(Brandon)
After an eventful Saturday night (and that's an understatement), we elected to sleep in. Mike and I missed the memo and got up unnecessarily early. After meeting up with the gang, we took the Metro, the local subway system, to an extensive antique market on Dongtai Road. We saw a of lot intriguing items, from copies of Mao's Red Book to ancient film cameras. Mike purchased a black ushanka and proudly put it on. After finishing up in the antique market, we wandered around the area in hopes of finding the insect and bird market but were unsuccessful. We then took a cab over to Xintiandi and the French Concession.
We split up and explored the area. After finding nothing of interest in the nearby mall, I headed back outside to take some photos. I found the narrow side streets, all lined by buildings of European-inspired architecture, very photogenic. However, so did many other photographers. I literally waited in line to stand in the "prime" position to capture this unique scene, as other photographers before me came and went. The cafes that surround the squares were also very scenic. People were outside enjoying their cups of "Joe," the warm weather, and the company of friends or family. As I once again tried my hand at some more photography, I discovered I was "photobombed." After looking through a group of successive pictures, I noticed that a man in the foreground was making a funny face in my direction in each photo. Alas, I did not notice till I had walked away. A missed opportunity but with a small upside: a good laugh from the group after pointing it out. You know the Bears, and how our adventures always end. We all gravitated towards not just an ordinary cafe but a premium Lindt (yes, the same company that makes those heavenly truffles) cafe. Ms. Moy was the first there and had a delicious sea-salt hot chocolate. I couldn't resist looking at the tempting menu and ordered a fresh blueberry milkshake. The Bears have been craving certain foods, blueberries being one of them, and this milkshake temporarily cured us of that desire.
After sitting down for a while at the cafe, the Bears realized how ravenous they were. We headed over to Din Tai Fung, Ms. Moy's favorite Taiwanese restaurant, which is known for its Xiao Lin Baos. Xiao Lin Baos are dumplings filled with a savory soup that you can suck out after biting a small hole in the dumpling's wrapping. Ms. Moy also showed us a tasty mix (vinegar and ginger) that you can dip the dumplings into. I, being the spacey cub of the group, thought that you were supposed to pour the mix into the dumpling (after drinking the soup). I did so and ate the dumpling, only to choke on the large amount of vinegar I had just poured in. Lesson learned. We ordered many more dishes, including a hearty noodle dish in a salty broth. It was a group favorite. Unfortunately Din Tai Fung only has restaurants in Asia and the west coast of the U.S. On the bright side, there is one in Hangzhou. When we return to Hangzhou, it will certainly be tacked onto our "to-do" list.
We hopped back on the Metro and headed off to the Science and Technology Museum. Unfortunately, we were tighter on time than we expected and had the choice between a nearby underground market or the museum, which closed very soon. The Bears chose to explore the market. It was full of knockoffs, some more obvious than the others. Surprisingly, what I saw in terms of variability of merchandise was rather disheartening. Many of the stores sold the same exact thing for the same exact price. In the end however, it was an interesting experience, even if we didn't walk out with bags full of goodies. It offered us the chance to practice our haggling. We grabbed tickets for the Metro and off we were once again. Time to return to Hangzhou.
The ride back on the bullet train was not as quick as before because we made several stops prior. It was a pleasant ride though. Deanna, Ms. Moy, and I shared music. Ms.Moy found my taste in music humorous, and settled on listening to Macklemore's "Thrift Shop." Mike and Patty watched Game of Thrones (Season 1) together. When we arrived at the station, Ms. Moy was shuttled off by Wang Huo, one of her fellow English Department'ers. We met up with our new host families and stepped out of the train station, quickly disappearing into the darkness and pouring rain to start our last couple of weeks in Hangzhou.
From the conquerors of Shanghai to you,
Brandon
No comments:
Post a Comment