Looks like I have figured out the back-dating thing...so here's the next Installment
27 March 2010
Greetings all,
Thank you so much for your emails and words of encouragement! They have made my first week "away from home" not feel so "away"!
As you know, I was sick before I left...well, unfortunately, that continued after I got here...not sure if it was a continuation, or "the water", but I was not at my best...I won't go into the gruesome details, but suffice to say both ends were going. I think I'm finally over whatever it was is finally through my system. I've had 2 days of uninterrupted gastro-intestinal bliss! I hope that's the last of my personal health update!!
My week of meetings here in Shanghai has been very good and informative (when I wasn't on the toilet!). Lots of good information and knowledge sharing and support to help pull off the project I'll be leading.
In the evening, we took a taxi to an area of Shanghai called Xin Tian Di. It's a section of Shanghai that is very European with lots of places to eat and just walk the streets. (To take a taxi, the only way to communicate is to have a card with the Chinese characters of your destination written on it...we've only found 1 taxi driver so far that couldn't read!) From the hotel to the airport is about a 1 hour drive...it costs about 200 RMB (about $30.00). It's amazing to me that taxi drivers know where to go in this huge city! The key is always have a written card with your destination written in Chinese characters!
Night before last, I went to the International Pearl market (one of many, I'm sure)...now this is a sight to see! It's a huge market..full of stands of cultured pearls...real cultured pearls...millions of them! Black, pink, gold, white..you name it, it's there! If you don't see a style you want, then, they will re-strand the pearls while you wait! All qualities, price ranges etc...all negotiable! OK, admit it...I bought a simple necklace! Did I pay too much...maybe...but I did negotiate...my tactic was start with 1/2 price and see where that goes! We didn't end up too far from there, so I felt I got a good deal! Since many of the people on this list are females...I'll attach a picture (me taking a picture of myself is an exercise in trial and error..mostly error!) ...it's not quite like showing stuff off in person, but close!
My simple necklace...2 golden south sea looking pearls hanging on a gold rope...not to be confused with what some people put on the hitch of their country-boy pickup-trucks...although I have to admit, it does look like it...I assure you it doesn't feel like it!
Today, (Saturday), I went for a little exploring solo in Shanghai. I went to the Yu Garden. An old garden in the middle of the old city. I'm sure I would have learned a lot more if I took a guided tour, but I just wondered around looking and enjoying the simplicity of the garden. I saw shrubs similar to what we have in SC (camellias, loripedelum, acuba, azaleas etc). It was a beautiful old walled garden, well maintained and filled full of classic Chinese architecture (or at least what comes to my mind when I think old China...curled up roofs, ornate dragons etc). Outside the garden area was tourist central... a zillion people, all walking up and down the streets, hawking everything from "Rolex's" to designer bags to chop-sticks and everything in between...I didn't get any souvenirs, but what a caucophonie of sounds..horns, hawkers every language you can think of...in a city of 19 million people. Not sure this is a place to come if you are claustrophobic, but if you are game for adventure, come on over!
A view of the inside of Yu Garden in Shanghai, a trimmed boxwood. Note the 2 dragons on the top of the wall around the garden and the little warriors on the curled-up roof. I got from one of the guided tours I eaves-dropped on that the dragons are there to protect the garden. I'm not sure what the warriors are doing...I just thought they were cute!
Tomorrow, I go to Shenyang, where Rod will join me on the 4th of April. I'll be staying in the Intercontinental Hotel until we move into an apartment (which I've been told, plan on a month while the visas and residence permits are secured). I'll send another update from Shenyang, with my first impressions.
Sarah in the Yu Garden (note the Camellias blooming on the left) Taken by someone who spoke English!
So that about does it for this update.
Until next time,
Keep us in your prayers!
Sarah
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