Tales From Shanghai
The long-planned day is almost upon us. A trip that has been months in preparation is about to begin. My parents are coming to visit. Luckily, I have a few more days to decide what to do with them. This is good, because at the moment I am panicking a little.
A friend of mine came to visit me a couple of months ago, so I’m no stranger to hosting people. But my friend was the same age as me, and thus shares my interests. My parents are in their sixties and, although spry, won’t be up for the usual round of clubs and pubs that typifies the Shanghai experience. Having said that, my mum read a feature I wrote for a magazine about Shanghai nightlife, and has expressed an interest in attending ‘Ladies’ Night’ at Mexican bar Zapatas which I mentioned in the article. That could be interesting…
Shanghai is a very modern city, which means that there aren’t as many historical sights as in places like Beijing and Xi’an. But we do have the Yu Garden and the alleys of the old town, then the old French Concession and the stately buildings of the Bund. There’s also an area called Xintiandi (New Heaven and Earth) which is scorned by resident expats thanks to its overstated hipness and overinflated prices, but which visitors seem to love. I remember really liking it when I visited Shanghai for the first time, so I think my parents will like it.
They are staying for two weeks around my birthday, which is great as they’ll be able to meet my new friends en masse at my party. For the middle weekend that they’re here we’re planning to go to Beijing. It will be my first time leaving Shanghai in more than six months, and I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll also go to the water towns Hangzhou and Suzhou which are a must for visitors.
I’m looking forward to showing them the city. Hopefully it will help me get over the six month blues!
For the cheapest flights to Shanghai visit www.FlightComparison.co.uk.