D - Rolex, anyone?

No, we haven't gotten into the fake rolex business I promise. But if you're looking for a good fake, I can tell you where to go. Stop by any one of Shanghai's classy tourist traps, and you'll be offered watches faster than you can say 不要 (that's Chinese for "go fly a kite" [which itself is my-mother-speak]). C, who has a better nature than most people I've met, is never one to be rude to anyone, even aggressive and annoying hawkers. Nonetheless, after awhile, even she put on the blinders and started pushing more quickly past the Shanghai entrepreneurs. I will say this for the salesmen - they use a colorful, laminated poster with pictures, as opposed to a guy in New York who would probably just open his jacket and have them hanging. Yes, inkjet technology has revolutionized the illegal goods market on the Shanghai streets. So if you're in Shanghai and you're heading for Nanjing Lu or the YuYuan Gardens, gird up to deal with China's tribute to street capitalism.

But I digress - Shanghai wasn't all bad. For one thing you can more styles of Western food there than anywhere else in China. C and I, knowing we were returning to Dalian where our only Western cuisine respites are KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut (is that an unholy trinity or what) decided to take advantage of the food diversity. One evening we dined on spanish tapas at a lovely place called Azul Tapas. For lunch one day we had Japanese. Another night we hit TGI Friday's. And on the third night, and this feels like a confession even writing this - we went to Hooters. Yes, you read that correctly. Hooters is now in China. Upon discovering this fact during our initial day in the city during a walk in the Pudong district, I remarked to C that they might have trouble finding qualified applicants. After seeing the restaurant from afar initially, we resolved that we would not go there. The truth is, I'd never been to a Hooters restaurant in the US, let alone China, and I wanted to keep the streak alive. Our steadfastness was shaken by a craving for chicken wings (which Hooters is somewhat known for), and a lovely ad we saw in a taxi. In case you didn't spot it on our photo album, I am pasting it below:

The decision to go to Hooters was a joint one, I must add, a unified husband and wife choice. Perhaps you think I jest, but maybe you're not aware my wife is from the home of chicken wings (Buffalo, NY). How could she resist?

To be honest, Hooters was actually quite good. My chicken sandwich was excellent, the wings were good, and C's caesar salad was also quite tasty. The conversation with the waitress was also a highlight. They all spoke good english, and our server related how some American men explained the double entendre nature of the "Hooters" name. Apparently prior to his revelation, the Chinese girls working there thought the name was merely an innocent reference to a cute and friendly owl. They were a little taken aback but they didn't stage a walk out or anything. I guess the biggest culture clash for them was when some other Chinese came into the restaurant and asked them why they were wearing tight fitting tank tops and short shorts during the dead of winter.

Anyway, you haven't learned much about our trip to Shanghai in this post. That's okay, I'm getting to it. The truth is it's hard to summarize museums, exhibitions, and architecture which is what we primarily experienced. I would say our primary activity was walking around the city. Compared to most Chinese cities, there are a lot of interesting buildings left over from the European heyday, so it's enjoyable to take a stroll and enjoy the variety. There's even a hip section of town (Hengshan Lu) where trendy looking bistros, bars, and cafes coexist on tree lined streets.

In terms of cultural experience, we visited the Shanghai Museum which is filled with cultural artifacts from China's incredibly long history. That's interesting but 5 floors of old bronze pots and sculptures of Buddha eventually wears out its welcome. We also stopped in the Shanghai urban planning exhibition, which details Shanghai's transformation from backwater to modern metropolis. The exhibition was a self-congratulatory brouhaha essentially praising the wisdom of the government in how it has planned the city. There was however one redeeming feature of the exhibition: a full scale model of the entire city that filled a gigantic room. See our photo album towards the end for some examples. I wouldn't want to be the guy that tripped while they were putting the last tiny wooden skyscraper in the place. Finally, we also went to the Shanghai City Temple. We were there during the Spring Festival, and it seemed like everyone was in a traditional mood. People were burning incense to the ancestors, and they also would go up to the innumerable idols, er, statues in the temple, press their hands together as if to pray, and bow their heads for a moment. Coming from Christianity, it's strange sight. People here are so areligious as a whole, but once a year they certainly put on a performance to get the blessings of those who have gone before.

One final note on Shanghai before I sign off. If you're going to visit and you don't know anyone locally that can guide you to cheaper pastures, make sure your bring your wallet. The city is very expensive, more so than New York in many cases. The cultural attractions and so on are priced at a standard Chinese rate, but the restaurants and cafes are quite pricey!