13 June 2010: Shanghai expo, Pearl shopping and the Bund

13 June 2010 China Update

Greetings all,

This has been an cram-packed week.  I had 1 day in Shenyang at work, then I had to go to Shanghai for a series of meetings.  Rod went to Shanghai with me and we took the opportunity to see some sights! 

As you may recall from one of my first entries in the blog, I found a pearl market in Shanghai...so of course I had to go back (and this time take Rod!)  Here are a few pictures of pearls at the market!

 The lady at the market, stringing pearls.

 Rod walked me to the Michelin offices (the tall buildings in the background) and we took photos beside the hotel in Shanghai.  Shanghai weather seems to be alot like Columbia, SC...hot.  In addition, it rains alot!

 As you probably know, 2010 is the year of the world Expo and this year it is being held in Shanghai, China.  The expo is an event that lasts for about 6 months and gives each country a chance to showcase themselves.  This year, the theme for the expo is "Better City, Better life" and is all about sustainable development and living green.  Michelin is a major corporate sponsor of the French pavilion and plays a part in the overall pavilion experience.  I was able to attend the expo and I can tell you, it was huge!  They have been experiencing over half a million visitors per day...over 2.5 square miles is the area of this expo.  The lines were long..(thankfully, since Michelin was a sponsor of the pavilion, we got a VIP entry to the French and Monoco pavilions).  Rod chose not to go to the expo..too many people...and too many long lines!

 Just entering the China Expo with some Michelin colleagues

 Sarah and Mr. Bib

 The French Pavillion at the Shanghai Expo.   The vertical green garden is a reference to the classic french gardens, but instead of taking up a lot of space, it is all vertical!

The Great Britain pavillion at the expo

 I didn't take a photo the USA pavillion...it wasn't very pretty to me...looked like a huge oil storage tank! (This was at the same time as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico too...)

The biggest attraction at the expo was the Chinese pavilion...1 huge building where each province of the country had a mini pavilion inside this big building. 

The Chinese pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai expo

The Tibet area inside the Chinese Pavilion

The Inner Mongolia area inside the Chinese Pavillion

After the expo, I came back to the hotel and rested my weary feet!  The next day, Rod and I went to downtown Shanghai to an area called "the Bund".  It's a nice riverside walkway with a lot of skyscrapers on the opposite side of the river and one of the iconic landmarks of Shanghai, the Pearl TV tower. Interesting during the day, but spectacular at night!

 Rod on "The Bund" with the giant pearl behind him

We came back to Shenyang this morning and I'm glad to be back home!  On the taxi ride to the airport, I saw something I'm not sure I'll ever see again...unfortunately I couldn't get my camera out in time to get proof...we saw a moped on the interstate highway with 3 slaughtered, skinned hogs strapped to the back...the driver cruising down the highway just as normal as possible..no plastic, no covering...just naked, skinned hogs on a moped going to some "open air" market...I think it will be awhile before I can top that!

 I've got a busy week this week, then next Monday, I'll fly back out to France and I'll be there for a month preparing for some important meetings on the project I'm leading here in China.  Rod will join me mid July, and we'll take a few days of vacation.  I'll write another update next weekend, then I'm not sure when the next one will be..haven't decided yet if I'm going to take my personal computer with me or not.  

Hope you all are having a great summer!  Keep those emails coming!!

Sarah

27 March 2010: Gardens and Pearls in Shanghai

 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