Update from Dr Dawber in Changzhou, Sunday 19/06/16

Yesterday I had a great day in Shanghai with Kristi Sinnett, the (Finnish) Head of Boarding.  We had an early start, getting the school driver to pick us up at 7.30 to take us to Changzhou Railway Station. Although it's almost 200 km  from Changzhou to Shanghai, the fast train goes super fast (top speed nearly 300 km/h) and only takes an hour. However, Changzhou is huge and the station is a long way from the school, so even with little traffic it takes at leaast 40 minutes from school to the station by car, longer if traffic is heavy. We had got tickets in advance for the 8.45am train  (you need your passport to buy a train ticket here, but they're pretty cheap and you get a reserved seat) so got into Shanghai just before 9 and took the metro to the pearl markets. I have never seen so many pearls! Real and fake, fresh water and salt water, every possible shape, size and colour. Needless to say I was very tempted and have got myself a very pretty necklace of pearls in a range of gold, cream and pink shades, with matching earrings. Kristi was getting something special made to order, so we were there for a while.

Later we took a taxi to the Nanjing Road and had a lovely lunch of multicoloured salads and delicious cinnamon cake at 'Baker and Spice'. Then a taxi down to the south Bund for the silk markets. Such an amazing explosion of colours and textures.  Again there were the fake and the real shops, but Kristi, having lived in Shanghai for some years before moving to Changzhou, knew just where to go. We went to a little stall nestling amongst the 100s of others and  had a fitting for the dress she had ordered - a stunning traditional Chinese design in green and gold silk chiffon over a green silk lining.for the fitting they just have a little rail in the back corner of the stall with fabric draped over it to make a makeshift dressing room! Kristi's dress was so stunning, I had to have one made up for me. Silk is amazingly cheap out here. I chose a beautiful brown and gold silk with turquoise hues and peacocks in the design. They measured me up and it will be sent to the school next week. 

After that we took the metro to Yuyuang gardens, a set of rockeries, pools full of carp , pavilions, alcoves and halls, founded in the Ming dynasty. They are shady andbeautiful, and would be tranquil, were it not for the vast hoarders of other visitors! I don't think a hot summer's Saturday afternoon is the ideal time to go. Kristi took sanctuary in the nearby Haagen Daas cafe whilst I followed the throng through the garden. After an hour or so there and in the attached buzzing bazar, where you can buy everything under the sun if you're prepared to haggle hard,  I felt I'd earned a coffee and a very tasty, if pricey, ice cream. 

We then headed back to somewhat more sophisticated bustle of People's Square. A potter in the big department stores and a cool drink people-watching and seeing the sun go down behind the dramatic Shanghai skyline and it was time to take the metro back to Shanghai central station and the train back to Changzhou.

After yesterday's bustle, I was ready for a quiet Sunday today. After a nice lie in, I went to the beautiful and completely empty swimming pool and managed 20 lengths, so with the 27km I did yesterday according to my Fitbit (not sure I trust it!) I'm feeling a bit more exercised. This after ok. Is a quiet one doing washing, ironing etc and getting ready for next week's lessons.