I'm very excited! I'm going to Shanghai!

[ponygirl]

I'm going with my mum. No husband. No children. My mum's booked the tickets today for May.

I can't wait, though I'm worried how much I'll miss my 3 children. I've never left them for more than a weekend before (and not many of those) and this will be 9 days. Really, really looking forward to it though. My mum went last year and fell in love with the place and I've got some good friends who live there who I haven't seen for 3 years.

I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait!

Wow that's funny, I went with my Mum in September! had a fab time. I also have three kids and hadn't left them for so long before (8 days)I can recommend a lovely small quiet central hotel if you are interested?
We had 5 days in Shanghai and 3 in Beijing. I have spent time in China before and dhis Chinese but I hadnt been to Shanghai since I was a student there 20+ years ago...So it had changed a bit. I spent the first couple of days with my bottom jaw dragging on the ground.

Anyway, any questions, just ask. I am a bit of a lurker on MN as I rarely seem to get time to post and follow a thread, but will keep an eye on this one!

Oh, thank you soyabean, great to hear from someone who knows the place. We're staying at the Peace Hotel, which is pretty central, and I'm told is very cool! It has a jazz bar - seems very un-Chinese, but I'm up for being persuaded. (My dad is a jazz musician so I have very fixed ideas of under-working, over-drinking bearded, lazy English jazzers!)

Tell me some must-see things! I'm going to try and find a good guide book, and my mum knows a few things from her previous trip, but it would be great to pick out some things for me. Mind you, just seeing my friends is going to be fab. Plus walking down the street at normal walking speed, as opposed to 3-year-old speed, will be a novelty! I'm going to miss them so much, though, it almost feels like a physical pain already. How sad is that! How did you feel leaving yours? Mine are 7, 5 and 3.

Hi Ponygirl
Peace Hotel will be great: as central as can be. When I was a student that was where we went if feeling really flush and really in need of a bar, as there wasnt much choice back then. Different now of course.
The jazz players are all about 90, and it is touristy now but hey, we are tourists! We had the Time Out guide which was excellent. In fact I could send it to you if you want it, as I dont think I'll be going back there in the near future.
My children are older: 6, 10 and 14. But I had never left them all for more than afew days before. I was surprised how quickly I managed to switch off, not worry about them and just really enjoy the holiday! It was such a treat just to be in a hotel and not have any domestic duties, quite apart from seeing the sights and practicing my Chinese. I do remember the physical pain of leaving them even for one night when they were younger though. You'll be fine, I'm sure!

My Mum and I just walked miles around the city, which we both like doing. But there are loads of taxis and they are cheap. The Bund is a must, tho' touristy (Peace hotel is right on it) and you can get the cheap local ferry over to Pudong (rather than a 'tour' boat) and explore the modern madness. There is a lovely quiet nunnery in the old city which is a treasure in amongst the hustle and bustle.
The old French Concession, where my Mum lived as a child, is still lovely, though changing quickly. A good place to wander about. We found the house my Mum had lived in as a child which was really the highlight for us, as I had found it when a student there but didn't dare hope it would still be standing. It is, just, propped up by bamboo scaffolding.
We went to Suzhou for a day on the train which was easy and very enjoyable too.
What are your friends doing there? They will know lots of good haunts no doubt. We didnt really do nightlife at all, but had plenty of good food.

Hi soyabean! I've had my jabs today, and one of my arms really hurts, so I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. Not to mention the fact that two of my children are being a little whatsits today, so right now I don't feel as if I'll miss them at all!

I'm really looking forward to the whole thing! I want to do lots of shops, and bars, and restaurants and museums and things. I need to do lots of research to work out the things I really don't want to miss. My friends have been in China for three years: he's a civil engineer running a project that's something to do with oil platforms. They lived in Nanjing for two years (had a baby there) and then moved to Shanghai in September, which they say is a big improvement. I hope they'll be able to make lots of suggestions. I don't know where to start!

When are you going Polygirl?
Shanghai Museum was fantastic. we just looked at porcelain but there was masses and a lovely gift shop too

18th May! Can't wait! I think my Mum mentioned the museum. The ceramics are meant to be fantastic.

Ponygirl, even!
I think whatwe really enjoyed most was walking around the old streets inthe French concession and in Suzhou.

Showing ignorance what/where are they?

Suzhou is a town about 1 hour train ride away. 'Venice of the east': set on canals, and has beautiful parks. It s touristy but well worth it I would say. Good just to get out of the city too.
The old French Concession is the area that was developed by the French and other europeans in the early 20th century: lots of a mazing villas etc, some crumbling, others turned into hotels etc. Lots of the streets are lined with trees and there is amixture of new flashy shops and people selling 'Gucciprada' bags, and old fashioned shops, cafes, restaurants.
The old Chinese city has some really interetsing bits too if you get away fromn the toursity centre around the tearoom with the zigzag bridge. The old alleyways are full of people living their lives, washing ,cutting hair, playing. Have to admit I wouldnt want to live there and I can't imagine thay will continue to exist for much longer but its the way most people in China lived until really quite recently.

That's great info, soyabean, thank you! My friends live in Pudong - is that miles from anywhere/fairly central? Is there anything there?

Pudong is new and not very attractive imo. But its where most of the really new development is. However its easy to get to the centre by tube etc, or ferry over which is fun and vvv cheap. When I was a student there in 1982 (gasp) there ws really nothing in Pudong, which is the north bank of the river. It was warehouss and then fields. Now it is a sc-fi vision of high rises and motorways. I was abzolutely gobsmacked for the first few days there!