Visited the Old City (南市) in Huangpu yesterday. Started at the extremely crowded Yuyuan (豫园) garden, then walked to the Insect/Cat/Bird/Turtle/GoldFish/Squirrel/Other market, and then on to Xintiandi (新天地), after that on to the People’s Square (人民市场), and finally wound up at East Nanjing Road (南京东路).
Travel time to downtown from campus on the subway is about one hour, including about 30 minutes of walking.
Earlier this evening, I visited the People’s Square in central Shanghai. I noticed a Chinese guy, speaking well-above-average English to a foreigner. The Chinese guy was obviously pitching something, probably either trying to get the Westerner to sign up for Chinese lessons or trying to get him to teach English at some school.
On the one hand, I was curious to know exactly what the Chinese guy was up to. On the other hand, I knew that once he was done talking to this foreigner, he’d be coming after me. When I could see that the conversation was winding up, I started to take off.
The Chinese guy, however, followed me. He was walking behind me, and I could here the change in his pocket clinking around, steadily getting closer. I really didn’t want to talk to this guy.
My phone, the phone I just got, I remembered, has some kind of “fake call” feature. I tried to figure out how to turn on the fake call feature in the few seconds I had left. When I was satisfied I had everything configured I shoved the phone back in my pocket.
Nearly simultaneously—I’m not sure which happened first, the guy introduced himself and my phone went off.
The ruse, however, failed to have the impact intended since I failed to take the phone out of “silent” mode.
Well, I didn’t abandon the plan. I explained to the gentleman how I just got a phone call and made sure to show him the vibrating phone in case he didn’t believe me.
Then I had the second problem. I don’t really know how to have a fake phone call. I don’t think I did very well.
I will be avoiding the fake call feature of my phone in the future.
An accounting professor shared an interesting anecdote about the history of accounting in China. As of 1978, an accounting system was in place, presumably based off some Soviet system, allegedly custom made for Socialist economies. The professor called it something like ‘Increasing, Decreasing Accounting’.
From the timbre in his delivery, it sounded like this system lacked the eloquence and functionality of standard debit/credit, double-entry accounting. China has since adopted more international accounting principles.
Finally got to Puxi, the west side of the Huangpu (as opposed to Pudong, the east side). Took the six line to the two line. The Shanghai Metro is more modern than the Chicago Metro and easier to navigate than New York’s.
I’m told manufacturers directly compensate employees working on the floor at Carrefour for moving the manufacturers’ products, which means Carrefour employees have a very specific opinion about which blanket, calculator, electric fan, or food processor you should be purchasing.
I was informed the pillow I intended to buy wouldn’t last more than a month. This vacuumed packed pillow was the way to go.
