I’ve had a long, fun and sometimes strange day here in Shanghai.. It’s pretty unusual for me to spend a weekend day away from home.. but.. have biz in Beijing next week.. so I had to stay I looked forward to one of those rare days with little on the agenda.. .. I woke too early after only 4 hours of sleep (jetlag) .. I tried going back to sleep.. but no dice.. so I went for a nice run again.. It was raining.. but somehow the city looks good in rain. .. on the way back I found a nice place for a samstone as I crossed a small river near the hotel

I met my freind Mark for breakfast around 9.. and proceeded to try every weird thing I could find that didn’t ‘t look  or smell like meat .. And there’s nothing weirder or less meatlike than 1000 year old eggs.. they’re raw eggs that are buried in the ground until they have the consistency of … of… hmmmm.. of rotten eggs that are buried in the ground too long. THey’re gelatenous and smell vaguely volcanic.. Yum…

 

Mark and I were having a good talk when a guy came over to our table.. I had one of those cognitive overload moments when I realized it was my friend Craig.. .. here… in shanghai.. Craig is a friend from Boston who started the group Father’s Forever that I belong to. . Fathers forever is a group of Boston -area dads who all  have had a child  who has died. . Once Craig hosted us all at his place in New Hampshire. You can read  the amazing story of the ‘exploding wineglass’  from that night . Even though I don’t see the guys in the group often.. we all keep in touch and support one another. It was so very cool seeing Craig here. .e less of a coincidence than I originally thoguht..a s he was here to attend the same event as I was.. still.. a cool coincidence. Mark Craig and I hung out and talked until they rolled up the buffet.. it was really nice. hanging out with them both..

Craig went off to a meeting.. and Mark and I went out shopping . We taxied to a huge underground market that had many things including carvings of me 🙂 /

Daisey’s KItch-EN… (irony intended here)

After achieving our  shopping mission.. Mark headed back to the hotel.. and I dove down into the subway.. I love exploring a city on my own.. I wasn’t so much exploring today.. actually.. I was going two specific places.. First stop was the Shanghai electronics markets on the corner of Fujang and Beijing streets just north of the nanking street shopping district.. i never come here without visiting it.. It was pouring.. but i didn’t mind.. I remembered the way wihtout needing a map.. I did pay a whole dollar for an umbrella.. // well worth the buck I payed for it.. kept me dry all day.

 

THe shops were just as I remembered them.. full of dusty shelves crammed with chips transistors, capacitors. relays and LEDS .. I wasn’t actually looking for anything in particular.. I always like to see what’s new in lighting.. .. last years LED rainbow strips are now appearing everywhere in the city.. but not much new this year.. I  spent a happy hour or so looking through this crap.. wondering if any real geeks ever came and bought anything.. then I realized what a geek I was for even hanging around wondering that..

I was just entering the second electronics mall when a terrible thing happened. my iPhone stopped working.. no lights, just a dark screen. I couldn’t believe it.. all of a sudden .. I felt really , really alone.. Not because I couldn’t call anyone.. but because I couldn’t share the pictures with folks..   I had to think about that for awhile.. why did an experience become anyl ess cool and fun if you couldn’t share it.. I shook it off an resolved to enjoy the rest of my day.. after a little more browsing (and no purchasing .. alas).. I walked back to the Metro and headed to YuYu gardens..  ..  camera-less but undaunted.. I actually tried buying a cheap toy kids digital camera for a few bucks.. but alas.. it didn’t even work.. so we’ll have to make due with my er.. artistic… impressions of the Old City .. . There was a festival going on.. and the old city was adorned with dragons for the coming new year.. .. I  put a samstone on a walkway over a pond in the main square. near one of the dragons

I looked around a few of teh old buldings.. most were tourist stores.. but soem were temples.. very cool

 

then I found what I was looking for .. my favorite cafeteria. the Old Town Snack Optional Palace, . I’ve eaten here at the last four times I’ve been here.. It’s awesome.. you walk through a line pointing at things you want to eat and loading them on your tray .. there are no words.. certainly no English words exchanged.. .. you get what you get.. I almost accidentally ate sparrow heads here last time…. This time I opted for a 10 inch long cooked squid.. not because I was really after squid.. but because it was clearly recognizable.. .. why not ? I also choose some green stuff.. because it looked nice next to my squid..  Not bad for 4 bucks.. Again.. sorry no camera.. but here goes..

actually. three are pictures from this same place from a couple of trips ago in 2007 .. look midway through this post and you’ll see a slideshow.. you’ll get the feel of the place..

 

Full and happy.. but camera- less.. (actually.. I thought my cheap toy camera was at least gettign soem pictures.. but nope .. ) I walked back to the subway and headed for ‘home’.. home meant a mile and a half walk through the rain.. but it was lovely.  I wlaked theough the huge centruy park and I think I only saw 6 other people..   .. Everyone else knew to stay out of the rain. I guess..

 

I got back to the hotel wet but happy.. except abotu my broken iPhone.. But.. after a bit of snooping on the internet.. I found out how to revive it (push power and select both for 30 seconds at the same time..).. my phoen was workign again.. but teh damn toy camrea proved to be not working.. oh well..

 

I had just enough time to shower and dress for tonights big gala for the client we’re visitng. it’s ther 10th anniversary and they pulled out all the stops. It was grea.t.t ehy invited all their employees.. and even the familiys of the folks here in china.. I beleive there were about 800 folks.. They served a great meal including jelly fish, sea cucumper and clear disserty stuff.. and awhole bunc of other things that I was too buay talkign to photograph.

 

They’d arranged great entertainment including kung-fu dAnceRs. a magic act , dragon top tossers, an amazing hulahoopist, ballet dancer.. and recitals by my new freind Howards 8 and 12 year old daughters (they were really, really good !) .. the highlight for me was a duet sung by our hostess.. a local TV personality and our host company’s CEO ..

they also gave out a ton of awards and door prizes. The event had a wonderful feel to it. YOu could tell the company had great spirit.. I know they work very hard.. but it was so good to see them play hard as well..  I was honored ot have been invited..

Now it’s late and I just gotta sleep.. so more in the morning.. I’m missing home..and enjoying yself.. I guess thats how it’s supposed ot be..

nite all, nite sam
-me