It's a busy time with most of the 1.5 billion people travelling during the week, so I decided to go with another Olmsted Scholar to travel to Taiwan (since Taiwan obviously doesn't celebrate China's National Day, right?!). In preparation for my 8-day trip to Taiwan, I've been busy this week trying to get all of my and my group's homework/projects done so that I wouldn't have to worry about it while I was in Taiwan.
So meanwhile, Tim heads for a nice relaxing vacation and leaves his wife and kids Ayi-less (thankfully Josie was here) to face I think the 500 million that came to visit Shanghai. Monday morning we, I don't remember, but we hadn't seen the extra people at this point. (I just remembered, I took Josie to see what a Walmart in China was like.) We decided Monday evening we will take the ferry across the river and head to a small street in Puxi that happens to sell all sorts of hair/nail products. Once we arrived at the ferry station, our plans changed. There was a festival of people there selling food and carnival type items. Usually this area this late at night has only a few people walking and a few more on bikes or mopeds. Totally crazy! The ferry usually leaves every 10 minutes, this time it was every 3 or so minutes and it was packed!
People were literally everywhere. They were doing there typical "lets run ahead of the stroller and then stop while the stroller is still moving and stare at the little Western kids." I have learned just to run them over. This was just to get on the ferry, why did they need to run, there was enough room for them, and they weren't going anywhere for a few minutes. I was a bit grumpy for a minute and then I was over it (until the next day......)
The next day we went to Yuyuan where we had been before, see previous pictures of how it could be on a typical week day, this time it was crawling with people. Seriously, barely room for all people to keep moving. On the way there was the best part though, I decided I must go to the bathroom. This was my first time in China, that I had to use the public squatter. I usually plan my bathroom trips around when I will be home or hold it until I get there. This didn't happen, I will spare all the details, it was disgusting to say the least!
I left Josie for a minute as we decided to try a bit of Chinese food, these days I am just not into it and usually opt for McDonalds..... I left Josie with the girls and they had no place to go to get away from the people. Pretty soon I look back and Josie is just mobbed with people. She stood there while they ask her questions she can't understand and realized that the foreigners are taking pictures of the Chinese taking pictures of her. Understand?? I made it back and found a small corner we could hide a bit and "enjoy" our Chinese cuisine. We ate a bit of it and then found a McDonalds and happily ate a burger and fries! Even though the people are a bit annoying and if it was like that everyday I would hide in my house, but for one week a few times a year I find it fascinating and exciting.
Here's a quick story on Adayla. So one night we went to a German pasta place and then planned to go shopping at a local favorite market. I told Adayla that she could have some new dancing pants (little sweat pants that she wore to dance class)....the ones I bought back in the states are quite short on her. The stores closed early and we didn't have time to get them. She threw a fit! There were tons of people at the metro station and one guy thought that while she was in the middle of her fit would be a good time for him to go touch her. She smacked him! Go Adayla! Ican't punish her for that one, I don't blame her.
Random pic of Tally to show that just like Adayla, she has a mullet....that will some day grow into long beautiful hair. It curls and curls here in the Shanghai humidity!
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