Shanghai 2007 – Part 4 and Others
Continue from here.
This is the last bit of the trip. Bear with me as I don’t go on trips like these often, and I plan to record the trip in detail for my future reading/referrencing as my memory these days really suck!
♥Nov 9th (Fri)♥
Our last day in Shanghai and I was planning to do all the shopping needed on this day.
Our first stop was to change some money as we were running short of cash. Do you know that there’s no money changer in China (unless it’s black market) and besides hotels, the only place you can change foreign currency is from Bank of China and not any other banks? Also, not many shops and restaurants in Shanghai actually accept foreign credit cards; quite inconvenient for the tourists like us.
After getting some cash, we went to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (上海科技馆) in Pudong. Not to visit the Museum but actually to go to this shopping place opposite the Museum. This plazy houses lots of little shops selling counterfeit shoes, bags (Le Sport Sac mainly) and clothings, but it was quite dissapointing actually as the designs and items were the same in most of the shops. (What a contrast huh? 1 side it’s the Science and Technology Museum; directly opposite, it’s this place filled shops selling counterfeit goods!)
I bought a dress for Zaria and a pair of shoes for Zara (later I found out the quality isn’t really that good). That was all I got. Not a very fruitful shopping trip.
We then got out of the mall and walked about outdoor, where we could get a glimpse of the modern Pudong.
The modern Pudong : Dragon at the Science and Technology Museum, we caught sight of an airship cruising above; Modern buildings in Pudong; Century Ave (世纪大道); Old folks dancing outside of a mall, for some, they danced with their imaginary partners
It was then back to Nanjing and Fuzhou Road (福州路) for more shopping.
Brightly litted Nanjing Road; Last pic is a photo of our Motel which I took at 5:30am before we left for the airport
The thing I like about China in terms of shopping is the books, DVDs and CDs there are really cheap. Fuzhou Road (福州路) has lots of multi-level book shops. I was spending a lot of time there glancing at books and CDs. Daddy who doesn’t read Chinese, kept himself occupied by going through CDs so he didn’t mind the wait. I bought quite a lot for myself.
While glancing at books, I probably left my own guide book on the shelf and later could not locate it any more. Luckily, this happened on our last day of the trip, and I no longer need to reference it. Still, I was a bit upset because I like to keep my guide books as a remembrance/record of a trip. 🙁
Luckily too, we’d identified the restaurant to have our last dinner before the guide book went missing. We headed to an old restaurant Lao Zheng Xing (老正兴) on Fuzhou Road for our last meal in Shanghai.
Our last meal in Shanghai consisted of : Fried fermented or smelly tofu (臭豆腐); Toufu with crab roe; Fried local vege; Fish and turnip soup
♥Nov 10th (Sat)♥
We headed back to KL in the early morning flight.
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Because I speak and read Chinese and Daddy doesn’t (he actually speaks passable Chinese but he didn’t want to do any talking), I had to do all the ordering, enquiries, directions asking, navigatitions, ticket purchasing, forms filling etc etc. Tired, you know.
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How are the people in Shanghai?
Besides my colleauges, I think most people are quite rude or maybe they are too busy to be nice.
When we asked for directions, it was never nicely told. They would be pointing impatiently and said, “那边!” “”There!”
When we were blocking someone’s way, instead of saying “Excuse me”, they shouted at us, “EH! EH!”, like it’s your fault for inconveniencing them.
In those lower end restaurants, waitresses were impatient you took time to order or checked out the menu.
You find spit every where. People smoke in restaurants!
Men who are alone get approached by pimps offering them female companion in the busiest street. Daddy was offered that service from a very decently dressed man when I was not by his side for 1min!
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Do you wonder how Zara and Zaria cope?
Zaria was fine, as she’s used to us leaving her at home while we go to the market or bring Zara for her lessons.
Zara on the other hand was another story. The first 2 days, she eagerly waited for my return. When the door bell rang, she rushed to the door and happily announced, “My mummy come back already!”. When we called home, she came to the phone and said “Mummy, you bought me any surprise or not?” or “I miss you mummy. Are you coming home?” and then she’ll be sobbing.
Then on the 3rd day onwards, she used a different technique to fight her feelings. She kept telling Tuyam she didn’t like me any more. She said things like, “Ask mummy don’t come back any more!” “I don’t like mummy.” “If mummy come back, I will put her in naughty corner!”. She refused to come to the phone when we called home. However my maid said occasionally, she would cry sadly for no reason.
Both girls were very happy to see us when we got home.
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What happened to breastfeeding?
I expressed 3 times a day when I was in Shanghai. Morning and night was easy, because I did it in our room. The afternoon session can be a bit of a challenge. I did it in the toilets at the Museums (which is cleaner); did it in a quite corner of a restaurant with jackets drapped over me; did it in smelly toilets in restaurants. The worse was in the Shanghai Airport nursing room. It was labelled a nursing room, but it was also a place where cleaners store their carts with all the detergent and mops. In the 30mins I was there, many cleaners attempted to get into the room, even male cleaners! I had to be really fierce and shouted at them, and then they stopped stepping in and waited outside instead. 😛
I should have brought my nursing cape, which would make expressing easier. 🙁
What did I do with the milk? After this experience, I didn’t want to store and bring them home. I drank them all. Yes! Every bit of them. I expressed, I drank. No wastage! Daddy said I actually had better complexion and I glowed after a few days. Haha. Belief it or not?
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You drank the milk?! wow… Er… how did it taste like?
I offered it to my hubby but he didnt want to try.
BTW, you have been tagged: http://malaika-xiaoyu.blogspot.com/2007/11/tag-whao.html
Your Shanghai trip is almost the same like the one we went for our honeymoon 3 years ago. All the places looked familiar. We went in December, so we experienced snow as well while we were there.
Oh by the way, in China, you can try use HSBC credit cards… hehehe…
Argh???u dare to swallow them? last time i force them down hb’s throat!
thats why i never want to bring the kids to China.
my friend even experienced before, a guy spitting inside the bus!
Totally no “Excuse Me” in China la…they never understand this phrase!
Alamak..the nursing room so terrible..
Emm…maybe i should try to drink my own milk too LOL
wow…u drank ur own milk! that is really no waste!
har? u drank your own milk? please express your feelings towards it and how does it taste like? Full cream milk? or skim milk? hehe… 🙂
LOL! Nanjing and Fuchou looks so happening. I like it! 😛
eh u didn’t go to Nanjing meh?
hahaha,,,reminds me of when I drank my expressed milk too…taste too sweet so I mixed with Anlene milk lor…
Breast milk can make the face glow? I think I read somewhere about this before. Interesting.
If you haven’t tasted breast milk and wonder what it tastes like, it’s creamy sweetish, a bit like a light santan, but there’s this animal scent a bit similar to goat’s milk (which is my scent in this case) which I didn’t quite like, and found it hard to swallow.. but still, I swallowed it none-the-less. Just so it went to the stomach and not down the drain.
I’m actually not sure if it was the cold weather that made me have rosey cheeks or the milk, but Daddy said my complexion has improved, just for the period we were there.
Haha, you actually dared to drink your own milk! My hubby said it tasted horrible to him! Good on you! 🙂
I heard thatr breast milk have a sweetness flavor in it does it mean it’s not true? Why did you pump and drink your own milk? Sorry I’m not a mum yet don’t really understand..
Wahh Your daughter so Keng upset with you ask you not to go home..and tell you that you have to sit on the naughty chair..LOL..so cute..so charm arr cry once in a while…hope that she’s a much happier child now..LOL
wahh…itu bm really works on the face eh keke..
I hope you had a good break! But wow, i wish I would still express it out when I start my travel plans again next year. And you are right about the Shanghainese. They are always so ‘busy’ and curt but oh well, I’ve gotten used to it already.
again, i envy both of you for taking the courage to go on a long trip without the kids! I guess we need to do it the first time to make the coming trips without the kids easier. hehe.
and to u drinking all your bm, respect la! even u said it had the scent which made you didnt like it but u drank it all anyway. i have tasted mine but jst drops of it, not more than that. and no, i wouldn’t finish it like you… a bit geli la. yes, i know they’re good and since its ur baby’s food, why not rite?! but it’s jst the thought of it…geli! hehe… i think u’re the only mom i know so far that has done this. kudos!
hahahaha….i’m laughing at Zara wanna put you in the naughty corner…she is so,so cute…really cute (i’m still laughing).
i tasted my bm before (in situation almost similiar to yours i.e. pump to maintain but don’t feel good enuf in terms of hygiene to keep) and i actually like it….prolly because i don mind goat’s milk 😛
anyway, so sorry to break the news….it’s most likely the weather that give you that complexion. it’s the cold weather that shrink the pores, your skin is less oily and if you stay long enuf, your skin may even turn soft and powdery….it did wonder to your hair too-my case, less fluffy and more manageable. but then, your skin will be much drier and you need stronger mosturizer.
i still can’t get over your little cutie pie, Zara wanting to put in the naugthy corner….the thing she think of lol.
my comments went missing again. testing one more time.
hahahaha….can’t stop laughing at Zara wanna put you in the naughty corner…she is so, so funny and cute.
i tasted my bm b4 (in situation almost similiar to yours, pump to maintain and don feel good enuf to keep in terms of hygiene) and i actually like it. prolly because i don mind goat’s milk 😛
sorry to break the news……most likely the better complexion are due to the cold weather – it shrink your pores and your skin is less oily. if you stay long enuf, your skin may even turn soft and powdery. even my hair looks better during winter. however, your skin is drier and you need stronger mosturizer.
i still can’t get over your cutie pie, Zara wanting to put in the naughty corner…thing she think of -lol.
clap clap!! bravo!! you drank you expressed milk!! I tried once, hard to let the flow go down to throat, then later i try to mix with milo, also a failure. hahaha! It taste odd, but…i think if you put the expressed milk in the cup for me, without letting me know it’s expressed milk, maybe i will take it as if i’m taking fresh milk!! hahaha!
The photos of food looks delicious and yummie….but in term of the culture there, a bit sigh….no comment…
Wow…you drank you own bm?? I still have no courage to do so leh…hee.
I would love to visit Shanghai one day…but right now, i can only look at your lovely pics and drool..haha..
u made me almost wana comment in every para of yr write-up…..good, good, good, i like it!!
– d photo of yr hotel looked bit eerie hor, there was a shadow or sthg???
ZMM : The flash was not on.. that’s why the shutter was left ‘opened’ for a while, and captured the cleaner who just walked passed me. No hantu.. don’t worry. 😛
– on yr last meal….i’m quite surprise…looks like vegetarian meal, such a light meal on d stomach!!! maybe u guys aren’t fussy eater??
ZMM : It’s just the 2 of us, and we don’t take pork. My hubby always wants fish, that’s why it’s 1 fish (meat) than the rest is vege, or beancurd or chicken, even at home.
– looks like u did all d things there instead of yr hub…which was impressive, sound strong to me ehh? did yr hub acknowledges he got a capable honey..hehe?
ZMM : He did say thanks for planning all these. Haha.
– am so dissapointed with shanghai ppl…materialistic ppl !!!
ZMM : Am not sure if materialistic or not, but they are not very polite overall.
– poor poor zara girl….it was so heart-wrenching to hear d stories. not sure if u heard those stories while u were still there….if yes, i would have ended up crying so badly man….! make sure next time bring her along lar!!
ZMM : Hee hee.. I didn’t get affected though, just feel a bit sorry, but then, how often do I do what I did?
– can’t believe yr perseverance with breastfeeding…..so “wai tai” & u drank it…i didn’t know it’s can be so valuable to u coz it’s yuck yuck yuck for me!!
ZMM : I just didn’t want any to go to waste. It’s ‘liquid gold’ you know.
I think if it’s in KL and old folks danced like that, people would think they’re escaped mental patients!
hmmm, sounds like it’s friendlier in Beijing compared to Shanghai. I heard quite a few stories about the latter being quite cosmo and very money-minded as well. a place for holiday yes, but not to live in, I should think!
I wonder how does breast milk taste like……..
So did you give Zara any surprise? 😛
Eh, why never sell yr BM? I heard they make dishes with it leh…
yeah how come got like somthing in front of the hotel wan???????
wah…ur trip quite bz har, have to look, see, buy and scold people somemore.
yala. cina ppl are very rude la. and they duno how to Q up one!!
the è‡è±†è…there è‡ or not?
hahaa…zara is quite ‘ teh’ hor? haaaaa…when i read that *shutup * and *nuts* comments i canot stop laughing!!! haaaaaa!! cheeky girl!
ZMM : not è‡ enough for me. 😛
How did the smelly tofu taste? I’d really like to taste it one day since I always see it on those HKTVB serials!
Don’t get me started on the rudeness and spitting. I hear that the Chinese govt is trying hard to control this esp with Beijing 2008 coming up…wish them luck lor. I dunno what’s the word for Excuse Me so I’ve been using “Jie guo, xie xie…” or “Umm…[loud cough, cough]”
Zara wanted to put you in the naughty chair??? LOL, that girl is a real bunch of tricks!
ZMM : Smelly tofu is really nice.. I like it. I think it smells more horrible than it tastes, the tofu itself is not smelly when eaten, just a little more salty with a little ‘fermented’ taste. Try it.
I think saying ‘sorry’ should be sufficient if no Excuse me.. Jie guo is fine too. 😛 Maybe we should as a Chinese scholar. 😛
You really drank your own milk? I was scared to try that when my wife expressed milk. Never tried it once. Silly huh?
You really have me wanting to go to Shanghai. Though I probably am going to get in trouble. I might shout back at someone if they “EH EH” me.
Glad you made it home safe and sound. And Zara is so funny. She is gonna be mean to her boy friends someday. Put them in the naughty corner if they don’t call her. 😛
china ppl very rude. cut queue like their should. did u experience that?
after so long, you still got milk ah? how good. and drank it somemore. good.
Wah, you drank all the milk.. you get back all the antibodies 😉
I feel funny drinking baby’s milk though, but kow it’s sweet 🙂
Seems like you had a great trip. Brave ah, you left the girls with teh maid only?
How does breastmilk taste? I’m not so bold to try. Poor Zara, she must have been so sad that she made those comments.
Aiyah..!! you should express enough.. and took a bath in it.. 😉
I actually do like my bm. I usually hand express a little to sample everyday just to see if the taste changes with different types of food. MM tried before and he thinks it’s nice, better than cow’s milk!
btw, i suppose you guys are reserving the huangshan trip for another time?
eewwwww…..
Shanghai is a beautiful place to tour. Convenient, not too expensive & compact with a lot of places tour. I worked there for a year and am really miss da place.
Thanks for the pic bring back a lot of memories for me.
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