A month of family – part three – the boys in Shanghai June 17, 2010
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Because we got home so late from Beijing (2 in the morning), the next day, Monday, was a stay-at-home-and-rest day, except for Don, unfortunately, who had to pack a suitcase and fly to Detroit for the week. After he left, I treated mom and the boys to a foot massage – the perfect relax and rejuvinate activity. (Though, Lucas who is very ticklish, found it a little stressful. Oops.)
Tuesday was my mother’s last day in Shanghai – she left late Tuesday afternoon. The weather was lovely and clear on Tuesday morning so we decided we’d go up to the top of the Shanghai World Finance Centre for the views. Mom had already seen city views, but the boys hadn’t. In fact, they hadn’t really yet seen anything of Shanghai. We walked over – just a few large blocks – while the boys took in the variety of building architecture:
such a variety of architectural styles
and none of these buildings here before 1990
Jinmao Tower and the Shanghai World Finance Centre
and then ascended to the 100th floor of the SWFC, which is the floor right above that opening you see in the picture. I was worried about Lucas, who doesn’t like heights, but it was mom who was really shaken by the height. Not a nice thing to do to her on the morning before a flight (!), but she hadn’t expected it, either. Great views, though!
Pearl Tower, top of the Jinmao building, and the sweep of the Huangpu River
look down, look w-a-y down
the four buildings of our apartment complex - ours is the one of the right of the back two
bottom of the Pearl Tower
Lucas had no problem with the height at all
After descending, we walked to Element Fresh for lunch, then back to our apartment for mom to put the last couple of things in her suitcase before Mr. Shi arrived to take us to the airport. Mom’s 2 1/2 weeks with us flew by, and I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
The first place the boys and I went to on Wednesday was the fabric market – of course. That’s where visitors always need to go early in their visit, so there’s time to get clothes made. Over the course of the next two weeks both boys got cashmere coats, Lucas got two suits, Nico one, and they both got shirts – Lucas twice as many as Nico!
Then we were off to mahjong. I had asked Dorothy (wonderful hostess and mahjong teacher) if I could bring the boys along, and they could sit behind the table and learn the game. Well, it turned out she had a couple visiting her, so she taught the four of them how to play while the rest of us carried on as usual. The regular mahjong ladies were stunned, however, when Dorothy offered the boys beer – “hey, Dorothy, you never offer us beer!” someone shouted. Hmm. The boys, with those quick young minds, picked up the game that afternoon. When we went back the following week, they had no problem holding their own, and Lucas mahjonged four times in a row, while I never went out once!
The next day I first attended a going-away party for three GM wives being transferred, and then the boys and I were off to the Shanghai Zoo. It seemed an appropriate place to go, given how many times I took them to the zoo when they were young, and I was anxious to see the pandas. The Shanghai Zoo is a beautiful park and most of the animals have good homes, for a zoo.
zoo entrance
wide, shady paths and beautiful flower beds
sculptured plants
tranquil beauty
beautiful setting
Unfortunately, the pandas were all sleeping….
not a peep from these guys
sound asleep
this guy may have one eye open!
The weather was perfect, we enjoyed our outing, and it’s always fun when you can spot a “Chinglish” sign!
freight check??
The next evening, Friday April 30th, was the grand opening of Expo. We had been warned by the staff of our apartment building that the roads around our building would be closed to all traffic, including walking traffic, starting at 6 p.m., as the main road beside our building complex is the main route to the Expo grounds on the Pudong side of the city, and security would be very tight. We had planned to meet a few friends at the Blue Frog pub for drinks and dinner. New plan needed. We decided to meet for drinks and then order take-out and bring it back to our apartment, and stay put here, eating and drinking and hopefully watching the fireworks. So, Sharon (our friend who moved here from Florida with GM at the same time as we did, though had lived here previously for 3 years), the boys and I set off to Blue Frog at 4 pm to meet Dave and Rob.
(Brief interlude to tell you the story of Dave and Rob…. One Friday evening when our husbands were out of town, or otherwise busy, Sharon and I set off for Happy Hour (two for one drinks) at Blue Frog. We didn’t get there until 7 p.m. (HH starts at 4 p.m. at BF, and goes until 8 pm.), and the place was packed. Luckily the staff found a table for two and we squeezed in, only to find we were sitting very close to another table with two guys already well into HH. Well, tables being as close together as they were, of course we said a few words to them – I think a “cheers” when our first drinks were delivered. We exchanged some comments, and when it quickly became clear to me they were likely Canadian, I asked where they were from. Canada was the answer. So are we, we answered back. Where in Canada? BC. So are we. Where in BC? Well, Dave was from Kitsilano, Vancouver – which is where our condo is located!! Rob was from Trail, and Sharon had been in Trail many times when she was a District Manager for GM in BC, so they started discussing restaurants and pubs that Sharon knew. And then it turned out Rob had been in Pentiction for university and they both know a GM dealer that Sharon and I know well. (Isn’t it sometimes a very small world?!?) Anyway, they both teach English at a university about an hour outside of Shanghai and regularly come into the “big city” for western-style food, etc, and always hit the Blue Frog. I guess it was only a matter of time before we would meet them!)
Back to Friday, April 30th…. We all had our HH drinks, or maybe four, placed our food orders and then walked our food back to our apartment. Fred (Sharon’s husband) joined us for dinner and a great time was had by all – I’m pretty sure (!). And we were able to see some of the fireworks from our balcony, though we don’t live close enough to the Expo grounds to have had the full view. Luckily Lucas had the presence of mind to take a picture.
the Shanghai World Expo opens!
Don got home from his week in Detroit on Saturday afternoon, his 53rd birthday. We went out for a celebratory dinner that evening, to a wonderful steak restaurant in the Jimmao Tower, and then had after-dinner drinks in the lounge, with a four-piece band of Chinese instruments, playing background music.
On Sunday we went out for Chinese DimSum brunch with a huge gang. The four of us, Sharon and Fred, Diane and Julio, and four members of Julio’s family visiting from Spain, as well as a friend of theirs. It’s a great way to sample a large number of dishes!
Totally stuffed, the four of us, along with Sharon and Fred, went for a long walk through the Old Town. We meandered through the Dongtai Lu Antique Market (though don’t expect to find “real” antiques!) and the YuYuan Bazaar.
typical parking situation
I never get tired of seeing pajama worn on the streets!
and I'm still amazed at the way they can load their bikes up!
entering the Dongtai Lu "Antique" Market
so many intriguing trinkets for sale
a multi-tasking vendor
Sharon checks out the wares
I love the Communist workers
YuYuan Bazaar area
don't buy the street meat!!
We had planned to go to the YuYuan gardens as well, but it was hot and we were tired. We went home on the ferry.
on the ferry (for the huge cost of 7.5 cents per person)
Don took the next few days off and we went to the fabric markets (again) and the fake market (always fun!) and the flower market, as well as doing a few other errands like furniture shopping and grocery shopping, and then while I had a hair appointment, Don took the boys to the Urban Planning Museum, which I had been to twice, but he had never seen. All the ‘boys’ loved it! I’ve posted pictures from this Museum before, but just to remind you…
the huge floor 'model' of the city of Shanghai
a portion of the Expo grounds
a view of People's Square and surround from the Urban Planning Museum
more of People's Square, including the Shanghai Museum
The rest of the week was a busy one for Don at work because several dealers and executives were in town from the whole region, as winners of the Grand Masters event (top dealers from all the countries). Don and I attended the opening night cocktail reception on Thursday; Don had to drop into a few of the dine-around dinners on the Friday (I stayed home that night with the boys) and Don and I attended the Saturday night gala event. We didn’t see much of Don, but the boys and I spent the day on Thursday at the Shanghai Museum (I’ve posted pictures from that day already – under my mother’s time at the museum) and then on Friday we went to Qibao, an ancient traditional town on the outskirts of Shanghai. There was a temple, small museums of interest, beautiful gardens and a canal where we took a little boat ride. Not as big as the water towns, but a good replacement as time constraints meant we wouldn’t be making it to a water town.
canal through Qibao
large pagoda outside the temple
a very long corridor of strange guardians (just outside the temple)
Mr. Shi was our tour guide, but unable to explain much about these "guardians"
entering the temple
Buddha
beautiful gardens
traditional architecture
canal scene
riding on the canal
canal scene
Mr. Shi waits for us while we ride on the canal
narrow shop-lined street
small roasted birds (what kind?)
I love the traditional look
After touring Qibao, we were off to the Jade Buddha Temple. I had been there in early March with Elsie, but this time we were lucky to find the temple full of chanting monks.
inside the main temple
chanting monks
inside the temple
outside, monks chant while a family burns paper money for a dead relative
the monks
burning paper money to send off a dead relative
rubbing the belly is good luck!
good luck for all of us...
inside temple courtyard
I love the combination of old and new in Shanghai
I’m going to leave the last few days of the boys’ visit here for a separate blog, because I have so many pictures to share from those last days (we went to Expo, Rob & Dave’s university, and on a guided walk with the Shanghai photographer Gangfeng Wang) and the blogs take a long time to ‘post’ when there are so many photos. To be continued….
freda's world adventures 