Day 6: Shanghai to Korea

I check out of the Hotel in Shanghai wishing I had not lost my camera and still hoping I would get it...I was a little upset about it... LL

As the aircraft prepares to land I peep through the window, Busan looks beautiful, I was hoping I get to spend the best of times in Busan...I had to directly go to work from the airport and Mr. Dustin Yoon picks me upJ...A very cheerful guy, we start off with a very casual talk, go for lunch together and the “about me” and “about you” talk goes on and on as we both hog our food...

I expected Busan to be a little humid as it is a coastal area...I was wrong...The climate in Busan was Chill, breezy and slightly drizzling...Absolutely awesome!!...You see cherry Blossoms all over the city and the city looks sober and stunning...For me it was a perfect time to be in the CityJJ...

At work, I receive a very warm welcome again, meet a lot of nice people and learn a lot of interesting things....Work was great and I did enjoy every bit.

As we pack up for the day, I was accompanied by one of the senior most persons Mr. Byeong-Ho Yu from office for dinner...He must be probably in his early 50’s but his energy and enthusiasm is unbelievable...Hats off for that! He takes me to a traditional Korean Restaurant and orders for the tradional Korean “jungshik meal”...The meal has lots of side dishes, Soups and rice with beans....A very large meal and I made sure I taste each one of the dishes...Fantastic food!! ...being a foodie has been like an add-on for meJJ...

All the dishes are a part of "jungshik meal":-):-)

My host Mr.Byeong-Ho Yu

enjoying all of it:-):-)

 We have a nice extended talk...I loved his company, and then he takes me for a walk around the streets of Busan...




Loved walking the streets of Busan, the market yard, the teenage chirpy crowd, the bright lights and the climate which made the entire even better...Was waiting to explore Busan the next dayJJ....

Day 5; Suzhou to Shanghai(The Adventure)

I get ready early in the morning and was all excited to go to work (The after effect of the previous night)...I knew I would meet some really nice people and Melissa would also be there, so I start of early and finish my work early tooJJJ....I wonder how it happens, Just a few hours in the morning and I’m done...I was actually worried if I have completed all my work or the excitement is making me forget something...Nothing really seems to strike and  so its decided that I’m done with work( all by myself) :-D:-D...

Since it was just too early in the morning and everybody at office just started off (and I’m packing off) I decide to go to Shanghai, My next destination....I was dying to be in Shanghai...A three hour drive with Momo to the most beautiful modern city in the world and I had the whole afternoon all to myself to explore the city...woohoooooo!!I did scream in my mind...I had kinda decided by myself not to bother anyone in Shanghai, so at the hotel reception I get a map of Shanghai with all the places marked and  addresses written in Chinese(that’s for the taxi drivers to take me around) I set off to explore... M first aim was to go shopping...So I take the route to the Shopping Market at the Subway....I walk downtown with the maps in hand looking at the directions, asking people (A lot of times I was just waved off before could ask anythingJ, and A lot of times I was told the directions in a very sweet way) and enjoying the Shanghai street...What beauty!!!...That Market (A.P market) is like WOW! It’s a long underground street with lots and lots of stores on either side with probably every little girly stuff on earth...All the Girls would want to pounce on everything there and the good thing is everybody speaks English and you can bargain a lot...A hell lot of money is quoted and then they give away for just what you have asked it forJJJ..A few Shops here and there, I stop at a store bargaining and pick up as few stuff and when I move out of the store I realize my camera is missing, I Panic!!....

I go back to Check and the lady there says they never found it...And I knew I had it until I entered the Store...Hell! my heart was pounding so hard...I Check all over the store and its missing, I call the security and tell them, they take me out of the store into the control room, I have never done anything like this before...I was walking into a narrow corridor and it was even more scarier..I wanted to turn back and run... what was I doing??!!...Was not sure if I was doing the right thing...Not one of the police could speak English...So I bring them out go to a store and explain what happened to one of the store keeper and then ask him to translate it to the Police in Chinese (Now I seriously wonder if I had to do all this just for a camera..Was I out of my mind!!?)...I guess it was the Panic which made me do all this, though in the corner of my mind I knew I would never get it backLLL...And all this seriously needed a lot of guts, which I have at all the wrong time ...

I literally wanted to scream and cry, but believe me not one drop of tear rolled down (Usually I have tons of tears flowing down my cheeks for no reason and it happens even when I don’t want It to happen)...All I had to do is manage with a puppy face with the Police...As I walk back I happen to look into the mirror in a store, I did not look one bit sad..that is when I realized I’m not getting  my camera no matter what Happens....I continue shopping as I had wasted a lot of time, but kept missing my camera...

I move to another street and then to the electronic market and I finally decide I should be buying a camera...Not knowing the right place for buying electronic stuff I call my Colleague Junyao Ma from Shanghai office...without a second thought he offers to help me and drives to a place about 40 minutes away from Pudong only to realize the place was closed (:-p)...

We go to another place close by and as I enter the market I have completely forgotten about the camera...I start looking for cell phones...( that’s how stupid I got so far) God!...I heard somebody say ‘Camera’ that’s when I realized I was there to buy a camera..It was such an awkward situation you see, Junyao has all the Patience in the world, He insists me not to buy this one and not that one and lot  more reasons popped out, finally I end up not buying a camera KK(yes!!I’m embarrassed too)...meanwhile I shed a few tears as I speak to mamma (that was relieving) and as she asks me forget about the camera and just take care of myself I feel even better...

With all the mess I created I get to see most of Shanghai City with Junyao being my guide (otherwise I could have seen just one part of Shanghai J;-)...Everything has its own reasons I guess)...Shanghai is absolutely beautiful...If not the camera I have no regrets about Shanghai, I did have fun even without it, Just that I missed a few picturesJJ...I can never forget the camera as I hate losing my stuff...

 A nice yummy dinner and then to the Hotel...Flying to Korea SoonJ

P.S: With all this I would want to say I’m a little smart tooJ..I kept copying the pictures to my computer every day, so I dint have to lose my memoriesJJJ...and I do have a few Shanghai Pictures in my Cell PhoneJJ

Day 4: Liyang to Suzhou

A usual early start with a nice breakfast and as I come out of the hotel I feel the nice fresh post rain weather; awesome fresh Cool breeze, a little bright as the sun was trying to peak out of the clouds, a little wet, and a little more greener..Just a perfect weather for a good mood and to start off to work ...as we drive to work I’m busy clicking pictures of the view from the car though I was a little scared about dropping my camera and got disappointed a few times as I missed clicking a view nice scenes as the car was speeding at 140km/hr...I absolutely loved the 2 hr drive....

I want to confess that I really had no mood to work...So just go for a quick round around the shop floor, clear a few doubts of mine and I’m done with work:-p ( done with work very soon actually, I do not want to mention the time here as I’m a little guilty about it now ;-) :-p)..I take the high speed train to Suzhou, reach in an hour and all excited to explore the city....I had a colleague waiting for me at the railway station to drop me at the hotel, when I tell her about the city tour plan she offers to accompany me..I was soo glad as I dint have to waste time looking out for places and asking people to guide... Lucky meJJJ!!...we rush to the hotel, Dump my luggage and off we go....

Suzhou is the one of the ancient Cities in China famous for its Ancient Buildings, the traditional Culture, gardens etc....we go to a very famous garden... The Humble Administrator’s Garden, the oldest one the most famous oneJ...It’s incredible...

The fresh spring flowers, the traditional houses, the stream around the garden...Absolutely fantastic!!...I really fall short of words to explain what I felt, it’s rather better I just post as many pictures as possible, it speaks for itself...

the gardern

JJI had a end to end smile the whole  time I spent there, In fact I dint have to make an attempt to smile for the photosJJJJ....I should be thanking Melissa and Momo who accompanied me to the garden..It was Momo’s choice of place and it was a first time visit to all three of us... JJJWe spoke like we have known each other for ages (Melissa is a big big chatter box), clicked “n” number of pictures, posed in every corner, jumped around, enjoyed and cherished every minute... we had a blast!!!...All three of us got along really well, Melissa was the only one who could speak English among the two of them and she was the translator for me and MomoJJJ...

Finally out of the garden we do a little shopping, Momo being the best at bargaining helps me buy stuff in throw away prices (what more can you expectJJJ) and then we go to the next place, which is again one of the oldest streets of china where we go for a boat ride in the traditional Chinese boats...A beautiful experienceJJ....

It was freezing outside by the time we finished with our site seeing and all three of us we starving... Melissa being a food freak couldn’t stop talking about what she wanted to eat and all about how well she cooks and how much she enjoys it...She is a total full time entertainerJJJ...I was taken to a traditional Chinese restaurant and we have pork, Shrimps, Chicken, Jelly fish, tofu (A traditional Chinese dish made of soya bean, as its Melissa favorite its always on the menu for her; It was Yummm!! I loved it) and a few Veggies...Slurp! My mouth is watering as I write about it....

With Melissa

that's the two in the boat

I had a sooper doper fabulous fantastic day (I want to add more words to it)...All thanks to Momo and the very chirpy MelissaJJJ...I did make friends in China JJ(finally!!)


We make plans to meet the next day as I was dropped off at the hotel....Knowing the next day will definitely be a great one I go to bedJJ

Dinner Menu-Pork

Thofu

the shopping street

A few more Day 4 photographsJ

Day 3: Tianjin to Liyang

Started the day really early as I had a flight to catch...We Drive to the airport after a yummy breakfast (chocolate muffins, Bread pudding and fruits)...Bad news again...Flight delayed!!!...and again I’m stuck inside the aircraft...That’s the worst part... I guess I’m not very lucky with flights. I dint do much of cribbing because I dozed off to sleep before I realized.

Finally I land in shanghai after a two hours delayed take off....The airports in china are huge, really huge, Like I mentioned earlier, the never ending walking up and down, I go for it yet again, but this time in Shanghai...walk all the way to the railway station only to realize I have to wait for another hour to board the train...I just sit there admiring all the dolled up Chinese girls...so pretty and soo stylishJJ..The one hour for me was just style check...And I enjoyed that...I board the train and after an hour and a half I reach my destination and then travel by car to reach Liyang only at 4.30 in the evening...I have been travelling right form 7.00A.M in the morning... my  hectic schedule..I regret having planned my trip for such a short period...I should have thought of it!!...

train travel



city view during from the train

But the nice cool weather and the dust free city has been my savior...It’s been raining here in Liyang, and the rains and the thunder lightening reminds me of Coorg....right now Liyang has exactly the same Cloudy gloomy rainy weather like in Coorg... A nice lush green city with a lot of bright pink spring flowers throughout the city makes the city look more beautiful, I would say homely and beautifulJJJ.... 

Another nice dinner treat with yummy fruit salad, veggies, noodles, African fried chicken and fishJJJ...loved it again....I just hope I don’t put on a few extra kilos before I go back home....

It was a total travel and work day for me...got to catch some sleep now again wishing for a better tomorrowJ