CONFIDENTIAL

Bittersweet Shanghai

On one hand I am excited to go home and share my experiences with my friends and family but I can’t help but feel an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I didn’t think that this trip would have such an effect on me.

Take last night for example: Melissa, Haley, Utty and I met up with Claudia and her friends for dinner. She took us to her favorite chinese restaurant where we ate the same delicacies we have come to accept as lunch and dinner, but we did have a lot more beer. Afterwards, she took us to a club called 88 where everyone was dressed like a mermaid or a pirate. Before entering she made us promise that we wouldnt accept any drugs from anyone, because here everyone was offering “the good stuff” and we wouldn’t buy any hookers. “You can only smile but don’t talk to them.” Sounded easy enough but as soon as we got in, the mood overtook us and we got to see a side of Shanghai we had previously been avoiding quite well. After a lot of drugs and hookers, we leave to the apartment. Just kidding, we stayed for 5 minutes and left because it was awesome but overwhelming.

We arrive at The Apartment which is situated on a line of bars and clubs which are all packed with ex-pats. Hell everyone speaks english, it actually reminded me of San Fran more than anywhere else. Many drinks later thanks to my Desi brother, we stopped by Mint to get rejected and then to clubs 977, M1, and Muse. Yeah we had a late night. I want to say 3 am? Maybe a bit after. A bit much considering I still wake up at 6 am. Claudia made sure we got home okay and then following morning I said bye to The Indo and Hairy Haley.

Final Day

While eating breakfast and contemplating how to structure out the intense culture shock I experienced, I was shocked to see Claudia surprise me. She made it a point that I wouldn’t spend my last day alone so she took me to the movies (yay!). We watched Source Code (shout out to my roommate #CasAnvar for kicking A in that flick), had some subway, chatted over coffee and then it was time to part. This trip brought more friends that I could’ve imagined my way. I don’t know what to say. I found myself quite emotional today and I’m not sure why, but I know for a fact its a good thing. I’m now awaiting my plane to take me back and I’m sad to go. I don’t know when if ever, I will return and that may be why I feel so strongly about this. I hope I do come back. I hope China is not the one that got away.

Chases China Blog: Kho Tao and the journey to get there

Fact #56

There is no bundt cake in the Bund

Suit up or shut up

Blue Dot

How does a small company with under 100 employees make a global impact in a highly competitive furniture design space? Enter Blue Dot. From the sound of it, its quite difficult to move here, especially when you are a family man. But it’s possible and keeps everyday interesting and challenging. Post Blue Dot the gentleman and I, meet Haley, James, and Chase [Cheese as Lee knows him], decide to go get some suits. And boy do we make some humble old man happy. 5 suits and a coat later, we are well under our budget and decide to go out after the alumni dinner.

The alumni dinner proved awesome because we met some great investors and a nice girl named Claudia from Peru, and since everyone expects me to comment on the matter, yes she was pretty. She took us to a bar called Barbaddos, which was a hookah lounge/ladies drink free bar. There, I tried to get the boys some Russian girls but apparently “Russian girls are boring and didn’t talk to us.” 

Tigo & Bao Steel

We went to Tigo, which is a small solar service/component company, which is quite interesting because my old man is in that industry. And guess who our speaker was? James. The same brotha who I had some drinks with at Trevors! What are the odds? Small world indeed. Then we set out to eat some tiny chinese lobsters with gloves and a apron. Very chique and in today. Then Boa Steel. Initially, this small “city,” which included a police station had us go through 4 buildings. The first being where the steel is watered down and pressed but for some reason we skipped the last 3. How odd. Our night ended with Hot Pot which was nothing less than a trip. Oh and we ate duck blood! Yum. Tastes like chicken (egg whites).

Hai Shanghey

After an evening of doing laundry in our hotel room which is uncomfortably too big, we got some sleep because we were to have a long day of gardens and Buddha temples.

Yu Garden

We arrive at this lovely garden and the rain goes in and out of our walk. To be able to see the difference of the garden between the two stages is astounding. The koi come when you call them with a snap of the fingers. This place is quite unreal. Our walk is cut short when a sudden shower storm hits and we are forced to walk through knock off shops that sell nothing more than lies and a plastic Buddha. But it is that exact Buddha that gets me excited for our next stop.

Jade Buddha Temple

Upon entering the temple, we are greeted with smoke from all sides. The people around us ignore us in prayer as we snap pictures of the colossal jade statues. We walk around taking in the peacefulness and walk out refreshed. We are cleansed and ready for the rest of Shanghai.

Bar Rouge

The groups get seperated as Kevin, Fiona, Haley, Cheese, James and myself find ourselves in Bing, the waterfront part of town. We walk around aimlessly, snapping pictures like the thousands of other non-tourist Chinese; we completely blend in now. We make a stop to enjoy a real swanky joint on the 7th floor that overlooks the entire street and I make small talk with a business man that is closing a deal on a SOE. He lectures me on the only books I should ever read about China, Red Capitalism, and excuses himself as his local servant fetches his cell phone and another storm hits.

The next guy I approach is an Australian and although dressed less elegantly indulges me in his story. From losing 16 M in the stock market to starting a air condition business in China. Meet Peter from EcoTecInternational. Peter noticed me talking to the other guy but sees it as a thirst for knowledge. I could agree with that. We discuss how to get into China and he drops some advice on how to get around the China Firewall. Meet Google Earth. Peter doesnt mind that we are getting soaked by the light shower, he is taking in the lights from the lake front. We chat and about an hour goes by, forcing the group to pull me away as we make our way back.

Thank you for a lovely night Shanghai. I hope it was as lovely for you as it was for me.