Showing posts with label Shanghai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shanghai. Show all posts

11 August 2010

ANO'NG TRIP MO?

J to Me: If we have to travel the world in small steps then we'll make it our lifelong journey.


There’s no one way to travel. We all have our own styles. Based on our limited travel experience, we’ve come to know that:

1. We love taking photos. Yun lang, masaya na kami.

2. We enjoy tasting something new, observing customs different from ours, watching people, experiencing every day things as if for the first time.

3. We prefer designing our own itinerary. We research online and buy travel books. Then we design an itinerary that suits us.

4. Nothing too hard-core for the not-so-athletic me.

5. As a mountaineer, J has traversed the roughest of terrains (he’s climbed every Philippine peak). But when we design our itineraries, I’m his top consideration. Awwww.

6. We don’t like doing “package tours.” We’d rather explore on our own. We hate being bound by other people’s time, style and plans. Sayang ang oras!

7. We check out the tourist spots.

8. But we also try to immerse ourselves into the local culture by doing something not-so-touristy.

9. We don’t mind getting lost. It’s part of the fun!

10. We're budget travelers. Budget airfare. Budget hotels.

11. We can survive on street food, hawker centers, food courts. Once in awhile we do indulge in restaurants but that's not the rule.

12. We love walking. We enjoy commuting. It's our way of life.

13. J travels light. I'm slowly learning the art.

14. He lets me take the window seat. Always. (Even before Adam Sandler's song from the film "The Wedding Singer," ganyan na siya.)

15. We always vow to return and try the less-traveled route.

16. No matter how much we enjoy our travels, there's nothing like coming home. We love our cozy condo (or years back -- our lovely Asian apartment)!


“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck









10 April 2010

SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO 2010

Come May 1 Shanghai will open its World Expo 2010. While we were there this April, a lot of construction was ongoing. So mas maganda pa sa May!

With the big event coming up, meet the ubiquitous Expo mascot, Haibo, he's everywhere!

The Shanghai Museum...


On the pillar of the Super Brands Mall...


The pedestrian-only main shopping street, Nanjing Road


The Pudong International Airport...


He looks like a blue Spongebob, noh? =) We learned he represents Shanghai's youth. Kaya pala. Anyway, Haibo merchandise is sold everywhere -- in malls, MTR stations, convenience stores, the airport, etc.

PS
Speaking of the airport, check out the impressive interiors!

UFO SIGHTINGS IN SHANGHAI?

I've heard about Shanghai UFO stories. I wonder if those are mere figments of their...architecture? Hehe. *Wink*









BOOK LOVERS

Who was it who said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page?"

We love each other. We love books. We love traveling.

As I've written in a previous post ("For the Books," May 2009), our book titles differ. J's into history, architecture, languages, politics, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ayn Rand, Sun Tzu, health, biographies. I'm into chic lit, best sellers, Oprah's Book Club, fashion titles, Anthony Bourdain. The titles we share: travel, writing, Pablo Neruda, arts, advertising.

For all our trips, one of J's must-check-out are the bookstores. Good thing Shanghai's were all in one area, very near Nanjing Road (the pedestrian-only, main shopping street).

1st stop: the Art Bookstore
All books were in Chinese, pass.


2nd stop: the Shanghai Ancient Bookstore
Again, all books were in Chinese.


3rd stop: the Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore
Finally!


I found a corner here. We dropped by twice. And both times, I had the corner seat (by the window) to myself.


I know we have this title in Manila but I still wondered if it'd be different (mas feel?) reading the book in Shanghai! Hahaha!


Last stop: the Shanghai City of Books
9 floors of book haven! But only one floor for foreign language books.


Had to have my hot chocolate (I was freezing! Must have been 7C outside!) while J looked for a book to add to his Art of War collection


Our title preferences are proof of how we're different yet the same. Glad to know we're on the same page (pun intended!) when it comes to our marriage.

ANTIQUE GARDEN SHANGHAI

On our way to Sun Yat-Sen's Residence (J knows him better. All I know is that he's a Chinese revolutionary leader), we saw a quaint coffee / tea shop, the very pretty Antique Garden Shanghai.



I got so curious! The sign says "closed" but it's actually "open."


The shop sells antique furniture. But we went in for the tea and cake.


The house specialty, Antique Garden Traditional Tea (chamomile-based). I liked it.


It was served with rose buds! So pretty!


The yummy chocolate mousse. Wanted the cheesecake but it was unavailable when we came in.


Tea for Two

SHANGHAI MOMENTS

Our favorite Shanghai moments (no, it's not the shopping nor the tourist spots):

Love, love, love the cherry blossoms!




The old man doing Chinese calligraphy using water at the Fuxing Park.




Bike man. (Parang Chinese movie coming to life before my very eyes!)


Shanghai's a biking community. How green!




Street art




MTR Chinese paper-cut art


Old couples dancing at the Fuxing Park


Man doing Tai Chi


Longtang and Lilong: a peek into Shanghai alleys




Lots of kite flying in the parks


The old man's kite. People's Square.


So him! Site of the 1st National Congress of the CCP.


He takes better photos, hehe.

09 April 2010

PARIS OF THE ORIENT

Europe in Asia? Now, I know why Shanghai's called Paris of the Orient...



















































Above are sights from the Bund (where historical buildings line the Huangpu River), the French Concession (put French town in the frame), Xintiandi ("shikumen" aka stone gate houses), Nanjing Road (Shanghai's main shopping street).

We love being transported into worlds different from ours. Here's to more travels together!