Tuesday May 22 - Shanghai, China

Today was our free day in Shanghai.  We got up about 7:30 am, had breakfast in the Cafe Lobby Restaurant and met the group (except Jack and Sally) about 9 am.  The bus took us to Shu Jia Jiao - the River Town - an old city on the outskirts of Shanghai built around canals.  Quite scenic with lots of small bridges.  I stopped at a shop adn bargained for cute Chinese wine bottle holders.  We bought in bulk and got her down from 40 REM to 20 - whoo - $2.50!  Yeah - it feels so good when you at least "think" you have made a good deal!

We rode on a sampan through the canals with Chou as our oarsman.  We window shopped and saw lots of food that we wouldn't dare eat - including snakes, eels, etc.  Then we went to the Shanghai Qicac Silk Company so our travel companions could see how silk is woven into clothing.  But David mentioned that they had a rug display and I wanted to see that, so we went there.  The silk carpets were on the 3rd floor and they showed us how the grubs developed and spun the cocoons. Before the grubs turn into moths, they boil the silk cocoons, which kills the grubs, and they harvest the silk.  We saw a young girl weaving a beautiful silk carpet.  They use young people (all girls) because their fingers and hands are small and this is needed to do the tedious work.  The patterns they followed were small and intricate and once missed knot can ruin the entire carpet.  It can take over 1 year to make a single small carpet with so many knots.

The main plant where the silk carpets are made is ~ 5 hours out of Shanghai.  They showed us how they dye the silk and lastly how the sculptered designs are made into the carpets.  I had never seen this before even though we have so many of these types of carpets in out home in Florida.  Then then opened up the silk rug showroom and Tim said to me - "You can't come in here"!  We looked throughout - beautiful carpets.  Long story - short.  I bought a new Chinese design 100% silk runner - 8' long - cobalt blue and gold and a small table carpet.  The negotiating was fun too.

Then we met our driver and guide for the rest of the day - Jessie.  She was great and told us so muchy.  First Tim was very hungry so we went to Xia Tian Di and ate at Zen for dim sum.  We had the dumplings with soup inside (they freeze the soup and them form the dumpling around the frozencube and then steam it).  They were fabulous and we ordered another order of these at the end of the meal. 

After lunch, Jessie had our driver take us through the French concession - an area given to the French in which they could trade in Shanghai.  We then went to the Black Market - down an alley, then down a smaller alley - into a locked door, up small stairs, and then into another locked room.  Allyn and Susan were there buying watchs.  I had a picture of a Louis Vuitton purse for Leslie and they tried their best to sell me another one since they didn't have the one I wanted.  I persisted, so they went to get it.  Shortly after, it arrived.  I had fun negotiating with them on several items.

We left and the driver returned us to the hotel.  I went to the business center and updated my blog while Tim went to the gym - with so much to eat, that's where I should have been!

We dressed up for tonight's dinner and had a cocktail in the lobby lounge before meeting the rest of our group.  We went to a beautiful building with gardens that was the former British Consulate in the French Concession.  Dinner was magnificent.  Our first course included small meats on a plate that had sections of dry ice that swirled up while you ate.  Jessie had told us that David's birthday was May 20 (the day we arrrived in Shanghai), so I proposed a toast to him and we sang Happy Birthday David.  He was very pleased.

After dinner, Tim and I walked from the Four Seasons to the J W Marriott - Tim's home in Shanghai when he is there on business - for a nightcap.  We had a couple of drinks, took in the lights of the city one last time, watched them turn off at 11 pm and then took a taxi back to the Four Seasons.  There were some call girls in the bar working their trade. - "You need pretty girl!".

A couple of Chinese stories to relate:

The Japanese man asked the god when Japan would win the World Cup (soccer).  God said it would be 50 years the the Japanes man cried and said "I won't live that long".  Then the Korean man asked god when Korea would win the World Cup.  God said 100 years and the Korean man cried saying "I won't live that long and my sone won't live that long to see this".  Then the Chinese man asked the god when China would win the World Cup.  The god started crying and said that he wouldn't live that long!

There were 2 fish in a stream.  One philosopher said the fish was happy.  The other philosopher said - "You are wrong - How do you know that the fish is happy?".  The firt philospher said - "No you are wrong - how do you know that I don't know that the fish is happy?"  (This could go on forever - sort of like corporate discussions!!!!).

Chinese words - I love you - Woh - eye - knee (wo ai ni)

Hao = How = It's Good

Larry