Never try to book tickets during any holidays

I had an amazing experience recently, can even consider it frustrating, but the encounter can certainly worth another bookmark on my travel life.

Oct 1^st till Oct 10^th is the china National holiday an important holidays in China. This is also the last “long” holiday until Spring Festival, otherwise known as Chinese New Year. During this extended holidays the affluent travel to distance land to spend their holidays. Although it will never reach the same level of mass migration like the New Year, but it is like open season for money grabbing, it certainly got me frustrated and angry.

I thought having a 10-day holiday, perhaps is a good week to get away from my work to go to Hong Kong to visit my family there. Great idea isn’t it? My families were all excited for my pending visit. That was until I started looking into booking tickets.

Far from being a procrastinator, I started looking for tickets in mid July for early Oct. departure. I thought the ticket price were high when I start my search. I thought perhaps I should look a little harder explore all the options. At least that is what I usually do my search. I started the fare watching, every time I got an alert. It is almost always the flights already sold out. The schedule I prefer either unavailable, or I got one flight and the return flight is either leaving in the middle of the night, or on the next day other than the date I prefer. It got worst, as day passes. The price kept going up rather than down. With those mid night departure and arrival, I may as well book the FedX cargo flights.

After two weeks of searching, with the same result, my patient was at the breaking point. Time to change strategy. I decided to try looking at alternative days on leaving a week later after the National Holidays. I was shock to found that not only the price drop two-third from the peak week, all flights were also available.

Flight availability is understandable at non-peak, but price is two-third less is unthinkable. I travel during Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays before, flights will always available if I book months in advance, plus I believe airlines added flight to accommodates travelers. In China I can’t believe that is the case, all airlines from domestic to foreign were solidly booked. What amazes me is the legal price fixing across the board. For the government that control everything, which they turn a blind eye on the situation. But then it is China. Not everything happened for a reason.

This experience is certainly an eye opener to me. I travel frequently during high season, but I had never experience anything like this in my entirely life. There were other interesting facts I found out during my search for economic flights. I can book a flight to Thailand with an extended stay in HK during the same period, for half the price fly direct to Hong Kong. That is insane, because Thailand is a lot further than going to HK alone. Does that make any sense for you? If I have the time I would took that option. Unfortunately time is not an option for some of us here.

There you have it, just when I thought I explored almost everything here in the mainland. I encountered another surprise.

Chang Encounter Shanghai.

Some thing about Shanghai

It sure does not feels like summer is ending soon, we had a month of sunshine in Shanghai, I will take it at any time in stead of gray and cloudy days. I was being prep by my friends before the summer arrive about how horrible that would be in the summer months, in the end it does not feels any different than the sizzling summer heat in New York, or the windless coast in Turkey. I actually enjoy the UV days a rare treat here indeed. : o

If you read my blog regularly, you may have noticed my transformation from a lonely worm to a social butterfly, blossoming in Shanghai in a little short of 8 months. I am finally settled into my work routine, and figure out a way on how to balance a work life and a social one a little better. At my advance age of 99, social life these days is nothing more than a little wine bar visits, social gathering with friends again in bars and restaurants, lots of dinner parties, a little concert and comedy club in between, and lots of road trips. The nightclub scenes although not totally diminished, but is not my prefer venue. As we age, our entertainment became a lot more creative, as you saw on my many photo journals. I still have lots of fun. A far cry from those foods hunting days when I first arrive in Shanghai. I am not longer a cave man. stuck in my own house.

Two weeks ago, I share with you some of my highlights in the lovely Former French Concession area, and of course the ever-famous People’s square, the beating heart of Shanghai as well.

Shanghai had many concessions, the English, and Italian even American, but they all eventually combined into one huge international concession close to where the Bund is located today. Because of this action, the international concession loose a lot of the distinct architectural style typical of their own country, but the French they held out, and refused to merge. ( WHAT ELSE IS NEW WITH THOE FRENCH RIGHT?) Therefore the French concession remain intact, today it is one of the most sort after address for the affluent.


The lovely former French Concession was where the Good Life once was to be found, along with the lovely old villas and modern apartment houses of those who lived it. I strove down Avenue Petain with my friends we visited the Love house (The Former Residence of Song Meiling & Chiang Kai-Shek). The High art, art deco residence (originally built as the club house of Du Yue-Sheng, China's most powerful syndicate boss). Now the Mansion Hotel. The Old French Concession Street is where the Okura Garden Hotel located. In the picture I send previously, you saw the beautiful formal garden, the house was built originally as the French Club in 1926. It certainly had the French style as soon as you enter the old part of the hotel. The grand stair case lead to the second floor ballroom, I was told that it was the only party place in town, because in the 19th century China, gentlemen and ladies were not allow to be party in the same room, except in the French club. Party with out ladies, what a gay time was that. Ha ha.

The Cathay Theater, Avenue was a movie palace, the main theatre I was told can seat up to a 1000 guest per show. It is still an operating theatre today. We visited some galleries. And tree line streets planted with old trees and full of charming French origin housing blocks and art deco buildings. It is charming area, and not to be missed if you ever visit Shanghai.
As we approaching people Square “again” The former British Royal Jockey Club house as stable was keep in perfect shape. It was located here is because the People Square before it got converted into a park, was once the British Race Track of Shanghai.


The visit to People’s Square is not complete without a trip to the wedding market (again). This is the place where desperate parents try to make a match for their reluctant children. Some of them are desperate as well, so you need to make sure the photo is not retouched, or you will end up with a girlfriend missing two front tooth.

We always have fun there doing the Bargain with them, although none of us are really seriously wanted to cut ties with our family and our own country, but it never hurt to do some bargaining. especially my friends do all the talking I am just sitting pretty. ha ha.

Since I am a tall Chinese with an American passport, you can see the trouble I can cause. Some parents willing to forget the three basic requirements that is the standard of any negotiation (or sell), in exchange for a son in law with a passport to America.

The 3 basic requirements are.
1.    Do you have a house?
2.    How much real money you have in the bank?
3.    Do you have a car?

In the case for the girls that could be different. But it is usually the girls’ parents take the upper hand approach, They are very aggressive. Make sure you still have your two arms intact when you leave the park. The other tips is that if a fight broke out between two parent. Sneak out as soon as you can, or you will end up dating the one daughter of the winning parent. I will take some of my unsuspected visiting “American Friends” there some time. I also had a lot of international helpers is more than happy to make it happen to you.

Age and looks are not deciding matter here, if you pass all three requirements and a passport of any foreign country. You are in the fast track for approval on getting a speedy wife that may leave you the day their Green Card arrived. Unless you are loaded with “Cash” then they may stay until your back account dry up.

The feeling for most Chinese girls is: (I have reference for these saying and I swear I did not make it up).
They rather weep in a Mercedes, than laughing on the back of a bicycle.
Don't you just love those Chinese they are too practical.

Here is another funny one for you, inside joke, my Chinese friends told me this:

Q. What do you call people that speak two languages?
A. Bilingual. (Correct).

Q. What do you call people that speak three languages?
A. Trilingual. (Correct).

Q. What do you call people that speak more than three languages?
A. Multilingual. (Correct).

Q. What do you call people that speak only one languages?
A.  It starts with an A _ _ _ _ _ _ Ns.

Sorry this time the joke is on Y_ _.

Just think if it you are in a comedy club. Every one gets its turns being make fun of. Ha ha.

Chance Encounter Shanghai
 

Another summer week in the city

Another two weeks since I updated my blog been busy working, not much exciting news going on, except visiting a lot of amazing Shanghai clubs, (wait a minute, I may be old, but not restrained yet, I still got a few move left.) ha ha. I also made a bundle of really amazing international friends and established my own united nations.

I went to a comedy club recently, it reminded me of the second city comedy club in Chicago. For 50rmb, being entertained by a group of young comedians for three hours was a steal. Although they are all amateurs, they are very professional and funny. It is kind of a breath of fresh air to found a piece of American apple pie in China. However a lot of the topic were inside jokes, basically is a bunch of Americans, making fun of the French expats and the Chinese live in Shanghai in an
American own bar. Their subjects were daily life that we all find interesting including the price for the maid. I am no kidding, so me of the expat life here for too long they want to bargain with the old maid for a mere 50rmb while they only pay about 300-500 a month for these poor folks to clean the house, buy grocery, cook their meal, walk their dogs, do laundry, and everything else in between. You know they are not slaves you know. The price they got equalvilent to one day worth of work for their maid back home.

Let’s just move on to another subjects. I am sure you all saw the see thru dress shot on the young girls in Shanghai from you tub? I already wrote about the inappropriate dress code when I first got here on the same subject, so that was old news isn’t it. You know I do not miss a beat.

However, summer brought out the worst, I do not know if I should call that sexy or silly. Everyday in the office is like dressing up to go the beach everyday, it progressively going downhill as it approaching the weekend. You will see the conservatively dressed Married female with wraps that looks like a rage wrapping around their shoulder, and colors were not matching anything. For god sake we are in Shanghai, the city where silk merchandizing were everywhere, isn’t it time to get ride of the baby security blanket?

The underwear showing younger sets should really consider wearing something more than swimwear, or belly dancing outfit to the office. Thank God Ballet tutus were out of fashion for the season.

As for the boys, it is almost exclusively shorts and T-shirts. I try to enforce dress code for a while before they show up with thongs, but then after a while I just gave up, since deodarant is not a product widely adopted, plus most Chinese do not believe in washing their hair everyday. It is perhaps the best way to let everyone wear something more airy, while all the foreigners were wearing long pants in this sizzling heat. See, I am rather flexible, and go with the flow. After a while I just got use to it, nothing surprising any more.

Last week, I did a walking tour to some of the lesser know gallery districts and the four grand historic hotels that anchor the Bund. I had to tell you that it was worth all the sweat and burns in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. The amazing architecture from the by gone era were all so lovingly restored. As much as shanghai is famous for tearing down old buildings, around the Bund and some of the historical neighborhoods scattering around town retain a lot of the historic charms.

The expat community over here is so active which is beyond my expectation. Everyone were in their 30’s including myself of course, after many face lift  : ).  Not a word please.  What amazes me is a lot of them came from Europe without the language skill nor and job offer, and yet they keep coming. Every other week at the expat parties, I met new arrivals. In just a few short months, my circle of friends grew from a few close associates to more than 30 souls. I meant these are friends, we call each other on the mobile, we go out to do thing together as a group. Perhaps just a coffee in the afternoon, a very civilize afternoon tea, a walk at the park, a picnic to rowdy evening in the club. We had fun, and the phone keep ringing.  I even have a few friends like to go swim and work out together.

A lot of them even admitted they had never experience this kind of friendship in the home country ever. I suppose everyone here is on the same boat, we are alone, and a strong sense of belongings, a common bond of English as the common languages, gave us the longing of belonging. My experience with all of them some time is funny especially when expressions were lost in translation. We all burst out in laughers at time.

In conclusion of all that,

So far I found the French are really OK, the Germans are not as headstrong as I thought they would be, they are actually very low key. The Italian however were a little dominating, especially the girls, so they are kind of funny, they had no sense of time, if there is a party they will go even if it starts at 2AM on a week night. As for the British they were rather easy going with the stiff upper lips, and a smoke in their hands. The Canadians are surprisingly loud and party monsters as well. They love organizing group outings. Then all the South American and the Spaniards fill in all the gaps. The American except me is basically no existed. But no worry. You are well represented by me alone. I walk in any party I will be sported right away. I am not kidding.

That is why the boys knew if they hang around me they would eventually meet the girls they wanted to talk to because I am a magnet for girls, and they just came out from everywhere. Unfortunately for the girls I am off the market, it is a well knows fact, more opportunities for my other friends. Ha ha.

Funny one of my friend in NY just asked me how could I meet all these girls. I simple do not know, come find out in Shanghai.

But shanghai is not all about parties, there are so much stuff to do here, the venues are different than the life I had in NY, no politics for a change, although I still debate with friends from our northern neighbors, and what in the world they care about out politics any way? Aren’t they too large to be Annex anyway, and I thought the British already try unsuccessfully in the past, sorry.

OK, that is all for this week. I just wanted to provide a little peek into my life here besides getting all those fabulous party pictures from me wonder if I download it from the web and retouch myself in it. Oh boy that could be fun.

Chance Encounter, Shanghai again.

Tour of the three cities

July is upon us, while fire works is about to flare, west side won again. If you forgot the meaning of this holiday, just be thankful that you only had to work 4 days this week, which left you with 3 days of free times

You can spend this lazy day with an orgy of food or orgy of sex, either way will give you something to look forward to. LOL.

Speaking of July that means I should start reinforcing the fort again for another waves of alien’s invasion. Perhaps it may be a good time to give you aliens some pointer for your fall visits to this part of my world.

First stop Beijing:

1.       The first tips to travel to ASIA. No matter how tire you are, how relax you want to be, or you love to take to the air travel, or the seating arrangement is so comfortable in the first class, without the babies crying of course. Rule number one. Do not drink like a fish just because it is free. It is not worth it. Rule number two. Do not go to sleep, just watch three damn movies, and go to bathroom twice, eat all your favorite veggies and you will be here without jet legs for days to come.

2.       Once you arrive, do not get over anxious, please time yourself for all the activities you had plan. Take time out to smell the tea, and remember even with an escort, or guide, you will get lost and time wasted.

3.       Your must see destination, the Forbidden City is huge, and it will take you most of the day to explore there if you really wanted to experience it, go a little further to the less visited court yards. Don’t expect tranquility, the emperor had left town. The tour guide with the flag is left in charge and I meant they would be leading the charges, with the loud speaker in their hand.

4.       After you are done, I suggest you walk out of the Gate of the heavenly peace into the Tiananmen Square to take some pictures. Until you set foot there, you never feel the power of the square that can be overwhelming.

5.       The people’s congress is a site to see, as well as the crops of Mao, the mausoleum, if you are into cold fresh. There are the Monument to the people’s heroes and a total of ten other buildings. Check it out.

6.       The temple of heaven is best to visit in the morning, if you can bid the early invasion of the group tour, you will feel how beautiful of the place is. Walk the full length of the park, where the emperors use to lead their procession to make offer to heaven. In the afternoon, you can pay a visit to the ruin of the summer Palace.

7.       The great wall is way out of the city, you must prepare to go there early in the morning, otherwise you will get stuck in the traffic on the road to no where. If you do not wanted to climb up the steep steps, you can fight with everyone else to get on the cable car. Once you are there, try to walk the wall to the more excluded area, bring some lunch and have a picnic there. You should not forget a pair of monocular. They are the place you really need it. Bring plenty of water, they charge you a fortune at the top. Unless you plan on coming back to visits again. This is one site really worth all the effort to get there. In your case you just ride the cable car, and hope that you do not get stuck mid way.

8.       The Olympic village is best to visits at dust. It is worth it. You can either ride the metro to get there, or you can rent a driver. Let be warn that it is a huge place. These buildings are huge as they are beautiful. Take pictures now before they got all rusty in a few years. The only problem I found is that I have to see then in a distance in order to appreciate them that mean a lot of walking around.

9.       If Bonus for art lovers, if you can spare the time. Please visit 798 arts Zone, it will transform you into another world. I love it there, and I never forget my visits.

10.   After many tiring days you are only scratching the surface of this great city.

11.   The night market, on Dong Hua Me street and Wangfujing Street. No self describe Sadism and Masochism will miss the chance to visit this place to really see what you are made of? Don’ let those little red lanterns fool you. In the evening on the predestine street, they will sell you food from live scorpion on a skewer, to the deep fried baby pigeons, skinned snakes, fat black cicadas, to frogs on sticks. So far it is appetizing? This is not Perking Duck, which is of course you have to sample as well. Make sure you made reservation from the hotel, the good restaurant require 24 hours ahead. Or you will end up watch other eating, and you may get some scraps if they decided to throw you a bone or two. No kidding here.

12.   It is time to decide if you wanted to visits more temples and many more historical sites or pack up to leave town, and heading to Xian.

13.   If you only have one day there, just ran straight from the airport or from the train to the tomb site. It is a mad house there. This is like an amusement park, the government knows, but not necessary let you get it all. It is still a working archaeological site, therefore still a lot of digging going on. Have lunch in the park, take some snap shot, it is time to go.

14.   If time allows I suggest you try to visit one of the best-preserved city walls. Protected the city of Xian, it is very impressive, you can also climb to the top.

15.   There are many more sites; unless you have time you will never have my experience of the never-ending dumpling dinner. They keep bring if you continue to eat them, even if you do not want any more, they still won’t stop. If you think what they show you at the entrance is their whole menu, wrong. That is your dinner, about 50 dishes of dumpling in all.

Then it is time to head to Shanghai. Your final destination. No worry. The war was over long time ago, and this is China, not Poland.

If you think you can relax and had some excellent Chinese food in the infamous Shanghai. My dear aliens, you are in the northern China, Not Hunan or Sichuan. The typical good in the region is sweet or salty. You will be fed with lots of fry tofu, chilli soup, bonny Chicken and fish. You can have the entire oily pan-fried dumpling if your stomach can take it, so prepare yourself accordingly.

1.       Besides all the stunning architectures you saw in the promotion pictures. The famous nightlife, pampering messages, beautiful and sexy girls, we can tell who the locals are. Expect humid stick weather and foggy days, as well as the famous pollution. I suppose you will encounter little rain. However some day you rather have them.

2.       If you saw the latest you tube, you know the girls dress up here. They are into high fashion. So Please pack accordingly. Otherwise I will tell my friends you guys are migrants’ farmers from the states.

3.       Foreign goods are more expensive than in NY or Paris. I will suggest saving the money, I can show you many other ways to spend your dollars on me.

4.       Drinks are expensive, and they are not real, only the bottle is. Can you even imagine having up to 10 drinks and still standing, or on the other hand you may have three drinks and you are unconscious. Of course there are real cocktails, the different is price, it is 80 vs. 30rmb. But then you are Americans, you are use to being ripe off, so what is the difference.

5.       By the way, forget about being serve real cheese, they are for the super rich American’s. We can’t afford it.

6.       So it is not all about food and drinks and make merry. There are many sites to see, I suppose you will be waking up late every morning, you do not have to worry about having the skinny Chinese station conductors with the flag again, stuffing your ass into the metro before the door close in the morning commune. LOL

7.       But that was only the first part, once the metro starts moving, you will find hand all over every part of your body, and that is not a message. If you are into cheap thrill, go for it.

8.       Forget about getting a Taxi during rush hours. You do not know how to fight for one. There is no moral here. Polite is not in the vocabulary. If you can beat and old lady or mother with child to getting a cab, more power to you during rush hours, I am not kidding here.

9.       Talking about Message, it is the best, pamper yourself to a VIP service, and you may even get lucky. It is x rated therefore I have no comments, enter at your own risk.

10.   Foot message is another one you must try. It is all fun and game although you may be screaming for pain in the process; I swear on my bed blanket they feel good afterword. It is like walking on air.

11.   There are a lot of sights to see, and miles of walking in shanghai, and very friendly people, the city are walk able as well as very livable.

12.   There are beautiful expat places everywhere, I can show you where to find them, as long as you bring your deep pocket, or credit card whatever you prefer.

13.   If it happens to fall on the right time, I may even take you to some of my regular parties. You will be surprise how popular I had became in this community.

14.   Boys beware, you may be swap away in a minute by all the Chinese girls, even though you hang on to another girls, won’t do too much good, they just murder her. That is how that works here. The competition to marry an expat is fearless.

15.   Since I will be your local guide here. I will not elaborate on where I am going to take you? I customize my tours for my friends and families according to their likes. There is no blanket treatment. Not to worry, I do not carry a loincloth on a stick, nor a bullhorn while parading through town, but they stare at me anyway. Just ask my friends, they found it is a very strange phenomena

This is just some of the pointers from my point of view to share with you. Have fun. The correctness of this blog should no the questioned, it is for entertainment base on some facts. If your brain is working over time, I suggest you save your effort when the presidential candidates came to town.

Chance encounter in three cities

The Yangtze River Experience

I had recently completed the Yangtze cruise. To be honest, even though I am not a fan of river boat cruise, or any cruises in that matter, there isn’t any other alternatives if your holiday is limited to your work schedule, but desire to see both the Yangtze three gorges and experience the world famous Yangtze Dam. Back packing and land tour is not really an option.

I had no expectation and conception what I will encounter; in the end I had the time of my life. Make many friends a along the way and force-fed many courses on history lessons of the Yangtze and her dam. So this is how it all begins:

I book the cruise thru a Chinese web site, the name of the cruise sounded British, and the contact email address was a Chinese address. When I arrive at the dock on the riverfront of the City of Chongqing. I thought, yeah, that is a Chinese cruise no doubt. There is no fan fare by the dock side, there is no uniform cruise staff on the pier to welcome us, the taxi driver not sure where the piers was, when we finally arrived, all we saw was the name of the cruise boat dock in the distance half way out in the river. There was a pontoon bridge to link us there, while we were left at the drop off point, half way up hill, and there were zigzag steps lead us to the river edge, without anyone to offer any help for direction to get there.

At the same time there were skinny and short Chinese coolies struggle to balance the oversize heavy luggage’s; no doubt from foreigners; on their shoulder with only rope and bamboo rod, could be hire to do the heavy job. The scene reminded me of those classic Hollywood movies on Chinese labors, and please do even try to tell me that you don’t know any of these kinds of movies because you are too young. I know you must saw it one time or the other on the Warner classic movie channels:  )

Although the steps were steep, but my luggage’s was light and I am still relatively strong, not that I don’t want to pay 30rmb for the labor, I can’t possibly ask these poor old grandpa to carry my luggage down those stairs. Can the city just built a ramp, and have some carts to push the luggage down to the boat? I suppose they wanted us to have the exotic experience of travel in old China.

However once I got on board, there were a 5 piece horrible brass band playing what ever they think is welcome music. Is this the Titanic? The grand staircase is missing.

The uniformed crews were all over the main gallery, and the crew directors were standing there all line up to welcome us, just like any large cruise line would have done, except this is a small little flat bottom river boat. Never the less the rooms were large, and each cabin had it own balcony and of course it comes with the ever-famous aluminum lawn chair, no white plastic one here.

The boat was professionally ran, the crew were polite and the cruise directors were knowledgeable and friendly. There were few (forced group) organize activities, other than the shore excursions, which you do not have to participate if you found hanging around the boat to watch the crew clean your room or set up your lunch in the dinning room is more fun. Some of the day excursions into the lessor gorges were more scenic than on the main river. The day trip to the infamous yellow mountain is an added highlight to the entire journey. No one should miss it. Especially the hair rising cable car ride is not for the fainted heart.

I also met many like mined international independent travelers on the boat, the cruise put us into the same group, meeting others and exchange travel stories was my favorite pass time. Not to mention the bar crew came fetch me every afternoon no matter where I hide myself, just me to make sure I do not miss their happy hour, as an official taste tester of the so call cocktail specials. As you know the bar is not the same without me, and I spend a lot of time hanging “on” there. I wonder afterward how I found time even go on to the top deck to take in the breath taking scenery. I suppose with only limited Wi-Fi access I had a lot of time on my hand.

Among many of the passengers I make friends with, were a brother and sister team from Thailand; I swear at the beginning they were husband and wife. The brother is a dance expert, he ruled the dance floor every evening, and I learn a few steps from him as well. I also met a lovely couple from Queensland, the wife is an educator, and also an armature photographer, we share many tips on photos shooting, and how to shoot inside the museum without the guard ran after us for our camera.

I also met a very lively retire Asian couple from Sydney, the husband took me under his wing try to teach me Chinese, without much success, because I do not know what he was talking about majority of the time. There was another couple from Perth whom became my quick friend because they were brave enough to try any, I mean 10rmb bottle of Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon. We laugh so hard and share many stories including their son’s adventure in Mongolia.

However the most impressive of them all, were the mother and son passenger, I was so impress of this 20 years old that already ahead in his class at the university, decided to take 6 month leave to enroll at the Shaolin temple to learn Kung Fun from the master. The hard ship he had to endure for the 6 months were unimaginable. There was no Internet, up at 6AM, no heat in the middle of the snowy winter, up in the mountain, living a monk’s life and exercise 15 hours a day. I don’t think I can do that. Not without a Bar.

Then there was one crazy 26 years old 6’5 Danish man, travel across China back pack, his final destination is Australia, so he be a surfer. That is nothing unusual except his amazing appetite for food; every meal is 4 plates full. Then he disappears to his room or just goes work out. I had never seen anyone ate so much in my life. I suppose he got his ticket worth and more. He is tall and blonde and getting a lot of attention everywhere he goes. It was a great sideshow all week long.

There were many stories and many amazing people I met during the cruise, I wish the journey will never end, the boat slowly drifting thru many water edge communities in the mist of the heavy fog, immerse in this amazing dream like landscape, I was living in a dream scape, like a boat going nowhere, just braking waves and making calls to another strange city everyday.

These are cruises designed mainly for retirees, I can never imagine these two 20 something on the boat providing us with many interesting topic, especially on shore excursion while some of the passenger had to employ sedan chairs to go up the hill, they just rush off some where, way head of the team.

If you ever look for a slow boat in China, try this cruise that was ran by an American company out of NY. If you book a bargain Chinese run riverboat, you may end up riding on the sampan, and hang your own laundry out the balcony every evening, that is no joke guaranteed.

Happy travel

Chance Encounter Yangtze River.

All Steps and Hills in Tuscany

Most of us New Yorker consider our physical shape is in top form, myself included. We work out constantly with one continuous dieting all of our life but are we really in top physical form?

We try our best to keep ourselves looks younger than our age, an American obsession. Therefore at what point are we going to stop having our hair dye, dump the body wrap, forego the heavy make up, cut down on prescription that promise youthful appearance, stop using hair growth products etc. Just let it all go? Is that ever going to happen? May be not, I hate to wake up in the morning and not recognize my bed partners. This is not one of those too much drinking and by the way what is your name again kind of thing neither.

However with this entire beauty obsession aside are we really health and fit. I ate more than entire acre of salad a year, work out every day, run three miles three times a week, and swim every night, torturing my body to the breaking point, in return is many trip to the sport clinic. In my mind it is still worth it until my recent trip.

On my first visit to Florence and Tuscany many moons ago, I was in my prime, I remember I ran all over town and climbed every single tower that was available to climb. In those days I was not into work out and I drank heavily and smoke here and there, never had enough sleep, but my keens never gave up. On my recent rip that was an entirely different story, thanks to all the exercise I was still able to climb up every tower available for climbing, but I was huffing and buffing all the way up, just short of stopping on the middle of the narrow passage and held up eager travelers does feel my pain. Even with all that, the reward was still great surpass the pain. When I finally got to the top, it is worth the 16 euro they charged.

I felt the pain for those their job is to regulate visitors at the top of these monuments, I wanted to ask them how they feel about climbing up there everyday, were there ever a day they wanted to give me all up, and say say that I am not going to do this job any more? Perhaps they were into physical fitness, they do not have a second thought. May it is a job they desperately needed to feed themselves, or just insane. Well my Italian is borderline at best, I do not have enough vocabulary to ask them the complicated question like that. How ever I am still wondering if they take their lunch and stay there all day? What about washroom, there isn’t any in sight?

Never mind the guards, think of the poor monk, they had to climb this bell tower for life, every hour by the hour so they can ring the bell to report time, incase of attract, they had to race up these stairs, I do not know how they can do it. After all that racing up the tower, they still had to go attend to their orchard. Collecting olives and grapes. I think I will skip that life for now. Get up at the crack of dawn is already tough enough for me. Getting the room service to deliver coffee is more of my life.

If that is not bad enough exercise, every single Tuscan town we visited were hill towns. Example at Siena, the Palazzo comunale in Pizzadel campo, (the site of the famous horse race), you will think the main town square where the race was held, would be on flat ground, How wrong was I, it is located on the  top of the hill.

In Brunell Di Montialcino renowned for it Brunell di Montialcino (red wine) all over the world, the up hill climb was steep, after we got to the top and ready for the tasting, we were the lead to the side of the hill and start descending hale way before we can get to the tasting house. Is that for real?  Never the less it was authentic, because the tasting room was located in a vintage farm. However the view of the Val d’ Orcia valet below will let you forget the pain on your ankle, at least until you sample enough wine.

Then there was Pienza, a papal town famous for its Pecorino cheese and  Montiepulciano, famous for it vintage Nobile di Montirpulciano all have hills as steps as in the 35 degree climb. While the vineyard is down on the fertile plan it was the same story, we had to track up to the top of the hill, just to get to the entrance of the town, then we had to hike some more to get to the top of the town center. There was no car, no motorbike, not even a donkey in sight, just bus number 11, (your own two sore feet). If you decided to join the wine tasting you started descending into the dark rock cut cellar, where original barrels were placed. Some of these cave were even older than the Roman Empire. It may sound horrible with all the walking. We were so captivated by the landscape and the beautiful sight we did not notice it until we got into the tour bus on our way home. There were even snoring coming from all corners.

It is time to say goodbye again Italy, the country I never had enough of, I am blessed with may good friends that lives there, that give me reason to keep coming back. Perhaps I will write about the Italian country wedding I attended on this trip as well, the experience came right out from a movie script. By the way since I wrote some thing for the boys last time, let me add this, In Italy, gone are the days for single girls being chasing around when they walk down the streets alone. Sorry girls, I don’t think they are that romantic any more. However unwedded mother were everywhere, and the boyfriend, father of the child is still around. I don’t get that. But that is another topic some day.

For now stay tune for more later.

Chance Encounter Tuscany

Heaven for guys in China

Hey boys, have you ever imagine being king of a Harem? Can you imagine what it is like? A different girl every night of your choosing no repeating and always amusing.

What would you do if you can go to any event for about 100RMB, got yourself two free drinks and a buffet, served by waiters, and have girls of all colors paraded for you picking.

They are all there for you, like a ripe grape on the vine, juicy and delicious. The good part no date, no fuss, no extra spending on wines included. It could get hefty. No dinner out, no anxiety, and always in lucky for that evening. It is all yours. Will you be out every night, hoping from party to parties?

The girls are all young and beautiful woman. Dress to the best designer clothes. Nothing like what you saw in the horrible TV show about mail order bride. They all speak English well and in some cases, if they are not students, they have a good job. They are not mail order, and they never ask to be a bride more savings for you.

Is it Atlantis, or is it really Heaven on earth for most of you? A dream come true for the hot blood young and strong, even old and tire? You know your bracket. No need to talk about numbers.

Where is this place you area talking about? Not Middle East of course. You will be expected to pay for their very expensive taste there. No Russia, they are expensive there, so where is it?

These women do not ask for expensive dinner but only your company, they all belongs to your make believe harem remember? You own them, because you pay your 100RMB to attend the party and get free food along the way. Mr. “C”.

You can pick them or they might just pick you out of a crowd, if you like to take them out to a dance club that evening, that is Ok too, otherwise you can get a calling card for a more private meetings.

Macho American need not worry, you have no competitions, most others are Europeans, and the girls can spot the strong one from miles away, like across the club. If you are handsome and young, deep pocket is not included in the equation; they will show you with attention. Is that a dream? Stop pinching yourself, it is all true and stop skipping to the end. You will not find answers there.

Is that enough to go that place? If not how about including a massage, and many more sexy games, I wouldn’t dare mention, because some of you are grandma and Pa. I had my limited. My blog is PG rated.

The place is here and these are my real experience. That is the advantage of being expat, for some reason in China, the girls just think expats are the best ticket they ever had, which is different than in HK, the girls will not go out with expat at all.

Well here, at any given evening or party out, I have never fail to get separate by girls in the middle of the conversation and try to corner you and your friends. The usually work in pairs, they come up shake your hand introduce themselves, and slip right into the sandwich position between you and your friend.

In the beginning we were polite, now that we know the games, we split and left them standing there back to back. They are not bad looking girls, they are just aggressive, I do not know about you, but we gentlemen enjoy the game of the chase like the fox hound that we are after.

Make the long story short, they are not really after your money, but believe me they are after more than what you can give. Like fleas, once they hop on you, it is not that easy to get rid of. They will call you day and night, and even try blackmail you for going out with them, so of those hot blooded boys fall victim over and over again. Because if you are a boy and your hand is already in the candy jar what would you do.

Except caution: They are not easy to get rid of, and they are clever to make you believe they are so in love with you, and you will pay for their apartment, that you are not allow to live in, and they will call you night and day. When they are tire of you, they just told you they never love you. Uhh, that hurts.

If you try to leave them, they accuse you of dishonoring them, and their entire family. You may end up marry one or hotel Siberia.

Is it still heaven on earth? Perhaps still for the brave hearted, I just forgot to tell you that these are all Asian girls, if you like the sexy silk hair, this may be your cup of tea, otherwise stay put. You have a better chance. European girls know their value. You better have deep pocket, I am sure you understand supply and demand.

Therefore you decided if it is heave on earth or hell in the making.  Happy hunting.

Chance Encounter Shanghai.