TToT #6: Shanghai Solitude...

Hotel Alone 

All new things happen when you least expect it. 

Here I am in Shanghai. 

I don’t have a bucket list. Perhaps I should. I have not frequented many hotels. Perhaps I should.

I don’t sit and spend time alone. Perhaps I could.

What’s a Girl To Do?

So. I have ideas and whims and things to consider. I have googled and listed places to see. Slight snag. No, I can cope with a planned day -honestly! It is raining the cats and dogs that are left over from last night’s meal…

RAIN - 

I have always loved rain. It is something that I can recall from an early age. Watching the silent softness streaming down windows. Long car journeys brought lots of raindrop racing; each droplet looking to follow a predictable path but then an often unforeseen and exciting deviation. It is a game that I played by myself in the back of cars. I can still remember the coldness of the glass under my pudgy fingers. 

Then there is the smell of the world after a good downpour. Freshness. Fragrant. Occasional fragility.

Warm rain, loud rain, wet rain, damp rain, icy cold rain and then there is something more than rain. A DELUGE. A real dampener on a day. 

And with deluge comes dilemma. Sit tight for a while and live the Shanghai experience from within the four walls of the hotel? No choice.

Interesting. Cannot remember the last time that I was left with little choice but to sit with my own company. Indulgent. Time capturing and a little tiny bit scary. Who would want to be alone with my thoughts? Not I. For a start, I can never keep up!

Finding my inner…

And letting some of it outer…

Not sure how many of you will really get where this blog entry comes from. But, hey, I am okay with that. 

The Art of Arts…

Photography. Writing. Thinking. Feeling. Reflecting. Editing. Considering. Wondering. Writing. 

All for the Art of Arts.

And this is what I did for almost  5 hours.

Who would have thought it?

Playing creator for the day:

•    Endless stream of senseless selfies
•    Endless stream of subconsciousness - Virginia Woolfe style
•    Lost in thought, translation and pensive pre-occupation 
•    Indulgent id
•    Endless stream of water pouring from the smog smothering Shanghai sky

And so to the streets I step… 

With a day’s experience under my belt, I know how best to deal with these Shanghai streets.  But I was not expecting so much attention. Do I really look like Beyonce? Umbrella-ella-ella - was directed to me at least 50 times by the street vendors.

Then catch up with K. She had dumplings for lunch. I had a bucket filled with solitude and self reflection. Someone once said that “Holidays are often about recharging batteries and coming back with a nice clean bucket into which you can direct the steady torrent of dunderheadery from the chittering masses that surround you.” I wonder if I have taken a step in the right direction or just been dumped on…But a bucket indeed.

Taking a good look at me and my place in this world

HOTEL HOSTAGE 

A little light relief comes in the form of some forced public interaction. Nothing quite like a quick rough-up amongst the Shanghai masses. 

Seem to have made so many connections with the finer threads of thoughts today that I don't even notice when no-one notices me…

Shanghai - a place to be a nobody. Not even a presence.

Each for your own. Personal space = nil. Personal thought = negligible. Personal anything = too hard to say…

BUT Shanghai does mean high above the water - so maybe it is just too hard to reach… Certainly within two days… 

For the first time in decades, I have found myself alone; 

just me and my mind. 

My memories and my mastermind of thought. 

It has been quite the experience. 

Playing Writer - Just for a day …

TToT#5: Holy Moly...

SHANGHAI

De-sensitising My Senses…

MONDAY MORNING… Yes, I know that this is 5th edition of Timely Tales of Travel (TToT) already and it is only day 1, BUT it was a very long journey!

So, breakfast beckons and we quickly appreciate that when they say that the food will go at 10:30am, they really mean 10:20am.

We are sat at a square corner table overlooking the Huangpu River that flows 113 kilometres through Shanghai. Yahoo tells me that it was formerly Westernised as Whangpoo. I GET THAT. There is a certain whiff here that is familiar to Westerners but perhaps not when walking the streets. 

We have had to travel up two floors to the Dragon Phoenix where a collision of culinary choices are available. I am immediately struck by the chatter. The Chinese really do chatter and it seems harsh, unrelenting and a little bit angry at times. I look around and realise that facial expressions are less but voice volume is more. 

There are a mix of nationalities here. Americans, Australians, Germans and Chinese so far and all very insular it seems. There is very little reciprocated verbalisation with the hotel staff. Okay, so I only really know ‘Ni hao’ and ‘Xie xie,’ as other enticing distractions got between me and my $24.99 multi-lingual APP download on the iPAD in the few weeks leading up to this trip of a lifetime BUT, I do try! However, despite my smiling eyes and open body language, there ain’t much coming back…  

Back to breakfast. 

Bear with me if you will. To arrive at the Dragon Phoenix, we walked through what can only be described as a Ballroom from the 1930s era. Lofty ceilings, dark wood, chandeliers and musty mirrors. Dark wood panelling that urges you forward until you fall through into what can only be described as an opulent explosion! Gold, red, turquoise and noise. A real assault on the senses and a big wake up call - even for the most discerning traveller. 

Breakfast choices are wildly varying - Buns, cakes, pastries, breads, prawn  crackers, pancakes, eggs (anyway you like them), oodles of noodles, curries, meats, cheeses, fruits, cold porridge, hot porridge, Shanghai breakfast, sushi, fish and did I say cereal? So, if like me, you are slightly over food after a long haul flight, cereal and fruit is the preferred first day choice. Check. And let’s be honest, oh my goodness, we only have 6 minutes in which to navigate our way to the various stations and choose something before it is is all whisked away.

Some 10 minutes later, we are sat here - slightly stunned and sedentary with the vaguely familiar but, oh so wrong, sounds of vacuum cleaners eating hungrily from under our feet.  First impressions..?

Shanghai = seriously something else…

MONDAY’S MOOCH

SO luckily K has a day-pass from her work commitments until 4:00pm today. That gives us a small window from which to check out our local surrounds. With a ridiculously large map that will never-ever go back to its rightful folds again and some grit and determination, we set off. 

Holy Moly.  Boy, did  we need that grit and determination. Plus, sharpened elbows, eyes that can swivel a whole 360 degrees and Anti-Locking Braking Systems to prevent us from trampling over those people that just stop in the middle of the pathway. Interesting to use the term pathway because here in Shanghai, you are probably safest to walk along the road - closest to  the pavements. As for crossing the road - oh my goodness - if you are in anyway religiously inclined, you are certainly advised to cross yourself several times first before genuflecting and taking your life into your own hands. 

Allow me. Nifty little traffic light designs. Very similar structure BUT there is a visual countdown system; on green light digits appear counting down from 10.

I would have liked to have assumed that this is to alert us passive pathway  people that it may soon be okay to cross the road. I AM SO WRONG. It is in fact, an opportunity to spike the adrenaline levels of any road user - bus, car, moped, electric bike, lady with trolley, moped, bike, minivan and, oh, did I say moped yet? With this adrenaline rush, comes a KEEN SENSE to DRIVE straight at anyone or anything that has been STUPID ENOUGH to try to cross when the Little Green Man says we can. This is not Europe, baby. It is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH worse. There are 25million people in this city and I think that we met at least one quarter of them in the 2 hours it took us  to traverse 7 streets of Shanghai. SERIOUSLY. I kid you not. 

Happy Highlights:

Shopping Mall - crazily curved escalators that climbed up and around 6-8 storeys of fashion

K’s euphoria after using the lavatorial facilities in said shopping mall 

“It does everything for you!’ She exclaimed with slightly concerning  enthusiasm  

Official visit to M & M world. They have cashew filled ones here you know. London - done. Shanghai - done. New York - to be done. The remaining other places are not worth the visit  as far as I (and my financial adviser) are concerned 

 Discussing the merits of MINDFULNESS and its contemporary status whilst in Starbucks. 

 Photographic evidence of K mastering mindfulness (totally not) whilst munching on an M & M

And I heard that it totally reduces stress, allows you to live in   

the moment and to change habitual behaviours and reactions. NO benefit then?

A speedy return to the hotel and an even speedier departure for K. Pffft, the life of a travel consultant!  SORRY - Director of your very own company. What an achievement. Proud of you, K. You live, breathe and champion the work that you do. So, kudos to you. I am here for you. 

We have known each other for around 11 years now. A pretty special but not well defined relationship. Let’s face it; neither of us are flower and chocolate kinda gals. Both strong, individual and independent with firm family values and an unspoken need to LAUGH and RELEASE. Although not always needing to share, chat or support, we’re here for each other. We know that our friendship, like the fine thread from a silk worm, may not always be visible but it is strong, consistent and dependable.                                   

And I respect and value that. 

TToT # 3: HONG KONG ...

Carpet Burn/Shuttle Bus/Transfer

Another Qantas 

Delays - the best way to deal with them

DELAYS are inevitable. Dependent upon your personal mindset, they can either be endured or enjoyed.  After a slower start than planned and 10 or so hours in the air, we arrived at Hong Kong to learn that yes, our replacement flight was also delayed. In fact, this flight was delayed later than the one we should have been on originally. Hard to follow? Imagine how we were coping! Queue or not to queue? Sit, stand or slouch? Too many questions and not enough functioning brain matter to decide. Our decision? Imagine if you will - long snaking line, mad trolley collecting lady - people disperse like skittles for fear of retribution by this pint-sized pee-wee. With that, we returned somewhat tired, over heated and a tad over-it-all to our earlier position of carpet next to the nearest bin. NICE! Oh, what a fall from business class. 

Time to BOLT….

Lounge 

SO with the prospect of a repeated numb-bum and more carpet fluff than was becoming even for the most intrepid explorers, we decided to say Hong-Kong to it all and find the nearest Business Class Lounge. K, limping with impressive dexterity to avoid more chafing of the new shoes led the way. YES - a quick flash of some snazzy boarding pass and we were in! Sigh. I could really get used to this. With my 17th coffee today in hand, I noted the tan leather armchair and soft lighting decor.  Photo number ’99' duly taken, I took myself for a wander to find the shower facilities. Not that I was going to be diving right in but it would be rude not to check it out - right?  This corridor was extraordinary.  Polished marble, blue hues of neon lights…. sigh. Yes please.

For those of you who know me well, I am a SUCKER for lights.

Is it still SUNDAY?

So, 7:00pm and we are still somewhere in the bowels of Hong Kong airport. By now, we probably should have actually been in Shanghai but hey, what are you to do?  With that thought, the voice from above announced our flight and we had to leg it (well, for K a-leg-and-a-limp) back to Gate 511 which seemed to have been relocated even further away since our first visit there an hour ago.  Queuing - that old habit again  -to show our passes and bowled over once more by someone smaller than me. Seriously? I look behind me - no-one! I look in front - yes, a half empty shuttle bus. Gee - what is the rush? 

Tired and less tolerant but still pumped to jump aboard DragonAir 

in the bid to reach Shanghai before the ITLM begins for K. 

Yes - short bus ride. Funny sign. 

Don’t stand inside the yellow box. 

Slight hysteria rising. 

Into our next seats and - oh my god - the flight is still delayed and we cannot take off! 

Please be advised that we are in a QUEUE! I thought that I had left the Brits behind…. 

45 minutes later and TAKE OFF. 

Some in-flight entertainment with the highest number of public announcements possible. 

Are you SERIOUS?         

May just have had this ice cream with someone in mind...

But HEY- we made it…. 

TToT #1: Timing Is Everything...

So, here we are. 

A late night flurry of the ‘oh goodness, what to pack?’ type chaos followed by some distract-a-tactics of iView before finally falling to sleep at around 1:45am. 

Packing efficiently may well be considered an art.    Louis Vuitton 

“What is art?” I was recently asked as I attempted to bite delicately into a ridiculously delicious slice ofThai Toast.  After reaching for my napkin and a comprehensive response, I was simply told that it was a question that doesn't require an answer…

Nice. And a reply like this from someone who was wearing their shirt inside out. Honestly.

Anyway. Here I am.

I wake mysteriously enough 2 minutes before the dulcet ringtone of ‘crystals’ jars me from my semi consciousness. Why does that happen? One hour ’til pick up by Keith the transfer guy. 

Showered, dressed, house cleaned - yes, there are very few people who choose to clean and vacuum at 3:45am but, hey ho. 15 minutes to go before kick off and into my first coffee. 

Bag packed. Check. Padlock code known. Check. Coffee in microwave. Check.

Check the iPhone and - duh - missed call and two texts. NEW pick up time of 6:30am. Flight delayed.  Connecting flight will be missed. Nice! Thank GOD I didn’t throw away the remainder of the milk. So here we are. TIME FOR MORE COFFEE.

Perhaps slightly more than is needed and now with 1.5hrs to fill, Re-packing could be an option.

Ping. Microwave saves me from that feat.

This little bear could become seriously well travelled  (better LATE or TIMELY?)

TToT #4: S H A N G H A I ...

Swanky, Sumptuous and Seriously Sexy

Room 600

Where Hotel Living Lives It Up LARGE

OH MY GOD. Nope. Not strong enough. OMFG!  Sorry to those of you reading this entry that have may have more decorum, less grunt and are more linguistically refined  than me but IF YOU SAW this place, it would get you and your lexicon lips in a total knicker-twist too.

For me to have this reaction, bleary eyed, bloated and beyond beauty sleep - it has to be out of this world. Let me walk and talk you through it. 

Sixth floor. Room 600. Entry room (yes, inside our hotel room) - with bar ‘fridge, coffee machine and large wooden cupboard. Door to the right and opening to the left. Errm, which way now? Okay - to the left. Opening into large bedroom with TWO QUEEN BEDS, large WRITER’S DESK (seriously, they knew that I was coming) - you know the type: heavy, dark wood with a leather in-lay and roll top with bamboo edging.

Three windows, four lamps, large cabinet housing a TV, DVD player and some sort of sound system amplifier-thing. Then another doorway off here - oh, of course; it’s a SEPARATE DRESSING ROOM! Wardrobes, safe, dressing table with mirror, another window and then a doorway into the BATHROOM. 

Okay, so entry room and dressing room back onto each other and two doors each lead into the BATHROOM. Claw foot bath, two separate basins, tall mirrors above, chaise lounge (yes, in the bathroom), TV - yes, in the bathroom mounted by the bath  of course! 

Walk in shower with rain head shower and separate shower to wash your separate bits-n-bobs, then a toilet. When closed, both doors have full length mirrors to check out your bits-n-bobs and, should you require it, there is also a full length mirror behind the toilet for when you bend and… you get the picture. 

Well, err no. Let me re-phrase.                            

No picture of that one!

SO HERE WE ARE. 

We have frequented three airports, boarded two flights, overcome three delays, covered 7,041.33 kilometres by air (just an approximation), travelled in two buses, sat in two cars, traversed one revolving door and gone up six flights in a lift and now we are in TWO MINDS. To unpack or not unpack? To sleep or not to sleep?

Decision Made: BED TIME..

And with this comes the inevitable undressing, showering and locating of pyjamas. And what better place to undress than amongst the myriad of mirrors?

As I begin to peel of the well travelled attire,  I look and then look again. Surely not?  Yes, it is true.  

I have only travelled all this way with my undies on inside out. 

I am ALL CLASS.

SHANGHAI BABY

TToT #2: The Journey...

This is where it all starts…

An uneventful ride to the airport in the back of a plush, well equipped car. Sunday papers, bottled water and an assortment of lollies only akin to an English sweet shop is the lead into a deserted Perth airport. No change there. Swiftly checked bags, passports perused and body scanner machine avoided, we were through to the Qantas Business Lounge. Muted colour palette, silently percolating coffee and slightly bemused passengers dotted around the place. 

Hong Kong is experiencing poor weather so further delays are looking a strong possibility. 

Enter plane, take first on your right and deposit carry on bag in overhead locker; first extracting the iPhone and Mac Air for unsightly novice-type behaviours during the flight. Settle back into depths of the chair. Panel of flashy lights to my left, sizeable screen on the wall in front and a foldable table. Nifty built in compartments housing perfectly padded earphones and a small backlit mirror. Not sure if I’ll be using the latter as there are only so many occasions that one would want to be reminded of the inevitable puffiness of face and blood shot eyes in any flying experiences. But, hey, I appreciate the gesture, Cathay Pacific. 

Business Class Seat 11G

The seat of choice

Good position,  a gazillion gadgets and did I mention the sheer vastness of it all?

Chance to chat more to my friend with whom I have been delicately deseeded of my travelling virginity. Don’ t worry, I am amongst friends. She is great. Cool, calm and collected. Kindle in hand, she settles back for what will be another day at the office, so to speak. Not like little ‘old’ me who, at times, forgets that I have been catapulted from a fairly sheltered upbringing in the Home Counties (thank you very much) of Blighty and landed head first in an Antipodean Adventure. From this far land, I have travelled more than ever. Unfathomable. Thank you, K. You have brought so much more into my life; laughter, long lunches, foreign affairs (sounded good) and stuff.  

Seat belt clunk-clinked, animated safety video observed (and, no, I didn’t take out my lifejacket to test it - I am a risk taker, you know). CHECK. Travelling pants re-arranged and subtly sneaked selfies amongst the sincere sobriety of BUSINESS CLASS. Oh my!

Take off completed without glitch. THANK GOD. Business class menu and wine list hand-delivered. Okay - getting a tad carried away now. Let’s blame the altitude. Seriously, this would be a great gig; writing poetic prose for airlines… Breakfast arrives more swiftly than one can possibly imagine. Crisp white linen, napkin laid, bone china and real cutlery; these guys have thought of everything. 

Forced my way through pistachio granola and apricot compote. Had to decline the mushroom fritata and stir fried noodles. Seriously, I’m going to be on this flight for a while…and I may have inadvertently over dosed on Metamucil sometime between 3:30 and 6:30 this morning. I should have just stuck to the coffee!

A Mac gives a certain sense of self when set amongst these Business Class types. Okay, so I may not be selling shares or writing up business acquisition proposals but, hey, I look the part. 

They’re not to know that I am busy tapping tireless tripe to myself and having a BLOODY good time!