Shanghai Noon...or Shanghai NEVER!

Shanghai Noon...or Shanghai NEVER!


As you know my sister came to the academy for a month. During that time we wanted to go travel around China for a few days. So we planned a trip to go to Shanghai and Beijing for a week to sightsee and shop. Kc booked all the hotels, i got the flights, we packed and left the academy Monday during lunch time. I haven’t took a day off from training in the past 4 months. Even if i was sick i went to class, if i was injured i went to class, if i was so sore from training i still went to class. So it was nice that i finally get a week off to take a break.

Our flight left at 4pm so we went to Subway for lunch. Walked around the mall next to Subway and then headed to the airport around 2:30. Once we got to the airport i switched to 'ALERT' mode. Maybe because I have a “brother instinct” to make sure my sister is ok or maybe i just didn’t like the ‘looks’ all those Chinese guys where giving her. My sister is tall and white, so a lot of guys were looking at her like, "Whoa look at this Laowi (Forienger) babe!" We waited a little while until we boarded the plane. The ride to Shanghai was about an hour so we landed in Shanghai around 7pm. Kc was hungry and wanted to go get food but i said, "No we have to go to the hotel first, check in, and get settled." She didn’t seem to like that idea but she followed.

We went to the airport Info Desk to ask if they knew where our hotel was so we can take a taxi. The guy told us our hotel is very far from downtown, off the map of the city so it would cost a lot to get a taxi to drive us there. We paid for a shuttle from his service line for about 300 yuan. A little expensive but i would rather pay a little more to make sure we get there, especially since it was a far drive. We got to the shuttle and it was a nice audi – not the old mini vans they have for shuttles in the USA. This was the nicest car i been in since I have been in china. When we got to the hotel it was in a nice location. Yes, far from the city but it had a subway nearby and was very nice for a Holiday Inn. Once we got checked in and dropped off our bags in the room we went downstairs to have dinner. The food was good and the chocolate fountain was amazing for desert. Then we went to bed around 9:30-10.

We took some fliers from the airport so we had some idea what to do in Shanghai. We called lot of the tours and most of them where from 600yuan-2000! I paid 150 for a whole day tour to the Great Wall and factories in Beiing. I told kc we will do tours in Beijing and just walk around Shanghai. We decided to go to the Jewish Temple in Shanghai. We took the Subway which was pretty similar to Beijing Subway so i knew how to work it out. We took a taxi from the station that was near the temple. He had no idea where it was but we thought the taxi driver did. He pointed down some road and when we got out and walked down the road...we didn’t see any temple. We went into a hotel nearby and asked the desk if they knew where the historic temple was...they said we need to walk around the block. So we did and walked around the block for another 15 minutes. We wanted to see the museum because this was where many European Jews fled to during holocaust to hide from the Nazis. Well it was a good hiding spot because we couldn’t find it! We decided we will look up the address and show it to the taxi tomorrow because Kc left the flier of the temple back at the hotel.

So we went to the aquarium which was close by. It was pretty big inside...only problem was there were about 4 million Chinese kids running around EVERYWHERE. We walked through pretty fast just to get some air. The shark tank which is what this place was known for was pretty cool to see. It was a long tunnel with glass on top so we could see sharks and turtles and big fish...again only problem was 4 million people were not meant to fit in that tunnel. Kc was already getting irritated from the little kids pushing her and the Chinese people coughing near her (Kc said when they coughed on her she would get out antibacterial wipes to wipe herself). I wondered when she will snap and “flip out” at the next person who coughed "near her". I wanted to have my camera ready for that moment. It didn’t happen. When we got out of there we had lunch.

Lunch was decent but during lunch, i got a call from the school saying they just found out that my Visa expired in two days. Without a Visa, I could not stay in China. They said i can try to go to the "US embassy" to renew my visa but if i cannot then i have to go back to the school before 1:30pm on thursday. That kind of put a mood kill on the trip but we walked around downtown for a bit before we went back to the hotel.

When we got back i looked up the embassy address and number since we had to go there tomorrow. It was about 6pm so we decided to go to the French Concession for dinner. We had dinner at a German restaurant and it was amazing. Then we passed a Cigar Jazz Bar. When my sister and i were young, dad always told us the only drink we can have is Scotch because you cannot get drunk off scotch since you can't drink it fast. The funny thing is me and KC both love an American TVshow called 'How I met your Mother' and on the show two friends had a cup of scotch and a cigar. So we decided to stop by have a cigar and a glass of scotch while we listened to a jazz band. I never thought i would see the day when my sister smoked a cigar and drank scotch with me while we listened to jazz in CHINA! How random is that?! Well i can now say we have done that. We walked around the French area a bit to look at some stores and had Hagan-Das ice cream then headed back to the hotel. Who knew what will happen tomorrow...

The next morning we tried calling the embassy while we headed there. No answer. On top of that it started to rain hard. We did not know it was going to rain so kc was just in a dress and i was in shorts and a tank top. It has been humid and hot the days that we were here. We didn’t plan for it to rain...After a 40 min taxi drive in the rain we get to the American consulate. We get out of the taxi and in the rain. It was windy and raining hard. We got to the front which was outside and a guard underneath a porch umbrella stopped me and kc from going inside. Kc got pissed and said, "I am going to stand under the umbrella," I was in the rain while kc was being pushed by the guard. She wouldn’t give up because she wanted to get out of the rain. I went to stand between him and KC. He spoke no English and i told him i am here for a visa in Chinese. He walked to the window of the consulate and got a business card. Told me i need to go there. So we tried looking for a taxi while we were underneath the umbrella. I guess they did not like us under there so they started to lower the umbrella. I told kc we better move before they take it down or else we will get soaked. Right when we got out from under the umbrella we caught a taxi. He did not know where the embassy is so i got out and told the guard to tell the taxi. He stared at me like he did not understand so i pointed to him and mimed him talking to the guy while pointing to the business card...mind you this was all done in the rain so i was soaked which made me a little irritated. So when the guard still didn’t move after i mimed all of that. i walked over to the gaurd, pointed at him, then the card, then the driver. He finally went to the driver and told him where to go. i got into the taxi soaked. The taxi driver dropped us off across the street from the building because the traffic was bad. We got out and had to wait at a cross walk. We must of looked ridiculous. It was raining and windy like a hurricane was coming and two white people where in the rain with no umbrella getting soaked. Then a Chinese lady came over with a small umbrella and held it over us which was nice. I showed her the card and she told us which building to go to. We get to the entrance of the building but it was locked so we went around...in the rain. We saw some cleaners and i showed them the card. They pointed around the corner. So we went back into the rain and walked around the building some more.

We finally get to the entrance and we were soaked. The air conditioning was on high in that building which made us very cold. We go to the 8th floor to the embassy and there is a huge line. I go to the bathroom to get some paper towels to dry myself then kc went after me to dry herself. When she came back in line, she saw a sign saying “appointment needed”. So we asked the guard about my visa and told him that i did not have an appointment. He said i have to wait for the person with the orange card to come out. I guess it was their way of letting people in with no appointment. So after 10 minutes of waiting, i got in. I went to the American side and told them about my visa expiring. The lady told me i need to go to the Chinese consulate and gave me a paper with the address.

It was already 11am and the place closed at 3pm. So we ran into the mall at the base of the building to buy umbrellas and hats since we had to go back into the rain which was still storming pretty hard. Thunder and lightning was added now. We get a taxi and headed to the Chinese consulate. Kc said she thought it was weird that we went to the US embassy but that was what the school said to do. We get into the place and get my pictures taken. Kc wanted to punch the rude Chinese guys who were trying to cut but she thought the bathrooms were dirty...so who knew what the prisons where like. She thought it better not to punch anyone.

We get to the visa desk and i tell them about my visa expiring. They said since my school does my visa i have to go back there to get my visa renewed. I told them we are traveling and cannot make it back so we need a touring visa. They said they cannot give me a tour visa since i have a student visa. I need to go back to get it renewed at Yantai. So we have to end the trip early...that really pissed me off. I went to the overstay desk thinking if it was possible to over stay my visa then just reapply after paying a fine which hopefully would be cheaper than two plane tickets back to Yantai. Well that was not the case. If i overstayed i would have to pay a fee but then I would be kicked out of the country and possibly never be able to come back. So it looked like we had to go back.

We thought we could at least get a flight to Beijing for the day to see the Great Wall, since that’s the only thing kc wanted to see. If that could not happen, then KC would go alone and meet me in Bejing after I get my new visa. I said, I thought it too dangerous for her to go alone. It was about 1:30 when we got out of the Chinese consulate so we wouldn’t have time to go to Bejing anyway. So we got tickets to fly to yantai in the morning and thought of what we could do for the last night out. Kc found a market to go to so we did some shopping. Got a few cool things and got to bargain with the shopkeepers. They sold clothes, silk, bags, glasses, shoes, and bunch of other stuff. Since we got to bargain with the stores we played good cop bad cop. I was the mean guy who held the money when she wanted something and she would be the older sister who wouldn’t let me buy the stuff i wanted. Kc first went to a bag shop. The lady told her 3000 yuan for her what kc wanted. We got it down to 600 yuan. Then we started getting stuff for 800 yuan down to 100. 600 yuan stuff down to 80 yuan. After every purchase the shopkeepers always said, "we killing them" i guess we are true Jews! Some shops got mad that we dropped from 700 yuan to 50 yuan and we would walk away. Sometimes they would run after us trying to deal and then they would give in after we said “no” so many times. Some stores were good. They would split me and kc up so we couldn’t do our trick but when I tell her we go they would block her from leaving...literally. Kc would laugh and they kept trying to bargain but would not let her leave. Got Kc a few times by blocking her. She gave in and made purchases but we still got good deals even then. Afterward we headed back to the hotel by using the subway. We dried off a little from shopping but we were still pretty wet from being in the storm all morning.

At the hotel we had dinner by room service. First time i had that in 10 months. Then we got ready for the flight tomorrow morning and got a good night sleep.

Woke up Thursday morning and checked out. We got to the airport around 9:15am and our plane leaves at 10:30am. The check-in line was huge. We got our boarding passes at 10:05am. It would of been later if Kc let the Chinese guys cut in line in front of her but every time someone tried she wouldn’t let them. One guy cut in front of her and she looked at him and said, "Back up...*(expletive deleted).

So we hurried to the security check. Once we got through there we had to go to our gate...which was the last one on the row! We walked as fast as we could and kc was whining that she did not have any breakfast and had to use the restroom. I told her on the plane she can go but we will miss the flight if we stopped now. It was last call already! We made it onto the flight and people were still coming on after us. She looked at me mad saying she had time but i would rather her be mad than me miss the flight and get kicked out of the country.

I had to meet Jennifer who did the visas at the academy in Muping at 1:30pm. We landed in Yantai at 12:15. kc and i got a taxi to a hotel by the airport to stay in. since our trip ended early we decided to stay in yantai for the weekend then go back to the academy. When we got to the hotel it was pretty expensive so kc wanted to go somewhere else. Now kc hasn’t eaten all day and when she gets stressed out, she gets mean quick (if you haven’t noticed already). So she was flipping out when we waited for the taxi because i had to meet Jennifer soon, it was already 1:18pm and i am in Yantai and still had to get to the next town over, Muping. So i gave KC money because she said she will get us a room at the Ramada which was the original plan but we did not know how to get there. The hotel manager who came out because Kc was "talking sternly" at the desk clerks, knew where the Ramada was and told the taxi where to go. I told kc i will get a taxi and meet Jennifer.

At 1:45, Jennifer called me asking where i was. My taxi driver was driving so slow. I told Jennifer my taxi driver is slow and i will be there soon. She said she will tell the driver where to meet her so i go there right away. I met her at the Police station to do the visa. After there Jennifer and I went to the Yantai government building where we always do the visas at. I asked for a copy of my passport so i can show the hotel because i need a passport to stay there.

Afterward i had Jennifer drop me off at the mall and i got McDonalds for me and Kc. I get a taxi to the hotel. I give them the copy of my passport and they told me that it won’t work they need my visa. Kc who already yelled at them when she checked in started getting angry again so i called Jennifer and told her to explain to the manager about my visa. Once they finished talking Jennifer told me they will call the police station to make sure my visa is there....and not to come arrest Kc for being mean...but everything is fine. I thanked her and hung up. Then the manger started asking me questions like when did i arrive in China, my birthday, how long i been here. I asked her why and she said she needs information to tell the police to make sure its my passport. Once that was all clear i went to the room. Kc and i went out to walk around Walmart and some shops. We passed 'TaiShan' which is a landmark on top of a mountain so we decided to do that tomorrow. When we walked around everyone was very polite, even the people in the shops had manners to say excuse me and not cough on you. I like smaller cities rather than the big ones here in China.

Had dinner back at the hotel and it was very good. I stayed here at the Ramada the first night i was in China. I remember the breakfast being amazing so i cannot wait till then. Its a shame we are back so early but i could not stand being in shanghai.

-Scott