Lucky and Unlucky in Shanghai

Saturday, April 06, 2013
Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Lucky...
We get to go to China .
Unlucky (or stupid - not decided yet)...
Left folder containing itinerary, booking info for hostels and travellers cheques WITH copy of their serial numbers most likely at Melbourne airport (still not sure).
Lucky...
Got a smartphone with 20%25 battery on arrival to Shanghai that can access email of booking confirmation for hostel and directions in Chinese to show taxi driver. Also have a little cash to exchange into ¥.
Unlucky...
Since our flight was delayed by 90mins, hostel considered us a no-show and gave our room away.
Lucky...
They had one room left.
Unlucky...
It was a twin share so I had to share a single bed with Aadi (my 8 month old daughter). Dreams of a restorative sleep after 13 hrs transit, dashed.
Lucky...
We have the Australian consulate to help us after HOURS of trying to contact Amex from our hostel but the numbers appeared to be disconnected. The hostel staff even gave us their mobile phones to try when I explained how much money the cheques represented. The Australian consulate helped us call Amex and Darren's brother for a copy of the cheque's serial numbers. And we can go back there Monday to organise replacement cheques (the process takes one business day so because we called on Friday, we have to make do til Monday).
Unlucky...
I've come down with tonsillitis or something so I'm bedridden.
Lucky...
Darren's ok and can take Aadi with him to book train tickets. He managed to get 2 of the last 3 seats on the train to our next destination . We couldn't book any more because we ran out of cash and the only chick in the hostel that books trains went off shift. Now that we have cash we're waiting for train-booking-chickie to come back on shift. Anticipating having to make some creative travel arrangements to get to our destinations on the dates we have booked accommodation for.

Otherwise, we took an inexplicably kitsch ride through a tunnel under the river to Pudong - a section of city the size of Melbourne that sprung up in just 10 years. It's home to the 2nd tallest building in the world which shoots you to the 100th floor, nearly half a kilometre in the air at 10 metres per second. The view is limited by pollution but its still incredible. The building in progress next door is planned to be taller.
We've sussed out some street food (my favourite so far is a steamed dim sim type thing with a savoury sticky rice filling and a salted sticky rice hash brown - carbohydrate heaven. The supermarkets are everything I hoped they'd be - plum flavoured watermelon seeds, cucumber flavoured chips, 'thick' flavoured instant noodles and shrink wrapped, ready to eat chicken feet.
The people here have been very friendly and helpful and while I don't want to put it all down to travelling with a baby, it has certainly helped. We feel famous in Shanghai - heads turn to look at mum carrying bub. I hear the same exclamations from men and women as we walk down the street. If we stop, an older woman comes to fuss over Aadi, pulling her shirt up to cover her neck and pulling the legs of her pants down to make sure her legs are covered. Making faces and wiggling her fingers in the air in hope she'll get a smile. Men seem equally enamoured but refrain from fussing. Interestingly, I have noticed that men, young and old seem quite taken with Aadi but the young women don't seem that interested. Apart from a couple of Chinese ladies on the plane that wouldnt hand Aadi back after she'd clearly had enough, no one has insisted they hold her. But one woman did chase us down the street to ask us how much we'd sell our baby for.
Speaking of dollars. We went to the Bank of China on the Bund yesterday to change some cash - a huge bank with marble floors that looks like the State Library of Victoria. While Darren chatted with a curious local, I watched the teller count my money a comical number of times. She was counting out ¥1243.30; 10 x 100 once by hand, twice by machine, 4 x 50 once by hand, twice by machine... "Excuse me? I'm sorry, can I have smaller notes? Maybe another 200 in smaller notes?"...
8 x 100, once by hand, twice by machine; 4 x 50 once by hand twice by machine, 10 x 20 twice by hand because she was interrupted the first time then twice by machine, 4 x 10 twice by hand and a few coins. And then she did it all again! Now 10 minutes had passed. Just as I was certain she was going to push it under the window toward me she picked it all up again to count it twice more by hand. Surely that wasn't necessary.
So hopefully I'll be well again soon to resume my holiday and have more exciting tales to tell. It certainly sux to be in bed with so much on offer outside.

Photos & Videos

Comments

Curly M
2013-04-07

What a start. It's gotta get better from here.

Curly M
2013-04-08

Babus said to tell you, you are the granddaughter of a journalist! She loves your writing.

JonnyB
2013-04-11

---That made my week!--- Your best yet

2025-02-11

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