Gabby’s Paradise

A few weeks ago, I went to China for a business trip with my
boss. It was my first trip outside of Singapore and as any excited
traveler, I felt the need to synthesize my feelings and make this blog.

Things I realized on my China Trip:

Singapore Airlines is really a very nice flight
carrier. I watched 3 films in my 5 hour flight, had some Singapore Sling and
heard Pavarotti’s singing. Free plugging for the company.

Shanghai has too much concrete. I have never seen so much above ground freeways
(flyovers) in my life. In a country so big, they really had to do it.

First experience of autumn: It is cold. (Well,
yeah!) The climate: like air conditioning reversed. Inside the building its warm, outside it’s quite cold. 16 degrees celsius

· There were so many high rise housing as
portrayed on the news but it looks dilapidated compared to Singapore

. Metal corroding, I felt
the urban blight amidst Shanghai’s
seeming cosmopolitan flair.

· A tower is rising in Shanghai:Shanghai World Financial Center -The second tallest building in the world after Taipei 101.

· Chinese restaurant food felt like it had a
certain ceremony. I had to observe my boss and all the guys there for proper
etiquette. The round table, I now get. The Chinese toasting is ceremonial in the
end. Tea has to be always full. Tea is a staple. Chopsticks and Chinese table
setting was a bit tricky but after 10 meals in China, I got the hang of it.

· It is intensely frustrating not too understand
the conversation because it was all in Mandarin. I have to use intuition and read body
language to get a vague idea o
f the discussion. After a while I realized that I
became my boss’s invisible friend, only talking when she looks me in the eye
and speaks English.

Suzhou is a land that revolves around the river. The town is connected to the river,
it is not just a dumping ground but a whole community relies on it. Suzhou is a charming place, slow and serene.

· I was fortunate enough to be booked in the heart
of the old city of
Nanjing.
It felt so vibrant, think Intramuros charm but in a very Chinatown kinda way

· A lot of things were going on. The bikes! The
taxi rudeness, the clutter. Its like
Manila,
colder, all Chinese, more bikes, more sweaters, more weird hairdo

· Autumn has its charm. Yellow Orange leaves, winter fashion, the China tiangge is like anywhere else. The old city is a combination of old imperial
fortresses and commercial restaurants intertwine itself.

· I was tempted to buy tickets for the Beijing Olympic ticketing
booth, buying souvenirs for the Olympics 10 pesos each. I negotiated in half baked
Singlish accent English, smiles and waves.

· Everything is cheaper in China (in comparison to Singapore). I bought an authentic
leather jacket for S$40. It was a good buy that I can even use even if I am in Manila or Singapore

I realize that every place has its own charm and
different places have different characters which makes them incomparable to one
another. We can only compare bits and pieces of a place but for a whole
experience, there really is no better or worse.

· I want to go again to China to see the best places and
experience the culture. They have an enigmatic charm because they are so
different from what my culture is. Although probably next time I will learn a
bit more Mandarin and go there not for business but for leisure. See you again China!

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