What do you do on a Saturday in Shanghai? Food is always a good start. Mel, Elmeda, and I took a taxi to meet Ken Mellem at the Phoenix Hotel where he is staying. We had the address written down for us in Chinese as none of the taxi drivers can speak English. Ken was going to take us to Malone's, which is an American cafe in the heart of Shanghai.
We had a short walk to the underground Metro. We bought our Metro cards as this enabled us to travel around on the system with just scanning our cards when we enter and exit through the turnstyles. The appropriate amount is deducted from the card based on distance traveled; same as the system in Washington, DC. After about eight stops we changed trains at People's Square, known as the political, cultural, and arts center of the city, and then had two additional stops, getting off at Jing An Temple Station. A few blocks of walking finally got us to Malone's which has a pub atmosphere. The 'Big Daddy Breakfast' was the choice for all. That included eggs, bacon, ham, fried potatoes, french toast, pancakes, fruit, orange juice, and coffee. It was a breakfast you couldn't finish but it sure tasted good trying.
After our feed (it was in the early afternoon by now), we ventured out to walk the streets of Shanghai to see how we could part with some RMB. Some of the places looked familiar as I remembered they were included in my January trip. We walked through several shopping centers to view the assortment of retailers. Plaza 66 is the most upscale having all the top designers--Dior, Fendi, Armani... Passing one jewelry store I noticed a necklace on display that had a price of over 390,000 RMB. Most pay cash here still, with limited credit card usage. So the transfer of RMB notes (the largest denomination is 100) would take awhile and probably happen in a back room. Checking for counterfeit bills would also be done (every one of mine has been inspected when handed off) so the transaction may not be complete in one day.
Ken wanted to take us to a shopping mart where bargaining takes place so after our roundabout taxi ride to get there we were in the midst of bargaining mania. It was fun to see who would come out the victor. A silver and gold bracelet caught my eye and sales individual started the price at 960 RMB. I said too much and after going back and forth, left because the lowest price offered was 300; I indicated 200 RMB was my offer. She followed, which is often the case, and it is now in my possession. Most everything you could imagine was there to shop for. As we walked the aisles of the different floors, all were yelling to you or grabbing your arm to come see their goods. The environment was typical of bargaining places. Mel was looking for a set of Ping golf clubs, but didn't make the purchase. Of course they aren't real, but good counterfeits. We decided that this stop would be on the list for another Saturday as we knew we could spend hours taking it all in.
We walked back through People's Square and again, I noticed several buildings that had been my stops in January. I decided that some I wanted to go back to, such as the Shanghai Museum. There were people everywhere but it was late afternoon so I am assuming many were on their way home. At least the Metro was packed on our way back to the Phoenix House.
We had a short walk to the underground Metro. We bought our Metro cards as this enabled us to travel around on the system with just scanning our cards when we enter and exit through the turnstyles. The appropriate amount is deducted from the card based on distance traveled; same as the system in Washington, DC. After about eight stops we changed trains at People's Square, known as the political, cultural, and arts center of the city, and then had two additional stops, getting off at Jing An Temple Station. A few blocks of walking finally got us to Malone's which has a pub atmosphere. The 'Big Daddy Breakfast' was the choice for all. That included eggs, bacon, ham, fried potatoes, french toast, pancakes, fruit, orange juice, and coffee. It was a breakfast you couldn't finish but it sure tasted good trying.
After our feed (it was in the early afternoon by now), we ventured out to walk the streets of Shanghai to see how we could part with some RMB. Some of the places looked familiar as I remembered they were included in my January trip. We walked through several shopping centers to view the assortment of retailers. Plaza 66 is the most upscale having all the top designers--Dior, Fendi, Armani... Passing one jewelry store I noticed a necklace on display that had a price of over 390,000 RMB. Most pay cash here still, with limited credit card usage. So the transfer of RMB notes (the largest denomination is 100) would take awhile and probably happen in a back room. Checking for counterfeit bills would also be done (every one of mine has been inspected when handed off) so the transaction may not be complete in one day.
Ken wanted to take us to a shopping mart where bargaining takes place so after our roundabout taxi ride to get there we were in the midst of bargaining mania. It was fun to see who would come out the victor. A silver and gold bracelet caught my eye and sales individual started the price at 960 RMB. I said too much and after going back and forth, left because the lowest price offered was 300; I indicated 200 RMB was my offer. She followed, which is often the case, and it is now in my possession. Most everything you could imagine was there to shop for. As we walked the aisles of the different floors, all were yelling to you or grabbing your arm to come see their goods. The environment was typical of bargaining places. Mel was looking for a set of Ping golf clubs, but didn't make the purchase. Of course they aren't real, but good counterfeits. We decided that this stop would be on the list for another Saturday as we knew we could spend hours taking it all in.
We walked back through People's Square and again, I noticed several buildings that had been my stops in January. I decided that some I wanted to go back to, such as the Shanghai Museum. There were people everywhere but it was late afternoon so I am assuming many were on their way home. At least the Metro was packed on our way back to the Phoenix House.
Our food choice for the evening was to visit Pizza Hut just down the street from the Phoenix House. The group shared a pizza and I opted for a Kiwi Mango Rendevous while the others tried the beer. The pizza here has less sauce and it tastes like a lavosh but with a pizza crust. I have had a pizza on campus and it is the same. More on food in a later blog.
We strolled the streets back to the hotel to catch a taxi back to the University. Merchants were out on the streets peddling their wares and their food. Since it was dark by this time, only the store lights shed light onto the street for them to sell. One entrepreneur fixed that problem by rigging lights to his cycle. He used McDonald cups for the shades to his lamps, quite inventive. It was a good day.
We strolled the streets back to the hotel to catch a taxi back to the University. Merchants were out on the streets peddling their wares and their food. Since it was dark by this time, only the store lights shed light onto the street for them to sell. One entrepreneur fixed that problem by rigging lights to his cycle. He used McDonald cups for the shades to his lamps, quite inventive. It was a good day.
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