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.

People’s Square Shanghai

Statues from The New Communists period

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.

The Boulangerie

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.

Blurry picture made by Miko

Colorful details from the inside

“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.

Noodle restaurant near my hotel

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!