Michael Tyler

So. Have the Saturday off. Am going to Shanghai, have a look around, buy a watch and meet a friend.

Here’s some photo’s and dialogue for the trip

At the station

Luckily a five to ten minute and easy to find there and back.
Took this picture of one of the many rivers in Kunshan running in adjacent to the railway station which used to be use for all the trains to Shanghai but now is only used for the local.

 

Once you come outside the station, there’s this rather attractive courtyard.

 

 

 

 

Came down the steps and took some more pictures of this little quote. It’s obviously something someone has brainstormed, then used to have a new, outward looking modern spacious and plentiful existence. You can see the Chinglish type quote. I think they’re clever in aiming to confuse everyone with this one. “Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get”.

 

Maybe the Chinese will read this, and reach deep in their pockets. I know it’s worked in the past.

Maybe there’s chocolate in there…

Plodded on down the road. Station was past the Catholic church, the two almost face each other. Oppose each other.

 

Flowers look colourful there. Managed to get the Canon to perform some functions. Missing Photoshop. Am using windows Live.

The one on the right has been taken using the factory ‘vivid’. I’m thinking it’s a good effect.
Not that it can be done to the one in the middle or on the right. Photoshop is the best for these effects. But currently, I don’t have it.

Train Journey

The train journey itself cost £2.40 or 24 rmb. It’s  60km and about 20 mins. No stops.

Got off and made my way to Peoples Square.

Unfortunately, due to excessive drinking the night before, y planning on this trip has been minimal. I know nothing about Shanghai.

I plan that this Peoples Square is close to the river, according to the tube map. I will walk down there, and take in a few sights on the way, then hang around the bund…

Shanghai Bund

The 1st thing you notice when you get out of the station is the way they have the railings on the side of the street.
The Chinese are notorious Jaywalkers.
No doubt in the past they have wandered under the path of the colonialists cars, and this has caused them to erect some rather large fences.

I walked down from peoples square toward the bund. After 5 minutes walking I felt like putting a sign on my forehead saying – “I no want LADY MASSAGE”.

Managed to get past all the thousands of people selling me useless junk, shopping trips and lady massages, to reach the banks of the river which was fairly spectacular.

Some people have a theory that China looks better by night.

This shot its testament to that theory.

Shanghai has the largest underground in the world.

Meet my friend by the pyramid memorial, and we are swiftly shooed away by security on account of her bringing her pushbike up onto the promenade of the bund. Apparently, this is strictly forbidden.

So we walk down to somewhere called K-bar. She’s a teacher also. She works at WEbEnglish. We have a few beers in there and move onto the French Concession where we visit a place called the Shanghai Brewery which I believe is quiet famous.

We meet a few of her friends where we discuss where they got their eyebrows done amongst other things.

After a few more, more expensive beers at the Shanghai Brewery, we move on down to their ‘local’.
Immediately striking me as a shady bar, complete with pool-table and Foosball. It’s like one of the bars in the French Connection, film. Shady.

Beer is cheap though. And we get to fiddle with the jukebox which must have the largest collection of ripped cd’s I’ve ever seen.

Move on to the Pastis with one of the American guys I’m with. Kind of rounds the night of nicely.

Go back to Laura’s and sleep there.

Up for presentation at shopping center in Kunshan in the morning.

Oh the wonders of life.