Drinking From The Ganges

After spending three-plus weeks in China:  visiting Beijing to see The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, The Great Wall (and much more); Shanghai for the city & food; Xi’ An for the Terracotta Soldiers; Chengdu (in the Sichuan Province) for the Pandas; Leshan for the tallest Buddha in the world (among other beautiful sites in Leshan).  I was at a point in my travels where my feelings for China were mixed. 

There could be various reasons and instances that may have lead to this. Maybe it was the way the Chinese come off so abrupt at times.  Granted the Chinese language have many tones, which sound quite strong.  I could be sitting with my back away from two Chinese people and only hear them speaking and to me it would sound like they were having an argument.  But, when I turn around they are actually just having a casual conversation (whatever that might be- I cannot ‘decode’ Chinese)!  It could also be how they are so’fixaded’ on money!  “Pay Now, Pay Now” was the motto in most restaurants, hostels, shops and ticket booths.  Or, it could be, there lack of respect they have for individual space or queue’s (compared to my Western-’norms’).  For example; I was queued up for a ticket at a train station (mind you the ticket queue was only for foreigners) in an orderly manner, when several Chinese men, bypassed the queue and pushed their way to the front of the line and started hollering in the hole in the window of the ticket booth.  This did not just happen on one occasion, but many times throughout the course of my travels in China…..they always interrupted a line by going straight to the front, regardless if there are people patiently waiting ahead of them.  It could also be their need to erase/bulldoze their ancient artifacts, rather than preserve them to their natural state, they just assume build over them based on what ‘tourist’ might like.  Maybe the Chinese tourist enjoy looking at the ‘new and improved’ version of the old (which, I think they do, because they travel by the bus loads to see them).  However, for a ‘westerner,’ like myself, i don’t want to see a new rendition of the old!  Oh and smiles….smiles are hard to come by in China.  I can count on both hands the amount of smiles I actually saw in China within the first three weeks of visiting.  These are just a few scenarios that have possible put me in a “love, hate” relationship with China after three weeks of traveling.

Maybe because of my ‘love, hate’ relationship, I decided to press on and give China a few more weeks and see a few more cities…..’smaller’ cities.  It is difficult to actually find a small city in a country of a billion.  I was told the Yunnan Province is wonderful, so I decided to go from the middle of China (Sichuan Province) to the farthest west you can reach without actually going into Tibet.  So off I went to; Dali, Shagri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lijiang.

The smell and flavor of The Shanghai Dumpling will stay with me for the rest of my days on earth.  Yes, i know, I am being dramatic, but really these little morsels of heaven have left a lasting impression on me (clearly, I’m writing a blog entry on them)…..like no other food on my trip!  This is a bold statement for someone who has her ‘last meal’ already selected (presuming, I end up on Death Row- never know, one should always be prepared) and if reincarnated, I have already selected what I would like to come back as, purely based on how much food I can consume on a daily basis.

The “Shanghai Dumpling” is like no other.  These dumplings are pan fried on just about every corner in Shanghai and can be purchased for .60 for four (minimum purchase is 4…well that I found on the dozens of corners i purchased them on).  Once purchased there is a technique to eating them, really!  Trust me it is crucial you follow these three simple steps or you may end up with oozing, hot, liquid down your shirt, which could result in a tasty oil stain!  First step:  you take a small bite of the hot dough (be careful the bite should only puncture the dough, so not to let the juices out), Second step:  you begin to suck the piping hot juices from the center of the dumpling (seriously, don’t be shy, it has to be done), Third:  and finally, once the juices have been rendered you take a bite into the the center of the dumpling, which inside lays the soothing flavor of spicy pork.  It should only take about two bites to finish one “Shanghai Dumpling,” but you are in luck, you still have three more delectable morsels awaiting you!

Just for the record (well my record), I went to ten cities in China and no other city does the fried dumpling quite like Shanghai!  Yes, there were definitely ‘impersonators’ but they could not compete!  If you want the real thing, you must go to Shanghai!

Beside the ‘wonder’ that is the Shanghai Dumpling, I did some sightseeing.  I stayed in an area called the ‘bund’ which is divided by the Huangpu River on one side and an area called Pudong on the other.  The view from the Bund looking over to Pudong illuminates at night with the various skyscrapers (if the air is not too polluted- which is more often than not).  Shanghai is famous for ‘The Oriental Pearl Tower’ (nickname- tv tower)- and the second tallest building in the world ‘Shanghai World Financial Center (nickname-bottle opener, looks like a bottle opener at the top).  I also went to The Shanghai Acrobats, which did not only include acrobats but live music, comedy…..much like Cirque Du Soleil.  I went to the various areas and squares throughout the city.  I went to the propaganda museum and a museum that had models of what Shanghai will look like in years to come (which was interesting and frightening-definitely recommend it).

‘Copy watch, Copy bag?’

Shanghai is also know as the “Fake Capital” of China.  Don’t get me wrong, you can certainly get fakes EVERYWHERE in China.  China has their ‘own’ version of designer names such as, Nike, Lacoste, Converse, etc (quite sure this is not legal).  However, where the ‘real’ fakes are and the bargaining begins is a four story building in the Bund.  Once you enter…..there is no turning back.  You can get any and all fake designer names, from Gucci, Coach, Dior, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana.  They have everything from fake designer shoes, coats, bags, luggage, watches, ‘couture’, jewelry.  You name it they have it!  It is a name brand junkies paradise!

Beijing, China population...about twenty-million, give or take a few (does it really matter, after a certain point, why count).  A city the size of some small countries. And my first sightseeing day made me quite aware of just how populated ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Imagine sitting in a hi-chair, your parents, brothers and sisters sitting down for Sunday dinner;  Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, veg, rolls, etc. is being put on the dinning room table before you, while your mother forcefully shoves spoonful after spoonful ... [Continue reading this entry]