Blog 14
Here I am back in Shanghai and having spent the morning outside, I can tell you that it's shaping up to be a hot one (38+ degrees). Being the Englishman I am, I was out in the midday sun but then decided to retreat back to my room for a moment to do this and have some lunch. Maybe a quick nap, too. Yes, today is my second day off and having slept for most of yesterday, I feel significantly better - going to try and get to a Confucian temple and a market today. Perhaps even a few refreshing beers.
Anyway, there's more to tell about Wuhan but as it's largely picture based, I'll wait till I have the facility to upload pictures before telling you about that. Probably Sunday.
So what of Shanghai. I'm being put up in a small hotel on the Nanjing Road (a long pedestrian street that leads to the Bund) which is very much in the middle of things. As soon as I step out onto the street I have people coming up to me offering me watches, bags, drinks in coffee shops and, when I'm out later on, women. Isn't everybody terribly welcoming?
There are also folk walking round selling all kinds of things, from flashing wheels you can put on your shoes to make them into roller skates to flashing gyrocopter devices. Either way, whatever's being sold, it flashes and needs batteries. Very colourful. I'm not sure if these qualities also refer to the ladies being offered...
This morning I popped into a market just up the road from the hotel to have a goosey gander and see if any light and thin objects took my fancy. While I expected some enthusiastic vendors, what I wasn't prepared for was a warren of stalls, all with incredibly eager owners trying to get me to buy their wares. As much as I tried to politely decline each offer of watches, sunglasses, polo shirts (Ralph Lauren and Lacoste), and normal T-shirts, it became quite difficult and also very amusing at the same time, more so because I didn't think that their English would be up to the task of me telling them that I didn't wear T-shirts because I thought that they were too restrictive.
In other shopping news, after breaking my sandal-type flip-flops the other evening (meaning a part barefoot walk to bed), I bought some more. Was in a shopping warren / mall last night and was meandering round and saw some leather sandals that took my eye. After eventually getting the largest size on offer (don't the Chinese have little feet?), I thought I'd buy the things. The price though, seemed greatly inflated at 288 RMB (nearly 20 pounds). There then followed an exchange not too dissimilar to something you'd expect from The Life of Brian with a good deal of bartering, gesticulation and shocked expressions. It started off with my surprise and over-gesticulated horror at the price, at which point I was given the calculator to key in my bid. I went for 125RMB. The assistant saw this and actually squawked, showing the offered price to another assistant and waving it round the shop for all the other customers (only one bored-looking bloke waiting for his girlfriend in a neighbouring stall) to see.
The assistant sighed and reluctantly typed in 278. I then went to pick up my bag to go forcing her to stop me and type in 250. A quick glance and a shake of the head from me made her realise she was on slippery ground and in she went with 188RMB. Still not impressed, I went for the door and the squawking women (in her mid-forties) frantically pulled me back and keyed in 150. Having made up my mind to part with no more than 125 and having seen Simon's cool-headed bargaining for a Mao statue in Wuhan (that's to come when pictures are uploadable), I pulled away from the woman with a shake of the head and left. For about 1/4 of a second, I though I'd left without the sandals. This was until the squawking woman pulled me back into the stall and typed in 125RMB (about 8 pounds 30) at which point I consented to buy the things.
Disturbingly, everyone seemed happy in the shop when I handed over the money, which made me feel as though I could've got a better deal. Still, early days for haggling and I reckon the sandals would go for about 30 pounds in Zara or the like. Maybe. They'll probably break in a day anyway.
It's now after one so I think it's time for temples and tea for a soul cleansing process.
Here I am back in Shanghai and having spent the morning outside, I can tell you that it's shaping up to be a hot one (38+ degrees). Being the Englishman I am, I was out in the midday sun but then decided to retreat back to my room for a moment to do this and have some lunch. Maybe a quick nap, too. Yes, today is my second day off and having slept for most of yesterday, I feel significantly better - going to try and get to a Confucian temple and a market today. Perhaps even a few refreshing beers.
Anyway, there's more to tell about Wuhan but as it's largely picture based, I'll wait till I have the facility to upload pictures before telling you about that. Probably Sunday.
So what of Shanghai. I'm being put up in a small hotel on the Nanjing Road (a long pedestrian street that leads to the Bund) which is very much in the middle of things. As soon as I step out onto the street I have people coming up to me offering me watches, bags, drinks in coffee shops and, when I'm out later on, women. Isn't everybody terribly welcoming?
There are also folk walking round selling all kinds of things, from flashing wheels you can put on your shoes to make them into roller skates to flashing gyrocopter devices. Either way, whatever's being sold, it flashes and needs batteries. Very colourful. I'm not sure if these qualities also refer to the ladies being offered...This morning I popped into a market just up the road from the hotel to have a goosey gander and see if any light and thin objects took my fancy. While I expected some enthusiastic vendors, what I wasn't prepared for was a warren of stalls, all with incredibly eager owners trying to get me to buy their wares. As much as I tried to politely decline each offer of watches, sunglasses, polo shirts (Ralph Lauren and Lacoste), and normal T-shirts, it became quite difficult and also very amusing at the same time, more so because I didn't think that their English would be up to the task of me telling them that I didn't wear T-shirts because I thought that they were too restrictive.
In other shopping news, after breaking my sandal-type flip-flops the other evening (meaning a part barefoot walk to bed), I bought some more. Was in a shopping warren / mall last night and was meandering round and saw some leather sandals that took my eye. After eventually getting the largest size on offer (don't the Chinese have little feet?), I thought I'd buy the things. The price though, seemed greatly inflated at 288 RMB (nearly 20 pounds). There then followed an exchange not too dissimilar to something you'd expect from The Life of Brian with a good deal of bartering, gesticulation and shocked expressions. It started off with my surprise and over-gesticulated horror at the price, at which point I was given the calculator to key in my bid. I went for 125RMB. The assistant saw this and actually squawked, showing the offered price to another assistant and waving it round the shop for all the other customers (only one bored-looking bloke waiting for his girlfriend in a neighbouring stall) to see.
The assistant sighed and reluctantly typed in 278. I then went to pick up my bag to go forcing her to stop me and type in 250. A quick glance and a shake of the head from me made her realise she was on slippery ground and in she went with 188RMB. Still not impressed, I went for the door and the squawking women (in her mid-forties) frantically pulled me back and keyed in 150. Having made up my mind to part with no more than 125 and having seen Simon's cool-headed bargaining for a Mao statue in Wuhan (that's to come when pictures are uploadable), I pulled away from the woman with a shake of the head and left. For about 1/4 of a second, I though I'd left without the sandals. This was until the squawking woman pulled me back into the stall and typed in 125RMB (about 8 pounds 30) at which point I consented to buy the things.
Disturbingly, everyone seemed happy in the shop when I handed over the money, which made me feel as though I could've got a better deal. Still, early days for haggling and I reckon the sandals would go for about 30 pounds in Zara or the like. Maybe. They'll probably break in a day anyway.
It's now after one so I think it's time for temples and tea for a soul cleansing process.
