Shanghai at last!

Everyone's been talking about the New Shanghai for a long time. I've heard so much but never thought about including this in my travel list.

At last, we made our way to the much-talked-about Shanghai last week. The exciting bit was to bring along our 2 year old.

We were most thankful for my beloved Ta Jie who so graciously offered her luxurious 3 bedroom apartment for our use. And it was even more exciting to have Tracy and David joining us from Ningbo.

We arrived at Hong Qiao State Guesthouse... you wouldn' think you are in Shanghai when you are in the compound. The apartment is surrounded with lots of foliage, well-manicured shrubs, shady trees. Peaceful and quiet... a total contrast when you stepped out of the compound.

That's where you see lots of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, buses and cars... this is the real Shanghai.

The four nights stay were sufficient to have a taste of urban Shanghai. We got to see a bit of village life in Zhou Zhuang. The highlight of the trip (for ALL of us) was Dong Jia Du Lu - the textile haven!

I think none of us had ever tailored so many garments at one time!! I ended up with more than 10 and so did Alex, Tracy and David! The prices were irresistible! Where do you find a well-tailored dressed pants in Italy-fabric at RM90!

My favourite was my chiffon silk blouse - never had anything so feminine!

So thankful that Clayton was overall good with some sharp screams and protests to get out of his pram. I mean it must be pretty boring for him to sit in that pram for hours when all we adults did were to shop for our fabric, did our measurements, chose our designs and bargained the best price.

Another highlight for Tracy and myself was Pearl City. My, those crystals, pearls and stones were lovely. And the prices were just too hard to resist too!

We saw Xin Tian Ti (the Shanghai version of Bangsar). This place is happening! Packed with restaurants and people. You cannot not do well if you own a F&B outlet here. You can't miss out Nanjing road as a tourist.

We wouldn't believe how 'BIG' Shanghai was til we went up to Jin Mao (the tallest building in Shanghai) where we actually witnessed the massive skyscrapers in this urban city. It was simple unbelievable.

Well, the best part of the trip was the personal driver we had (many thanks to my Ta Jie again). This trip wouldn't be that 'fantastic' without the luxurious apartment and experienced driver.

What a blessing.

Finally, keeping a toddler in the plane for 6 hours was no fun. I don't blame him. As I looked back, he was a great kid. I was so thankful to God for healing Clayton's diarrhea. It would be challenging travelling with an unwell boy.

It was a fruitful trip. I've finally seen Shanghai.