This evening, Allan and I took a boat ride up the Huangpu River in Shanghai. It almost didn't happen, because it became a bit of a production at one point. I had asked Allan if he would like to come with me, and last week I went and got some information about tickets from one agency. I told Allan about the information that I got, and he said it was fine, but then, yesterday, Allan said he wanted to ask a friend and get a bit more information. As I've said, Allan is always scheming how to get it so things best benefit him. I just shrugged and let him do whatever.
So, this morning, Allan said that he had asked his friend, and he said that we wanted to take a certain boat and Allan had decided that we had to take the 7 pm boat because that was right at dusk and he had to go early in order to get the tickets because they would sell out right away. Meanwhile, we are in the middle of our afternoon English corner and Mary and I are trying to get the kids talking about art, and he is pulling me out of the room to tell me he's going to go right now (1:30) to buy the tickets and he would call me when he had them and then I would meet him there.
I was kind of annoying, and at that point I almost regretted asking him to go with me, but I shrugged and went with it. After class, I went back to my apartment to wait for the phone call. Around 4, he called and gave me some of the sketchiest directions I had ever gotten on where to meet him.
Luckily, he had also copied the map and the address that Hugh had given him, so at least I was able to periodically show the Chinese characters to people and have them point me in the right direction.
I got off the train at the Yuyuan Garden stop at about 4:40 and spent the next hour and a half wandering up and down Zhongsang Road, trying to find the goddamn boat. Hugh had recommended the boat that is a twenty-freaking-minute walk down the street, and people I asked were even confused about where exactly it was. My instructions had been to meet up with Allan before 6:30, because that was when we were supposed to line up to wait to get on the boat.
At 6:15, I finally found the ticket booth for the boat that Allan had described in his extremely sketchy directions. But did I find Allan? Noooo, of course not. So, I spent the next 10 minutes getting harassed by guys trying to help me buy a ticket, who couldn't understand that I already had a ticket, I just didn't have it with me. The same guy came back three different times, persistent bugger that he was. I appreciate that they're trying to be helpful, but jeez, take a hint!
By 6:25, I was ready to either scream or cry. I was hot, sweaty, tired from walking, and tired of waving off overly-helpful Chinese men, and I was just about ready to throttle Allan, when I saw him round the corner. I ended up feeling so relieved that I had found him that I didn't do any of those things. I just said "You're the worst direction-giver ever!" and we ran for the line for the boat.
And after all that, I have to admit... Worth it. Our boat was HUGE. Five floors, with wood paneling and gold paint, two giant dragon heads on the front and a roof-top bar where Allan and I say and drank Tsingtao beer, while we watched the sun go down. It was pretty epic.
Once the sun had set, the boat left its moorings and we took a leisurely cruise down the river past the buildings of the Bund. At night, all the buildings are spectacularly lit up and the breeze from the river was wonderful.
We spent a very congenial hour getting slightly tipsy and then when the boat docked, we strolled aimlessly until we found a cab and took it home. In the end, I am glad that I asked Allan to come. Even though it was a bit of a hassle, his incessant desire to find the best possible outcome for himself wound up benefiting me as well!
