The guidebooks (well, ) refer to the Seychelles as perfect for those seeking the best beaches in the world. Not halfway, but an equal pain in the arse for all of us to reach. Kazakhstan, geographically and politically positioned halfway between China and the UK, seemed an unlikely location to meet up with Rachel, our friend from Shanghai with whom we’d experienced many a Chinese adventure. In some cases originally forced together through the necessity of seeking commonality in what still sometimes feels like a different planet, we know we have friends we will meet across the continents. Our year in China – truly a year like no other – has left us with a like-minded group of friends, now scattered all over the globe. A different waiter serves for the remainder of the evening.Impatient Brit instead grabs plate from empty table nearby and plonks bread on it.“I’m sure it will, but I’m still eating bread at the moment.“Your main course will arrive shortly sir”.Waiter takes my side plate away as I’m eating bread.Rachel’s favourite restaurant in Shanghai seems to feature the rudest waiters: We arrived back in Shanghai on Wednesday evening to spend a last meal near the Bund with Rachel, Andrea and Rachel’s two Eric friends. The Virgin Atlantic credit card will hopefully help to ensure these meet-ups continue for many years.
My rudimentary Chinese was met with a mischievous unwillingness to understand and shouting “no” to somebody who doesn’t speak English is quite tricky when the person is attempting to rearrange the table decorations in a fairly precarious manner whilst waiting for her Mum to return.Īs ever, great to spend time with Anny, Linda and families. I have enough trouble coping with kids in England, so being abandoned with Cake in the restaurant whilst everybody disappeared to the loo en-masse felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life. We experienced fighting to get on buses (I resorted to swiping a man with my bag of Chinese vegetables as he tried to push Bron out of the way), wandering around a huge indoor market with giant stacks of fruit and veg that you’d struggle to get in an entire city’s worth of British supermarkets and a somewhat hectic meal in “Grandma’s kitchen” restaurant. With a little sightseeing and the arrival of Linda and her 8 year old daughter, Cake, we had a couple of days that I can only describe as being authentically Chinese. Rachel, Ben, Anny, Bron and Me in Mr & Mrs Bundīron and Anny meet a rather large Tao statue With Lucia, Nancy, Bron and Bella in Sichuan Citizen View of the Jimnao Tower looking down from the Bottle Openier Me, Bron and Fiona, our old language teacher, at SashasĪnny and Linda’s family (with a very reluctant Cake) in Sichuan Citizen Me and Bron reminiscing in Masse, overlooking our old house Rachel, Kim, Bron, Jude, Anny and Me in the Traditional Chinese Restaurant The Bottle Opener, Jinmao Tower and new Corkscrew at nightįace changing magician man entertains Jude, Bron and me Thanks to everyone that found the time to meet up with us.Īnd yes, we’ll be back next year. Last year we celebrated our wedding anniversary sat at the bar on a Virgin Atlantic flight this year we celebrated eating Sichuanese food with two of our favourite Chinese families. In Shanghai there’s no better “local” than Masse (it’s been a year but Chris, the co-owner can still greet me by name) no better cocktail bar than Closless no better excuse to smuggle in a little rum purchased in Vietnam than a beach party south of the Bund.įrom the night of bizarre Chinese entertainment (face changing magic guy who helped me knock over a beer) to being thoroughly under-dressed in one of Shanghai’s poshest restaurants (my shorts and bright orange t-shirt combo not exactly mixing well with the suits and cocktail dresses adorned by the other clientele), we loved our brief return. So we had a deliberately packed agenda of socialising, eating and drinking. Whilst many of our ex-pat friends have since moved on, a few stalwarts remain along with most of our Chinese friends. Sandwiching our trip to Vietnam, our time in Shanghai was intentionally more social than cultural. Jude, me, Rachel, Kim and Bron in front of Shanghai’s new skyline