This was my first weekend at Shanghai…
A colleague had offered to take me and my German colleague out for sight seeing. So I got up….made breakfast an lunch (as I had to pack it…I could not eat out as usual)….made chappathis…smeared it with ghee sugar mixture….made rolls out of them and took it for lunch so that it is easy to eat without too much mess.
Was ready by 8:40…went rushing to the reception to get a few things done….My colleague called up to say that he would b half hour late and also that I had to take an umbrella as it was raining.
I made an arrangement for the umbrella from the hotel and went back to my room. From yesterday night the internet was not connecting…some problem…I came back and checked once…seemed to be ok. So I sent some mails. The packed everything and sat in front of TV watching discovery channel in English (Thank god)…some mummies and human sacrifice and stuff.…I was half asleep when my colleague called and said he was waiting at the gate. I picked up all my stuff and left.
He was taking us to the shopping street (that’s what I understood). I started thinking then what are the things I should buy….suddenly he broke my chain of thoughts saying….lets first have Dumplings….my heart skipped a beat. I tried explaining that I would just watch them eat. He said he will get me vegetarian dumpling. I protested badly. But there I was with my table filled with so many dumplings.
Sincere advice for vegetarian people who travel abroad often without family…..just learn to eat international food…. I don’t mean non-veg…but things like Russian salad, French toast etc etc…this will help stand the smell in the food…..
I have never been too fussy about food. I am one person who knows myself very well. When I Germany also……… I dint mind eating bread for Saturday and Sunday 3 times a day. I knew I could not touch anything outside. So I filled my bag with bread for the weekend outing. I had no problem. I never complained about eating the same stuff…or the tastelessness etc. the idea was just not to be hungry..
But this time it was different. I had nice food for myself in the bag…but I was being forced to eat something I cannot stand. I cannot stand the smell of the food….the lettuce and other greens here seem to have a typical smell. …I felt pukish…I feel miserable when asked to taste it. I don’t want to be all fussy…but I am not so used to international food tastes…I don’t like it too much. Even when in Bangalore I am not so impressed by Chinese hotels although I don’t mind. I know some people who are crazy abt Chinese restaurants …I am not on of them.
Anyway…coming back to the dumplings…I managed to have 3…but then there were 6 more…I just could not eat it. I told my colleague that I had a very heavy breakfast and so maybe I would pack the dumplings to take it home…he said ok…
The two of them were eating dumplings too….theirs was crab stuff.
By the way…what is a dumpling..its a kozhukattai or a steamed kadubu…really…it’s a flour made into the round cups stuffed with crab flesh and steamed. Its non veg kadubu…I have fotos of it.. u can check it in my picasa album
We also had green tea…
Then we came out….
We were actually next to Yu garden…this was supposed to be the house of a merchant. He was very rich and wanted to live in the midst of nature…so he built this thing…it was beautiful…but was too complicated t be a house.
Here there was a shop where we could wear a Chinese costume and take a pic. So we did thatJ
After this we came out into the old street of Shanghai. This street had the typical actual china look. Lots of street vendors. I was told by Vinuta (my friend at AMC) to bargain to 20% of the actual rate they told u. so I was trying to buy some Chinese dolls. But my colleague interfered and said this could be of cheap quality…I dint care…but I could not tell hi that. I was just looking for a doll for the showcase…so the quality dint matter so much. Then we went into a big shop…the same doll was double the rate…funny…
Anyway…I bargained like crazy on some pearls and the dolls…got them for the rate I wanted. But the problem was…I was weak at maths….I could not do the immediate conversion of money into rupees….my idea of buying some things wee that if it did not cost more than some Indian rupees…o this conversion worked out wrong and I paid slightly higher…
Came out of the shop and hubby called on mobile..talked for sometime and continued shopping. Went on with bargain as much as I could…
But the rain was extremely irritating…the place was getting very cold…my feet inside the shoe were freezing and holding the umbrella and all the other stuff was a little irritating…
We then decided to leave. Our colleague offered to drop us at our next destination. It was a long drive and I was almost asleep…trying to keep my eyes open.
My German colleague and myself got down at the oriental tower. We managed to buy a ticket for the museum and get in. e decided not to o up the tower as it was no point …it was too foggy and raining..same reason we decided against the cruise….we decided against the 2 things I wanted to do badly…
We went thru the security check at the museum and then I realized I had only one glove…I searched…but dint find my other glove…
The museum was a nice one…Shanghai history with life size models representing the olden days…
But it was freezing inside….donno why they had no heater…
After the museum tour my German colleague looked sick. I asked her if she had a problem and she said she was freezing. So we decided to have a coffee. We had not gone for lunch…mostly because I had bragged about my heavy breakfast so much and that I could not have any food for the whole day etc…
We had a cake and coffee each. Talked for sometime and decided to get back to my apartment. On the way…I search and search….my apartment keys…missing…whew…felt irritated with myself for my irresponsibility..
Then I called my Chinese colleague and asked hi if I had left it in his car….he said it was there…thank god…I dint drop it somewhere on he streets.
I convinced the hotel people that I had the key…but it was in my colleagues car and thet I would return the duplicate on Monday..
We went to my apartment and dropped off my things. My German colleague wanted to look around that area as she was being transferred to Shanghai and she would probably take a house in that area.
I too wanted to buy some grocery…so went with her again…we walked to my favorite Indian items shop…
I had to buy some extra moisturizer as it was getting too cold and dry… it was all 3 times the price in India. I picked up the one that was a little cheaper and came home.
After coming home I realized…I had not bought moisturizer…but it was body wash…I got so bugged because it was expensive and it as a huge bottle an it leaked…so I could not carry it back also..
Anyway…then I ate my afternoon’s chappathis for dinner while I was watching star wars 1…
Cleaned up…spoke to hubby and went to sleep…got up so late in the morning today. Now typing this blog. Will go to some nearby place. Found out that the rain and temperature dip will continue for the next 10 days…feeling irritated about it….cant help..lets see where I go today
