Shanghai Surprise

As many of you read in Fred McLeod’s blog yesterday – (This morning? Tonight? I’m a little screwed up.) – we landed in Shanghai on Sunday morning at around 6:30 a.m. It was an 18-hour flight – with a re-fueling stop in Anchorage – that left everyone in our traveling party a little wiped out.

After breakfast, we were given the lowdown on the area surrounding the hotel and nearly everyone went to their rooms to crash. (Although the NBA folks warned everyone not to fall asleep until 10 p.m. so as not to mess up our body clock for the remainder of the trip.) In Shanghai, we’re 12 hours ahead of Cleveland, so whenever you’re reading this, it’s a half-a-day ahead here in China.

One thing that helped everyone stay awake was the Indians-Red Sox game, which was just getting under way. We were able to get the game in our rooms via ESPN International. (God bless the Worldwide Leader in Sports!) Watching the Tribe top Boston in that epic 13-6, 11-inning victory with the bustling streets of Shanghai below was something I’m sure none of us will ever forget.

The Cavaliers were pretty much given the day off after playing three games in four nights before the prolonged intercontinental plane ride. A few players shot around in the afternoon between 3-5 p.m., but for the most part, Sunday was a day to rest and recuperate from the flight. The first official practice is on Monday morning at 10 a.m.

Some of the guys went out shopping and were amused by the knock-offs and their prices. Donyell Marshall was laughing about buying an “MP4” – (huh?) – for approximately $25, American.

Shanghai is difficult to describe. It is definitely old world China meets new world China. On Sunday, we traveled to “Old Shanghai” – which was quite an experience.

There’s construction everywhere – from high-rises to road work. There is construction on just about every block, with kids playing among the rubble. Small streets have scaffolding built with bamboo.

The streets are a chaotic cacophony of cars, cabs, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians with eyes in the back of their heads. It is completely frenetic, with no real semblance of traffic laws – at least none that we could figure out. The only rule seems to be every man (or vehicle) for themselves. Somehow it seems to work.

Throughout downtown there are alleyways packed with vendors selling everything from tiny Chairman Mao alarm clocks to squid on a stick. On one corner, live prawns are being shoveled into a plastic bag; on another old women are shucking oysters on the sidewalk. If you’re not Anthony Bourdain or you don’t have a cast iron stomach, you might want to skip this part of the city. Near the hotel, there’s a Papa John’s pizza for wusses like me.

If you make eye contact with most vendors, they will engage you and begin the haggling process before you know what hit you. Occasionally, they’ll follow you and continue the process as you’re walking away. You’re repeatedly approached by hustlers with laminated photo catalogues of knock-off watches and Gucci bags at almost every stop. And they do not take “no” for an answer.

One thing that was prevalent in Old Shanghai – (but actually we’ve seen in all parts of Shanghai) – that there is laundry hanging EVERYWHERE. Pants, pajamas, t-shirts, baby clothes, rugs. Clothes are hanging out of nearly every apartment in every high-rise and on lines in the street. The Maytag Repairman would have a coronary.

That about does it for our first day and my visit to “Old Shanghai.” Tomorrow, we resume the business of basketball here in the Paris of the East. And I’m sure I’ll have more photos and updates, forthwith.

Enjoy your washers and dryers back in the States and please have a ham and cheese sandwich for me. I’ll be back tomorrow.

In the meantime … GO TRIBE!