Shanghaied ... and loving it!(1)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- We've been Shanghaied!
One hundred and 50 years ago, men were kidnapped and forced to work on merchant ships on the way to the Orient. These men were usually taken from taverns on the San Francisco harbor through the use of liquor, drugs or clubs.
Our being Shanghaied was very different. The MS Rotterdam's crew created a surprise for the guests to get us ready for Shanghai -- the entire area around the pool was changed into a Chinese market.
The outer edge of the area was filled with vendors' stalls, offering wonderful food. According to Tom Grindlay, the Dining Room Manager, six suckling pigs and 80 Peking ducks were served along with a variety of dim sum and many, many other carefully prepared dishes.
There were also stalls offering Chinese souvenirs: Fans, jewelry, scarves, etc. Over our heads was a giant green dragon which wound its way around the deck. There were also crew members dressed as dragons.
The remainder of the crew was dressed in Chinese garb and mingled with the guests. Red lanterns lined the walking area and a rickshaw was giving rides. The area was somewhat congested, again getting us ready for Shanghai markets.
There was a sampan in the pool with two fishermen. They worked all night, but I think that they did not catch much. The ambiance was most festive and the food was luscious -- Oh yes, there was wine flowing freely. Maybe that was the only aspect that related to the original idea of being Shanghaied.
Shanghai, a city of contrasts, is 70 miles up the Yangtze River. On one side is the old city and on the other the newly built half. Twenty years ago, there were seven million people in Shanghai, today there are 20 million.
The modern side of the city has a futuristic look. Extremely tall buildings, the second and fourth tallest in the world and the Pearl Tower, the third tallest TV tower, dominate the Oriental and Western architecture. By the way, the Pearl Tower is 1,500 feet high and decorated with huge pearl balls. Immense high-rise apartment buildings are everywhere. The tops of some buildings are capped with gold domes, gold bowls or gold spinning tops. I do not know if they really spin.
This new area was rice paddies just 20 years ago. Shanghai, with its unlimited workforce, moved quickly into the world market. Speaking of the work force, it is not unusual to see construction workers in their overalls and hard hats riding bicycles to work. Another surprising scene was that bamboo scaffolding is used to build up to a distance of 60 floors.
