Shanghai Day Trip

We made a day trip to Shanghai yesterday to celebrate the end of a 3-week Christmas vacation, and we enjoyed what the city had to offer. Specifically, we started at the knock-off market where we bought fake Uggs, fake Ugg slippers, (it’s cold around here now!), fake North Face gloves, a great fake Swiss Backpack for S, and even a fake Rosetta Stone (for $4!) to help learn more Mandarin, in case it works!  All this buying of fakes requires a steel will, and an ability to be impervious to pleas to help feed their starving grandmothers or help them make a profit.  Set your highest price you’ll pay, start a little lower, then hold fast when the pleas and groans inevitably come your way.  I’m happy to say almost every vendor I purchased items from whined about my bargaining virtues while wrapping up my wares.  I just smiled, as we both knew we were gaining from the exchange, but I’ve been here long enough to know how much even knock-off stuff should cost.  Still, I enjoy the game, while S is ready to settle for about anything that sounds reasonable to him.  Obviously I do the bargaining for our party of two, although I gave S a price to stick to for the Rosetta Stone while I went to see about some great fake athletic socks, and he followed my directions, including the ever-effective walk-away, and he snagged the set for us.  It all felt very Oliver-Bill Saks, in which I played the redoubtable Mr. Saks.

Shanghai also has great restuarants and great sites.  In addition to our foray into the world of xiaolongbao (see former post) we also had a great Turkish meal, which made me want to return to Istanbul.  Luckily I also made a trip to the U.S. Consulate to put additional pages in my passport, so I’m ready for whatever comes.

Finally, the highlight of our day was a trip to the Shanghai Museum (free admission!) and spent most of my time in the ceramics and bronzes galleries.  There are no words for the beauty of the ceramics, particularly from the small city of Jingdezhen.  Jingdezhen is known as the epicenter of all things ceramic for about 10 or so centuries, and it’s in the same province as Suzhou, so a weekend trip is in order, perhaps as early as Chinese New Year.  Enjoy the photos below of some of the beautiful pottery.  The photos don’t come close to capturing the true colors, the subtlety of design, or the translucence of the pieces, but it’s what I have to offer.

Personal fav among favorites