In the weekend, after finishing visa business, we stroll through the centre. We are not the only ones, it probably is the most crowded weekend in the year. October first the birth of communistic China is celebrated and it seems all Chinese want to do this on Nanjing road. I can still look over the masses as the average Chinese reaches till my shoulder. During the week Marieke has to work hard on her graduation project and I have to entertain myself. Usually we have lunch together at 11:30 and we meet at 18:30 to find a place to dine. On wednesday I finally buy new shoes and throw away my huge boots. When I return to the campus I head straight for the football pitch with artificial grass. It already is crowded, with lots of people with balls. Two games are played on half a field. Initially I stand at the side line trying to pick up some loose balls, to show I am not a total moron with the ball. It takes to long before I am invited so I ask people if they speak English. After a few negative answers or shrugs with shoulders I find someone to converse with. We end up passing eachother the ball and when his team is up for playing a game I am invited to join. Each teams stands until the opposing team scores against them. We win the first match, but I can not prevent that the next team scores against us. I can not enjoy any rest, I am invited to play with the new team, which I gladly accept. By this time I already have a huge blister on the heel of my left foot. After 3 games won we are swapped with the third team, but in five minutes we are called to duty again. Most of us are still tired and soon we are defeated. After two and a half hour playing we call it a day. Now my foot realy hurts and my upperlegs soon are stiff, I feel and move like an old man.
There is no time to shower or change clothes, I have to meet Dave, from Urumqi, at People's square exit 1 at seven. Dave is already waiting and together with Marieke we head on Dave's advice to a Japanese restaurant. Although relative expensive, we enjoy a wonderfull meal. Dave has just returned from Japan and orders the dishes. We had to pay 3 times 98RMB and got all we could eat and drink. The different dishes keep on coming, one even more delicious than the other. The (Japanese) beer and prune(?) wine also taste great. Besides enjoying the food it is great to see Dave again. When finished, we take the taxi home, subway stops running quite early.
The next morning I feel much more older than the one day I have aged since the day before. I hardly can get out of my bed. Wearing my left shoe is killing, to day will be a day I will definitely do/walk not much. In the evening I manage to pull my body to a nearby restaurant where I am invited by Marieke to dine with her student colleagues. The bill is paid by the professor, although not present. I am Dutch enough to show up at something for free. Before going to Starbucks to have some coffee in town, spending all the saved money again, Marieke puts on someting warmer and I meet Qiqi, a law student. She wants to be in a picture with me, to which I do not object. She is so kind to send it to me later. On the way back from town I take of my shoes and walk on my socks, giving my heel a little rest and in the meantime spreading the hideous odour coming from my feet. If you hear of an environmental disaster in Shanghai, you know where it came from.
In the weekend, after finishing visa business, we stroll through the centre. We are not the only ones, it probably is the most crowded weekend in the year. October first the birth of communistic China is celebrated and it seems all Chinese want to do this on Nanjing road. I can still look over the masses as the average Chinese reaches till my shoulder. During the week Marieke has to work hard on her graduation project and I have to entertain myself. Usually we have lunch together at 11:30 and we meet at 18:30 to find a place to dine. On wednesday I finally buy new shoes and throw away my huge boots. When I return to the campus I head straight for the football pitch with artificial grass. It already is crowded, with lots of people with balls. Two games are played on half a field. Initially I stand at the side line trying to pick up some loose balls, to show I am not a total moron with the ball. It takes to long before I am invited so I ask people if they speak English. After a few negative answers or shrugs with shoulders I find someone to converse with. We end up passing eachother the ball and when his team is up for playing a game I am invited to join. Each teams stands until the opposing team scores against them. We win the first match, but I can not prevent that the next team scores against us. I can not enjoy any rest, I am invited to play with the new team, which I gladly accept. By this time I already have a huge blister on the heel of my left foot. After 3 games won we are swapped with the third team, but in five minutes we are called to duty again. Most of us are still tired and soon we are defeated. After two and a half hour playing we call it a day. Now my foot realy hurts and my upperlegs soon are stiff, I feel and move like an old man.
There is no time to shower or change clothes, I have to meet Dave, from Urumqi, at People's square exit 1 at seven. Dave is already waiting and together with Marieke we head on Dave's advice to a Japanese restaurant. Although relative expensive, we enjoy a wonderfull meal. Dave has just returned from Japan and orders the dishes. We had to pay 3 times 98RMB and got all we could eat and drink. The different dishes keep on coming, one even more delicious than the other. The (Japanese) beer and prune(?) wine also taste great. Besides enjoying the food it is great to see Dave again. When finished, we take the taxi home, subway stops running quite early.
The next morning I feel much more older than the one day I have aged since the day before. I hardly can get out of my bed. Wearing my left shoe is killing, to day will be a day I will definitely do/walk not much. In the evening I manage to pull my body to a nearby restaurant where I am invited by Marieke to dine with her student colleagues. The bill is paid by the professor, although not present. I am Dutch enough to show up at something for free. Before going to Starbucks to have some coffee in town, spending all the saved money again, Marieke puts on someting warmer and I meet Qiqi, a law student. She wants to be in a picture with me, to which I do not object. She is so kind to send it to me later. On the way back from town I take of my shoes and walk on my socks, giving my heel a little rest and in the meantime spreading the hideous odour coming from my feet. If you hear of an environmental disaster in Shanghai, you know where it came from.
1 comment:
Hee Beejee,
Tegen de tijd dat je dit leest ben je vertrokken uit Shanghai en heb je al weer 40 uur treinen erop zitten. Ik vond het erg gezellig dat je langs bent gekomen. Gelukkig heeft het 'yellow-paper-gezeik' van de eerste dag geen gevolgen meer gehad. Heb was leuk om samen te tafelen, in mijn office te hangen, cappuccino's te drinken en veel slap te ouwehoeren... Hopelijk was ik ondanks mijn studieprogramma ook goed gezelschap voor jou en kan je er nu weer even alleen tegen aan. Ik wens je nog een leuke reis. Op naar de zon, zee en strand!
Liefs, Marieke
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