traffic in downtown Seattle.

We laugh at how polite the drivers are in Seattle, giving pedestrians the right of way.  Here we feel comfortable stepping into the crosswalks when we have the green light to get to the other side of the street.  In Shanghai, that would get you killed.  Any time you walk in the street, you better be nimble because you are a magnet for that bus that is bearing down on you, ready to strike you down.  That being said, I was stuck in traffic for over an hour in the rain getting home from work in Seattle and was missing my subway to whisk me home.  WINNER:  TIE-DRIVERS ARE MORE POLITE IN SEATTLE BUT THEY NEED A SUBWAY!

WATER. AIR. SPORTS. DOGS. MOUNTAINS. HIPSTERS. FOOD.  Seattle has it all but no one said it would be easy in China.  If it was the same, we would be bored and why would we want to be there?  So, despite the chaos and pollution, we both feel we made the right choice to experience a new culture and move to a new country.  Of course, I just read in The Shanghai Daily online edition that the H7N9 bird flu toll continues to climb.  Oh well, I hear fox and donkey meat taste pretty good if chicken is off the menu but perhaps I’ll just stick to veggies and carbs.  I’ll let Thom eat the donkey!

Park Scene in Hanoi, Vietnam

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Parks, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai, Vietnam1 Comment
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Flowers are blooming in Hanoi!

It was lovely to see the ladies dancing in Vietnam just like they do in China.  They had their loud speakers going and were working it!  Our only day to enjoy Hanoi, we decided to  walk around Hoan Kiem Lake today and enjoyed the warm weather.  This lake is in the heart of the Old Quarter in Hanoi and seems to be enjoyed by all the locals.  From the lovely pagoda in the middle of the lake to the bridge over to an island,  the flowers were blooming everywhere.  This is the one public space we have seen in Vietnam that is in good repair and maintenance.  There is a nice walking path around it and we are looking forward to enjoying the lights that are strung up between the trees tonight as we plan an evening walk.  There is a café on the lake as well as several restaurants with a view of the lake for everyone to enjoy.

On the first walk around the lake, we not only saw ladies dancing but many families out taking a walk and street vendors selling their wares.  After we had gotten almost the whole way around, Thom turned to me and proposed an adventure.  We would  walk back, find the “seasoned” lady selling wooden children’s toys and buy them all.  Thus, she could enjoy a well deserved day off and we would then spread some love around the park by giving away the toys.  Done and done. 

Oh what fun we had on this Vietnam “pay it forward” project.  First, several gentlemen came to the lady’s aid when they thought we might be trying to swindle her.  No, we reassured them that we really wanted her to have 500,000 dong to buy all the toys she had to sell.  They were shocked and laughed.  She smiled.  Then, off we went around the park with Thom approaching any and all children and giving away the toys.  Another vendor selling cards found out what we were doing and encouraged us to find the children from the “working” families and give them the toys.  This, we tried to do.  While we mainly got smiles and nods, Thom did manage to scare a few children with his goofy smile and outgoing positivity. 

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Thom giving away toys in Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam

Hopefully, stories will be told of the tall smiling Laowai wearing the bright green Xbox Sounders shirt and the joy he tried to bring to the children in the park.  For us, it will be a very fond memory and may become a new tradition of spreading joy throughout the world as we enjoy great adventures wherever we go.

Walking The Streets of Hanoi

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai, VietnamLeave a comment
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French influence among the many cables strung between buildings.

What is it like to visit Hanoi, Vietnam? How to begin to describe this frightening, wonderfully unique place?   First, the people are as friendly and helpful as the scooters are plentiful.  The scene here is so different from Shanghai, where we live now.  There are hardly any luxury stores or cars here yet the average citizen seems to live well and be very happy.  Though we got a few hard stares from the older guys, in general we were accepted and welcomed with open arms.  The French influence is strong here in the building architecture that is old and not kept up but still lovely and the jaunty French berets worn by the old gents sitting on the sidewalks.

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Poles are still widely used to balance the load on the shoulders of the local women to carry fruit and vegetables to sell.

The women dress to impress as they might in Paris, not in jeans and casual clothes—they wear dresses and heels on those scooters as they speed around.  The restaurants here are more formal and have the white tablecloths and more French atmosphere of formality than you see in China.  Yet, there is a traditional Vietnamese element prevalent on the streets with the strong ladies wearing their Non La traditional hats and using the poles to balance their heavy load of fruit or vegetables to sell to passersby.  One aggressive lady tried to pin me against a street front with her load to try and convince me to buy her bananas and pineapples.  Always nimble to stay alive, I dodged her and kept right on walking..being nimble is paramount to living in this part of the world.

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Chicken just laying out on the sidewalk…street food in Hanoi, Vietnam-eat at your own risk.

Like China, life is lived here on the streets.  You see barbers cutting hair and everyone eating on the sidewalks, squatting on small plastic stools as they inhale Pho and rice/vegs/chicken dishes that smell wonderful.  We saw chickens running around in the streets by our hotel and meat, including chicken, laid out on the sidewalk, ready to be cooked but certainly not refrigerated or following any Western standards of food safety.  Our friend from the cruise likened the street scene to Mumbai where the traffic is insane and the people are out in mass to enjoy socializing and eating.  We saw many more Western tourists here in Hanoi than in China, probably due to the ease to enter Vietnam and the low cost.   The dong is the currency and 21,000 dong = $1 US.  So, we were paying millions of dong for items which was totally weird.  I found myself chastising Thom for paying too much for Super Glue to fix my glasses that had inconveniently broken at the start of our trip.  Turns out, he paid .50 cents for it…oops-what a bargain!  I went crazy buying quilts from a non-profit I could feel good about that helps Vietnamese women make a living and the quality is fabulous.  Baby Mia, our first grandchild, will enjoy laying on these gorgeous quilts for many years to come as Papa Thom tells stories of our adventures all over the world.  We were enchanted by the bamboo bikes also for sale at the quilt store, www.mekong-quilts-org, including a tricycle that was ADORABLE!  Other items you see for sale everywhere are lacquer boxes and bowls, ox horn cutlery, jade and silver jewelry and silk clothing.   Very inexpensive and just beautiful…I bought an empty suitcase or two just in case and they will be going back full.

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Enjoying the fine weather and the sights of Hanoi!

What sets Vietnam apart from China?  Well, China does a great job keeping their public areas clean and well manicured with beautiful flowers and plants.  Vietnam, does not.  There is trash and dirt everywhere, no flower/trees in most public spaces and wires for who knows what are strewn everywhere, hanging between building, trees, poles, you name it-it’s nuts.  There are few stop signs or traffic lights to help control traffic.  I thought China streets were unsafe until I came here and now I will actually look forward to the quieter, more sane streets of Shanghai.  Surprise!  There is a place crazier than China when it comes to traffic and it’s Vietnam.  I would still encourage you to visit but be prepared to be nimble and have nerves of steel if you want to cross ANY street in Hanoi, Vietnam.  A glass or two of wine takes the edge off too! 

Travelling with Thom-Always an Adventure

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shanghai, Travel, Trips outside Shanghai, VietnamLeave a comment

So, I asked him, “Do you have any weapons?” before we left the house.  Why?  Because Thom likes to be prepared and that, at the very least, means a swiss army knife is on his person at all times and could also mean that he has a knife or two in as well owing to his Idahoan “survival” mentality for the many years we lived there in the woods.  Thank God he had to give up the guns when we moved to China.  Having grown up in NYC, he was elated to get some firepower to protect his family in the wilderness when we moved to Idaho…latent mountain man that he is.  Knowing his love of being prepared, I got him a “survival tool” this Christmas with lots of handy uses all in a small metal square including a very sharp edge, similar to a box cutter.  WTF—this is not something you need on an airplane, right?  Who knew he would stash it in his wallet and forget about it.  Now, that could be considered a weapon by many TSA agents, right?  Prompting a strip search and possibly being led away and never returning in a foreign land, right?

As I breezed through security at Shanghai Pudong Airport and looked around, Thom was getting the second degree from a security agent.  He was emptying his wallet, shrugging his shoulders & playing the “foreign card” of innocence while the gal and guy argued over what she saw on the xray screen of his possessions..  “There!  There!  In the wallet!” the gal insisted  in Mandarin, of course, while Thom looked around innocently.  Finally, behind the business cards, credit cards, etc. Thom pulled out the offensive weapon-his Christmas “survival” gift.  Luckily, they just confiscated it and we quickly left the area, really ran, before he had to “bend and snap”.  Of course, they probably flagged his ass from now on he will get the ultra deluxe pat down with the anal probe for future flights but for now, we were on our way to Vietnam, weaponless.

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Oswaga, I love you..massage me….please…

Up to the VIP lounge we went because I had splurged on business class for us to travel, not knowing how bad coach would be on Vietnam Airlines.   After all, the seat selection choices included “window smoking with infant”, so I expected the worst.  The VIP lounge was lovely and Thom spent his time lounging in the Oswaga massage chair where he whimpered with delight as it kneaded and heated his back that is always in need of attention.  If that wasn’t heaven enough, he then went to the bathroom where he found his beloved TOTO-heated seat and all.   No toliet has ever been loved and revered as much as TOTO.  Really, it’s a miracle we ever made it to Vietnam at all.  Thom would have been happy living in the VIP Lounge for a few days, alternating between massage and TOTO.

But I pried his ass out of the massage chair, which was occupied by a waiting passenger as soon as we looked like we were leaving,  and we were off for the flight to Hanoi….business class.  BIG MISTAKE!  Now, Thom knows what it’s like and it will be impossible for him to go back to economy on those long hauls to the US while I am flying business class courtesy of my company when I am truly on business.   I told him it was no big deal but his eyes bugged out with the fine china, 3 forks/2 knives/3 spoons for all those delicious courses of food starting with tuna/salmon/fish and moving onto delicious pork and chocolate mousse.  DAMN!  What was I thinking??  And if the food wasn’t enough, the free Western magazines and hot towels clinched the deal.  Having one attendant service his every needs took his pampering to a whole new level.  Thank God they didn’t massage his feet, though he took off his shoes just in case they offered.  Blanket?  Water? Coffee?  Tea? Private bathroom?  Why, yes please, Thom now wants all those things.  Of well, you only live once so you might as well travel in style if you can.  And he’s worth it.

As I sipped my Taihitian Cocktail,or as I call it “a beach in a glass”, I allowed myself to appreciate the many blessings in my life including travelling with Thom.  You just never know what he will do next but I am guaranteed he will always make me laugh.