South Bund fabric market

I have visited multiple electronic malls in Asia where hawkers try to lure you in their tiny stores.   On Sunday I accompanied some colleagues to a similar mall hawking fabric creations instead of electronic gadgets.   On the recommendation of others we made our way to booth 226 where my waist,  hip,  thigh,  calf,  leg length and crotch were carefully measured.   The material chosen is from swatch books, the lighting makes it a little hard to discern color and patterns but I chose the basics grays and blues.  There were many details to decide on pocket size and angle, shirt collars and cuffs. The measurements in simplified Chinese along with the drawings and fabric will be sent off to a seamstresses who will fashion worsted wool dress pants that are 3/4 lined with a single pleat and coin pocket.  Two female colleagues pulled pictures up on their Iphones of dress suits they wanted.  Soon their wishes started to take form into a creation as it went from phone to paper with additional personal touches and measurements.   My cost per pant is 210RMB or $34US; 110RMB for a shirt.  I have read the quality will not be like Hong Kong or Taiwan but with little to lose I bought three pairs along with cotton dress shirts. Someone from the office will pick them up and they will be sent home with our procurement team who leaves on the 29th. 

Funny how I associate these kind of places with Flea Markets in the USA.   It has been more than 20years since going to such a place in America but I feel drawn to them in Asia.  In China the malls and stores sell either very expensive Western products or very cheap clothing. There are hundreds maybe thousands of western malls in Shanghai.   The electronics and fabric markets offer personal touches along with people who really want your business.   Time will only tell if my creations look good and withstand the test of time.  

The tables were turned

The local managers took me to a Germany restaurant on the Bund in Shanghai based on Susan telling them my favorite beer was Paulaner.  I had walked by this place on my first visit wondering why there is a Paulaner Biergarten in Shanghai.  After going insode I would say the majority of the patrons were Asian.  Little did the team know I bought a bottle of Paulaner in the Western grocery store on last Sunday to have one in my room, what a coincidence   

Once we arrived by Susan's Peugeot; I ordered pretzels, a sausage plate and an order of meatloaf.   I soon found myself explaining what made up the Germans food.   I watched their faces as I explained the liver mousse and liver oil paste spreads that came with the pretzel tree.   When queried why the sausages come in different colors again they look at me quizzically at the answer.   The meatloaf came out made of pork  which surprised even me and the Saurekraught was left untouched. So where I turn my nose up to fried tofu, beaks and claws my colleagues were not fans of Germany food except the Pig knuckle which was picked clean.   Wheat beer was had but the jaegermeister was not liked. Yes that is a Chinese shooter girl in the picture below.  I was given a gift of Chinese white wine,  if it makes the trip home it should be an interesting because it is shot like Jaeger and not sipped in a stemmed glass.  

Pudong side of the Bund at Paulaner's Biergarten