If Japan was more western than I was expecting, then China was spot-on exotic. I caught a mid-morning weekend flight out of Tokyo to Pu Dong. My trip took the most direct route across the China Sea, and in doing so, took us directly over Fuji-san. The view was more spectacular from the ground, but still very impressive from the air.
The weather on arrival was very gray with light rain. Not a pleasant way to be introduced to a new country. The dilapidated houses on the approach to the airport only added to the bleak first impression. Pu Dong International Airport is a modern gleaming structure out in the middle of nowhere. Even the Chinese have figured out that cheap land is outside of the cities.
Contrary to popular belief, getting in to China was completed in less than 5 minutes. My company's Shanghai office had a car and driver waiting once customs and immigration were cleared. A 30-minute car ride seemed to go through deserted countryside with the view broken up by two to three story dwellings. It wasn't until we were 5 km away from the city that the gleaming towers of China's modern age came into view.
Pu Dong is the new development zone in Shanghai. It was only opened for investment 15 years ago and prior to that it was nothing more than farmland. If you're like me and have problems paying huge money for a house that stands in a new subdivision that was farmland only 2 years ago in the states, this struck me as the same thing, only on a much larger scale. The skyline is highlighted by the 88 story Grand Hyatt hotel and the 468-meter Asian Pearl TV tower. This is where the local government has tried to attract foreign investment and the bankers and insurance companies have already moved in. I was struck that with the huge modern skyscrapers with an eastern flavor (lots of gold colors and circular shapes) and the broad avenue that there weren't any people around. The place looked deserted. This was supposed to be the town of more than 13 million inhabitants? Where were they?
Across the Huangpu River lies the older portion of Shanghai, known to the locals as Pushi. Once I crossed the river through the tunnel, I found where everyone was hiding. The place was a sea of people moving in all directions. I actually saw a man have to arch his back to avoid having his head removed by the mirror of a passing bus, but it didn't slow him down from crossing the street mid-block. This part of town was an interesting mix of western and traditional Chinese buildings. While Shanghai (Shang meaning above and Hai meaning sea) is fairly young by Chinese standards, it has had plenty of western activity by both the British and Americans over the years. The west has left behind its flavor in an area known as the Bund along the river. The buildings here look like they could have been lifted out of any picture of London. Now they are banks for the most part.
After this visit, I understand why American Chinese food tastes the way it tastes in America. The food in China is fresh. Very fresh. Still moving when they bring it to the table before they cook it fresh. Doesn't matter if its river fish, shrimp, crab, jellyfish, or snake. Wait a minute, did he say snake? Yep. Our little friend has the look of sheer terror in his eyes as you say, "yes, that one will do." After this trip, I can say that chicken tastes just like king snake. Only snake is not as fat as some cuts of chicken. There wasn't enough Tsingtao (pronounced Ching-tao) beer in all of China to give me the courage to drink the fresh blood or stab the bladder with a toothpick and drink the urine for my virility. If I have that problem later in life, I think I'll stick to those little blue pills that taste like almonds...
When you have a 5000 or more year history and more than a billion people, you have the opportunity to find out what you can eat and what you can't. The motto of most cooks is that if it moves or grows, its fair game. Don't be shocked to see feet or heads served as well. The Shanghai style of cooking is very light and slightly sweet. Dim Sum (Chinese dumplings) is popular here. Karen (my better half, hopefully to be made a legally binding better half later this year, so long as I continue to stay out of trouble) has been invited to come with me on my next trip. Some how, I see a lot of visits to McDonald's on that trip.
The beer is okay and available in most parts of the US, so it's not that exotic. The local white liquor is exotic, and thank god it works on getting you drunk, because it can't be classified as the most refreshing beverage. I did manage to have snake wine, which was poured into my glass from a mason jar containing about a dozen little guys that didn't end up as a meat substitute at the local diner. Not bad, but I think I'd have a tough time getting it through customs back in the states. Especially when I have to explain, "yes sir, I know that the ones in this jar are the same in your book in the chapter labeled as poisonous. But it still tastes good. Here try some."
I spent two weeks in the city and can say if there was a Ferrari hidden among the crowd, I certainly didn't see it. Discussions with the locals indicated that there might have been one or two of them somewhere; none were to be found. Most of the cars here are either a VW Santana (the car, not the guitar player) or a local made Buick. The top car seemed to be the W140 body Mercedes S-class, but I did catch a glimpse of a couple of W220's (i.e. the new ones). Most of the cars here are either taxis or company vehicles. Private ownership is few. Any one can buy a car here, but the government has an open auction for the registration. Some people have paid up to $15,000 for plates. Until China had joined the WTO, import duties of up to 30% made foreign cars far out of reach to all but the wealthiest consumers. Now, they cost the equivalent of American prices. But remember, the average factory worker makes around $100 dollars a month, so luxury goods have a new level of meaning here. The newspaper also spoke daily of the police cracking down on counterfeit goods because of the WTO, but with enough digging, they were still to be found in several areas. Not that I went looking, of course.
There are only around 900,000 cars in Shanghai, but still, bumper-to-bumper traffic sucks everywhere. The taxi drivers are suicidal. Average cost of a cab ride is about $1.50, but you can get quite a thrill for the low entry fee. Traffic signals are at best optional, and at worst, disregarded. The red lights will flash the green light, then switch yellow, and then turn red, which means you never see a stale green light. However, a red light will also flash the yellow before it turns green. So with one guy gunning it to get through the intersection on a red and the next one revving to 3000 rpm to sidestep the clutch on the yellow/green, I understand fully why I saw about 15 accidents during the week.
If you come to Shanghai either on business or vacation, there are some places that you need to see. The Yuyaun (just Yu for short) garden in the middle of the old city is a nice place to relax, as is the Mid-lake Pavilion Teahouse (just outside the garden). Also in the same area is the Luboland restaurant. Order the 12-variety Dim Sum platter (about $8). It's the best anywhere, and very famous in Shanghai (if you can stand not eating western food for the trip). The hall of central planning is neat to see what they have in store for the city (remember the politics here, as long as they have money, it will be built). The Shanghai Museum also provides an interesting afternoon to look at everything from 5000-year-old jade sculpture to ornaments made out of Tibetan monk's skulls (don't ask, just go see it). If you get the chance and want to be the only westerner for miles, don't miss the ancient town of Zhujiajiao on the far western side of the city. The town is still a living, breathing town that has an archeological record dating back 5000 years. Some of the attractions include 36 ancient bridges, a beautiful walled garden and house from the Qing dynasty, a fully maintained house from the Ming dynasty and a chance to see the real China. Beware, if you drink too much tea at lunch, you may not find a pot to piss in here...
Even though it was two weeks, it seemed like there was still too much to see and even more to write about, but I don't have the time and this isn't the place. Although I can't wait to go back, my stomach is still reminding me that it wants and needs a break. The next stop on my tour was a 12 + 1 hour flight to northern Germany. Nienburg is next.
