Tailored suit ready in one day!.

Last night I couldn’t sleep. From 1 AM I tried of course, but I was awake until 5 AM.Terrible jetlag! I chatted with Johan, made a telephone call to Jan and Ron and watched CNN. Around 5 I fell asleep, awoke shortly at 11 in the morning and slept again until 1 PM.
My appointment for the fitting of my suit was at 4 PM. This time I took the metro.
Just in front of the hotel is the metro stop “People’s Square Station”. This town square has been a racecourse, where millionaires would ride their steeds. Later it was a holding camp for the Japanese during the war. In 1952 the new communist government made new pavements and a park for recreation.
I only had to take one line, number 8, to the South and get out at the 4th stop: Lujiabang Road Station. I should have known earlier it was so easy! But hey, above the ground I saw a lot of nice things on my first two days. I hadn’t had breakfast yet, so I went into a shopping mall for coffee, yoghurt with blueberries and some sweet cakes. It was a busy place and was called “The Boulangerie”. A Korean company, but probably also populair with the Chinese because of the French influences since 1849.
I had to hurry to get in time to the tailor. Miko saw me arriving and with a friendly face she said: “Your suit is ready Mister Holleman!”
“What? One day! How fast!” I replied happy.
And I loved it. Also the inside with the bright color combination and the purple buttons. I asked Miko to take some pictures. They are a bit blurry.
“You look like a model” she said. And of course I told her I had been a model in the eighties. This story always works, because she right away asked she could take pictures with her mobile.
After I paid the second half of the amount I crossed the street. And there it was: “The South Bund Fabric Market”. For my taste a little bit too much silk and again tailors for suits and dresses, but I did find 3 shops for interior fabrics.
I bought some meters of fabric which I am not going to show you before I used them for my new ideas.
Back at the hotel I went to the concierge and thanked him for his great suggestion of taking the metro.
“Tomorrow I need to go to Hangzhou for three days and I would like to take the metro again to the Hongqiao Railway Station” I said.
“Is most easy, one line, 30 minutes!” he said, followed by “Can I buy you the train tickets?”
The tickets were 71 CNY per ticket and the hotel charged 40 CNY per ticket commission (7 euro). So for a total amount of 38 euros I was going to Hangzhou with the Maglev train, the fastest train in the world, with a top speed of 431 kilometers!
In my room I showed Johan through WhatsApp what I had bought, and went into the city centre for my dinner at a noodle restaurant.
On my way back to the hotel there were Chinese people dancing on the street on funny polka music. Finally some happy faces after the first two days with only rain. Yes, this was my best day since I arrived! No rain, my suit ready in one day, I found the fabric market and my tickets for the high speed train in the pocket. Hangzhou, here I come!
(12) awesome folk have had something to say...
Dimitri -
November 22, 2015 at 16:30
Wow, what a colorfull images!!
Love your suit! Great colors!
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:55
Bedankt voor je leuke reacties op ons blog Dimitri. Fijn dat je ons volgt op deze manier!
your sister Claudia -
November 22, 2015 at 19:43
Ik kan een beetje naaien
en ben erg onder de indruk dat je kostuum in 1 dag klaar was. Ongelooflijk, met al die details van zakken en voering. Petje af hoor.
En fijn dat je dit keer sneller vervoer hebt gevonden.
kus JeZus
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:51
Hey Clau! Ik wist dat jij vooral de binnenkant erg mooi zou vinden en de stoffen die ik gekocht heb zijn ook echt jouw stijl, heel fleurig.
Rooie Jel ;) -
November 23, 2015 at 10:38
Hi buuf, leuk om al jouw avonturen te lezen. Benieuwd naar de stoffen. Goede reis en een mooie tijd in Hangzhou!
X vanaf een heel koud Ibiza
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:46
Hey buuf wat leuk om van je te horen. En gezellig dat jullie Johan mee uit gevraagd hebben naar het krokettenfeest bij Vino & Co. En gedraag je heh!
Leny van Gool -
November 23, 2015 at 12:34
Fijn iets van je te horen. En wat heb je al leuke dingen gedaan. Mooi costuum, vooral de binnenkant
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:42
Hey mama lief dat je reageert op ons blog! Ja het kostuum is echt mooi en waarschijnlijk het enige stuk op de wereld met deze bonte kleurcombinatie voering en 1/3 van de uitverkoopprijs waarvooe ik het in Nederland gekocht heb.
Eugenio -
November 23, 2015 at 19:56
Hi Gert,
f you want to see a nice paintig exhibition , my cousin have one at the Shanghai Art Museum (325 Nanjing Road W). He is living there and he is teacher in the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai
You can see a newspaper article
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-11/07/content_9042291.htm
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:38
Oh good to know Eugenio! Today I go back to Shanghai for my last night before I go back to Amsterdam-Ibiza and my hotel is on West Nanjing road. What a coincidence. I try to go!
Petra -
November 23, 2015 at 20:38
Mooi pak! En dat in 1 dag! Once a model…
Fijn om te lezen dat je al een beetje gewend bent in het verre China.
Have a good fast trip to Hangzhou
xxx vanuit koud NL.
Gertjan Holleman -
November 25, 2015 at 00:39
Bedankt Peet! Koud in Holland, koud in China EN koud op Ibiza. Johan heeft ook regen