Yesterday started out to be a great day. We headed to A DVD shop to buy some movies. They had a great selection and I bought about 10 of my favorite movies. We headed to Element Fresh, a Western-sandwich shop recommended by friends and walked in the door and ran into our friend Reed from Chengdu. We sat down and joined them for a smoothie and in walks in our other friend from Chengdu, Amy. We finished our drinks and Amy accompanied us to a place she called TJ Maxx and then on to the fabric market. The fabric market was amazing! They have incredible materials for suits, dress shirts, fancy ball gowns, jeans, coats, etc.
In the afternoon we headed to the Shanghai Aquarium in Pudong. It was amazing! They had fish I had never seen before. They had all these cool tunnel-type aquariums where you walk through the tunnel and there are fish to each side and above you. The had a tunnel-o-fish going down an escalator too! The kids absolute loved it! Angus just kept staring and laughing at all the fish and Gemma kept looking for Nemo! Strange, we never did find him.
When we were finished we went out to get a taxi. It had cooled down significantly and it was rush house. Since moving to China I realized the the Chinese do NOT have a concept of the queue. They just push and shove in front of you and don't really care who they offend in the process. It took about 15 minutes of walking up and down the street to find an open taxi and I shoved my way in front of two young guys who were very friendly and said in their best English "ladies first". I thought, this is a bit strange that they didn't run me over, but after I got in the taxi I realized why, my billfold was missing. I retraced my steps in my mind and thought that I had been pick pocketed. I couldn't believe it! They totally took advantage of me because I had two kids, a stroller, and a diaper bag to contend with. I have traveled quite a bit in my life and never has this happened to me.
We finally made it to Jonny's work function and I was a bit shaken up. I thought about it and decided I could either let it spoil my whole vacation or just blow it off and keep enjoying myself. At least my kids were warm and safe that is all that mattered. I can always get new credit card and a billfold.
The work function we went to was put on by an expat family from Malaysia living in Shanghai. They had a family party at their house, so we were able to see how the expats live in Shanghai. I couldn't believe how fabulous their house was! It looked like something out of Arizona. A big, 2 story house on a lake with normal tile floors and carpet! The whole neighborhood looked like something out of one of the lake communities in Chandler, Arizona. They told us the material from all of the houses were imported from Ottawa, Canada. Now how can Jonny get an expat assignment in Shanghai!
My Shanghai was running into familiar faces in Shanghai.
My Shanglow was getting pick pocketed.
3 comments:
Hey Kim,
Happy belated birthday. I'm glad to read you are doing well. Sorry about the big time low, but I think you have the right attitude about just letting it go. Hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation.
Michelle (SNB-Phoenix)
How frustrating!! That really bites about your wallet.
The aquarium sounds awesome. That's one thing I miss about Baltimore. It has a great aquarium.
That sucks about your wallet. It happened to me in Israel. Someone actually lifted me right off my feet whilst extracting my wallet from my hands! (Okay, I was decided lighter in those days, being only 13 - but it definitely shakes you up).
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