Seal Society

Day 26

Seal School: Day 26

Saturday 26 November 2011
Shanghai

I have an early breakfast in my room of bakery bread and water, then walk to the train station. I meet Kenichi and Suishin on their way to a nearby steamed bun shop. I regret I hadn’t found out about this shop earlier. I wander around the station while waiting to depart.

9:00 AM – I take the train from Hangzhou to Shanghai Hongqiao train station [78 RMB]. A Jackie Chan movie is showing on the train, subtitled in Chinese. I find a map of Shanghai at the train station ($1.10) but on my way to the museum I go five stops too many on the subway (95 cents) and have to backtrack again on the subway.

12:30 PM – I stop someone on the street to ask the way to the art museum and finally find it, after wandering around the block and stopping again to ask some security guards for directions, in an old building. Not much there to see but the entrance is free and I find treasure in the gift shop where I buy one small how-to book on seal carving and “The History and Art of Chinese Seals” by Sun Weizu ($71.34 total).
3:00 PM – I walk to the Shanghai Museum (where I intended to go in the first place). Unfortunately the day I’m there the painting and calligraphy rooms are closed for remodeling but I look at the bronze section and the seal carving section and spend $39.63 on souvenirs in their gift shop:
  • two pins
  • tote bag
  • small book in English on their seal collection—this is almost a pamphlet, and was my reason for coming to Shanghai in the first place
  • brush set with interchangeable heads

I take the subway (79 cents) back to the train station assuming I’m on time but their use of military time has thrown me off so I miss my train and have to get a new ticket.

5:30 PM – I take the train from Shanghai Hongqiao station back to Hangzhou (78 RMB).

7:00 PM – I have a conversation in English with a German woman professor while waiting at the train station’s taxi stop. I take a taxi back to school ($1.90 for 2.3 km).

I have dinner at Mingtown and use their wifi:

  • green cucumber pear juice ($3.96)
  • roast chicken sandwich with french fries ($4.75)

I can see the lights dangling from kites flying over the city from the window in my room.

It’s been a sunny and warm day (69 degrees).

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