Morning, friends and family. It's our last morning in Shang Hai and there's so much to do. After I've had my morning cigarette (passive) there are a few little Shang Hai moments to have before we board the train for the 14 hour train journey to Beijing. I have to get a cup of Earl Grey tea with a little squirt of lemon syrup, mmm so good, dodge a few more gucciprada bag men and stock up on some supplies for the train journey -hello squat toilets in rocky train.
The last few days have kept us busy. Yesterday we went to the Shang Hai museum in the morning. There was a really long line to get into the building as they x-ray your bags before you go in and also because it was a public holiday to honour ancestors. Man, I have to hand it to the chinese. They are one talented bunch. The pottery, the calligraphy, the monetary systems that they developed well before europeans even thought of heating up oats for breakfast is stunning. A very sophisticated culture (except for the continual hocking up in the street). After a quick purchase in the museum gift shop, ming dynasty china anyone? we walked up to xianting town (actually that's not the name of the town but I can't remember what it was and you'll never know either!) which has beautiful grey cobblestone streets and buildings. We had a peaceful Japenese lunch and then saw the highlights of the communist musuem. This building was apparently the sight of the very first Chinese Comm. Party meeting back in the 20's chaired by Mr M. . When I'm safe back in Australia I'll tell you another interesting piece of that history. It really is fascinating hearing history from different perspectives and how whoever is writing the story massively puts their own perspective on it. Two taxi rides back to the city (we wanted to go to NanJing Rd but were dropped at Nanxing - big difference) and I lost myself in the Hershey store and Rachel abandoned me for some shopping adventures of her own. Lesson learnt from that is that Rachel must not be left on her own to barter. I'll let her tell the story some time but when we finally met up again in the hotel I roared the hotel down with laughter at how 3 chinese 'students' from Beijing selling their own art managed to convince her to go up the back steps of a building so that she could help to fund their studies for the next 3 years. Ha Ha.
Dinner last night was a soggy wet walk to the Oriental Pearl Tower. A building that looks a lot like the bottle from 'I dream of Genie'. Before we got there though we boarded a little carriage that crosses the river in an under the river tunnel filled with a laser light display. I'm seriously thinking of writing to Can Do to ask him to consider such a thing for the Brisbane tunnel. It was all weird music, flashing lights and those airfilled creatures that they sometimes use to promote a bunnings sale. The Tower was nice but odd in that we had to get in and out of three different lifts to get to the top. I'm finding it all rather hilarious especially as I went to a 'Lean Thinking' workshop three days before I left for China. I guess when you have to find work for a billion people you have to abandon lean thinking. Up the top of the tower was a view of Shang Hai which would have been spectacular if there wasn't a massive wall of white clouds blocking it. Dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top was therefore a little less spectacular as we got to see the white cloud from all different angles. It was a buffet dinner which was very similar to what you'd find at sizzlers with some added fish heads on sticks and pigs heart stir fry. I was just about to enjoy the pigs heart stir fry but we had to rush off so that Rach could pick up her plasticine figurine she had made of herself. Another hilarious shopping adventure for Rach. So laser light show ride home, a little bit more shopping ($12.50 does not a good fake perfume buy) and then we swum home to dry out our clothes and fall asleep to the street sounds of Shang Hai.
I must away.
Better go and enjoy the smog of Shang Hai while I still can.
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So great to hear your stories! We prayed for you last night. Particularly that you would have grace and That God would give you the exactly right words to say as you speak to the workers...actually it occurs to me that the gift of tongues/chinese could come in handy for you...I might just add that to the prayer list.
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