5 Days In Shanghai

I just flew back from Shanghai two weeks ago. I was glad to be home again in Singapore. How beautiful our roads and buildings look. Everything seem so neat and orderly and green. It was hot but nowhere near as hot as it was in Shanghai when the temperature climbed to 38 degrees at noon.

When we landed at Shanghai airport a week ago, I suddenly could not believe that I had actually willingly flew to China. Not one of my favourite countries nor people. While abroad, the Chinese have always irritated me with their loud voices and in-your-face habits. I am ashamed that I feel this way. After all, we are from the same stock!

However, my great, great grand father sailed off as a junk captain from China and made his new home in Malaya and then eventually the family moved down to Singapore. My great grandfather worked for the British, running the rubber plantations in Malaya, learning English from the Oxford dictionary. Then, grandmother became a Christians so I guess there was much influence brought about by the interactions with the "ang mohs" from great grandfather's time. We unconsciously picked up more genteel western habits and attitudes. So, it's no no to spitting and loud talking in public. Whatever, I am Chinese! ... but a Singaporean Chinese.

Shanghai is an interesting city, home to 23 million people! 23 million! That is minus the many tourists who visit Shanghai. I am glad I was not there during the Shanghai Expo 2010 when the number of visitors was around 30,000 a day with a Mr. Zheng who became the 5.3 millionth visitor at the end of the Expo! So, what do you see when walking the streets of Shanghai? People of course!

A friend suggested we visit Shanghai while she was there to do a presentation. Woon Yi and I decided to go, for different reasons. She went to get some work clothes tailored. The tailors there are known to be good, fast and cheap! They visit you at your hotel, take you measurements, show you cloth samples and have your clothes delivered back to you in a day or two depending on your orders.

Me? I went out of curiosity and a determination to try to like my "root" country. So, there I was clinging to the handle of the taxi we were in en route to our serviced apartment in Huai Hai Road. The taxi over took, swerved, changed lanes and cut in and out of traffic much like the cars in an arcade game. There were seat belts but no buckle to buckle into! I was glad when we finally arrived in one piece.

It soon became apparent that we were not going to do much walking as the weather forecast was for sunny days with temperatures climbing to a high of 38 degrees! So, we stayed in the air-con comfort of the apartment and kept our walking to the malls. We ventured out in the cool of the evenings to eat. That was the main activity of our 5 days in Shanghai.

We unanimously voted the best meal was at the vegetarian restaurant Jujube Tree at Songshan Road. VERY good vegetarian food. Not so much the mock stuff but the real stuff. I liked their little notice that invited all smokers to smoke under the Jujube tree ... outside the restaurant! So cool!

For a more up market dinning experience, head to the touristy area of Xintiandi. We ate at Xin Ji Shi ... which I though meant Thursday! (Ha ha ha this is from someone who use to score 0 "chi tan" for Chinese!) Good food, but a little more pricey.

For a good view of the city at night, head to the Hyatt at the Bund for dinner. Producing your dinner receipt gains you free entry to their roof top bar for the excellent bird's eye view of the city lights.

Well, we did venture half an hour out of the city to a water village - Zhu Jiajiao - The Venice of Shanghai. That day, the temperature was 38 degrees so after buying a straw hat and walking around the quaint village (which was rather smelly from the many stalls selling fermented bean and grilled fish and small river prawns), we took shelter in a cafe that promised good coffee, sweet cakes, iced drinks and cool air! We did not even think of taking the water junks to see the village from the canals. Gazing around, I did not think it was anything like Venice.

We bought just one main item from there - silk duvets! The man asked where we were from and laughed when we told him Singapore. So there we were, sweating in the hot sun lugging a silk duvet each. Each duvet cost 390RMB. We saw the same duvets being sold at the airport for 1400RMB. Hmmm wonder if it is illegal to hawk things at the airport ...

So, thinking of visiting a city? Try Shanghai. If for nothing - go there to enjoy the Shanghainese cuisine and tailor some clothes.

Sorry no photos for now. Will slot them in later.