The hotel I am staying in puts the notices for the tenants on boards in the elevators. They seem to be translated using Google, or some similar automatic mechanism.
The staff actually speak great English, so maybe they just lack the ability to write it.
They sell day passes for the underground trains (aka metro) here. However, they do not sell them at every stop. So we went one stop to Jing'an Temple where they sold them, and then headed up and out to see the information center to get some pointers on interesting places to check out over and above what we already had noted down. At the information center they sort of shrugged and handed up a pamphlet on paid tours.. so we browsed the other pamphlets on the walls, found a nice map and left.
At that point, I asked if we should go get a donut before we headed off. My fellow sightseer found that to be an appealing idea, so we headed over the road. Among a wide range of kinds of donuts on sale, they had shredded pork ones, and for the really daring, spicy shredded pork. One of the girls behind the counter indicated it was not okay for me to take a photo of the donuts behind the display, but I took some of the smoothies we bought. I think they cost around 26 yuan each, and they were the larger size.
The green tea smoothie which had chocolate mixed into it. I am told it was good.
The grapefruit smoothie which actually taste like both frozen grapefruit and ice ground together, which is always a good thing. I know this was very good.
I would definitely buy this again, if I wanted a cool refreshing drink. It was expensive, but then again so were all the donuts.
Indeed.
We were looking for the well known tourist attraction People's Square. I assumed it would be this huge wide open plaza, cobblestoned and full of people. But I guess it was actually just a nice green park like area.
First we were approached by two Chinese people who wanted to talk to us. They told us about how one had been to Australia, and how they met at "English corner" in Beijing where people go to speak to other people in different languages. Seemed rather nice, then came the punchline. We're going to a tea ceremony. That's the scam they warn you about on the forums, you go to a tea ceremony with some friendly citizens and the next thing you know you are seeing a second menu with higher prices and you are paying for your "new friends" as well. Then the heavies escort you to a money machine so you can withdraw the several thousand yuan the meal costs. Well, two dudes don't want to go to a tea ceremony anyway. So we all went on our way.
Then we came across this place. It probably sold other stuff, like.. oriental tarts. I was distracted by the platters of piled high deep fried battered crab.
One of the aforementioned piles of deep fried battered crab.
A serving of crab, which cost 10 yuan.
The skewer of crabs.
It was appealing to buy, but not worth it. The chinese may have the patience and skill of getting the crab meat out, but I found the endeavour rather futile. After gnawing at it for several minutes, I gave up and bunged what was left in the bin. Goodbye deliciously frustrating crabs.
There are a lot of snacks and foods in general here in Shanghai that are alien to me. Going out on a limb and buying random items is not generally worth it, and it's best to go by items I have seen others buy. They put out a huge mound of junk food in the office every day mid-afternoon, and I try the occasional interesting looking item. One of these was seasoned seaweed.
This is a different brand than the one in the office, but it tastes pretty much the same. It's a nice light refreshing snack, that satisfies the urge to eat something.
The larger packet contains mini-packets inside.
And mini-packets contain around four different thin pieces of seaweed paper.
There are little stores, what we would call back home "dairies" on every block, and the one beside my hotel building was where I bought these for around 10 yuan.
Friends in the USA sent me a care package..
A Waffle House menu/placemat, and it's not clean.. like it's been used. A nice americana keepsake, and something I wanted as one before I left the states. Also a pack of Icelandic pepper lollies.
