M&M Take China

Mimi, Mom, and I at the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai

12/13/09

The decision had been made long before I left for the Far East. Mom and Mimi were coming to visit. Their trip seemed like months away, but before I knew it, December 3^rd was here! And the adventure began…

Thursday:

I got through my day of teaching and was so anxious to see my Mom and Mimi by the day’s end! I left my last class early to rush home, pick up my luggage and Hallie. We hopped in a taxi to Pudong and we were on a way to Xi’an. If the flight itself didn’t give me enough anxiety, my bizarre health escapades added to my panicky behavior. While I’ve been feeling better, my sinus and throat congestion reared its ugly head and nearly sent me into a panic attack on the plane. (The closest I’ve come to losing it…shakes, thinking about the worst possibilities, etc.) Thank goodness Hallie kept me under control. We landed around 10 PM and I finally got to see my Mom at 11. The excitement expressed when we saw each other was one for the movies! My Mom, English-speaking people, and a Christmas tree were all in the same room. Perfection.

Friday:

We woke up early in our luxurious hotel with robes and slippers and all. The four of us headed to a huge breakfast buffet that looked amazing, but my throat kept me from eating some pretty awesome food for a good part of the weekend. Mimi, Mom, Hallie and our tour guide Serena (yes, she named herself after Gossip Girl), got in the van and went to the Terracotta Warrior factory. The factory was filled with special clay, sculptors and painters, and mini warriors for sale (cough, marketing ploy). We bought some warriors for people back home and we were off to see the real thing.

Our crew finally made it to the Exhibition and we bundled up to see the action. (Xi’an is located in central China and further north than Shanghai, therefore: it was cold!) History note: Emperor Qin Shi Huang requested that he be buried with these thousand some-odd warriors crafted out of clay to protect him in his afterlife. We’re talking over a half a million workers in the BC era creating these large statues for this Mr. Qin. Back to the present, Serena bought our tickets and we headed in to Pit number 1. It was the biggest of the 3. There were archers, warriors, charioteers, generals, and horses on display. There were thousands (6,000-8,000) found underground in the 1970s, but not all were put back together for show. Pit 1 was also home to the “Warrior Hospital” where the renovators are putting the figures back together. The relatively new exhibition will continue to grow, just like it has for the past 30 years. Pit 3 was up next. It was the smallest with the main focus being on the Charioteers and their horses. Pit 2 was almost as big as Pit 1 and had cases of ‘whole’ Warriors (figures found completely whole underground.) The detail was incredible! The Pit still has more extricating to do. After viewing all Pits, we met the farmer who started it all. He was the one who uncovered the first Warrior and since then has become wealthy and well known. He posts up outside Pit 2 daily and although you can’t take is picture, you can watch him eat his noodles.

We had lunch by the site and went to a National Museum. The museum contained history and art describing ancient China. Chinese museums do a good job of saying, “{Enter the Chinese city that you’re in} is the best city in the world. China prospered and hit its golden age because of this city.” After the museum we saw Xi’an’s city wall. What was the best view from the Wall? Mimi in her black overcoat and surgical facemask. One of my favorite quotes from the weekend was by Mom (a quote taken from her ‘**Blog,' "Mom {Mimi} is now looking like Eminem with her huge coat, mask, and gansta walk." Hard to find a better moment than that one!

Xi’an is smaller (8 million residents) and has small town charm, in contrast to big Shanghai. We ‘had a rest’ at the hotel and were off to a delicious dumpling dinner. This dinner was one where the waiters kept the food in motion. Borrowing from the great Monty Python and a Nathan family go-to quote, “Bring me a bucket.” After dinner our crew headed to the Muslim Night Market and had a fun time shopping. Mind you, Mimi and Mom KNOW how to shop. With this in mind, Mom brought a rolly suitcase to stuff all our treasures in….mental picture: four white girls, in the middle of a Chinese market at night, WITH A SUITCASE. We all made shoe purchases in this cute shop run by a lady who was convinced we were crazy. The hotel warned us that there would be no taxis available to take us home from the market. Did that stand in our way? Of course not! We ended up hitching a ride with an old, rickety, pedicab covered in plastic and blankets. And best of all, our cabbie was outfitted in PJs and slippers. I’m pretty sure that the ‘pedicab’ was meant for two, not for four plus a suitcase. However, we hopped on board and laughed the whole way home, especially when Mimi shouted that she hoped we weren’t being taken to an ‘Opium Den.’ Classic. We returned back to the hotel and enjoyed a shower with great pressure. Before bedtime, I was present for Skype call from Poppy. Among many of the ridiculous things that came flying out of his mouth was, “Now y’all need to be real careful. I don’t want to have to call Liam Neeson.” (In reference to the movie, Taken.) A lovely bed was in store for a wonderful night of sleep!

Saturday:

We woke up to another massive breakfast. Serena picked us up and we were off to the airport. The plane ride was fine except for Mom trying to ask the man sitting next to her if he wanted any of her food. She was trying to be polite, but the man was clearly confused. (The Chinese don’t really have a humor/personality filter) As soon as we landed in Shanghai we checked into the Sofitel. Then, Mimi and Mom came to see our apartment. M&M stocked our kitchen with great American foods (All my favorite cereals, snacks, and popcorn!). We won’t have to go to the grocery store for a while! After unwinding we went to Element Fresh for dinner, which is a nice American/Western break from China. I went back with M&M to the hotel to prep for our big day in Shanghai. Just before bedtime, Mimi summoned me into the bedroom (I was sleeping on the most comfortable cot ever in the living room of our suite), where I found my mom and grandma watching Twilight. After 10 minutes of explaining the world’s fascination with vampires, Mom and Mimi were passed out and I turned off the TV and went to bed.

Sunday:

Mom, Mimi, and I woke up to an even more massive breakfast than the two days before. I ate way too much food, making it hard for me to move. Ivan, the Shanghai guide, picked us up and we were off to the Yu Gardens. The Gardens are a great taste of old China in very new Shanghai. It’s zigzagged corridors, rich greenery, and quaint pagoda-styled huts make it a tourist’s favorite. It was wildly crowded, but it was a beautiful day! Although we’re not sure how full of it Ivan was, we got some good history about the Gardens. Next was the Jade Buddha Temple, which was amazing. I’ve never seen such a huge piece of jade! One of many priceless Mimi moments…“Ivan, now you’re Buddhist, so do you go to temple everyday?” Ivan’s reply, “Uh, NO.”

Lunch was next at Xi Gardens, located in the French Concession. Mom thought the food was weird, but good. That seems to be the best description for food around here. Our guided tour ended when we were dropped off at the Fabric Market. Then the real fun started. M&M went nuts in the pashmina/scarf/glove shop. They made many purchases for friends back home and my Mom got me my very first pair of black leather gloves! Thanks Mom! Mimi also got a suit made and I got a jacket done. Hope everything fits!

Up next was yet another market filled with lots of junk. However, we found a great pearl shop where we shopped for strands of pearls. Mimi and Poppy bought me a bracelet of misshaped pearls that will go nicely with my Tag watch (when I get back home, for now I’ll have to rock the bracelet with my Wal-Mart, Velcro Timex). We made the big drop-off at the hotel and recuperated. We also found out that the Horns won the Big 12 game! A big sigh of relief was felt…of course we had been wearing our Gameday outfits all day!

I took M&M down East Nanjing Road (right by their hotel), which embodied NYC Times Square nightlife. We also strolled down to People’s Park, which ended up being pretty creepy at night. Whoops! After exploring downtown, we met Hallie at Lost Heaven on the Bund for a nice last dinner. The restaurant reminds me of Tao in New York, but it serves Westerny Chinese food. All the dishes were amazing, but the countdown having to leaving my Mom and Mimi was only minutes away. Having them here was quite the adventure, but I wasn’t ready for them to leave. Their last day spent in Shanghai marked 2 months to the date of my arrival. I can’t wait!

**A hilarious side note: Mom had been corresponding to her friends back home through e-mail. After each day, she would come home and write down a play-by-play for all her friends to enjoy. They called this chain of e-mails “Allison’s Blog.” Hmm….blog, e-mails, same thing? Apparently so!

Luggage: Xingli