Day Three in Shanghai

Last I left off, I planned to spend the evening at the boutique, restaurant, bar and club area called Xintiandi. The place impressed me. The shikumen ("stone gate") houses of the once-residential area had been restored and converted into classy wine bars, jazz lounges, beer gardens and more, each glowing with romantic lighting and echoing with laughter and conversation. Lauren and I first strolled through the alleys. The milling crowds consisted of many young Chinese, the males wearing designer clothes and popped collars, the females carrying handfuls of shopping bags. We had definitely chosen a favorite spot of the Shanghai well to do. We then stopped at a restaurant and wine bar called The Fountain for a bite of salad (poor college students like us couldn't afford a full meal!) and a bit of people watching. The crowd inside the restaurant included more foreigners and more thirty-something year olds. I watched two Caucasians force their way through an awkward date while Lauren observed an older man wearing a wedding ring flash her seductive looks. The night only become more intriguing and awkward. We moved location to a German beer garden. The host led us to the only available seats--two barstools at a table of middle-aged German men. We conversed (in English, though I was tempted to try my rusty German). The men eagerly talked about American politics and how different they look to insiders versus foreigners. They said Lauren and I were doing a great thing as journalists, living in a different country and learning different perspectives. As the conversation died down, I looked closer at the people in the beer garden: mostly middle-aged Caucasian businessmen surrounded by young Chinese women. Lauren and I left for our hotel.

Lauren at The Fountain