Shanghai, Day 4

It was another dreary day in Shanghai, but not even the damp weather could affect our moods. Today was a high-impact day, even from our early start this morning. This being the day of Shabbat, we had limited time to pack in our full itinerary. Today, we had a mission: visit the Shanghai World Financial Center, gain knowledge at the History Museum and master a kung fu routine in a martial arts studio. All this needed to be done before we checked into our hotel room before the eve of Shabbat. Hey, this is starting to sound like an Amazing Race segment …

Our team first made its way across Shanghai to find the skyscraper that looked liked a bottle opener. Once there, we had to ride the 435 meters to the top to reach the sky deck. On the way up, teams experienced common altitude problems like blocked and popping ears. Each member then needed to collect souvenirs and token photographs. A mandatory pit stop was made at the Japanese-designed washrooms. Teams had to decipher the dozen or so odd buttons on the toilet and flush the toilet appropriately.

From there, they headed down the street to the famous Shanghai Television Tower where they had their next task: Experience centuries of Shanghai history, all in the matter of one hour. We raced through the museum, learning about Shanghai’s agricultural roots, and how it became a trading port because of its advantageous location near the mouth of Yangtze River. Opium Wars, British Concessions, French Concessions, Shanghai movies and Shanghai law. Perhaps we did race at warp speed through the museum, but it kept the teams focused.

And focus was needed to perform our last and final task, mastering kung fu moves. Teams started off doing basic warm-up exercises: running, cart wheels, kicks and somersaults. Once they were ready, the Master showed them the routine they needed to execute. “Yi! Er! San! Si!,” he yelled, showing the teams each step. Nini had a definite advantage from her time spent kick-boxing, although Ian earned points with his high kicks. Revved with the fighting spirit, teams got back to the bus and made it to the check in point where they had one more task to complete before they could rest: ready themselves for Shabbat. They cleaned their rooms, taped the lights and picked up their rooms. By 4:00, we were all looking camera ready and prepared for our day of rest.