Shanghai Shanghai

4 women, each with pride & prejudice of her own. Living together or travelling together for 3 days & 2 nights. Dragonair & JW Marriott Hotel. Can't ask for more. Breakfasts were delicious and the view in bedroom and dining room was terrific. Servicing crew spoke very good English.

Day 1 - A taxi driver who was a crook gave us a counterfeit 50 RMB for the change. We were told that it was fake as we went to Da Niang Shui Jiao. Nanjing Road - shopping for silk clothes. Dinner at Super Brand Mall - Zhang Sheng Kee - Shanghainese cuisine. We were close to Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Shanghai World Financial Centre looked great. There will be World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. People are taught to queue. We had kiwi juice in Starbucks before we went back to hotel.

Day 2 - Yu Yuan Garden. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. We saw people drinking soup from a big dumpling with a drinking straw. I bought a black top with red flowers. I bought a necklace of red coral beads. Twisted strings. Shopping nearby. I went back to hotel to take a short rest. Evening at Xin Tian Xi. I bought a shoulder bag from Nine West - imitation snake skin - black white purple & grey. Dinner at Xinjishi. Then we went to Vue Pub in Hyatt on the Bund. Drinks & music. That is Shanghai, with foreigners entertained by young & wild girls. Cruise in Huangpu with beautiful lights around was down there.

Day 3 - Shanghai Museum. Wonderful place. We did not cover all. I went to ceramics, furniture, jade, calligraphy & paintings. I missed bronze. Perhaps for next visit. We bought Yunnan ham from San Yang Shop. I bought 2 packs of green tea pumkin seeds. The xiang fei zi was not found because it was not seasonal. Should wait until September. Lunch at Mao Restaurant of Sofitel Hotel. I bought a pair of scissors from Zhang Xiao Chuen just across the road. We picked up luggages from the hotel and went to Pudong Airport by cab.

2 husbands drove 2 cars to fetch the 3 women away. Maria would stay in Miranda's home. So I went up to a bus by myself.

A nice trip. We agreed, disagreed, compromised, argued or settled. We had group split when we needed to have different programmes. Mature women who respect each other most of the time but think the others were more stupid sometimes and treasure the company as a whole. That's it. I like Shanghai for its grand buildings and international status. I would like it all the more if people would be more honest & polite and traffic more orderly with drivers less dangerous.