Day 2 : The Meeting with Arnold & Qing
Today was a big date for me, I finally could meet Arnold and his wife.
But the beginning was not really as I would have liked it to be.
Once again, it seems that there is always something turning around me, and I just was a bit angry.
But happy at the end, the most important point ^^
First, bad sleeped, awaken many times, and I don't really know how to explain. the bed is very cumfortable, so is the room, and I have nothing to say about it. Maybe about the window and the fact that my showing room has some "direct view" to the window, but it's another subject ^^'
So, I finally woke up at 06:45 am, one of the grooms downstair, at the hotel, told me yesterday that he has booked a taxi for me for today, at 07:30 am. I had enough time to have a shower, and had to see what to wear... well, I checked about Arnold's photographies, I said myself (jacket, t shirt?) and I finally changed 3 times... but I didn't really see the weather outside in fact...
Once I was ok, I went downstair, and the groom said me that he forgot in fact to book the taxi.... what a s....t
It was 07:30 am and I said myself that, even if Arnold was not so far away from my hotel, (less than 10 kms), I maybe would not have so long to be in taxi to go and meet him...
About 5 mins later, a taxi came, and the groom asked him to get me quickly to the Holiday Inn, where were my friend Arnold and his wife..
By the way, it was raining, and I then said to myself that a jacket would not really have been a good idea... and no umbrella at all... ^^'
But because of the traffic jam, I lost more than one hour in the taxi to go there.
I then checked about the phone number, but I did an error... while I thought I was calling Qing, I was calling Lyian in fact ^^'... but it seemed that she didn't really understand me when I was speaking to her... and as I had some doubts while I supposed I was talking to Qing, I then said I would call back 10 mins later.
I became a bit upset while I got a message "where are you going? is very early, I am working now". I suddenly realized I wasn't calling the righteous person ^^'. I then used my mobile to connect here and retrieving the correct phone number, and when I wanted to call, I just could hear "the number you dialed is incorrect..."
what a f...
No way to join Arnold and I thought he would had been going to have breakfast with his wife.
Finally, a few minutes before 09:00 am, I arrived at the Holiday Inn, a groom tried to help me to not be too much wet because of the rain, and showed me the entrance of the hotel. I thanked him and the taxi too anyway, and found a lady who was working in the hotel. I asked her if she could speak in english, and as she was replying to me, someone came next to me and told me "are you Sly?"
I then realized Arnold was here, with his beautiful wife. I was very happy and for sure, I explained about the situation and the fact that I could not join them.
It seems there's also a missing number in the phone number I got, but Arnold and Qing were waiting me, anyway, to go breakfast.
You have to know that in fact, Arnold is really someone interesting and he is the same as his photographies, a very cool and nice guy, who likes joking and who is very "careness", would I say.
I even was amazed because of Qing, because she was very good in english, and because she's a very beautiful chinese woman, too. I think Arnold can easily confirm about it
She talked to me always in english and teached me some words in chinese, too (and in Shanghainese ^^)
So, about the breakfast :
It was very delicious ^^ (délicieux, Arnold, do you remember? ^^) and we took some photographies about us (in fact we asked someone to take some photos about us)
We then talked about many things, life in China, the difference between Chongqing and Shanghai. I told Arnold I was surprized because of the life which seemed expensive in Shanghai, and not in Chongqing. He just said it was right, and that life was not the same as in Chongqing (even Qing approved it), and I then became a bit upset because I didn't think it would be like that, I thought it would be the same as in Chongqing. (Just an example : from the aiport to the hotel, about one hour in taxi, costs about 234 rmb's in Shanghai. And in Chongqing, for about 30 mins in taxi, it costs about 30 rmb's only... do you feel the difference?
)
So, after the breakfast, Arnold and Qing invited me quickly to their room, (no, there was no dumplings inside of it ^^) and they took an umbrella because we were then moving outside, to go "visiting" a big tower together.
But as I didn't have any umbrella, Arnold went back to his room and lend(ed?) me another one. I thanked him and a few mins later, we took a taxi which brought us to the famous tower.
Arnold was very nice because he explained me many things about the tower and the other ones which were around.
So, we entered into the tower, and the cost is 150 rmb's. In fact, it is approximatively the same price as in France when man is visiting a monument or something like that. We had some "checkup" like in airports, and I knew I would have "beeped" when passing the door. So I took all keys/usb keys, belt, and a short knife from my pocket...
When one of the men saw it, I thought I would have been in the beginning of a little war... "look! look! it's a knife!! he got a knife!!!" ..
OMG....
One other man looked at the knife and smiled a bit because it was a very small one, just as small as one of my fingers.... ^^ so, they let me in, and Arnod and Qing were surprized because of it... I then showed them the "little knife", and we could go on visiting.
I must say the Observatory tower is also 474 meters high. The tower is very "futuristical looking" inside the elevators. Most of the time, we were only the 3 of us inside each elevator. Guess what? We were VIP's people, that's all ! ^^
Once we were to the top (100th floor), we saw that for sure, it was raining and could not really saw a beautiful view on all Shanghai. Arnold was a bit "sad" because it was the second time he was there, and the first time was also a rainy day or cloudly one.
Anyway, we did some photographies, and I could see and compare the difference between that observatory and many other monuments, as ... the eiffel tower ^^
The place was also very nice and we saw at first in a "room", some futuristic monuments/buildings that should be built later. Maybe would it be real, maybe just as projects... well, let's go on ^^
So, the Observatory let us see some houses which are likely some european ones, the "style" was very different from what I've seen in Chongqing.
We saw a swimming pool downside the tower, and both Arnold & I joked about it, as I was saying "let's jump !!" We imaginated too like a sort of cable to go up to there or directly to another destination
'seems like Arnold really liked the tour he did on The Great Wall in Beijing when he used the cable, too ^^
After the visit of that tower (which is the highest one in all the world), we then had to take another taxi to go to a famous place, where we could eat some Dumplings
Arnold asked me if I had eaten some before, but as he told me how "specific" it was, I replied that no, not some like that, in fact.
So, a few mins later, we arrived to a place, there were lot of people queueing, and I guessed it was the famous place where the dumplings were very good.
We waited about 10-15 mins I thik before having a table.
We then shared some cup of tea together, and dumplings came to us
I don't want to hurt anyone, but we saved of all it ^^ (in our stomachs, for sure ^^)
Qing and Arnold showed me the way to eat it, and using chopsticks was not a problem at all
We then talked about many things, about my daughter, about life in China, about Lyian, about Arnold & Qing, in fact, many subjects, that, for sure, one day together would never had been enough to talk about sooo many things.
I really liked to see Arnold & Qing because they are very nice and happy together. I wish I could have the same situation in a few days with Lyian. Who knows?
So, after the dumplings were gone (^^), we finally went out, and I saw some men asking Arnold if he wanted to buy some Rollex/Iphone/Ipod and many other things... I was a bit surprized because I didn't know if it was like some "joke" or not, but Arnold said nothing, and the man left, just to ask me.. even a "no" did nothng, the man tried anyway to sell me anything.
The place is anyway very nice and I'm sure to go there later (maybe tonight in fact ^^)
Arnold and Qing asked a taxi to take me back to my hotel, and I thanked them many times for all the morning/day we shared together. We hope to be able to meet again in Guangzhou in a few days, maybe on Saturday, in fact, we'll see how to proceed
Once I was back to the hotel, I then was a bit K.O but put the photographies on my laptop and resized all of them, so that it can be posted here
I slept a bit and went also swimming a few hours later, just before eating in the restaurant, in the hotel. But it was the last time for me to eat there (because of the price)
In fact, the swimming pool is very nice, as from the beginning, I am always alone when swimming, maybe because most of others are working or visiting, I don't really know. Anyway, I will visit more Shanghai today and in the following days, before going to Guangzhou.
About the restaurant, in fact, one of the mean who is working there is french ^^' we spoke a bit together, he said that yes, Shanghai is very expensive and that traffic jam is very "horrible" when man has to go somewhere in the morning and in the afternoon. Except some "red taxis" with a red like on the Ferrari's, the drivers seem to know very well Shanghai and the speed limits with some "flashers" if man is driving so quick... he also told me a bit more about the hotel and the chinse who were very proud about it. Even if it is a recent hotel, the quality seems to grow up, slowly, but surely.
The quality of the meals is very rich, european one and asian one, too.
I asked him about some good places to visit and he said that People's Square is very well known, just because of dumplings there ^^
I thanked him, and finished my dinner, and a few minutes later, I had to contact any other lady in Shanghai. She said she could be free on Tuesday afternoon, so we would meet at People's Square, because her house is close to it, so, we'll see what to do. by the way, her english is also good, so it's good to me, even if my chinese is a bit too poor.
I booked my flight to Guangzhou, too, so Lyian is waiting for Saturday, just like me
I hope we could see Arnold and Qing once again, once I'll be there.
I talked a few moment with Lyian but I became a bit tired, so she was, then we decided to go sleeping.
I had to say I woke up this morning at 08:45, so I quickly had a shower and went breakfast.
There were many people, most of them were turkish ones. My breakfast was very good, with cereals, coffee, orange juice, and some watermelon
Once it was over, I asked one of the persons working the hotel any services, and about some other places to visit. So, Nanjing road is very a place to visit, it seems. I will have to go there this afternoon, or maybe with Dora, the lady I should meet today.
I will phone her again if she confirms she can be free, and whatever happens, I will go and visiting Shanghai
Here are some pics I did from yesterday at the Observatory for most of it.
