Viva Las Vegas

If you are reading this, then I have managed to sort out my computer problems. I had a big screed of news all written, and then lost it somewhere in cyber-space. Technology is NOT wonderful. Ah well, I’ll try again.

It’s not too traumatic. I am currently sitting out on my balcony, in the sunshine – the temperature is a very pleasant 26 degrees, and there’s a breeze. Well, maybe a bit more than a breeze, but nice all the same. I’ve got myself a table and some chairs, so I just need a barbeque and I’ll be all set for summer. Seemingly June is the time for the rainy season in Shanghai. The humidity is 90 degrees and the temperature gets into the 30’s. There is so much moisture in the air that your washing doesn’t dry. I’m not looking forward to that. Mind you, there has been no rainy season here for the last 3 years, so I may be lucky!!

So I was practising for the hot weather in Las Vegas – while we were there the weather broke all sorts of hot records for April. I took a photo of the thermometer in the car one evening!! (94F is over 34 degrees.)

So how was Las Vegas?? It was great, we’d a fantastic time. The day I flew out was a bit bizarre. I left Shanghai at 3pm, and arrived in Los Angeles at 11.30 the same morning. This International Date Line thing meant that although I’d been flying for 11 hours, I arrived before I left. In fact, at the same time as I was leaving Shanghai, I was lying on the beach in Los Angeles. WOW!! My hotel was just next to Venice Beach – just like in Baywatch. The difference was that I had the beach virtually to myself! The poor lifeguard was so bored, he kept driving past to see if I was OK, but I hardly moved.

I wasn't quite alone at Venice Beach

One thing that really struck me when I arrived in Los Angeles was how BIG the Americans are. Mind you, the first people I came into contact with were the Immigration people and that might have been deliberate! After spending months being one of the tall people, it was quite a surprise to be ‘shorty’ again! Another reason they are intimidating is to perhaps stop any rioting in the arrivals hall. I know I was nearly ready to start rioting before I got into America proper. I had joined a queue to get through immigration, and had been standing there for 20 minutes and then the desk shut and the bloke went for his lunch. I don’t grudge him his lunch, but we were made to join the end of another queue. Fine, OK, it’s annoying, but I understand. At least I did until it happened for the THIRD time. I was all ready to get on another plane and head back to China. Eventually I did manage to speak to an Immigration person, and felt as though I was being interrogated. I know that the USA has tightened up on its Homeland Security, but I just was to hang out with my pal and have some fun. I’m even going to spend some money! It’s much easier to get into Russia or China!!

So my next big adventure was my drive to Las Vegas. I had printed out my instructions for Mapquest, and they’d suggested 4 hours 18 mins to do the trip. I set off from Santa Monica about 2pm, and joined the traffic jam out of LA. THREE hours later I was still in LA. No, the car hadn’t broken down; I hadn’t stopped for a cup of tea or anything else. The traffic was just moving so slowly that it took me 3 hours to drive 50 miles. Then just like traffic jams everywhere, most of the cars just disappeared..... and I still had 220 miles to go until Las Vegas. SEVEN hours later, I managed to make it to Las Vegas, find the hotel (which wasn’t hard as it was on the Las Vegas Strip, and I’d stayed across the road last time!!!), check in and have a shower before heading off to the airport to meet Sheila. As the airport was across the road from the hotel, and our room overlooked it – not hard to find!! OK, OK, the terminal was on the other side, and with the 10 minute walk to the hotel car park, 5 minutes to find the car (We did manage to completely lose the car one day – our little VW Beetle convertible was hiding behind a big truck.), then parking at the airport and walking to the terminal. It took nearly half an hour – and we could almost tough the planes from our hotel room!! After completely missing each other to begin with, Sheila and I did manage to meet up and head back to the hotel. After cups of tea and blethers, we decided we were hungry and headed off for something to eat. It was 1.30 in the morning, but that was one of the reasons we went to Las Vegas. It was no problem. In fact, the restaurant was over half-full... at 1.30 in the morning!!! Very strange!

View from our hotel room - we could nearly tough the planes

Anyway we managed to amuse ourselves very well over the next week. We visited a shark reef; went to see Mamma Mia; ate in a French pavement bistro, overlooking the Bellagio (I had moules frits!! Ahh); visited the conservatory in the Bellagio; did some shopping and even managed a couple of afternoons hanging about at the pool. Except the pool was a river. There was a current, so you didn’t need to swim to do a circuit. Pretty impressive!

SHARK!!!

Me up close with a Sting-ray - Sheila took the photos!!!

The Conservatory at the Bellagio

The neighbourhood cat at the MGM Grand

We managed to meet up with some famous folks. We were wandering through the lobby of our hotel one morning, and it was full of people. The boxers Mayweather and De La Hoya were due to make an appearance before their big fight. So we hung about for a bit and saw them. In case you don’t know, Mayweather won, and he was much nicer to our crowd too!!

The Lobby in preparation for the Big Match

Mayweather

De La Hoya

After a week, I had to drop Sheila off at the airport and then head back to LA (where the traffic jam just lasted for 1 hour this time) and enjoyed my last sunset over the Pacific before coming back to Shanghai, and heading into work. Time to start planning my NEXT holiday!!!

Sunset over the Pacific

Chinese Tax Returns and wet Sundays

Ohh, I thought - somebody has sent me a present!!! What brought that thought on? The receptionist in my building had shown me a piece of paper - all in Chinese. I thought it was a bill of some kind, so I showed no interest in it - but it appeared in my mail box the next day. Huh! I brought it into work, and asked one of my colleagues - what's this? Lucky you, they said, you have a parcel to collect from the Post Office (this is where the parcel came in!!) Then they said - no, no - it's from inside China. Very strange! Who's sending me parcels in China? Only one way to find out - go and pick it up. First off all I had to find out which Post Office and then away I went... handed over my bit of paper, showed my passport and got my parcel! It wasn't really a parcel - it was my tax return form, all signed and stamped by the tax office. Yes - I'd had to fill out a Chinese tax return!! Next time you have to do a tax return, think of me struggling with mine - in Chinese. (Well, not really, it was in English too!)

A few weeks ago, we had a really wet and stormy Sunday - the type of day when you don't want to go outside for anything. (You get quite a few of those in Scotland!). So what to do on a wet Sunday in Shanghai?? I watched the lightning for a bit - it was really impressive, and then decided I wanted to do something more constructive. While mum was visiting, I had bought myself a model of a dragon, so that's what I did. I made myself a dragon. He now sits on my bedroom window sill and guards me as I sleep.

Last Saturday Alan and Angie came round to visit - and to teach me how to play Mah Jong. We got so engrossed by playing that I nearly starved my guests. I had to tear myself away to go and make dinner. It's a great game, and I really enjoyed playing, even if Alan did end up with all my money!! I was shopping at the market on Saturday and I got myself a set, so there's no stopping me now!!! My bargaining skills have improved. Mum had asked me to get her some new cushion covers - no problem, I thought. I spotted a couple, and then asked the price - 380 RMB (25 pounds). No way - I offered 20 RMB (1-33). She just laughed...so I walked away. She shouted after me, though, and I got them for 20RMB. Watch out when you're shopping in Yu Yuan in Shanghai! Silk cushion covers don't cost much! You can probably get them for less than 10 RMB each.

Talking of shopping, I was reading the Shanghai Daily the other day, and I discovered that the shopping centre across the road from me – the one with the supermarket in the basement, where I nip in for a pint of milk – is the second largest shopping centre in Shanghai – the Grand Gateway. If ever I’m tempted to go shopping mad, at least it’s handy…….!

Tickets!!

Yes - they have arrived. My tickets are here (2 1/2 hours late, but they're here!!) I'm going on my holidays.

Spring has sprung

The weather here has definitely improved, so I’m beginning to emerge from my winter sloth. I was feeling a bit brave last Saturday, and went over to the pool. I arrived and there were about 5 other people there. Not bad, but when you’re used to having the whole pool to yourself (as I was in Russia), it’s still a bit crowded. The worst bit was to come though. I was minding my own business, and swimming up and down quite calmly, when 20 10-year-old kids arrived!! Agghhh!! They were running about, jumping in, screaming their heads off, and generally behaving like 10 year-olds in a swimming pool. I am so not used to that!! I gamely carried on, but at one point, one of the kids swam into me, and bruised my ribs with their head. Grrrr!! Enough is enough, and I left. It turned out that it was a birthday party, so shouldn’t happen ever Saturday. I was tempted to go yesterday, but I wasn’t convinced……but I was good and went back a couple of times last week. I hope to go later on, but that depends if I’m still waiting…..

Still waiting for what?? Well, you see, the factory closes for 3 days at the beginning of May, so I have a few days holiday. As usual, my holiday grew arms and legs, and I’m now meeting Sheila in Las Vegas for a week!! It was another of those holidays that started of as a few days as the beach…… Ah well, maybe one day. Anyway. I need to get myself to Las Vegas. Easy, you would think, just book yourself a flight and you’re there. Hmmm that’s the hard part – I’m in China. I found a website to book flights, but the website wasn’t working. So I phoned the number, but had to phone during the day – so come Saturday, I’m all set. Well, it was so complicated. I had to speak to 4 different people, there were 3 different emails, 6 phone calls, 4 text messages (in Chinese, so I’ve no idea what they mean) and 2 delivery slots. The tickets, when we eventually managed to get them booked were due to arrive yesterday, but then I got yet another phone call to say that they couldn’t be delivered until today. They should have got here an hour ago ……..! Sheila booked hers in less than 5 minutes. I’ve used up all weekend, and I haven’t got them yet!! And it’s been sunny all weekend!! Hmm.

I was out for a meal on Wednesday, with the folks from work. The place we went to was amazing. It was near People’s Square and Nanjing Road, in the old British Concession – and it looked like it. It was done up in the Art Deco style with mahogany, chandeliers and Tiffany lamps everywhere. Very nice place. I thought the food was fine, but my Chinese pals says that it was so-so. It was a good atmosphere anyway!

Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing, but 10 Million and 1 in Shanghai!!

Still able to do photos!! Long may it continue.

The big news today is that I’m in my shorts!! It looks like spring has sprung, and the temperatures are soaring. It’s been above 20 degrees since Friday (for at least some of the day!). It’s so nice not to be huddled under my sleeping bag all the time. Now I’m feeling all guilty because all my great intentions of getting fit over the winter have come to nothing – and it’s too late now!! I think I must have spent the winter lying on the couch, so now I have pay (or come up with some more excuses!)

Spring is here - and so is the blossom.

Another of my great winter projects was to do the tour of the museums. Didn’t make much progress on that either! So on Sunday it was either go and do some exercise or visit a museum. Shanghai Museum is pretty good – and the shop is one of the better museum shops I’ve visited. OK, OK – so I bought a book – is anybody surprised?

So, the improvement in the weather means that I’ll be able to take my bike for a spin - or to be more accurate – Sheila’s bike. Yes, the same bike that I borrowed from her in 2002 – 5 years ago; the same bike that went to Russia, and is now sitting on my balcony waiting for me to take it for an outing. It has already had its maiden voyage in China, thanks, mum! As you might imagine – there’s a story here!!

My bike arrived here with all my boxes in November, the weekend before it got cold in Shanghai, so it’s spent the last few months wrapped up in bubble-wrap; sitting on the balcony. Well, a few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to get it unpacked, so I attacked the bubble-wrap with scissors, and eventually the bike emerged. So far, so good! As I had no idea if my stuff was going to be transported by air from Russia, I let the tyres down. Easy – just blow them up again and take for a test drive…… Hmmm. Front tyre – no problem, but the back tyre would do nothing. I eventually looked at the pump – and discovered that the bit that opens up the valve to let the air in was gubbed. Ahha! The pump is broken, so I can’t blow up the tyre. I lost enthusiasm for the project after that, and went and had a cup of tea.

All over China, there are little shops of bicycle repair men, and I’d found one not far from my place. So, I asked mum if she would take the bike to the repair man, to have the tyres blown up. Simple job, I thought – but this is China, and mum’s a bit weak on speaking Chinese. So, the first part went well. Mum got the bike into the lift – and then things stopped going smoothly. The lift stopped on the way down, and a man got in – mum was standing there holding the bike, but both of them ignored the fact. You can just see them standing in the lift, ignoring the bike – it makes me laugh every time I think about it!! Anyway, mum pushes the bike out to the road and then down the street, and turns towards the bike repair shop… and the gets distracted. The place I had seen (and pointed out!) was on the main road, but before mum got there, she walked past a little lane; looking down the lane she saw a man waving at her, but carried on for a bit, then realised that it was a bike repair man, so backed up to see the man was still waving at her – so away she went to speak to him about blowing up my tyres. It turned out that the back tyre was perished, so there was no way I could have blown it up! Mum sat on a handy wall while the bike got repaired (until the man went to get her a chair). To replace the inner tube, blow up the tyres, give it a bit of a service and take it for a test drive cost 30 yuan – 2 pounds. I was well impressed, and will be going back to get a bell and a stand fitted!!

By popular demand, I have posted a couple of photos of Koshka - do you remember when she was as little as the first photo?

She's grown up a lot now.........

It's her birthday tomorrow - she'll be 2!! Happy birthday, Koshka.

Rapid Changes in Shanghai

Things move fast here in Shanghai! Here’s a wee example from the last week. It starts off in Scotland, when I was home at Christmas-time. I was up visiting Wendy & Gav, and we were standing in a field, surrounded by sheep, chatting with their shepherd about ….sheep, and sheepdog trials. They’d been looking out for a watch with a stop-watch, but hadn’t managed to get one. No problem, said I, I live in the country of cheap copy-watches. So, a week past Saturday, while browsing down Nanjing Road with my mum, I came across the ideal watch. It came in black, blue and purple, so, of course I choose the purple! Mum took it back to Scotland, and sent it up to Wendy & Gav’s. Just the ticket – but maybe I could get another in black, or something a bit more conservative (for the heilan’ shepherd – I should have known better!!). So this Sunday, I went back to Nanjing Road, to the same shop – and it’s gone! It’s all boarded up, and the walls are being knocked down ……..but I was just there the week before! What do I do about a watch now??? I searched all over town, and there was nothing! How can that be? Did I stumble on the only suitable watch in China? Last night, I popped into my local supermarket for a pint of milk. It’s in the basement of the building across the road, and to get to it I have to pass through lots of stalls. Last night, I realised that the stalls were all selling…….watches. I was getting a bit despondent after looking at 20 stalls without an appropriate watch, but the last one – it was there! So, I got it and will post it off this week!

On the subject of the fast-changing face of Shanghai, I’ve discovered what they’re building across the road. 6 months ago, there was a row of restaurants, with houses behind, and then they disappeared – knocked down. They’ve been working on the site ever since – and the foundations are laid now. Well, a week past Saturday, just before mum & I’s stroll down Nanjing Road, we went to the Urban Planning building. It’s great! There’s a model of downtown Shanghai – it’s amazing to see. There’s a raised walkway all around, so that you can easily find your way around. I eventually found my place – and discovered that the building across the way will be one of the highest in Shanghai!!

On that Saturday, when mum & I were out exploring Shanghai – it took us an hour to cross the road!!! No, the traffic is not quite that bad! We were using the underpass and got distracted by a replica of a street from the 1930’s, and ended up sitting outside a café, under the false sky having lunch (borsch soup, believe it or not!). Back to crossing the road – mum developed a technique for crossing the road – similar to her approach in Rome (which was wait for a nun to come along, and cross with her – she never had to wait very long either). Her Shanghai approach was – get herself in the middle of the Chinese folk waiting to cross, and stay there until the other side – worked like a charm!

I'm back - complete with photos!!

Yes, I'm back! I've had a couple of blog-free months - sorry about that, but I had a few distractions: the Scottish flu bug, freezing in Shanghai and the nice distraction of a visit from my mum and a whirlwind tour of China. I've just tested the blog thingy, and it appears to work, so I may be back in technicolour. We'll give it a go.


This is one of the millions pf photos we took on our recent Spring Festival tour of China. This was taken on a very atmospheric (= foggy) trip down the Li river in Guilin.

Believe it or not - we took so many photos of the Terracotta Warriors, even I got bored looking at them!!! Our visit to Xi'an was amazing. The warriors are even better than I ever thought they would be!

I'll test posting this, and hopefully do another instalment very so, especially if it works!