A bit of Shanghai

Oriental Pearl TV Tower looming across Huangpu River.

The beautiful Bund facing Huangpu River with an ugly truth, where pirates of the 19th c who were all attired in suits and tall hats, plundered from this city, in the most civilised manner.


No tumblers please. A typical scenery in Shanghai.
The traditional architecture of watertowns in Southern China--whitewashed walls and grey tiles. Qi Bao, a thousand-year-old watertown located right in modern Shanghai, accessible by tube. Qi Bao provides a glimpse of the past amidst Shanghai's skyscrapers although the Chinese ways of preserving historical towns are always disputable, in my opinion.

Qi Bao, a watertown, with winding canals and hence, the large number of bridges where each is unique.


Tube station at off peak hours. Shanghai's tube system is the artery to this metropolitan as it moves people and goods all around Shanghai at a very affordable price of maximum 5 yuan. Crowds at peak hours are definitely a sight and surprisingly, order is observed although some amount of violence is required to board/alight during peak hours.


A wonderful skyline depicted by local Shanghainese. Hidden beneath the modern facade of modern buildings and malls, are the tonnes of streets that exuberate the local way of life, untouched still by Time. Modern, mammoth buildings reigned East Nanjing Road, the mecca of consumerism. Walk away from East Nanjing Road, either to the left or the right and you will find the clock turned back in time.

Another part of old Shanghai, away from the East Nanjing Road.
The skyline of the future, outlined by the towering buildings along East Nanjing Road.

Mindmapping of my Shanghai

Has been my transitional home.





To be greeted by this view once I turned right as I got passed the security checkpoint of the apartment. It is a constantly changing view. A new bank, just next to the apartment is "growing". Every time I pass by this street, the bank is closer to opening for business. Another block of apartment is growing too. Probably all too quick.











At this junction where it gave us so much enjoyment and amazement just watching how the pedestrains and motorists get about.











The road to Xujiahui Station. Autumn has creeped in already.











Passed by this building where a posh Korean restaurant, indicated by the line of expensive cars that are parked around the entrance, is located on the 2nd storey.











Best Buy only started business when we moved to Xujiahui. An IT mall, in short, where we got our 3G service.










One of the many entrances to Xujiahui Station. Last summer, this was still a place for laundry and three months later, it is ready for use.















How can I forget about our tea time at Chamate?









Gateway--A Hong Kong shopping mall equipped with a large supermarket catered for the expat community. Where we visit frequently.














My favourite haunt. A modernized version of tea and Chinese food with a tint of Taiwanese style of course. Where we saw that young couple over dinner, sitting close to one another, with only a small table between them. Yet, worlds apart as each was engrossed in communicating with the world beyond the dining table through their electronic devices. Throughout the meal affair, they only exchanged words twice--once when ordering food and the second time when they have to foot the bill. If this is the inevitable destination for all relationships?


Gino, our favourite cafe.

眼泪先知

情感迟钝时，眼泪有时候成了情感最直接的反应。追不上情感的变幻时，身体用自己的方式来发泄身体的情绪。

语言可以花巧，逻辑可以自欺，眼泪，除非已练就到炉火纯青的地步，骗不了自己。

还没来得及剖析，眼泪兀自掉了下来。

问题朋友

原来我还是有那么一点点在意。

即使到了这个年纪，即使对人的要求已经低到不能再低，甚至可以说已经毫无要求，以为这样才不会对人性有所期待，或者是，只有这样才能比较容易从人身上获得一些感动，我对朋友还是不自觉地有一定的要求的。当然，这又可能是自己的非分之想。

有些人总是能毫不吝啬地与你分担他们的不快乐；他们的快乐时光却又总是与你无关。相比之下，一个人的寂寞其实会更快乐。

Delays

整整一天，碰上了无数次的延误。

办理登机手续时，被理所当然地通知到，班机会延迟一小时起飞。登机后，发现飞机必须再等上一个小时。转机时，因为先前的延误，就继续延误续程的班机--再等两个小时。

一而再，再而三。仿佛在提醒我，人生，我的人生，有太多太多自己所不能掌控的变数。

延误对人情的释怀；延误了解／体会人生中最基本的情感泉源；延误对自己的了解；延误了体验在别人的人生里是属于理所当然的阶段；搞不好，还延误了与你的相识……

Been haunted by delays for the entire day.

Was told at the check-in counter that the flight would be delayed for an hour; another hour of unexpected wait on the aircraft; the earlier delays consequently delayed my connecting flight--which was another two hours of wait.

Again and again. As if reminding me, that life, my life, is a whole chunk of uncontrollable events.

Delay in coming to terms with human worlds; delay in understanding/experiencing the most basic feelings of human forms; delay in understanding myself; delay in experiencing the stages of life, that for others, is just a nature of course.