| I lived in the historic Charleston, South Carolina, but it wasn't until my mother visited with a friend of hers that I went to visit all the historic sites (mainly Civil War site) there. Oddly, even though I had never been to any of them, I knew them. I must have picked up what locals had said about them here and there. Never put it all together until I showed them to a visitor.
After my mother and her friend left, it did strike me that I hadn't explored the city myself until then. Thinking about it I can see why we don't. When you move someplace, you have so many things you've got to get done to set yourself up there that after all of it is taken care of, you're exhausted and have already run all over the city. Of course, the places you ran to were functional (Home Depot, supermarkets, etc.). Stuff tourists have no interest in seeing but you need. Yes, you've see the city by then, but not necessarily its full beauty. Anyway... After that experience over twenty years ago, I've taken a scavenger's hunt approach to the cities I live in. And by doing so, I go beyond what even the tourists do. I visit the tourist locations, but then hunt out the unusual. Here in Madison, Wisconsin, I've found a video arcade that specializes in old video games, a funeral director that has a bizarre museum of stuffed roadkill, a tongue-in-cheek museum for toilet papers from around the world, and the list just keeps on growing. And by approaching it like a hunt, I get my local friends into the game as well and they end up taking us to still other such places. Last summer, we hunted for little-known city parks. Now that was eye-opening experience. It amazed me how many there were and where they were hidden away. Two were so amazing that when visitors came one time, I took them to see two of them and they were amazed as well. Hidden without any sign but merely a grassy path you walked and then they opening up to a beautifully kept but obviously rarely used park. Jian, what I would recommend you do for one of your installment is essentially write up a scavenger's hunt list of places in Shanghai and the nearby area that both locals and visitors should go and see. Put well-known museums, ballet, and such on that list, but also put the unusual, bizarre, and unique. And make the list not just to see them, but to do something at them, such as see a ballet performance, eat an unusual dish at an odd restaurant, stand at such-n-such location then look straight up, and so forth. If you can, make it as a separate webpage and in a check-list format so people can print it off and then check them off as they go around seeing and doing them. Oh, and I did the above once but it did it in a cryptic fashion and made it a Saturday activity for friends. On the list was things like: "Go to 'Big Mamma & Uncle Fat's Barbeque' and eat third item on list. Staple restaurant receipt to this paper." "Go to 'Memorial Union". Third floor. Two doors to the left of the women's restroom. Face south. Write what you see." It was great fun. It took me a long time to make up the list, but it was enjoyed by all. :-) |
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