Shanghai...again -_-

My five-day work trip to Shanghai started on an appalling note - I saw an oldish, bald Chinaman digging his lustful fingers into the buttcrack of his giggly young partner while queuing to board the plane.

Why? Why? Why did I have to be behind them?

Anyway, apart from doing the same old Shanghai routine - from hotel to exhibition centre and back to hotel - I did manage to have few new experiences to share.

On the top of my list is my discovery of this quaint shop in 新天地 called zenlifestore. It sells the prettiest painted porcelain wares on the ground level and insanely expensive but interesting paintings on the second.

But it was the painted porcelain wares that drove me mad with desire. There were traditional Chinese tea cups, modern mugs, trays, plates of all sizes, bowls, scent jars, vases, trinket boxes, all in porcelain, all with skins of turquoise, yellow, blue, green, pink and beige with details of wild flowers and delicate birds.

I wanted everything! But I cannot afford to indulge like that and bought only two things - a scent jar and an ash tray.



I'll get more things from zenlifestore on my next trip to Shanghai. That would give me something to look forward to in the smoggy city.

Another interesting experience was with a manager of a South Korean city tourism bureau. Midway through the interview, the lovely lady noticed I was starting to get too hot in the exhibition hall (damned air-conditioners were not on and Shanghai was blisteringly hot this April), and she took out a paper fan to fan me!

Then I made this delightful grilled ham and cheese sandwich my best friend for three nights. Seriously, Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao, where I always stay during this particular trade event in April, makes the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich.



You cannot get sick of it, even if you were to eat this several days in a row. There's something absolutely divine about the way the melted cheese tastes with the perfectly grilled ham slices. Hmm...

I also found some humour on the streets.


Oh boy. I wonder what things are being featured in that conference and exhibition.



And I can't help but imagine Indian men standing at the entrance to this horticulture show, greeting visitors with enthusiastic, twangy shouts of "WELLLIICOME!"

And finally there was an encounter with a Sicilian man who was as endearing as an anal wart. He sat next to me during the travel awards on Thursday night. Gawd, he was so full of himself and could not cease yakking about how great he was in his job. I was dying to stick my steak knife into his mouth.

Once, during the dinner, he told off a waiter for not serving him white wine or something. It was really hard to understand his Italian accent - even for me, so I suspect the young Chinese waiter would think the Sicilian was sprouting gibberish.

The Sicilian said to the waiter, "Are you a sommelier? I am a sommelier. And I tell you blah blah blah blah... So go and get me champagne." Then he waved the bewildered waiter away.

The poor chap. So I turned to him and whispered, "别理他." Which means, "ignore him".

That champagne never came. :)

And that arse tried to be funny with me towards the end of the dinner, proposing drinks at his hotel or mine. I would rather fuck myself with a samurai sword than "have drinks" with him.

So that's for Shanghai, my last business trip for the first half of the year! :)