Week 9: Goodbye Shanghai

This is my last week in Shanghai, before leaving for my next adventure. It was bittersweet, as I am excited to see and experience new places, but I have also made some amazing friends here that I’m not ready to say goodbye to. However, I tried to make the most of the time by seeing a last few Shanghai attractions and enjoy the wacky food selection with those friends.

For two consecutive Thursdays I was treated to some traditional Chinese meals with my coworkers: the first was a hotpot meal, which is essentially a meal where you are given a pot with soup and a small flame underneath, and you boil your selection of food and eat immediately. This usually includes some thinly cut beef or lamb, some vegetables and mushrooms, tofu, and a variety of options that would never be served in America. The craziest one ordered at our table was frog legs, still moving a bit when delivered. My last night in Shanghai we got some traditional Nanjing food, and I was convinced to try a bit of congealed duck’s blood, but abstained from the pig’s feet. There are some foods I will miss in China, but I have to admit I’m excited for a less adventurous menu selection.

My weekend included a trip to an indoor knock-offs market: selections included faux name-brand handbag, faux name-brand shoes, and all sorts of tourist trinkets. There was also a tailor shop across the way where a woman offered to make me a custom tailor-made dress for 350 yuan (about $50). Once I had my fill of people shouting after me with lower and lower prices while I walked away, I headed to Century Park, a huge complex in the middle of the city. This park is huge, including a small lake, several natural preserve trails, and periodically placed convenience stores. Unlike other parks though, I was required to pay a nominal fee to enter-something I did not expect or experience at other public parks in my stay. I had a pleasant afternoon walking around and enjoying the summer sun and breeze off the lake while other tourists quadracycled nearby.

That evening I took a coworker to a street I had heard about that was known for rowdy Western bars-so much so that there were threats to shut it down! I was not disappointed: it was like a busy bar-lined street in Europe, with more Westerners in one place than I had seen for two months. In that location, foreigners became the objects of tourist cameras, as a lot of Chinese people were wandering up and down the street, taking photos and videos of the revelry.

The final highlight of my week was a trip to the Shanghai Circus World, a famous and nightly acrobatics show swimming with tourists. It may have been a tourist trap, but the amazing skill of the performers rendered that aspect unimportant. The variety of acrobatics ranged from your standard trapeze artists and strong men to women jumping around on bicycles, human see-saw stacking, and motorbike tricks. It was spectacular, a must-see for anyone visiting the city!