One of the more amusing sales pitches I’ve heard

“… Oh, the hood on that winter coat isn’t meant to be worn, that’s why it doesn’t fit (unless you have no neck). It’s purely decorative.”

(In the Xiangyang market, Shanghai. The coat wasn’t even a pirated designer brand.)

This weekend I…

  • sat through a particularly pathetic charity auction / gala (but I was in the same room as Posh Spice — oo-er!)
  • went to the Shanghai Museum (the one everyone goes to, too bad I’m not into cultural artifacts — a waste of 20RMB)
  • went to the Shanghai Museum of Natural History (best 5RMB I’ve ever spent!)
  • had dinner with Dan, his girlfriend Bliss, and another couple at People 7 (small food, fancy presentation)
  • had drinks at Big Bamboo (these big city people have shuffleboard in their bars — Shanghainese sure know how to party)
  • had french fries (seriously) at Cotton’s
  • wandered around an old Shanghai neighbourhood with original colonial-style tenements (see Dan’s photos from the day; my own will be uploaded when I get back to Xiamen)
  • sat by the fire with O’Malley’s meat pie, chips, and baked beans (and had a mini blogger meetup — Dan met Phil for the first time)
  • made a final pass through Xiangyang Market (Phil is a wizard at bargaining)
  • had tea, borscht, and good conversation at Phil’s favourite local coffeeshop

I return to Xiamen tomorrow (God willing). I’ve definitely come down with another cold — this time I blame the drastic change in temperature every time I walk into a building. Dan and Bliss have been extremely welcoming and fantastic (fabulous, baby) about showing me the city (I have seen the new toilet seat!), Phil has, as always (if meeting him twice counts) been a fascinating conversationalist (and also finding good food).

I’m glad they were around to show me their Shanghai. Cheers, guys.

A visit home

The last time I was in Shanghai, I had picked up a cold, and was in no condition to enjoy it. In fact, I really disliked Shanghai. Makes me sick, I grumbled. The air is filthy, I moaned. This time, I was prepared to spend a miserable week trying to survive the pollution and escape with my life (and so on, I was rather dramatic about it).

I was in Raffles City yesterday. It’s laid out very similarly to Raffles City in Singapore. There was a Bread Talk. There was a Bee Cheng Hiang. There was an Andersen’s of Denmark. If I was the homesick type, I would’ve been crying with joy at the little slice of Singapore CapitaLand had brought to the cosmopolitan city that is Shanghai.

In other news: coming from Xiamen, I feel like a country bumpkin visiting the big city for the first time. And I do feel a cold coming on, now that the trip is almost over.

Shanghai, Shanghai

Free Internet access in the Tianping Hotel (plus desktop PC in every room) in Shanghai!

Knockoffs in Xiangyang Market! Bags! Shoes! Watches! Clothing! Annoying salespeople stalking you until you acquiesce and follow them into their little retail nook!

I go back to Xiamen on Friday. Oh, to sleep in the same bed for more than two nights continuously, to be able to wash my laundry using a machine.

Those who travelled with me (more on them later) were so sad to say goodbye to one another today. Tears were shed. Many cheesy photos were taken (again, more on them later — and how). We were departing from our last major stop, Wuhan. There is the East Lake in Wuhan. You may have never heard of it, but this is because it’s kind of shite compared to the West Lake.

Speaking of the West Lake, I sort of saw it while we were at our first major stop, Hangzhou. I say ‘sort of’ to indicate that we weren’t really allowed to look at the sights, we were working. Driving very quickly by one of China’s most amazing ‘scenic spots’ does not count as tourism.

Chongqing saw us in the super comfortable and plush Holiday Inn, where I saw a big thumbs up. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the pandas in Chengdu, the full body ‘foot massage’ for 40RMB, and the 20RMB trishaw ride around the city.

Wenzhou and Zhengzhou are just kind of boring, frankly.

Getting on a jet plane

Off to Shanghai and Hangzhou today.

I don’t really know what kind of plane I’ll be on this morning, but I will be travelling a lot on domestic airlines and coaches over the next two weeks. Being more than aware of the age of the planes and driving skills of mainland Chinese, I hope those of you who pray spend hours on your knees with your head bowed for my safety during this fortnight. For those who aren’t into that new age-y thing called organised religion, consume as many beers as you think I would over two weekends but for the fact that I’m working.

I hope to be able to check my e-mail. I’ve scheduled some posts to appear while I am away, and I will try to update with trip reports (oh happy day, I’m sure we all wait with bated breath) with any free time I may have. Yes, I have my camera with me.

And no, Neil is not allowed to post entries because he’s too cheeky and will write about farts and poop (not that I won’t, but I’m not as proud of it as he is). I haven’t trained him well enough yet.

Finally, hard facts!

Handjob Parlours™ are not just tales told in hushed voices on serialdeviant.org(y): Face to face with a sex worker.

“Do you want Qiao Da Bei (body massage)?” Xia asked soon after she, with her boss’ nod, showed the reporter into a small backroom off the shabby salon and began massaging the reporter’s arms somewhat unskillfully.

…

To Xia, Qiao Da Bei can be more profitable than fondling or Da Feiji (helping customers masturbate) which are supposed to be done in the backroom which also doubles as a dining room for Xia and her co-workers.

…

But Xia is not entirely satisfied with the job. “It’s really boring staying all day in here,” she said. Apart from when work walks in from time to time, Xia and two other sex workers – who are 17 and 18 – spend the days chatting and watching an old TV in the salon.

Well, at least Shanghai and Xiamen are not so different in one aspect.