despite living in Hong Kong for more than 30years, quite poorly informed of the local customs during traditional festive seasons. one such is the firedragon dance in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong during the mid-Autumn Festival. there's this huge dragon, carried by dozens of strong men, meandering through the streets of Tai Hang.found some info from the Hong Kong Tourism Board here. but as usual, very superficial and lack substance.the atmosphere was good, and it's good to see there's still so many people out to witness such an event that apparently has been passed on for over a century.
the main purpose for our trip to Shanghai was for the F1, and largely due to Michael Schumacher's last appearance in the Shanghai Circuit as a F1 driver before his retirement. whether he is the greatest driver of all times remains debatable, but his presence undoubtedly add plenty of drama in the motorsport.
It was our first time to any F1 circuit, and for the Shanghai circuit, it's about one hour drive from the city centre. we did not get our tickets before coming to the city, and it was quite lucky that the hotel managed to secure a pair of tickets for us eventually at the original price.
the price? really quite expensive, almost 3 times than a ticket to the 1st round World Cup...
expecting the venue to be full of souvenir shops and eating outlets. yes, they had it, only that perhaps even the organiser did not expect a literal full house, the food ran out before the event began. we only managed to grab a few bottles of softdrinks before entering the spectator stand.the tickets we got for the mainstand was perhaps the closest one can get to the track. Our first time to see the F1 cars in such close proximity, and whats even more pulsating was the deafening roar of the V8 engines!!!
the anticipating crowds played a crucial part in the game. supporters from the Renault and the Ferrari teams were each waving their huge flags. All dressed in either blue or red, it was a race that was crucial to Ferrari in catching up with the current race leader. (of course we know now who's the champion)
Schumacher won in the end after a hard fought battle.a truly inspiring race!never give up, as long as the race is still on, there's always a chance.
Shanghai, at night, quite a lot of place to hang around to spend your seconds and money. so, Shanghai is probably one of the richest city in China, and definitely one with the most amount of construction in recent years. However, while there are brand name flagship stores here and there, just round the corner, one can find a local noddle shop selling a bowl of noddle in five yuans. maybe most cosmopolitan cities are like this, an almost schzophrenic phenomenon, the richest and the poorest coexist in a not so harmonious way.the night we were in Shanghai was the night before the Shanghai F1 Gran Prix. Half expected the city would be filled with motor racing fanatics or tourist from all over the world, after having a hairy crab meal, we went down to the Xin Tian di area for a stroll, a very tourist spot where one can mostly see non-chinese customers. down the road, across the street was an official Ferrari Store. went in, took a look, got out without casting another glance - a thousand yuan for a polo t-shirt!!! yet, there were dozens of customers inside, picking the right merchandize, more than ready to dig into their pockets.need a drink, and not far from it on ma-dang road was this place that shone like a crystal in the dark. Liuligongfang Museum, no windows visible and only a small entrance on its side, mysterious yet tempting. we went in without a second thought.saturday night, and for this place of such size, the were only 2-3 tables with customers. right, the drinks were not cheap, iced lemon tea can set you back for almost a hundred yuan, but if it's here, there ought to be a customer base, a market, in order for it to survive. but throughou t our two hours stay at the place, the servers definitely outnumbered the served.nice interior, couldn't have done it better myself. the place was a museum by day, and a bar by night, showcasing hundreds pieces of Liuli - the art of glass.not a place to miss too, inside the toilet. multiple reflections when one is attending one's private business.single move, millions follow!
during the month of October this year, we took a short trip to Shanghai for the weekend. was my first visit to the city, amazed by the number of highrise in the city, the amount of good food available, the price of how some of the restaurants were charging...but best of all, it was time for the 6th Shanghai Art Biennale.some wonderful works by local chinese and international art community. still have rooms for improvement, but is already an eye opener.
