Typical Weekend in Shanghai

We're back to our regular routine here in Shanghai. Jet lag really got to us the first week back, so this weekend was the first time we've felt like getting out of the house. On Friday we went to the Super Brand Mall and saw a movie (The Devil Wears Prada - not much choice if you want to see a movie in English). On Saturday we went to the fabric market and ordered some clothes. After that we explored a new subway stop. Each subway station is like a little city in itself. We found a really cool park (Zhongshan Park) and hung out for a while. This city is enormous - we're doing our best to see as much of it as we can.

The world famous Super Brand Mall. It has everything from a movie theater to an ice skating rink.

Waiting to board the ferry. That gate goes up and it's a mad dash for a good spot.

This is from the ferry taking us across the Huangpu River - this river divides the city into two halves, Pudong (which is where we live) and Puxi.

The fabric market is five floors of cloth merchants trying to get you to buy from them. They are all competing against one another for your business, so you are constantly hounded to look at their fabric. Once you decide on something, they measure you and make it in about a week. We've had some really good luck here, but I've also had some pants made that were a bit snug - the Chinese aren't into the baggy look very much. I'll keep them for a 70's party or something.

There are helpful signs like these all over. I would have forgotten to bump my head if I hadn't seen this one.

Mandy checking out some fabric. You should see her eyes light up when we walk into this place. It's tough to find clothes that fit six foot tall women (in China or the U.S.), so it's fun for her to have things custom made.

We stopped for some fried dumplings. They are usually stuffed with cabbbage, celery, cilantro and either beef or pork. One of our favorites.

We found this beautiful park just a few blocks from the subway station. There are signs all over the city stressing the importance of nature, but these parks are few and far between.