so mom and dad came a week ago (and left today, so sad!). Since they don't really understand how much things cost/don't care, we had a wonderful expensive, luxurious time together! :)
I went to their hotel, the Peninsula on the Bund (the river) to meet them, and then had a shanghainese meal in Xintiandi at Ye Shanghai, so yummy. It was a nice introduction to chinese food for them. Then we walked around Xintiandi a bit, then went back.
Wednesday after class, I met them downtown for lunch at LaoZhengXing Restaurant, a really old shanghainese restaurant, where we had (what I thought was) delicious food. The parents were a little freaked out when I just ate the whole shrimp, shell and head included. But it's small, so you can just pretend the crunchy part is fried. haha. Then our first trip to the fabric market, where I bought a blue cashmere coat (that I got back today and it's beautiful. so soft and warm and fits great!), dad got a dark grey cashmere coat (looks great!) , and mom got a bunch of silk dresses and knit dresses (which turned out part good, part not to good). Then we went back to the hotel and had massages and enjoyed the spa facilities at the peninsula. Met Magnolia for dinner at 100 century avenue restaurant in the World Financial Center (the tallest building in shanghai)- yummy! It also happened to be ladies night at the 100 century ave bar upstairs so we went (all 4 of us) for a bit and danced.
Thursday afternoon, mom and dad met me at my dorm and then we had lunch with my roomies at the local Hunan restaurant. the parents loved it. nice and spicy and flavorful. then we walked to cocos and got bubble tea. Unforunately they didn't share my love/addiction for bubble tea. Dad was of course freaked out by the "bubbles" and mom got sick of it after awhile. We walked through campus and took some pictures. Tried to go to the bookstore but it was closed. sad. then we walked to walmart and bought some christmas decorations. Dad napped while mom helped me decorate my room/apt with some xmas lights, ornaments, and garland. of course I have christmas decorations. it makes me pretty happy, although at home I'd obviously have more (remember our tree in the middle of our freshman yr room zanzibar? haha). Then (since this thursday was thanksgiving) we had our program thanksgiving dinner. Turns out it was a huge deal, people from different IES (our program) offices were there, all our teachers, our language partners, friends and family visiting, etc were there. They had turkey, some weird thing that might have been pretending to be gravy? no stuffing. (VERY sad). and the mash potatoes were a bit weird and they kept running out but they made me happy nonetheless. My chinese class was stupposed to do a skit but then we decided not to. Then our teacher said if we sang the thanksgiving song (which we convinced her existed), we wouldn't have class on friday. so we made up a song in chinese that roughly translates as "This is Thanksgiving!..." to the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas. It was a bit of a mess, but everyone loved it of course. and no friday class. yes. Then we went to helens to celebrate thanksgiving some more, then windows.
Friday morning I met mom and dad for breakfast at their hotel- by far the best bfast I've had in china. breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, croissants, fruit, quiche, bagels, etc. yum! Then we went back to the fabric market and I got some dresses (which mostly turned out well, the bad ones they're fixing for me), mom got a beautiful purple cashmere coat, and dad got two cashmere sport jackets. so nice! Then we went to Yu Yuan (Yu Garden) and walked around. Mom loved the architecture and the gardens and such. Then we shopped: a bunch of paintings from the Beijing Art School show visiting in shanghai (funny story: the guy who brought us to the painting shop told me I was very beautiful- i get that a lot here btw- and asked if I had a boyfriend. When I said no, he asked if he had a chance. I laughed and let it go but then he kept asking so I said I was leaving next month- cuz I am- and he said, oh well, in the next life. hahaha. I ended up buying his paintings too cuz they were the best- zan, natalie, and greg these are going in our house somewhere, hehe), a brass buddha that I've been trying to buy forever, a lotus flower incense holder, some prosperity fish, my chinese name in calligraphy, and a few other gifts. Lots of good traditional stuff. We also ate some shengjian and the big soup dumplings that you drink with a straw. Then we went back to the hotel, worked out, and enjoyed the spa some more. A few of my friends met us at the hotel for drinks, then ERA (an acrobat show). This one was way better than the one we did at the beginning of the program. I saw this show last summer too when I was in shanghai for the week. It's sooo awesome. There are the traditional contortionists and people who spin/balance stuff, but also some amazingness that I can't even say cuz I don't want to ruin it for anyone. but omg it was so cool. then dinner at din tai feng=best dumpling restaurant in the world! there's one in LA so go if you're there. anyways, then we got cold stone ice cream and went to a new bar with 100 rmb (that's like $15usd) open bar. good music. but we were all tired and went home early.
Saturday we walked down E Nanjing Rd to People's Square, where we happened upon the singles market- parents go there to talk to other parents about what their children are like and what their children want in other people. It's really funny/interesting. Then we went to the Jade Buddha Temple, pretty cool. Great temple. better than a lot that I've seen in china (which means a lot cuz I've seen a lot of temples). ate lunch at the temple's famous vegetarian restuarant. so good. then we went to M50, a modern art gallery district. Mom and I bought some really cool photographs of shanghai. Then back to the hotel for some spa treatments. Went to the pearl tower before dinner and saw the sites of shanghai from the top. Dad and I went on the glass floor part and looked down and freaked mom out by jumping on it. She refused to walk on the glass. Then an amazing chinese dinner at the hyatt on the bund. The waiter was really nice. we had peking duck. for dessert, I had a chocolate fondant. you don't realize how much you miss something like that until you have it again. omg I died and went to heaven. X100. then we went to the Vue Bar on the top where they have a hot tub you can put your feet in (or whatever I guess) and big beds- probably really nice in the summer, but too cold now. Dad loved the view though. Mom and I had yummy lychee martinis. We went back to the hotel and I had another drink. Then I met some friends at a new bar in the french concession for Jeff's 21st bday. fun times.
Sunday morning we went to Soong Qing-Ling's residency. She was the wife of Sun Yat-sen (I sincerely hope you know who that is, but just in case- the founder of the Republic of China (which is now taiwan, but at the time was the precursor to the people's republic of china) who led the overthrowing of the Qing dynasty in 1911). She did a lot of cool women's rights and humanitarian stuff. It was fun to hear about her (I had an audio guide, which actually used good english, haha). Then we went to Tianzifang, where we had a minor crisis when we realized we had almost no cash and then the ATM didn't work. but luckily that was solved. had lunch at taithai and sat on the floor on big cushions, always fun. I got a really cool vintage flower ring. so me. and a cool necklace. Then we went back to the hotel and bought another suitcase to put all the things we bought in plus some of the stuff I had already bought/don't need anymore. Throughout the week, my parents had been giving me little presents here and there for my bday (which is this saturday, duh)- dresses, tights, new bras, etc. They gave me the rest sunday night. so unexpected and fun! Then We went to a spicy food restaurant for dinner. super yummy. dad and I got in a bit over our heads with the spice. still fun though. Then I went home to study. blah.
Monday, I had three classes and some urgent stuff to catch up on so mom and dad went to hangzhou (nearby town on a lake, very pretty, i went there already two months ago). They liked it. I'm glad they got to see somewhere other than shanghai. Then they met me at my dorm and we went to hotpot. Hotpot is basically a boiling broth (of various flavors) and you put stuff in it and it cooks (kind of similar to fondue). I always forget how hard it is to order food there cuz you don't really know what the different things are, especially when there are no pics and little english. We accidentally got duck blood. congealed. but it was pretty good. tasted like tofu or liver. we ordered way too much food. but the waiters/waitresses were really cute and kept giving us gifts and stuff. so cute. Then we took a rickshaw back to campus for the experience, which was pretty funny cuz they're only made for two chinese sized people. and we put three big foreigners in them. haha. the guy tried to rip me off cuz I guess he thought we were stupid. but I showed him. went back to mom and dad's hotel for a final night, tried on our clothes that were delivered from the fabric market and watched singing in the rain (aka dad was sleep talking, mom snoring/trying to stay awake and watch, and me missing the ending cuz I was also asleep). It was a fun movie anyways though. haha.
Today we went back to the fabric market to get a few things fixed, which I'll have to get later this week. And then had a leisurely lunch and they left for the airport around 2. I went home, got a mani/pedi, and did some hw. so sad they're gone, but I'll be home in two and a half weeks anyways. It's just hard to go from luxury life in shanghai with some western comforts back to cheap college student life. and we are finally having assignments, presentations, and exams so I actually have to do work. that sucks. big time.
but my 21st is saturday and we're going to nanjing this weekend! should be a nice escape from shanghai! next week is our last week of classes. The final week is for final exams but all of my assignments/exams are monday of that week so that leaves me four full days of free time before I leave! wooh! Hopefully I can get my work done asap and then just enjoy the last two and a half weeks (which is obviously why I'm writing this blog post instead of writing a paper).
See you soon America! Miss you already mom and dad!
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