Shanghai

I don’t like too much glass and steel buildings because the same pattern repeats all over the buildings, but Shanghai is different. Each has it’s own style. The tallest one is the TV Tower, which has something from Tour Eiffel. 

To appreciate the skyscrapers of New York, you must take a boat, otherwise you have pain at neck, the buildings are too close and they come over you. In Honk Kong, the Island is too far away, so the skyscraper line is not so impressive. Huangpu river of Shanghai gives the perfect balance: it is large enough to give space to the buildings, and the other side is close enough to feel that what I see is in the same city and I could swim 

As I said, a lot of new buildings in Pudong have personality. These reminds me the sculpture from Hong Kong:  they are a couple and she speaks a lot, because she has a big mouth.

After Paris, I would say that Shanghai exploits the best its river sides.

 

… And there are a lot of people and all want to make photos: either like Hercule, or a Vogue magazine posture. The most natural position, which the grand majority uses is the fingers Victory sign. This is the acknowledgement to shoot. Because on Saturday were so many taking each them photos, instead of waiting them to finish, I gave them the chance to have a really good photo: I was jumping in their frame. Unfortunately I don’t have any example to show you.

 This is from the TV tower, it is pretty expensive, so there are just a few people. The waiting time to take another elevator was like 2 minutes, more than enough to see the British Royal wedding. I was still connected to the “real” world, but still far to get too much noise. Another example: on the metro in Beijing to the airport I so at news Ben Laden. I asked someone what’s about and immediately I felt that it’s a make up. When I came at the office many colleagues confirmed. In conclusion, what I try to say: the world is really small, you can be connected everywhere, but the good thing is that you can put a filter by distance.

 The wall is not up to the ceiling so there is a strong wind and when you look down on the transparent floor, you have the impression that you fly. A lot of people need a couple of minutes to get used with the height.

 Mister, 1 euro a laser ? ... yes, I want to show where I live

This is a replica of a steam ship passing quickly 

 

a single day in YangShuo

I spoke with Pauline and Urinuri the previous day on the bus to Yangdi. I was riding the bike to the Dragon’s bridge, when I turned left from the main road, I turned my head to see if there are other tourists, to validate the way. And I so Pauline !

We went together to Moon Hill. When you arrived, an old lady offered to take us on another way, cheaper by 0.8 euros. Me and Urinuri agreed right away, Pauline had “moral” concerns to jump the fence. I enjoy to get off the tourist .

 Pauline is a French comedian. She did theater with people in the final phase, with AIDS. She said it’s great, she gets a lot of energy from them, but on the other hand, she feels very bad when someone passes away. Now she has her own theater company and helps people convicted for crime to relive by art.

Urinuri is South Korean, he started his business 5 years ago in Canton. He develops English learning applications for Chinese. He said it’s very easy to work with people in Canton, because they are very business oriented.

  I bought the ticket to the cave from this woman who was selling water on the Moon Hill. She can speak a little English. She has 2 children, the oldest is student, but he is not too diligent. I know that now, 50% of high-school graduates go to university, but I still I find amazing. She doesn’t remember Mao, but now things are by far better than the past.

 The only time when I heard Flemish was from this girl.

 I went to the Water Cave. It’s a must to see in Yangshuo. I arrived at around 1 and went out at 5. There is a mud pool. After I became a pig, I visited the rest of the huge cave, the mud keeping warm.

 I so an interesting path in the cave which wasn’t on our root. I asked the guide to see that area for 1 minute. She was very kind, she left the others on their own, and came with me for more than 10 minutes. I’ve never seen columns of 20 meters.

 And then I rejoined the group in a Spa in the cave. There are 4 natural pools, there is a hot spring, so the water goes from one pool to the other. First I went in the coolest and lowest one, to clean myself and then, one pool after another, we spent more than 3 hours. The Chinese spoke with the guide all this time, but the language is like a bird twit, so it wasn’t disturbing. I was floating. After one hour of watching the ceiling which is more interesting than the floor, I had the feeling that I fly, that I am suspended by the ceiling. I had an idea, to buy a tv set and to hang it by the ceiling, and to install a pool in the room.

 The sirens from Shanghai

 My niece

 I hate shopping, I wear mostly what I receive as present, but I had to ask the man from the travel agency where I can find something like this

 On the road was an empty palace with a beautiful view. One of the 3 regrets of this trip is that I didn’t meet the people living here

 A try a la Luc Bresson

 All this green island si just one tree

 Here I spent about half an hour and 30 photos.

I came back in the city at 7 with the group of Americans from the hostel, and I remembered that I booked a ticket for cormorant fishing. So I postponed the beer.

The man blocks the cormorant neck with something, so the bird cannot eat the fish it catches. The fisherman pulls the bird, gets the fish from the beak, and then frees again the cormorant, which swims under the water for fish. It was interesting, but too many tourists from hotel, or maybe I was too tired