China Day Three
I am now onto day three in Shanghai. Yesterday I spent the day at the school observing classes to see how things are run. it was also the first day that I saw any other white people and actually had a conversation. I forgot how much it means to talk to people in your own language.
After school I crashed for a few hours. Still feeling the effects of the jet lag, it was a welcome sleep. However, since it was only 8 pm, I decided that I needed to wake up at 9 and head out to get rid of this time / brain paradox once and for all. Too all of the people who said that the jet lag wouldn't be that bad because of the direction I was traveling... I am almost exactly on the other side of the planet, why does the direction of travel matter?
After waking up, I was feeling hungry, the first time since arriving that I had. Jet lag does funny things to your stomach. What do I find but some glorious smelling street meat.
On the vendors cart, I spied all sorts of interesting kebabs on sticks. The only one that I could determine the origin of the meat was squid. ¥4 latter, I have a belly full of some nice rubbery BBQ squid.
I head back to the hotel, crash and actually sleep until 7 am.
Today, with a day off, I wander Shanghai for hours. Upon my departure I grab a snapshot of the street signs near my hotel in the event that I get hopelessly lost. I figure that is the easiest way to show a cabbie where I want to go.
This next big is mostly for Danielle and Brian. However, to all my faithful readers, read on!
Shanghai is FULL of markets. Small little street side stalls, one room buildings, carts and sidewalk vendors. They are everywhere. They are placed by the thousands on every block.
Walking back to my hotel, I decide to head down Anxi Road. A small side street about as wide as a car. About half way down one block, I see many people coming out of what I assumed was a back alley. After a little investigation, I realized that it was a fresh food market.
I enter and am immediately greeted by millions of eyes, all looking at me with the same expression.
"Where does this white guy think he is?"
I continue on, my iPod blasting out some Cold War Kids. This market was amazing. Hundreds of stalls. Set up with fresh vegetables in the center and meat on the outer walls. I saw duck, chicken, pork, beef, all the regular meats from a deli. Then I ventured deeper into the abyss. On the back wall was what I had come to see. The foods that you can't get back home. Even with all the searching and specialty shops on Broadway. Eel, snake, mussels, clams of all sizes, mollusks, fish ranging from minnows to 100 pound mammoths.
My only hope is that once I make my way to Hangzhou I can find a place with half as many interesting treats as I have in Shanghai.
After school I crashed for a few hours. Still feeling the effects of the jet lag, it was a welcome sleep. However, since it was only 8 pm, I decided that I needed to wake up at 9 and head out to get rid of this time / brain paradox once and for all. Too all of the people who said that the jet lag wouldn't be that bad because of the direction I was traveling... I am almost exactly on the other side of the planet, why does the direction of travel matter?
After waking up, I was feeling hungry, the first time since arriving that I had. Jet lag does funny things to your stomach. What do I find but some glorious smelling street meat.
On the vendors cart, I spied all sorts of interesting kebabs on sticks. The only one that I could determine the origin of the meat was squid. ¥4 latter, I have a belly full of some nice rubbery BBQ squid.
I head back to the hotel, crash and actually sleep until 7 am.
Today, with a day off, I wander Shanghai for hours. Upon my departure I grab a snapshot of the street signs near my hotel in the event that I get hopelessly lost. I figure that is the easiest way to show a cabbie where I want to go.
This next big is mostly for Danielle and Brian. However, to all my faithful readers, read on!
Shanghai is FULL of markets. Small little street side stalls, one room buildings, carts and sidewalk vendors. They are everywhere. They are placed by the thousands on every block.
Walking back to my hotel, I decide to head down Anxi Road. A small side street about as wide as a car. About half way down one block, I see many people coming out of what I assumed was a back alley. After a little investigation, I realized that it was a fresh food market.
I enter and am immediately greeted by millions of eyes, all looking at me with the same expression.
"Where does this white guy think he is?"
I continue on, my iPod blasting out some Cold War Kids. This market was amazing. Hundreds of stalls. Set up with fresh vegetables in the center and meat on the outer walls. I saw duck, chicken, pork, beef, all the regular meats from a deli. Then I ventured deeper into the abyss. On the back wall was what I had come to see. The foods that you can't get back home. Even with all the searching and specialty shops on Broadway. Eel, snake, mussels, clams of all sizes, mollusks, fish ranging from minnows to 100 pound mammoths.
My only hope is that once I make my way to Hangzhou I can find a place with half as many interesting treats as I have in Shanghai.
posted by Blue4130 at
3/12/2008 12:08:00 AM
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