An ill-advised decision was made in preparation for the trip, perhaps.
A new novel was needed for the duration of the visit; a captivating fiction away from my usual genre, an author whose name was unfamiliar to me and something easy to travel with...a slim, paper back from the 'recommended' section perhaps? Diligently, the shelves of Foyles were perused and a short-list selected, all fitting the above criteria. Suddenly, a cardinal sin was committed and a judgement made based on the cover of a book.
City On Fire, the debut novel from Garth Risk Hallberg, drew my attention from the intriguing title, font and graphics displayed on the cover of this thick, hardback book from the 'Authors A-Z' section of the store. Meeting some of the criteria, this narrative was clearly inappropriate for travel from its physical size, weight and length at over 900 pages but the lure of a personal challenge to read another hefty fiction was tempting. Then, I saw it. Proudly adorning the cover was a BBC Radio 2 book club sticker which unlocked a memory of listening to the rave review of this exact book during the drive home from work one evening a few weeks prior. This cemented my decision and the book was purchased.
...and what a brilliant purchase it would prove to be!
.....
Suitcases, hand luggage and saxophone in tow, my extended visit back to Shanghai had arrived. Fortunately, I has selected a serviced apartment located in the central business district of Shanghai, comparable to Kensington, London, surrounded by a plethora of restaurants and retailers, green parks with open spaces and a true sense of safety. The opportunity to experience Shanghai as a local presented itself every day whilst travelling to the office on the metro and the chance to observe the iconic skyline at night was appreciated from the windows of the gym during a determined run on the treadmill.
WORK AND PLAY
A kind welcome from the team (letting me know where I stand in the ranks):
Celebrating women's day:
Grid lock outside the office during one particularly heavy down pour:
My apartment:
View from the gym:
It was during one of these few determined runs that an uncomfortable event would crescendo in comedy. About a third of the way into my run, I took my eyes off the skyscrapers of Shanghai and quickly glanced around the gym. From the corner of my eye I spotted a gentleman to my right who was looking at me while he was working out. An initial feeling of gratification was swiftly followed by disquiet as, a few moments later, I stole another glance in his direction and confirmed that he head was still turned in my direction. Continuing my cardio with vigour, I was determined not to let a the voyeuristic nature of an individual affect my run. However, the unsettled feeling failed to leave so a further check was required.
A gradual tilt of my head was first met with the reassurance that this was a gentleman of a certain calibre...his arms were defined as they cut through the air as he also ran on a treadmill. As I lifted my head to inspect the direction his sight was following, I rapidly returned my focus to the front - his head continued to be turned towards me. A few repeats of this exercise were performed over the subsequent few minutes and each time, the same outcome.
Deciding this deviant should be confronted, the best course of action to follow would be to challenge this gentleman and meet his gaze head on. Taking a moment to compose myself, I suddenly turned to face my antagonist to be met with my own reflection! What I had been interpreting as another resident was in fact myself running on a treadmill in a mirror at the opposite end of the gym.
THE LOCAL AREA
Early morning exercise in Huaihai Park:
The uber trendy K11, including its indoor farm:
My local Starbucks with unique shop fit:
The Covent Garden of Shanghai, Xintiandi, with its traditional buildings renovated into stylish bars, shops and restaurants, plus unique marketing opportunities:
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