Shanghai!!!

Ok, Shanghai isn't as hip and happening as I imagined it to be. TIME magazine completely misrepresented! I was swept away by the romanticised image of the city from people's accounts and from articles and guidebooks. I came away with heaps of shopping, but tourism-wise... it was a tad lacklustre.

But I must confess that this is one of the most eventful holidays I've had. I arrived Friday - a windy cloudy day. Already people were warning that a typhoon was approaching. Bummer. It's supposed to be the worst in 8 years. Of course I completely freaked out, especially since it was supposed to last all the way to MONDAY. And I was only staying till tuesday morning!!! Arrggh.

Day 1 Friday:

Friday was a super productive day. And by productive I refer to food and shopping. Every Singaporean girl's dream. Man, I feel so generic. I went to the Tailoring Market to do outfits. It was really a steal. Sometimes it wasn't so much of a need, but because it was just so cheap I could not simply pass it up without regretting. Shirts were S$14, and they were custom made. Skirts were about S$12. This very gorgeous material was turned into a full skirt, only for S$20. I feel kind of bad shopping so much in Shanghai actually. Throughout, I was half ecstatic with my buys and half plagued with a nagging guilt. These people slog like mad to earn these few dollars from me. It's really a sweatshop mentality over there. The tailors are up and about at the market in the afternoons. At night, they don't sleep, but they work all around the clock. And they even deliver outfits to your hotel room. This was one of the many instances where I was fully aware of how blessed I am.

Next stop: Xiangyang Market. Who can visit Shanghai without taking a look at this IP-infringing haven??? Police officers walk around the market very calmly. Apparently no one cares. The moment you step out of the taxi, you are affronted from all corners by people touting fake branded goods. LV is the hot favourite. And they push and poke you to get your attention. Bargained like mad for tons of bags and gitzmos... ... Bargaining drains u, although at first u feel a tad pleased with how much u've whittled it down to. And then, after some time, you realise that you've been swindled in the first few stores because other stores are offering a far better price. Grrrrrr... ...

It was about 4pm when we finished and we went on the prowl for good Peking Duck. The Quan Ju De restaurant was nearby but we had to trek up and down and up and down Huaihai Road before we finally found it. But it was worth it. On hindsight. The skin was crispy and so sweet. And it was to be eaten with cucumber and sugar. And the meat was tender and falls off the duck so easily as the chef cut it. I'm getting hungry thinking about it again.

By nightfall, the rains have started to arrive. And it's not a small rain mind you. It began to POUR.


Day 2 Saturday:

The next morning, when we set out, the rain was steady and the winds strong. I destroyed an umbrella when the winds tore through it. I had to succumb to buying a cheesy raincoat. In times like these, one gets desperate. Saturday was truly an "indoors" day. There was no way anyone was getting out in the rain, because it was pouring cats and dogs. And the wind was shaking leaves and branches and traffic lights. You can literally see rain coming down in sleets. Tried the famous NanXiang xiao long bao. The gravy is rich and thick, unlike the clearer broth in other versions I've tried. Heck, it beats Ding Tai Feng hollow. The skin isn't so thin, but the broth makes up for everything else!

The most miserable thing that happened during the storm was the fact that everyone was trying to rush home at the same time and it was close to impossible to get a cab. No one wanted to be outdoors. It was only later that I realised how dangerous it was to be walking in the rain. It wasn't because there was possible thunder and lightning. But electrical wires left exposed on the road could trigger an electric shortage, as was what happened to a couple of people that day. Anyway, we waited in vain in the rain but they were all full and everyone was pushing and shoving and cutting queues. I wanted to kill someone at this point. So we walked down in the direction of our hotel. This was a difficult feat because of all our shopping bags, which were threatening to give way.

One happy thing that happened was that we went for a foot reflexology session. If we had to stay indoors, we might as well do something worthwhile! And it was really cheap and really good. Where else in Singapore can one get such an hour-long session for S$8??? I sound super auntie right now, but I have to spread the good cheer.

I must say, despite my general bad impression of Chinese city folk, some do surprise me. I was walking through a marketplace which was lined with small food stalls and raw food, just soaking in the general Chinese marketplace atmosphere. And it suddenly started to rain more heavily. I rain for shelter for a while. Suddenly the shopfront opened and a nice man asked me if I needed help or if I wanted shelter for a while. A bunch of guys were inside the room playing mahjong.. haha.

As I passed the marketplace, I peered into some houses by the roadside. They were dank, dark, depressing, with mud floors. It had a grey depressed feel to them. And they were narrow. You can vaguely see stacks of belongings piled against the wall, or the occasional sewing machine... and a few old women and men sitting inside the dark squashed corners. It made me feel really sad that I had so much and these people had so little. I also saw little rooms carved into the underbelly of the expressway bridge at Yannan Donglu by the Bund. They were the size of a large toilet cubicle, but it was obviously someone's home. The poor-rich gap was much more striking, set against the background of the skyscrapers at Pudong.


Day 3 Sunday:

This is the part where I have to thank God. He answers prayers!
Or at least, he chose to answer this one. Typhoon Matsa diverted its course and skirted past Shanghai. I was amazed not to see rain, since everyone was predicting that it would last till Monday.

This meant that we could walk through the DongTai Lu antique market, which was highly recommended by TimeOut, but the cabdriver who was sending us there laughed and claimed that it was a mere tourist trap. Saw many small shops selling basically the same things. Antique Mao memorabilia, little Chinese cups, wooden carvings, bric a brac... ...

We also walked to Xintiandi, where huge shopping malls could be found and where cafes and upmarket eateries were sprawling. Apparently Crystal Jade in Shanghai looks exactly like Crystal Jade in Singapore. Except the Shanghainese congregate in very large groups for Sunday brunch together.

Went to Nanjing Road and visited Peace Hotel, where we went to check out the jazz band. Basically, Kris was right. It's a bunch of old men playing instruments, with a very droll expression on their faces. When bands play music, they usually look like they are enjoying what they are doing. But the old men here seem to perceive it as a mere living for their bread and butter. Nothing more. No enjoyment of their music can be fathomed from their faces. And it wasn't as dreamy or interesting as it was made out to be. It's supposed to be a vestige of the Old Shanghai. A reinvigoration of its former glory. But sadly I just saw it for what it was. A bar with a bunch of old men playing jazz music.

Day 4 Monday:

This was my last full day in Shanghai. I went back to Xiangyang Market to buy more... I didn't think I was capable of shopping so much! And we had mala steamboat. This was really oily and rather salty, but the clear soup was so good. The beef was tender and the peanut sauces were rich and flavourful.

At Nanjing Road, we bought lambshanks for S$1. I can't get over how cheap certain things can be.
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I'll be back. For the shopping=)