Shanghai Acrobats: A Team vs. B Team

I'm one lucky girl... I've been to TWO Acrobatic Shows in Shanghai! Turns out there's actually 5 different theaters in Shanghai, all with nightly shows, all performed by different troupes. That's a lot of acrobats. 

SPOILER ALERT: 
If you plan on seeing either of these Shanghai Acrobat shows in the future, part of the fun is not knowing what's going to happen next. These pics might ruin it for ya... (DISCLAIMER: all these pics were taken incognito with my phone... so perhaps you won't actually be able to see enough to ruin it)

In my 2 show experience, I learned there's an "A Team" & a "B Team". First, I saw the B Team (didn't know it was the B Team at the time) when my parents & Kimberly was here and I loved it! The acrobats were incredibly impressive in their twistiness-skills and each "act" had an adorable charm to it. The setup was somewhat simplistic, but I really enjoyed the experience and the sweet quality of all the performance.

All the acts took place on a simple theater stage at the Portman-Ritz Carlton. Here are some of my favorites:

this girl stood on 1 hand on a tiny pedestal and contorted her body into unreal positions

this woman balanced a gagillion champagne glasses on her face and then climbed this ladder... what?!

graceful ribbon swinging

this guy is upside down on stilts (after being catapulted)

My second visit, was actually the night Lesley got here and we saw what we didn't know would be "A Team". This was more of a ostentatious, theatrical performance (still not as fancy a Cirque de Soleil), starting with the building itself "Shanghai Circus World", looks just like Epcot Center. Also, they take their branding seriously. It's not just any old Shanghai Acrobats, it's "ERA - Intersection of Time" (best understood if you say it out loud with jazz hands & a light show in the background). Plus there's a website!

ERA - Intersection of Time

They also have a tagline "Miss It and You Miss Shanghai" ...BOLD statement. ;)

We're going to Shanghai Circus World! ;)

contortionists... do you see the woman on the bottom? ...bet you missed that the first time ;)

we're spinning, we're spinning, we're spinning...

lots of tumblers jumping through rotating rings 

look familiar?...

 These crazy flyers were catapulted off of see-saws and landing on top of each other

 the Grande Finale... There are 5 motorcycles inside this crazy cage.

While technically speaking, this "ERA" A team is probably better than the previous B Team, I will say that the B Team has a special charm about it that was lost in the theatrics of the "A Team" performance. I actually think some of the acts in the B were better than their comparable acts in ERA, particularly the contortionists. I would highly recommend seeing both if you have the time (aka. if you live here...)

Still have 3 more shows to go! :)

Shanghai Breakfast Street Eats!

After all the aforementioned debacles, I finally got something right and signed us up for a Street Eats Breakfast tour!

I'd been wanting to try these food tours from UnTour Shanghai. If you want to repeat the tour, I'd highly recommend signing up with them, but if not here's how to repeat the tour yourself. 

1. Find yourself some amazing best friends to go with you.

2. Head to Xiangyang Park to see the morning exercises of the locals. It's a real treat of Shanghai and helps to build up an appetite.

a little tai chi

a little "tree backing"... what is "tree backing" you ask? well all of the tree exercises are intended to restore/release the inner qi.

Tree Backing: this exercise stimulates the "dumai," energy that runs along the spine, and rules the "yang system" of the body. It's supposed relieve hidden aches and pains. How To: stand with your back to the tree, then shove your body/back against the tree trunk and bounce back. Repeat. Enjoy the release of your pains!

Tree Slapping: this exercise is supposed wakes up your arms. How To: slap a tree while twisting from side to side. Smooth your flow of qi.

More on Tree Exercises

a little water calligraphy

After the park continue you up Xiangyang for the start of the feasting!

we didn't try these but supposedly McD's type hashbrowns. I'll be back! :) 

Some bready deliciousness

Dumplings!

Jianbing - Chinese Crepes. These pancakes have a great history... it's said that during the war over 2,000 years ago, there wasn't enough food to feed the army. The Emperor dreamt of a way to use just flour & water, cooked on the shields of the army over the fire to feed the troops. They didn't starve & won the war!

You can pick & choose your toppings, but we went for: scallions, chili sauce, fried wontons (ooh, crunchy!). chili sauce, soybean paste, some mustard thing and 1 fried egg.  

true locals eat crepes out of plastic bags

churros! another must try.

Henan hand pulled noodles + tofu skins & green pepper. Again, delish!

Wet Market visit. Basically, it's a market for fresh foods: veggies, fruits, meats, fish, etc. Also, they've added some frozen goods and prepared goods.

Xiaolongbao, Steamed Soup Dumplings. the delicacy of Shanghai!

The grand finale: Egg Tart. Sounds so simple, but WOW delicious!!! 

(and random as it's down in the subway system...)

After all this eating... we needed an activity to counter-act the deliciousness... 

Malt Whiskey tasting! Particularly an "18 year Single Malt Scotch Whiskey" tasting. For Matt. Lesley was sweet enough to bring Matt a bottle of "Kirkland 18 year" as she's familiar with the Zeller family love of "Kirkland Vodka". Of course we had to put Matt to the test as he claims his whiskey "taste is evolving" although I still see him frequently some Jameson. ;)

here's the taste-test at work. guess how many Matt got right. To be revealed next post! (also, this is how I should trick him to get pics taken. :) ) 

Being the Worst Shanghai Tour Guide: A How To

After a successful family visit, my next set of visitors were on their way! I was so excited for Alex & Lesley's visit. It finally completes the tri-fecta: Lesley & I visited Alex when she lived in Tanzania, Alex & I visited Thailand when Lesley was there, and now they were headed to Shanghai to see me! :)

I love having visitors but of course there's a little bit of stress because you want to show your guests the best time and I wanted to my besties to fall in love with Shanghai, just as I have. That's why I'm not sure how everything went so wrong...

Here's my personal How To Guide on being the Worst Shanghai Tour Guide (plus the saving graces...)

Step 1: Perform a Rain Dance before their arrivals to ensure that it rains every single day. And I do mean EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

[saving grace was the cool & unique photos of The Bund in the rain]

Step 2: Provide your friends with detailed directions on how to get to your place from the airport. Then once they arrive, don't answer the door so that they have to seek help from total strangers. (Yep, that happened. I'm totally mortified that happened, but luckily Alex was a resourceful trooper about the whole debacle!)

Step 3: Suggest a visit up to the Jinmao Tower for panoramic views of the city. On a day when it's "Unclear Visibility" 

[at least the interior was cool.]

Step 4: Take them to People's Park. Too late to see the exercising and too early to see the dancing. 

[Luckily, there were these pink lotuses were in bloom.]

Step 5: Suggest heading to the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum! On the one day of the week it's closed...

Step 6: Suggest a day trip to a city outside Shanghai:
   Step 6.1: Arrive at the train station to buy tickets to Suzhou. Without your Passports. Which are required for ticket purchasing and boarding. [Luckily, they also accept US Driver's Licenses... Who knew?]
   Step 6.2: Make your first stop at the Suzhou Silk Factory, that you've been talking up since their arrival. Wait... this isn't the Silk Factory... this is the Silk Museum... oops! 
   Step 6.3: Take them to a cute spot for lunch. Which is unfortunately far away from the train station and last stop in Suzhou. And get us stuck in the pouring rain. So that we have to pile into a rickshaw, which then proceeds to rip us off (significantly) upon our arrival at the garden... (And I know better!!!)
   Step 6.4: The garden actually is covered, so no problem with the rain here, right? ... Wrong! How about suggesting that everyone climb up the rocks to check out some views, at which point the thunder starts and the rain becomes buckets making the rocks so slippery it's nearly impossible to get down and back to shelter. 

[at least these Silk Museum loomers were fascinating! note the upper & lower workers]

[luckily I have the BEST friends! who can laugh with me throughout all the mishaps... in a rickshaw... in a thunderstorm :) ]

More on the good parts of their visit soon!

Who's wants to come visit?!?! Hehe!