Our first stop was the China Pearl Tower, which is the big TV tower here in Shanghai. I think our guide said it's the second tallest in the world, after CN Tower in Toronto.
How would you like to be in charge of cleaning this tower? Look closely to the left.
A close up of the hosing-off process - not a job for me.
Sadly, our first day here was very cloudy. This is the tail end of the monsoon season, which means that it drizzles a lot and occasionally downpours. Either way, there's been a lot of cloudy days.
More clouds from the Pearl. Theoretically this is a photo of the Bund area, where all the high-end hotels and much of the financial district is. Also the high-end shopping street (a little like Park Ave in NY).
They have a glass floor in the viewing area! It was surprisingly difficult to walk on -- I kept losing my balance.
My favorite monument so far -- the Monument to the People's Heroes. It's basically a war memorial for all of Shanghai and all the unrest dating back to the first Opium War. There's just something about the design that appeals to me. Also, if you look closely, you can see that the color of the water in the tributary river (vertical in this photo) is different than for the Huangpu river (horizontal in this photo). The guide thought that the tributary was probably the dirtier of the two.
To the Shanghai History Museum! This is a sedan chair that would be used for a wealthy family's weddings. Basically, they use it to deliver the bride to the husband's family.
This is an early example of the treacherous traffic in Shanghai. The wife sits on one side of the wheel to balance the goods that are sitting on the other side.
Me outside the China Pearl. We all wore t-shirts with the school logo. It was helpful for staying together.
Group photo!
I am having a good time.
Me across the river from the Bund. The buidling behind me is called the pineapple.
A fruit and vegetable market.
Chinese dragons are everywhere. This photo was taken at a place where I don't remember what it's called. But, it was an "old" town, now replaced with a lot of shops. We arrived too late to see the good stuff (I don't even remember what it was -- a garden? -- which closed at 4:30). The Shanghainese don't open until 8am, and close at 4:30pm.
An example of the old-style architecture. The guide said that if done correctly, this thing would have no nails holding it together! I'm not sure if that's true. Because most old Chinese buildings were built from wood, very little is actually remaining -- most of what we see is restoration.
Me. I'm starting to have enough of this.
This is the waterway that ran through the old village. There are people everywhere. This was a tourist area, and thus appropriately packed. Interestingly, there are very few non-asians who are touring.
Some of my fellow profs. To my right is Kevin, who is a philosophy professor who will eat almost anything. It's nice to have an adventurous companion. I won't try everything he orders, but almost!
Another group photo - this one not as good. Note that all but one of the Chinese profs but one opted out of the tour, as they've already seen it.
Meet and greet in a classroom. They are air conditioned, but on the 6th floor of a building with no elevator. Also no internet in the classroom.
Lunch after our orientation. The photographer caught me in one of my relatively few chop stick fails.
Three of us went to the Bund on Tuesday night (July 2). We ate in a high-end restaurant with a view of Pudong (where the China Pearl is) and the exhorbitant cost of $25/person. This is me with my "Shanghainese" braised tofu and clams. I actually don't think this is braised tofu and clams, nor do I think it is traditional Shanghai food. I think it was for tourists. It was tasty, though.
After dinner, we walked further down the main drag to a bar on the 23rd floor overlooking Pudong. "Horizen" for those who care.
Thursday night (July 4) we went to dinner in Pudong with one of the profs who is from Shanghai. It was quite tasty. Kevin talked me into getting Abalone with him. It was surprisingly good, if a bit rubbery. It turns out that in Shanghai (all of China?) the good restaurants are in shopping malls. The basement floor is low-end food court (but better than our food courts) and the top floors have really nice places. Odd. Anyhow, after dinner we walked down to see the Bund at night.
The river is full of cruise boats that are decorated quite outlandishly. This one reminded me of the Pirates of the Carribean.
This is a display of rice at the local grocery -- Carrefour. They are having a 50th anniversary sale, so this is even a bit out of control for China.
The streets here are surprisingly clean for a city with so many residents. This is accomplished with an army of street sweepers who literally sweep the street with brooms and dustpans.
My new favorite snack -- A snow something. It's a rice cracker with soy flavor and a light sugar frosting.
Fast food in China. This soup costs less than $1.50. Those brown floaties are like brine shrimp - it turns out they are pretty tasty, when prepared correctly :)
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