Getting to Shanghai

I'm not getting the access to email and internet I thought I would with my new, dopod (here's the website: http://www.dopod.com , but I'm in China, so it is all in Chinese, as I can't read anything. But I did see that the address is in Shanghai, maybe I should visit to see if I can get a tutorial, as I'm having a hell of a time getting all the features to work - but I've just got to RTFM). Anyway, I'm here at the Grand Pacific and they, thankfully, have a business center, but no wi-fi. I have gotten the wi-fi features up on the phone and that is really cool. I digress.

Hong Kong time has saddly come to an end. Monday I was on my own and a bit more challenged than expected by the Lost in Translation problems. I did eat at Hutong which it atop a tall building. I think didn't quite manage my rice bowl/serving bowl/eating bowl thing right, but the service only laughed at me in the back. The food, my first Chinese meal, was tasty. We tried several safe items: Green bean with tofu, Chicken with mushrooms and pork fennel dumplings. I got to savor the flavors I had never tried before while watching the boats go by in the harbor and helicopters landing on the sky scaper next door. Quite and experience.

Yesterday, as I was leaving Hong Kong, I decided that I should do some super-touristy thing. I headed up the Hong Kong Island hill. And between the cab ride to the tram and the tram up, nearly got sick at the top. I really should just take dramamine daily, as I've had a terrible time with motion induced nausia here. I also got accosted by the oddest turban topped Indian man who tells me there are two men in love with me and one is a big problem. Hmm, really? I think he says that to all the girls. I declined the rest of his $300 HKD ($60 USD) palm reading.

Hong Kong has a fantastic airport system. They've got this train that goes from the center to the airport, which in itself isn't all that, but you can check-in at the station and leave your bags with them.

So, I get to the in-city check-in on time, only to learn that my 2 pm flight to Shanghai had been cancelled. They offer to put me on the 1:35 and I accept, but then am unable to meet with Sonya (she had a 2:15 flight and we were going to train it over together) and I'm bummed, as I don't get to hug her goodbye.

I hurry to the airport, get some starbucks lunch - not sure if or what they will be serving on the plane. I also find that they have internet/business centers placed through the airport. These offer compters as well as charges for your cell phone - which I am in serious need, as both of my cell phones are out of juice. One completely and one has an ounce of power left. Just my luck, they don't have matching chargers for either.

I get to the gate and queue up. The nice lady at the gate had given me an aisle seat with the window seat being reversed and for use by the flight attendant. I'm not sure if she wanted to spare me the close contact with the natives or vice-versa. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but the only other white person on the plane was seated on the other side of my aisle in the same situation. Hmm.

The flight, which I had rushed to, is then 45 minutes late. The delay didn't bother me, but the final approach did. In the US the final approach means we get everyone in their seats about 5-10 minutes before the wheels leave their tar on the tarmack. Here, it was a solid 30 minute approach. I was wondering if we were every going to touch down.

Once in Shanghai, I had do face mainland immigration. And I got to face it for a full hour. Fun. I finished "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night" while waiting. It took so long that by the time I got to the baggage claim, my flight was no longer listed on any of the carrosels. So I then had to wander around trying to find my bag.

Next was the taxi endeavor... since my buddy Dave hadn't gotten me a hotel until the last minute and the dopod is set to English, I did not have the Chinese Characters of the hotel written down anywhere. I did have that last bit of juice and the nice Chinese woman who set up the hotel for me/Dave and called her. I did managed to get through and she got on with the cab driver and they had a 10 minute discussion where I was sure that I was going to be sold into white woman slavery.

When we get to the neighborhood, he can't find the hotel and is trying to get me out of his cab when I look up and see the sign. Thankfully he gets us across the street and I get the most amazing $80/night hotel room I've ever seen.

I'm safe. I've got to go and see the town now. Whew! And please forgive all the spelling and grammer errors in this posting, this Chinese version of Blogger.com does not have a check spelling option. Also the words are all characters, which makes it a bit surreal.