Misty eyed crooner
(View from the Jin Mao tower bar: Shanghai, China)
Yesterday I introduced the Jin Mao tower itself, but now I can show you (albeit rather hazily) the view from the bar. I think we made the mistake of sitting at the bar before heading to a viewing deck on the roof. The view wasn’t up to much since the haze was all pervading. I actually woke up this morning horrified at the view beyond the curtains. The view of Suzhou this morning is completely blank like a fresh sheet of paper. There is nothing but mist today and it fades all objects further than a few metres from the window. I presume this is just common or garden mist – but a part of me wonders if it isn’t pollution again.
Once we arrived in the bar at dusk, from the tower, we could see nothing at all! All that was visible was a thick concrete coloured vapour that saturated the view completely. Once night fell completely, lights began to buzz through the fug and some landmarks became visible. I’m sure that on a good, crisp day, the view must be stunning, however we were unfortunately cheated of eye candy by the construction occurring around the tower in pockets of sparks, scaffolds and wheelbarrows. The Oriental TV tower dominates the scene on the left, lit in pulsating greens and pinks.
Later in the evening, we did manage to find another spot from which to view the Pudong skyline, but it was far less sumptuous and novel, though the view was much improved by that time in the evening. We went to the top of a youth hostel on the Bund and the view was practically unhindered. The only real drawback was that the bar entertainment lacked a certain class. One man and a casio drum set and what appeared to be a small keyboard attempted to entertain. At least, that’s what we suppose, though his endeavours serve as an explanation as to why the bar was deserted and all other customers had decided to adjourn to the breezy open-air balcony. He murdered several songs including Mambo Number five, some Enrique Iglesias and even a touch of Tom Jones. The sound was hideous and turned up to a volume almost unbearable, given the choice of material. Perhaps a fine choice for an after dinner beverage, if one could ensure this crooner was absent from all proceedings.
