The next morning dawned bright and new and with a sunny ‘Good morning’ from my Korean roommates. After a lazy western breakfast with eggs and beans at the hostel restaurant I was ready to start the day.
From The Times list I decided to do no. 2 the Fuxing Park (check!!) in the French Concession Quarter. It was only a short metro ride and a little walk around (why I am always walking first in the wrong direction is beyond me) I was in the park. And it was exactly as described. Lots of people around, dancing, doing Tai chi (check !!!), or just sitting or even sleeping. And not just old people, rather from all ages. I really wonder why there are always so many people around (besides the obvious reason that they are a lot people), don’t they have work to do? The park itself was beautiful and lush, the weather being warm but not too hot. What more could I want for people watching?
On the way through the French Concession Quarter I later stopped for soup. Pictures in restaurant are really helpful, will never talk bad about them anymore.
Walking further through the area brought me to a nice coffee place where I then decided to follow the metro plan and go see the Catholic Church in Shanghai. On my arrival there the first thing I noticed was the wedding that went on. Not so much the wedding as the photo shoot.
This I had already noticed in several cities seemed to be super popular. There is always a team of at least three people around the couple, the photographer, the make-up artist and the assistant. All three of the busy in putting the couple into the best light. Like in Europe May appeared to be the favorite month for weddings.
Since I was in the area I checked out another park just a couple of blocks away. While sitting there I wrote all my postcards and then decided that I would go to the movies tonight. I needed a break from Chinese food and wanted classic entertainment.
Upon leaving the park I happened on this group of pink ladies. They really had a fabulous choreography going.
At the movies I had the choice between two movies (see, I never doubted they would show English films) and I went for the Avengers: Age of Ultron. The 3D movie came with a hefty ticket price 120Yuan or 20 Euro. Wow, at this price I would never go at home. No wonder the theater was almost empty.
While waiting for the film to start I walked around the mall in which the cinema was located and was astonished of the variety of shops. Austria is shopping wise in the Stone Age compared to China. That’s unbelievable what they have here. And the shops are not cheap. So maybe they are all making really good money or some people are so rich to keep it all going.
The movie then was super and I had really fun seeing it (except for the little boy behind me who kept hitting my seat). Still it was a great evening that got better when I came to the hostel. The Korean girls were already there, telling me all about the Matisse exhibition they went to (so mature!) and then gave me a face mask and a black head remover strip. I thought that really nice but don’t understand why and how they could even see I need it. It was so dark in the room we never had more light than “extreme romantic” level. Yours, Pollybert
oh, they were tons of brides and grooms in October as well – in such a huge country it’s wedding season all year long :-)
So true ;)