Unrelenting

Today, after melting under the oppressive Shanghai heat, I went to the nearby mall to go shopping. There was a small Buddha statue outside the entrance of this tower of commerce.

That juxtaposition is quintessentially Shanghai. It’s my third time here, so I am not struck with the wondrous amazement of the lights, the ridiculous skyscrapers, the fashionable restaurants, and the unapologetic consumerism. But I am still a student of this city’s vastness, of its unrelenting crowds, noise and growth.

It is, frankly, exhausting. Today, I left my hotel filled with fresh energy to explore on my own. I wanted to crawl through every corner of the French Concession, a pretty-tree lined section of French architecture. In walking shoes and a cute sun dress, I was ready to adventure.

I made it to a famous local dumpling stall where I handed the girl slightly more than 50 cents in exchange for 4 delicious pork dumplings. I looked for, but failed to find, a good sized Antique and Bird Market. I walked about 2 miles into the northern edge of the French Quarter.

I stopped in a couple of clothing shops housing the cute dresses that every woman I pass here wears.

I left the hotel excited to explore dumplings, clothing and art shops, but in the end, I only managed the dumplings.

Two hours after I left the hotel, I was sick from the heat. I had large sweat stains mid-torso on my dress. My hair was sticking to my face. Even my necklace felt sweaty.

So I hailed a cab and took another white-knuckled, death-defying (or at least accident-defying) cab ride across town to guzzle water and lay naked in my hotel room’s air-conditioning.

Once I recovered, and showered, I headed to the massive 7-story “Brand Name Mall” around the corner in search of a sundress. But even in air-conditioning, the crowds and pushy saleswomen are overwhelming.

I will likely leave Shanghai without a new dress, though by the looks of it, this economy doesn’t need my money.

I will leave here full of new, more subtle Shanghai experiences – a traditional Chinese massage, a teahouse, a mid-city temple surrounded by skyscrapers, a geographic familiarity with this city, an opportunity to have favorite as well as some try new foods.

Sadly, I know no more words in Mandarin than I knew last time. I just can’t keep them in my head. And my food adventures still firmly stop far short of innards and cartilage.

(Pics are on Flickr... I think. I was able to upload them, but I can't see them. Hopefully you can)