Around 6:15 yesterday, I stood at the lobby of Metro Tower, waiting for Wendy to go home together. I waited for about 5 minutes, felt boring and started to browse the free travel magazines on the reception’s counter. I even noticed the cheap tour package as low as 999 RMB, including round trip flight + 4 night of hotel – just incredible. I guess they must have great ways to make the money back from the rebate of all goods their customers buy in Hong Kong.
It looks nice outside and there is no hint for storm at all. Around 6:20, when Wendy shown up at the elevator, in just few seconds, almost everyone started to look straightly to outside the window and some opened their mouth widely. This surprised me. I turned and saw something I never seen before. It rained heavily outside and the sky out of the big window in the lobby turned completely white – I thought the rain of June 24 was the heaviest in Shanghai. I am obviously wrong when I see how the water splashed down to earth yesterday.
From the News
I didn’t know how destructive the storm was. Today, my father chatted with me and asked about the storm. I said I didn’t notice it – I thought there was a bigger storm at night. Soon, Wendy’s mother also checked with her to see if there is any damage to our home. Then I started to realize the storm is noticed by the media, and our parents who are not in Shanghai also know about it. I checked Sina and found some astonishing news. Seven people died and 20 wounded (Chinese site) in the storm.
After the Storm
The storm lasted for about 20 minutes and when I drove my car out of the underground garage, the wind and storm became weaker. 20 more minutes later, the rain completely stopped. Water is still kept on the elevated highway and cars ran very slow. Here are some pictures Wendy took when I drove our car home.
Photograph by Jian Shuo Wang
The Tian Yao Qiao Road, driving southward.
Photograph by Wendy Fan
Photograph by Wendy Fan
The elevated highway at the Wan Ping Road entrance.
Photograph by Wendy Fan
And for foreigners, see the article :
“Torrential storm kills seven, sinks ship in Shanghai”, link :
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp? file=/2004/7/13/latest/17953Torrential&sec=latest
There are others, just open http://www.theshanghainews.net/
I’m planning to go to HK in August, can you give me more info about that package? I live about 10 minutes walk from Metro City, so it’d be easy for me to pick one up if I knew where they are.
Thanks!
Actually, the 999 RMB package is not a good choice for anyone – despite of the exteremely low price. It is garrenteed to be a boring trip – you cannot leave the group, you cannot go to where you like to go – you just go to the shopped you are assigned to go and buy things you are arranged to buy. So I don’t recommend it. If you do want to have a try, go to the Metro Tower (Not Metro City. It is behind the Metro City) and check the China Tourism.
The lowest ticket price I got so far is 1666 RMB round trip. There is no restriction on buying things. According to http://mvm.blogone.net/?id=2676209 ,
“刚刚去把飞机票给定好了。好便宜，round trip的也只要1280CNY，加上380CNY的税，总共才1660CNY，便宜翻了，只有从航空公司直接订票的一半价钱，而且比飞到深圳转大巴还便宜。不过限制也是有的，最近一段只有7/21和7/25可以出发，早上11点以前的飞机；能且只能停留四天，which means像我这样7/21走的话，回来的日期只能定在7/24，大约是下午五六点回来的飞机。
如果有谁也想要订和我一样的票，可以去上海中国青年旅行社，找赖小英，电话64315097 x2151，传真64330000 x2162，地址在衡山路2号，靠近东平路路口。”
I am a journalist writing for Asia Times Online and other media. I have lived in Hong Kong and even Hanoi in recent years. Tell me why you set up a blog and do you think there are thousands of Mainland Chinese with blogs? Blogging is a new form of participatory journalism and so are you not afraid of any reprisals from Public Security or the State? Do you know of people who have had problems?
I view it as a grass roots democratization, your views are most welcome.
Thanks.
James
I’d be interested in the answer to that question too, Jian Shuo, but have been afraid to ask directly in “public” since you may feel you cannot really respond as openly as you might want to. As to this post…wow (!) what a rainstorm!!!
J ames and Carroll,
Must everything have a why and be politcal or sensitive? Jian Shuo is doing an excellent job in sharing information and thus improving understanding among many on many issues. Let him continue in his unique style. His views are smart, direct, and very positive. His stories are told clearly and pleasantly, even if the story itself might be an unpleasant experience. Some of his silly adventures bring me laughter, don’t they you? What more do you want? When in Rome, don’t speak Shanghainese. Be an understanding reader would be a contribution to a good blog such as this. Just remember his work on sars and save your whys, please.
bigbro, I think perhaps my comment was unclear. Since I’ve read Jian Shuo’s blog for quite a while now, I do know the answer to the “why” part of James Borton’s question, and I certainly agree with all of your opinions about the motivation for and excellence of Jian Shuo’s work, as has hopefully been clear in my appreciative comments over the past year or two here. My curiosity was actually aimed at the last part of James’ query as to whether Jian Shuo knows if other Chinese bloggers have had problems, or if there is still any fear of reprisals for speaking freely in print. Hopefully, that is not the case. I am fascinated by how the whole phenomenon of blogging seems to have accelerated the process of making the world a “smaller” and better place, and this site is by far my favorite place to turn for a dose of global unity. Write on, Jian Shuo!
Carroll, I am glad your curiosity is not about the whys so I take it back for you.
The others inquiry might even prove too interesting cuz others affect others and others of others (FOAF). The principle of responsible big D, you know.
mekclr