First day in Shanghai

Well, after a long flight with as top over in Seoul, South korea. I am here in Shanghai.

We are staying in a hotel in Zhabei, Shanghai. It takes about 20 minutes by subway train to get to the Oriental Performing Arts Center where the show is being further rehearsed and performed.

First things to know.

English is not commonly spoken here. Even at the hotel there is only one gentleman who works here that has been able to help us communicate our needs. It took the production managers about an hour, to an hour and a half to get the company checked into the hotel.

Since it is a western style hotel- it is very comfortable with most of the things you would find at home in the states. The cost for a room for one night is 34 USD-- which is unbelievably cheap. But most things here are very cheap.

Currently, in 2011, the best way to broadly understand the Chinese Yuan vs. the US dollar, is to divide whatever you are purchasing in Chinese Yuan by 6. This will give you the rough estimate of what you are actually spending.

Cigarettes are about 2 dollars a pack, and they taste a bit like wood. I don't recommend smoking generally, but most people in China smoke, and I have been told you can even tip people in cigarettes and that they can make a good gift upon meeting new people-- as it is customary to give someone a gift--and as it is not proper to tip here in China. ( They will run down the street after you to give back the money that you 'accidentally left' on the table. )-- They have Marlboro, but that is it for American brands. But since they do taste like wood, and horribleness, those who smoke have opted for a brand represented by the milligrams of tar. The names are; Three, Five, and Eight.

For dinner, I got a bowl of Noodles With Beef. It cost 18 Yuan. Which is 2 dollars and 80 cents. I also got a side of cold beef, and of TURBO- Which as awesome as it sounds, is merely bok choy which is steamed in a bit of broth. (bok choy is a bitter leaf, similar to cabbage/romaine- it accompanies most dishes, including breakfast) the cold beef was 8 the bok choy was 5 if I recall. My whole meal, cost me 53 Yuan or $8.32. ( I also ordered a coke, and a mineral water).

I also got some snacks today. They included: Incredibly hard beef jerky (edible after some gnawing), Spiced dried mango, Dried kiwi, and some nabisco strawberry oreo bars. I plan on venturing into some more interesting foods as soon as I have the time to deal with the possible consequences. I have only been here 35 hours, and I have already had to take Imodium pills.

Sine I am allergic to tree nuts, I had to go to the front desk to have them write down for me a message to show waiters at restaurants. He had to have me spell out the names of the nuts, so he could google translate them. Then he wrote a message detailing the fact that I may die if I consume said nuts. All in all, it was a pleasant interaction. Though when I showed it to the waitress at Mr. Lee's Beef and noodle bar, she giggled, and asked if i wanted to see the healthy foods. Perhaps the concierge only got the part about nuts making me inflate, and wrote down that they make me fat? Still trying to figure out the right words to keep my epi-pen obsolete.

As for breakfast, the hotel provides a nice meal. This morning's dishes included Bok choy, white rolls plain, and white rolls with a lemon bean curd center. There were sausages, fried fish, toast, cereal, watermelon, rice porridge, coffee and orange juice.

The hotel also provides for you two bottles of water, and an electric tea kettle. You cannot drink the water here in China, and it takes a little getting used to. As performers we are used to guzzling water backstage. Maybe because it was the first day and I was focusing on not drinking water, but I only had two 12 oz. bottles of water today and I have a ripping headache from being dehydrated. So laying in bed typing, I am boiling the water in the kettle twice over and just having as much as possible along with some Advil.

Also confusing to performers is keeping your mouth shut in the shower. As you cannot drink the water, this also means you cannot get it in your mouth in the shower. You also cannot brush your teeth with the water. You have to use the bottled mineral water provided, or the electric kettle. I kind of had a brain meltdown when I started to think about the fact that I can't drink the water because it is too dirty, and yet I bathe my entire body in it? It can leave you feeling kind of dirty- but I assume I will get over it. However, I am sad that warming up in the shower vocally, may be a more difficult endeavor than usual. Luckily the water is really hot, and the pressure is GREAT.

Security: Tourists are not the main objective when it comes to security. I have heard many different tales of different illegal acts being overlooked by the Chinese police. Someone told me that they will raid a 'gay bar' but not till after someone has come in and told all the tourists to leave-- then they arrest all of the people left.

When getting on the subway you will throw your bag on a conveyer to be x-rayed. It slows things up a bit, but isn't too much of a hassle.

But do yourself a favor and don't participate in things that will get you in trouble. Because of the language barrier, you may end up in holding till a translator arrives, and I hear the ordeal is extremely unpleasant.

The subway is VERY clean. Because of the security measure, there is a low level of vagrants and such. No graffiti to speak of, and it works on an a system not to different than the one they are planning to implement in NYC with a plastic swipe card. You must swipe upon entering and exiting. The subway map is easy to understand and there are announcements in Chinese and English.

Outside the subway is a different story. People spit on the ground everywhere, everyone smokes, and children will often stop near a bush to undo the rear hatch on their pants to relieve themselves-- as was witnessed more than once today. Keep your wallet with your passport and keep them both in a place where only you can get to it. The crowded streets are a goldmine for pick-pockets. I am not saying you should go about with a fanny pack like a tourist- but chances are they are going to know you are a tourist in less than 2 seconds of seeing you-- so if it makes you feel safer, fanny pack it up. I opt for a messenger bag inside pocket, or the front pockets of my pants if the pockets are deep enough or have a button or zipper to fasten them.

People also don't seem to heed the traffic lights, so look both ways not only before you cross, but while you are crossing. The motor bikes here are silent, so you wont hear them till you are under them.

Outside my hotel, I was with a friend post check in when a man walked up to me and offered me a Lady Massage. He was grinning and I could tell that he was a pimp. When we turned him down he was a little more blunt with us, and offered us other services as well. Finally my friend who is male, said "Sorry, I like men" and the man giggled and nodded and walked away. This has happened to most of the male cast members at this point. When I read reviews of hotels in my area of Shanghai, a lot of them referred to the 'Onsite massage lady'. The reviews speak of a woman who will commonly be in the exercise room just waiting to provide whatever service you need.

People here are very poor, the lowest amount of money that people make here is around 250 Yuan a month or around 40 dollars. So it is understandable that many people will go out of their way to try and make ends meet anyway they can. That being said, I worry about the fact that tickets for the show I am in are at the high end; 2080 yuan, and at the low end, 120 yuan.

My hope is that the novelty of a Broadway style show, with Flamenco dancing and sword fighting will capture the imagination of the people here. But so far most of the interaction I have had with the Chinese people have only provided me with the thought that they find us uncomfortable to be around, and that we are awkward to interact with.

Through out the day, I have seen people staring directly at other cast members for long periods of time on the train, or as we walk. This is not meant to be rude, but it is common that they will stare at you here.

Sometimes the combination of authority and people staring at you can be bad though. A cast member who was in China earlier than the majority of the company for PR was wearing a T-shirt with what appeared to be Chakras on it, and he was questioned by the police as to it's meaning. The cast member thought that perhaps because it appeared to reference a certain religion that it was considered contraband and they asked him to remove it or turn it inside out.

So for a short summary of my first day in China:

-Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. -I must remember to bring water with me- everywhere.

-I must find a good place to eat healthy food. Mr. Lee's beef and noodle bar ain't gonna cut it.

-I must take my Imodium pill when I wake up- or suffer the wrath of whatever.

-I must find a store like CVS, duane reade, or walgreens. (I neglected to transport most of my bathroom supplies due to luggage weight limits)

-Be patient when speaking with people. English is not common here, and smiling will get you further than angry mime work.

So that was my day. Tomorrow is another day- but until our 12 hour days are over, I may not get to explore much more!