Tag: Shanghai

One Republic Rocked Shanghai!

On By Travels with MelindaIn Music1 Comment

hats at concert

One Republic rocked Shanghai Saturday night! We were front and center to experience a concert, Shanghai style. The arena was packed with a young crowd who amazingly knew all the lyrics and sang along all night. And they came dressed to the max with quirky and stylish outfits. Check out the hats on these girls who had on pearls with their proper dresses. There was even skin showing on some teens with skimpy outfits. Quite the range of fashion statements!

As far as concert behavior, yOne republicou can tell they are just now getting rock concerts from the US here. Finally standing when the band took the stage, the crowd didn’t know quite what to do when the band stopped for a pause before the encore. Fortunately, I knew from past experience that there would surely be an encore so leave it to my big mouth to shout out, “Encore!” and start clapping, which then rippled throughout the arena as everyone joined in with me. Yea, that’s me–inciting crowds is what I do best!

Hopefully, the band will come back soon and won’t be banned. Ryan T. was pretty sassy with his comments on not being able to access YouTube from China and some other “freedom” references and his joking about his “security” force, i.e. the government guards by the stage. The crowd loved when he spoke a little Chinese and told a story about going to the Armani Store in the “fancy” mall next to their hotel (the Four Seasons) and how he loved the smell of the store which turned out to be a car fragrance tag hanging by the air vent vs. a fancy candle or perfume. That’s China!

Shanghai to Seattle

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Seattle hipstersAfter flying all night, I arrived in Seattle this morning for a quick layover before moving on to Las Vegas.  I’m going to be in the US for a month on business, just one day after moving into our new apartment in Shanghai.  Thom is staying behind to hold down the fort and hopefully get the hot water working before I return.

Already I am sitting in Stumptown coffee on Capital Hill in Seattle and reflecting on the immediate and striking differences between Seattle and Shanghai.  First, the internet is blazing fast and I don’t have to VPN out to get on social media.  Yipee!  You don’t realize how buggy and slow wifi is in China after awhile-you just get used to it.  So, score one for Seattle but, wait because Seattle falls short in cleanliness–the streets here are just dirty.  In Shanghai, there are government workers on every block sweeping up debris.   Here, the leaves have fallen (and it is much colder here!) and no one seems to care.  Clean up your act, Seattle!!!    Then, there are the Seattle hipsters, dressed in skinny jeans, scarves and facial hair, bringing their large dogs into the coffee shop.   What?   I can only imagine the tirade that would cause in China–dogs might be the entrée but they certainly aren’t allowed to be customers in restaurants.

I haven’t driven in China, obviously because I value my life, so getting behind wheel of my SUV here was weird and the drivers here actually follow the driving rules.  That’s just crazy talk!  I immediately went into a grocery store and was shocked at all the cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc.–no wonder Americans are so fat!!!   Honestly, I was brave enough to go to WalMart and Carrefour this week in Shanghai and their few bakery items are in the back of the store not upfront like in the US.  No, in China, they feature fruit up front-weird, crazy ass fruit that can smell just awful but I am sure is better for your health than red velvet cakes galore like here.

Street scene

Seattle seems like such a small, quiet place now.  There aren’t hundreds of apartment skyscrapers housing millions of people.  There aren’t scooters and the bicycles you see in Seattle are very techie and not outfitted with baskets for groceries.  In Shanghai, the bicycles are used for commuting but also for commercial business-it’s incredible what they can haul around town. Thom and I saw the bike pictured above hauling a household of furniture on the streets of Shanghai.  Amazingly balanced!

I’m excited to experience the US now through a whole new lens.  I will appreciate many things that I have taken for granted I am sure.  I have a weird feeling though that this is no longer my home. I miss Shanghai-even with all the chaos, I can’t wait to return  and continue our great adventure.  That is, if Thom can get the hot water working….if not, I may have to extend my stay here…

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Halloween is alive and well in China!

On By Travels with MelindaIn Holidays1 Comment

Halloween 2

Halloween 3

Who knew that Halloween would be such a big holiday in Shanghai??? There are huge parties all over town, beautiful decorations gracing the malls and restaurants plus pumpkins everywhere. There was even a pumpkin cookie waiting for us in our hotel room tonight when we got home. What??

At dinner tonight (still able to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather) we watched little Disney princesses prance around with their wands enjoying the attention of all. We also started to see the funky dinosaurs and lots of lighted horns gracing the heads of many females to compliment their outfits for the bars. Fun times in Shanghai!

Dancing in the Park

On By Travels with MelindaIn Parks1 Comment

I am in awe of the ability of this delightful crowd in Fuxing Park to embrace their dancing selves on this sunny October day. I envy the joy on their faces as they are clearly having a blast dancing the day away. Maybe I’ll get up the nerve to join them some day. Now that would be a fun video!

Park Life

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Cards in Park

Rose Garden Fuxing Park

Kite in park

Shanghai_Tai Chi

The parks are alive with people especially when the weather is nice and on the weekends. Yesterday, we walked through Fuxing Park in Shanghai. Tucked away inside a forest of greenery, we walked in and then were stunned by how many people were enjoying themselves at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Reminding me of Central Park but with more socializing, families were playing games in the large open field, fishing in the pond, flying kites and settling in a for a long day of outside enjoyment. Further in, there were all kinds of group activities–dancing, Tai Chi, singing, and playing cards. Groups of men huddled together in a circle and we couldn’t figure out what was going on so I sidled up to one of them, you know being the inconspicuous Westerner that I am, and saw that they were drawing calligraphy with a stick and wet tennis ball on the end on the pavement and telling stories.

There’s just this whole heightened level of community and engagement in the parks here that you never see in the US. Here, the apartments are very modest in the city so you can imagine that the beautiful parks are a wonderful escape to gather and spend time for the Shanghai residents.