Cultured

I spent a fascinating afternoon at the Shanghai museum. The museum is ultra-modern and thanks to it's excellent air conditioning system, was probably the best place to be in Shanghai today. The museum features really comprehensive displays of bronze articles (knives, daggers, wine vessels and cooking utensils), jade, art and calligraphy, clothing from the many different ethnic groups in China and coins and money.

It is the absolute height of conceit to think you have even scratched the surface of China in 2 weeks but perhaps you can say that the museum helps you put some things about modern China in context. That does not mean to say that everyone sits around all day scratching their heads, looking at mountains, writing down poems with deep hidden subtext with a brush made out of a badger's arse whilst wearing jade beads. Confusingly, modern Shanghai couldn't be more different from the tranquility and cool calm of the museum. Maybe what you can say is that it helps you to understand something about why it's important to keep traditions alive and questions about national identity which are both issues facing China.

Afterwards Frank and I spent some time wandering round thoroughly modern Shanghai - Xin Le Lu is where some of the most achingly hip fashion boutiques and cafes-that-don't-have-signs to-tell-you-they-are-cafes are located. Cue a few cliches about the contrast between ancient and modern China.

Guess what, tonight's dinner was excellent! However I may have been a little rash with my hard-man comments about stinky tofu. It turns out that the deep fried stinky tofu I sampled on Friday night is at the very moderately stinky end of the scale. Tonight's dish was a much more hardcore version. It made my eyes water. If I was being kind, I would say that it's taste was similar to how I imagine the most rotten of eggs would taste. If you are lucky enough to visit China and priveleged to be offered "chou doufu" my advice is to explain that you are severely allergic to it and might die if you get within 3 metres of a bowl of it. Actually, no it was delicious - go on have a try.

I also tried drunken shrimps. The little fellas are still wriggling when they arrive at the table. Then, as the potent booze in which they are swimming takes effect, they start slurring their words and telling you that they are your best mate, before passing out. You then bite off their heads and suck their insides out of the shell. Honestly, they don't feel a thing.