Zai jian Shanghai

We returned to Shanghai to see what's new in contemporary art and architecture in China and eat, shop, walk, gawk. We met up with Phil and Janet and went to an ex-pat bar called Oscar's to listen to Mongolian Bluegrass - complete with throat singing. We stayed glued to the election returns via computer for most of the day on Wednesday (election night in USA) and wept huge tears of joy and relief and pride.
Tonight we say goodbye to a place that has surprised us, enchanted us and reminded us that our assumptions about people and otherness are usually wrong.
Stay tuned for the 1400 image slide show coming your way soon!!
Zai jian -
Mardis and Bobby

Xi'an! Capital of 13 dynasties, home to 3.4 million people, Louis Vuitton to Muslim Quarter market - its boggling. We arrived to find our hotel in a maze of Vegas-esque neon, noisy crowds and trinket sellers. So much for our ignorant and romanticized version of Xi'an as the Silk Road outpost with a few stray camels thrown in - this place is a huge, hustling contemporary city. We paid homage to the Terra Cotta Warriors, road bikes for 8 miles on top of the old city walls built in the Tang Dynasty, visited Temples of many persuasions and spent hours in the markets, eating shopping and looking atextraordinary faces from all over Asia. Tomorrow we fly to Shanghai to find an English speaking TV for the election returns.
Happy Birthday Romare!
Mardis and Bobby