Shanghai Nights

China Eastern is a solid airline with service we poor Canadian are now unfortunately unaccustomed too. A free meal is always a good thing, and when it’s followed up with ice cream its smiles all around. One thing I noticed in Shanghai is its inhabitants love ice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. There goes my stereotype that all Chinese are lactose intolerant. You learn something new every day. Upon landing and with time to kill, after all I have never visited the city and know no one, plus RGP is still in Seoul, I decide to pass on the taxi ride to the Hotel and opt for the Maglev train. A Japanese invention, the Maglev is a high-speed train that goes from 0 to 301 km/h in minutes. The 30 km ride to the city is over in less than eight minutes. Deciding to take the train adventure one step further I continue on via subway and is it ever packed. For those who do not know, Shanghai is a mega-metropolis with a population base that is equal to all of Canada in excess of thirty million. Hopping out at Zhongsong Station I scale the stairs and pop out into the city for the first time and the first thing I see is a man-vending pirate DVDs directly outside the station. A quick walk up the street, massive orange 80 liter Burton bag in tow, I hail a taxi. The driver stops in the middle of the street, loads my bag and we’re off to the Hotel. No need to say he does not speak a word of English, refuses to look at the map, and is on his cell phone requesting directions, shouting at whoever is on the other end of the line, jumping in and out of the car numerous times, yelling at people all the way to the spot, thirty plus minutes after I hopped in. The fare is a mere 30 RMB, which roughly translates too less than four dollars CDN and that include a healthy tip. RGP co-worker Mr. Bill, who studied in Shanghai, comes down for an assist and I’m finally checked into the Xi Hua Hotel. Staff here is some next level no speak English and each and every request takes multiple stabs before results. Put it this way, it took five calls and a translator for a laundry order to be submitted.
Riiinnng! Andrew A is on the line relaying the news that RGP missed his outbound flight from Seoul. I later learn Seoul has insane traffic and RGP spent half his time there in traffic to and from meetings at about $100 USD per ride. He says his ride to the airport the following day took three hours! Plan was to hit Bling for the Shanghai Baby Yu DJ set, but it is not to be. Word comes down that the spot is a forty minute drive each way and after all this traveling and the afternoon taxi adventure I’m not down for it. Option B it is and I join Andrew A, Julie, Mr. Bill and local Shanghai residents Stark and Hogan for some drinks.
Babyface is a multi-level club in the heart of the city and it is going off. In the twenty minutes we stay inside, our crew is refused bottle service (too busy) and I almost come to blows with a large club kid on some bullshit. Shanghai must be extra gangster, taxi drivers are all protected in their vehicles by either a mound of plexi-glass or barbwire, and outside the club there are five cruisers maintaining watch, while to the left a patron is being carried out by two friends partially keeled over. A shame, I was really looking forward to going through a bottle of JD and green tea. My drink of choice at home in the Dizzle, it is de rigeur here.
Redirected and parched, post yet another taxi ride, we find ourselves walking down an ex-pat section and into a straight up Gweilo bar with all female Filipino band knocking out covers, and a sprinkling of sensational and not so working girls. Five rounds later we’re on our way out and a young woman approaches our group and loudly yells, ‘Who wants to fuck!’. We opt for Ron’s and are inside one of a countless number of 24 hours McDonald’s that offer delivery. Ron is large in China. The Shogun Burger, an all-pork patty that winks at you, topped with wilted lettuce and teriyaki sauce was a complete bomb back in Hong Kong. Always in need to taste delicacies unavailable on the usual travels, I opt for the Quarter Pounder and cucumber sandwich with a spicy Chicken wrap on the side. Good stuff…
Sleep in and take a mid-afternoon walk up the street, past the University, to four corners of massive malls, overhead walkways, and true commerce in action. People are everywhere, on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, taxi, buses, etc: Non-stop action, Pee Wee.
The phone rings at 10.45 pm. RGP is checked in and ready to roll out for some drinks. A veteran to the city and the Hotel he knows the ‘hood and we walk one block to a Japanese Hostess Bar. Mr. Watanabe greets us like old friends and sets us up with drinks and snacks in our own section. No hostess action because they only speak Chinese and Japanese. Since when did that matter? Two doubles and 150 RMB later we’re back out exploring the streets looking for trouble. China offers more massage establishments than we have Tim Horton’s, and nothing better than a two on one early am massage gets a man to sleep nice and easy. Sorry, no photos…