Explore the great cities of the world!
The language issue was a challenge during my trip to China. And I did have some culinary frustrations. But China exceeded my expectations in so many ways. Perhaps my expectations were needlessly low. It didn’t help that my phrasebook had some helpful expressions such as, “What time does the hot water come on?” and “There is a rat in my room.” I read so many warnings about China before my trip. I was sort of expecting the worst. But those [Read more…]
Welcome to Day 7, the day I fell and hurt my back. I was afraid the rest of my trip could be in jeopardy. It was also the day I paid an emperor’s ransom for some goofy pictures of me. Despite some mishaps, it [Read more…]
Back again at Shanghai’s high-speed train station in the morning, I wanted to get something other than another croissant like I had there on Day 2. I found something labeled “Picnic Ham and Cheese” at a bakery. A ham & cheese sandwich is about as Chinese as a croissant. But it’s something I wouldn’t normally get, so I went with it. By the second bite, I knew something wasn’t right. It was slathered with mayonnaise. I don’t do mayonnaise. So I had to toss that.
At Shanghai’s high-speed train station in the morning, I had the obligatory first croissant of the trip. (Plain, not the standard chocolate.) But it’s not because I was dying for a croissant. It was basically the only thing I could order. All of the major train stations I went to had food concessions on the upper floor. There were many fast-food type options. But I didn’t see any English anywhere. I went to a bakery, and the croissant was the only thing that I could be sure I knew what it was. So, I had the first croissant of the trip.
[This post is a little long, but you don’t want to miss the pictures at the end.]
Ni hao! Welcome to my trip to China! Technically, it’s my trip to East China and North China. Someday, I hope to make a trip to South China. That would include my return to Hong Kong, the city I fell in love with while I was in the Navy many years (decades, actually) ago. Lately, I’ve also been thinking of visiting West-Central China, home of giant pandas and spicy Sichuan cuisine! [Read more…]
