This blog starts with a story of a little boy who dreams of becoming a superhero and slaying the monsters and evil men. Grab a snack, this might take a while. Where was I? Yeah. The little boy. Ever since he was allowed to watch television after school, he developed a fascination for saving the world not with super natural powers, but with human strength and willpower. He watched Bruce Lee flying from one shot to another on the screen and decided that’s his hero. Time passed, seasons changed, the little boy now became a young man of 20 years old. Like most of the boys his age, he had long forgotten about his dreams and passions and was busy pursuing a degree in Quantum Physics.
As luck would have it, on his 21st birthday, for a special project, he found himself in the largest city of the world, Shanghai. Shanghai is known as the epicenter of global finance and is one of the four municipalities which are directly controlled by People’s Republic of China. The city is home to 24,256,800 people and is lovingly called, Pearl of the Orient or Paris of the East.
So here we are in the present, I am writing this blog while sipping on some herbal tea at a restaurant named Shanghai Grandmother. Let’s begin, shall we? By now you must have guessed that this was my first time in Shanghai and the amount of love and acceptance I have received here from locals, it was hard to comprehend.
I arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and asked the taxi driver to take me to one of the most popular food joints, Dragon Phoenix. I devoured steamed crab and fried Manton like there’s no tomorrow. Since it was still some time before it gets dark, I decided to visit Yuyuan Garden and was I amazed at the craft and precision of the people here!
I was recommended to stay at Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai. The staff was welcoming and polite. The property was exquisite to look at, with sharp and clean interiors making me feel safe. Everyone was wearing masks and sanitizing the surfaces frequently. I was informed that my room was sanitized floor to ceiling to get it prepped for my arrival. As soon as I entered my room, I decided to order some room service and call it a day (after the customary hopping on the bed a zillion time, of course).
Next day I woke up early morning to spend some time among enlightened souls in Jade Buddha Monastery. The stillness of the place enveloped me in a bear hug. To say I felt I was meant to be here, in this exact moment of time would be an understatement. After feeling cleansed to the soul, I decided to head on out for a lunch at Jin Xuan Chinese Restaurant for a hearty meal and some banter with the locals.
My evening was taken care of by Aura Lounge and Jazz Bar. I got to know the culture of Shanghai a little bit better by actually observing them in a laid-back setting, like this one. People have a lot to share if you are willing to listen.
I picked up some customs and rituals of locals and thought it would be nice if you’d know about them too.
• Do not insist on paying for a meal hosted by a native, especially if they invited you to their home.
• People speak Wu Chinese although the official language is Mandarin.
• Chinese dislike being touched by strangers.
• Always take your shoes off before entering the house.
I guess I understood Einstein’s Theory of relativity better in Shanghai then I did in University, by seeing how fast the time flies when you are living your dream. Those few days in Shanghai are going to stay with me forever. I left a part of me there and brought a part of Shanghai with me, to my home. I am still figuring out my life but one thing is for sure, I am going to be my own super hero.
When I was planning my trip to Shanghai, I was so confused about that Which is the best platform and the best airline to book flight. I called my best friend and he suggest me that I should go with British Airways Reservations. He sent me the website to book flights. So I called them and book that flight and I also got the best deal.
Hope you get to experience Shanghai, vicariously through me. Stay safe and keep on dreaming.