Shanghai adventures, part IV: Show, friends and the end of this journey.

The end of this adventure is here. Tomorrow, I set point my nose to Europe and home. The last days have been spent mostly in the theatre, working on our performance. We did two shows, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Both went very well, and with a 90% audience attendance of maximum cpacity, I think we are all happy with the result. I would also like to commend Arkadi Zaidi for his piece, that complemented ours very well, and made for a nice and diverse evening.

Today, my new Israeli friends and myself went walking in the old town. A beautiful, but not so well tendered, example of old and ancient Chinese architecture. – Almost the cliche we think of when we think about Chinese houses. Some of the places are quite commercialized, with lots of markets for tourists and shops that sells classic Chinese souvenirs I guess. We went of the beaten track and wandered into the slum area of Shanghai, a completely different feel, much more lively in a way, food and animals everywhere. Shops that sells fake brands all over, and lots of people trying to lure westerners like us into their shop. We found a back alley with a small restaurant, and we managed somehow to order some food, and it was really good. It was a simple soup with homemade noodles (we saw the lady in the back making them) and coriander. Tasty and plentiful. Just the way it should be.

I was quite happy today, as I didn’t wander Shanghai alone – I spent the day with my new Israeli friends (the choreographer, dancer and manager of the Israeli company that shared our stage) and we really had a good time together. Making friends is not always easy in strange countries, but we found some common ground and interests, and I am sure we shall at least stay in touch. The blessings of modern technology is sometimes invaluable.

Tomorrow I get up early for the flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, before I transfer to my plane back home to Oslo. It has been a wonderful trip, with sights and experiences worth every hour and penny spent on it. However, it is always nice to come home again. Hopefully, Shanghai is a city I will come back to at some point, and see how the development of this megapolis is changing the life here, and where it will go in the next years.

See you wherever you are.

Hans out.