China part 2: Shanghai

Continuing back to that post from ages ago.............. from Beijing we took a flight to Shanghai. The last time I was in Shanghai we attended the 2010 World Expo. I thought the Expo itself was pretty neat; each country has its own specially designed pavilion showcasing its food, culture, style, and/or randomness.

For example, the Spain pavilion had a giant animatronic baby.

Don't remember which country this was, but yeah, some of the pavilions looked dope.

....some not so much. My cousin will still show the love, however.

Colors + Lights = Walking around the Expo at night is purdy.

If you ever get the chance to check out a World Expo I'd recommend it. But here's the catch. It might be a wee bit crowded. Some pavilions had 3+ hour waits in line and some needed a reservation ticket to then wait in the actual line. It's like a newly opened Krispy Kreme or Din Tai Fung. People gettin' cray cray up in that biz. That coupled with it being in China that year... oh boy. From what I remember, there are people cutting in line, no personal space, a lot of skin-to-skin contact I did not sign up for, a lot of smoking, spitting, and cramming subways. If you stood waiting in line at a stop, you might not get on if you didn't power your way through. Or, if you stood at the front, you might just get shoved in without trying. And Shanghai is considered a step above the rest of the country. It's simply a culture clash. Manners and behaviors they/we conflict upon. Definitely different in Taiwan (and US, obvees). In Taiwan, riders wait patiently at the Metro stops for people to actually exit the train first before stepping in. And they honor the idea of a queue.

Anyway, so there's that part of China/Shanghai that I remember, but I do also remember it being a city with plenty to see. Plus, if there's a chance to travel somewhere, I'm doing it.

So, hello again, Shanghai! 我回來了!

 I did check out new areas this trip like 田子坊. It's a touristy chunk of area that is littered with Western bars/restaurants, souvenir shops - about 40% of them Chinesey scarf shops, and foreigners.

 Got dat squid doe.

It was aiiiiites, definitely doesn't compare to the giant grilled whole squid you can get in Taiwan :)

At this neat boutique store, you write a postcard/letter to someone and the store posts it on their walls. The interior had a lot of character, but they didn't allow picture-taking. This was outside. Where they also didn't allow picture-taking.

Up and down the alleys you can find Instagrammable photos

My buddy then took me to a Hong Kong-style restaurant called 翠華. The chef is from Hong Kong and this restaurant has a few branches open in various cities.

The milk tea was creamy, not too sweet, and best of all, came in its own ice bath. Perhaps bars should entertain that idea for beers...?! GENIUS?! Yes! Oh, there's Malaysian curry, fishball soup, and fried pork sandwich. 

After eating, we ate more. I mean... gotsta have 上海生煎包 in 上海. They're soup-filled pan fried dumplings with a meat filling (we had the shrimp and beef). Compared to 小籠包 (xiao long bao/XLB), they're larger and have thicker skin; i.e. they can take more criticism. Womp womp. Side note: I'll eat meat when I'm vacationing because I feel like it's part of experiencing another region's culture to eat their foods. And real talk, it was juicylicious.

The original store (now closed) had lines of people for these bad boys. This is in the food court of a mall adjacent to 田子坊。

Here's another dish that was completely new to me: sweet potato glazed in simple syrup that crusts up after a little dip in water. If memory hasn't failed, it's a dish from the 東北 (Dongbei) region of China.

I've always wondered why (in LA, at least) bars don't serve peanuts and pretzels like they used to. I personally think it's good business strategy to dry out a customer with bar snacks and force by sheer thirst to order more beer. Point is, I got nuts. Then, more beer.

For the few days I was there I did a lot of walking, figuring I should get some sort of workout in. Moreover, walking around gave me a general sense of the city, the local shops, the people, random finds. To me, creating footprints is the best way to explore a new area, even if it is an area that means higher risk of injury. Because here, cars > people.

Wilfred here just ate a big bowl of...

Building on the left is the Shanghai Museum containing galleries of calligraphy, seals, paintings, ceramics, and some others. It's worth checkin' out if you're in the area. 'Cause it's free. Cha ching!

Many tall skyscrapers in Shanghai reminded me of how Chicago made me feel so small

Coworker introduced me to this brown-sugar-ume-ish-filling candy, so I had to nab some when it resurfaced in my life. Behind it you'll find Nanjing Road, another touristy destination.

This is a queue for 月餅, moon cake, but it's not like the mid-autumn moon cakes one might initially think. These moon cakes are more similar to the dumplings from above, but with a flaky, pastry dough and meat inside.

Saw a lot of dried meat markets, I guess they good at jerkin' 

Happened upon 台灣 (Taiwan) road so I had to check it out

Turned out to be alleys with a farmer's market vibe that had seafood... 

grains...

...some dude wokin' it out

...a deluxe apartment.

And then I did more walking. Like these folks recreating Abbey Road.

Felt like I should get little soup dumplings in Shanghai. In retrospect, we have Din Tai Fung everywhere in Taiwan.

Sucker for dragonfruit sago

Appreciative of the new friends I made, I was able to enjoy a Shanghainese nightlife. Hopped over to 新天地 (Xintiandi) to check out a club a friend works at and had a dinner night there as well. Walking around at night at the Bund is a comfortable stroll accompanied with spectacular views; a MUST if you are visiting. I feel like I'm pretty good with exploring things out on my own, but nightlife is a little harder for me. Definitely enjoy it more with people, so 10Q! 

Alley in Xintiandi

CA Club. I wish it stood for California. It was Christian Audigier. Yuck.

On the last day I was in Shanghai, I stayed on the other side of the Bund, in Pudong. I had some extra time in the morning, I quite fancy observation decks, so I came to this guy.

The Pearl Tower. Full of tourists, mainly Chinese.

Got a picture of the Bund and the Pearl, whilst being inside the Pearl.

I dug this observation deck 'cause they have a section that is what I like to call float-view! Chicago's is cool, but it's just a little box. This one has a full circle.

Don't know how else to put it, but I felt blessed. Everyone close to me always treats me so well (not really sure why!). I'm always being taken care of, given life experiences most people don't have the opportunity of having. And the whole thing seemed so serendipitous. Originally, I was going to be in Shanghai just one night until my cousin came up with the idea that I should stay in Shanghai until they return, and we'd head back to Taipei together. With an extra 4 days, it was kind of a perfect Shanghai trip trying some foods, seeing some landmarks, walking around, and playing with new friends. I felt emotions I hadn't felt in awhile. I ate meat. I missed my LA friends. I missed Taiwan. I was happy. I was 舒服. I am thankful. I don't know how to repay you, but I hope I can in the future. Again, 3Q friends for making my Shanghai trip spectacular!