Friday Funny October 28, 2011

This week's theme is telecommunications.

If you don't like that one, use this one:

Ladies, let the lunching begin! Sept 28, 2011

Loosen your belt, renew your gym membership and match those heels to your handbag, it's lunching season again! I started it in style (is there any other way?) with a luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria, hosted by the American Women's Club of Shanghai (AWCS). 

The Waldorf building has an illustrious history. Formerly the Shanghai Club, a private British gentlemen's club, it opened in 1910. Yes, only men, so I think it very fitting that the AWCS kicked off their 2011 season with a lunch at this location. 

The entrance hall

Wait for me!

Leading me to the lunch venue

My destination, the Grande Brasserie.

A little closer...

From the other end...

(can't say I don't show you everything!)

View from my table

Endive salad with walnuts and blue cheese

Chicken Chasseur

Dessert, the best part!

Chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

The Reluctant Relocator 

(the dress has a strategic wrap waist)

The Waldorf's famous Long Bar from one end...

...to the other end.

A bit of history, thank you CNN

When the Shanghai Club opened in the early 1900s, it reportedly housed the world’s longest bar, which measured 39 feet, and was carved out of raw mahogany. It was a hub for the city’s aristocratic elite with a US$125 membership fee and US$9 monthly dues. 

But entry into the club just wasn’t good enough for some.

It was one thing to be a member of the Shanghai Club, but it was an entirely different thing to sit on the coveted east end of the fabled Long Bar. The bar was a measure of social status among the influential Shanghailanders.

“While newcomers were relegated to the back end of the bar, the crème de la crème of Shanghai enjoyed the privilege of sitting on the east end of the bar, which accorded a view of the Huangpu," explains June Seah, director of marketing communications for the hotel. “Moving from one end of the Long Bar to the other signified an elevation of status.”

While the view from those desirable seats has drastically changed since the 1900s, the bar itself was rebuilt according to photos of the original. 

The original bar was taken out, piece by piece, when the space was converted into a KFC in the 1990s.

Although the original was sacrificed to the KFC gods, the newest incarnation offers the same historic Shanghai feel.

I think this will have to be my destination the next time I come to the Waldorf. 

Elizabeth co-ordinates a walking tour Sept 28, 2011

I know! So exciting! One of my new responsibilities this "term" is walking tour co-ordinator for the tours run by Spencer Dodington for the Shanghai Expat Association (SEA). This means I collect the money and make sure no one gets lost during the walk. 

It's important to dress the part.

Finally! Truth-in-advertising for humans.

Yes, I have family and friends who think this 

T shirt was made with me in mind.

Now, I know all y'all have seen Yu Gardens before, so you won't be seeing photos of it again, unless I have something new and exciting to tell you. With Spencer's tours, one always learns something new. He runs Luxury Concierge China and is an expert on Chinese architecture and culture and speaks fluent Mandarin and Chinese. Yeah, I know. Very accomplished and a super nice and funny guy with a great Texan accent.  Here's his website if you are ever looking for an incredible tour guide:

 http://www.luxuryconciergechina.com/

Anyway, on to the tour.

This is a typical traditional Chinese building in the Yu Gardens Bazaar. It's not old, it just looks that way. The interesting feature to note are the water dragons on the peaks of the roof. They act as protectors against fire. 

Into Yu Gardens where Spencer was doing what he does best. 

See the coin details in the table?

Those are for wealth. Sorry for explaining the obvious.

One good feature of Yu Gardens is that they recycle all sorts of items,

 including carved rocks.

A previously-enjoyed pile of stonework...

...including a gravestone from a Chinese Catholic cemetery!

(Turn your heads sideways, folks.)

The tour continued.

We left Yu Yuan Gardens and moved on to the City God Temple.

Yes, you've seen this before. It's just been a while. 

 A monk!

Stylized cloud symbols. They are good luck because the Mandarin word for "cloud" (yuan) sounds like "money" (yuan-OK, fill in the tones yourself).

It was great tour! I learned a lot and I didn't lose a single person. I guess the SEA will let me keep this gig. 

Hotel Patel hosts its first frequent stay guests

Hotel Patel, if you can stand it, you can stay. 

Now with two locations to serve you better, Toronto and Shanghai.  

My friend Marilyn and her husband Tim decided to take the plunge. They knew our motto, having already lodged at Hotel Patel, Toronto and were ready to stay anyway. Marilyn and Tim earned reward points and the distinction of being our first frequent stay guests. They arrived September 18th and stayed until the 27th. Rack up those points, people!


This post chronicles their numerous adventures, all the while luxuriating in the lush atmosphere that is Hotel Patel, Shanghai. 


Of course, our first stop was the Fabric Mart to have them measured for suits and shirts and dresses. OK, no dresses for Tim. 

Shanghaiese Egg McLi cooking on a local vendors cart outside the Mart.

The next day, it was Fuxing Park, a personal favourite. This particular date, there was a song and dance performance. Knowing Mandarin would have definitely helped, but I think it was some sort of display of civic pride.

Spot anybody you know in the background?

Let me get closer...

Yes! Our old friends, Marx and Engels.

The costumes were something else.

Yay, China!

Next, time for a little exercise, local-style. 

Marilyn bravely went first.

After Marilyn showed us how it was done, I was my turn.

This is how we do it (to the song by Montell Jordan).

Isn't it fun when you have a sound track to your life?

Here it is if you suddenly have a hankering to hear it. I know I do! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVi8bJFIac8

Then Tim gamely gave it a shot.

Then we were really schooled.

Unknown to us, we had indulged in some of the below activities, 

so it was time to leave.

Not really, but I wanted to use the sign.

Where to next?

We walked and walked and walked.
Here's stuff we saw along the way.

A "green" car

You get it? Huh, huh, you get it? 

I didn't make that up, blame the artist for the terrible visual pun.

Some new friends

The only remaining section of the old city wall.

A temple that was also spared the wrecker's ball.

Marilyn watching someone being arrested for selling fake DVDs. I actually used discretion here and didn't get too close, although there were people filming. News broadcasters? Hmmmm....

That evening we took the ferry over to the Bund. 

I never tire of this view.

A ferry man enjoying himself. 

Tim works for BC Ferries.

I guess you can never leave your work at home. 

At the Signal Tower

Awww! So cute!

Onto another day. 

After Yu Gardens Commodity Market, we went to McDonald's to sample the local cuisine. Hey! Don't judge! Every Mickey D's is different! The unusual part was that Marilyn found the chicken sandwich hot and I didn't. Finally! Someone "whiter" than me! I hope my kids are reading this.

Yeah, a little warm!

Another day

Today's lunch was at an amazing authentic 

Chinese restaurant called Din Tai Fung.

This was dericious.

What to eat, what to eat. 

These little babies!

A mural of celebrities

Don't ask me who they are.

When they say steamed dumplings, they mean it!

Marilyn and Tim left the next day having survived been thoroughly pampered at Hotel Patel. Truth be told, I was the one who felt spoiled. They were incredible guests. They can come back anytime.