LIPPED OFF

Pu dong Airport, one of two that services Shanghai, is immense. Terminal 2, our arrival terminal, was completed just last year and as you might expect is gorgeous. I would guess that Terminal 2, one of three terminal, is larger than the area occupied by Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at O’Hare.

We were met by our Shanghai guide, Mindy around 4 p.m. and driven to our hotel, the St Regis located in Pu dong. Shanghai, China’s largest city and home to 26 million of her citizens, is divided into two large areas separated by the Yangtze River, Pu dong on the East and Puxi on the West. Pudong is the newer, Puxi the area that consisted of a small village in 1842, the year in which the Chinese emperor of the Quin Dynasty was forced to signed a treaty permitting the British, French and American and eventually other western countries and Japan, to set up self governed compounds on the Chinese mainland. This area called the Bund was developed by those intruders into what became the “Paris of the Orient” and remained in their hands until World War II.

The St Regis has all of the grandeur as that of it’s New York cousin, including 24 hour personal butler, spa , tennis court on the 7th floor etc., etc.

Saturday morning Mindy picked us up and we walked around the Bund area, attracting scores of Chinese sidewalk merchants hawking a wide variety of merchandise. Being offered detachable roller skates for 100 Yuan (about $13) by a young lady, and needing two pair for Faye and Rosie, I cunningly countered with 100 Y for two pair, held resolute despite tears shed and finally prevailed. I handed the package to Melissa to check the contents before paying and when I was assured that we had two, paid the seller 100 Yuan It took several minutes to realize that each of our grand daughters had two feet and that we were two skates short. Of course the seller was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, we were able to buy two more complete sets for 50 Yuan. Damn clever these Chinese.

The afternoon was spent in on Nanjing Road (Michigan Avenue with an oriental flavor) and several market areas teeming with merchants whose English vocabulary consisted of “Hello, you want?” Gene, a young Damon Runyonesqe character, following us for miles assuring use that he owned all of the shops on the street and would be pleased to favor us with bargains if we would just follow him. We didn’t. We did however, have the opportunity to go through a silk emporium, learn the process by which silk is made and bought several items which we shipped home.

Had dinner with Mindy at a local Chinese restaurant and saw a wonderful acrobatic show which lasted till 10 PM.

According to Mindy, 6 million of Shanghainese are floaters. Floaters are people to come to Shanghai from another province to work or study. A floater, however, is under-privileged being denied various governmental services such as full medical until he or she overcomes their floater status by living in the adopted province for nine years and marrying a local.

So much for now. Tomorrow, Missy heads home and I, to Hong Kong.

To all the mom’s, Happy Mother’s Day