1.1.1.3.2011

*Copied directly from my Shanghai Journal*
Journal 1
Day 1
January 3, 2011
1.1.1.3.2011
Shanghai, China


It's hard to believe I'm actually in China right now. I mean, it seems to me like it's just another city. But the sights, the sounds...it's obvious it's not.

We flew in. The airport was uneventful until we got through customs and immigration. Dragging our bags, we walked down to the bus, loaded our bags, and then went back to the maglev train station. Jessica, our guide, told us that it could reach speeds of up to about 400 km/hr. No one really believed her until the lighted display showed our velocity at 430 km/hr only a few minutes later.

Jessica, our guide, told us that it could reach speeds of up to about 400 km/hr. No one really believed her until the lighted display showed our velocity at 430 km/hr only a few minutes later.

The sun hung like a fat orange ball in the sky, its harsh stare dulled by the heavy layer of smog on the horizon. It hung precariously and lurked behind buildings as we raced through Shanghai. The buildings...riding the maglev, I saw houses torn apart as if by some cruel beast. Bricks and trash were strewn in narrow alleys and empty windows stared at the train with blank, accusing eyes.

The sun hung like a fat orange ball in the sky, its harsh stare dulled by the heavy layer of smog on the horizon. 

The maglev train stopped. The station was like an open tunnel, a tube of steel. To us on the maglev train, the cars and buses in the parking lot seemed like ants or caterpillars. We walked down and boarded our bus which would take us the rest of the way to our hotel.

Compared to the maglev train, the bus was slow and cumbersome, humming and shaking like a creature in itself. We drove past apartments and parks and buildings under construction. We passed skyscrapers and narrowly avoiding the many people riding scooters. I saw a man walking his heavily-laden bike casually across a street with cars that had a green light. They beeped at him but otherwise drove around him casually.

When we got to the hotel, we unloaded and filed in. We got our room assignments and moved out. My room is 1813. There are 22 floors in the hotel. Looking out the window, we can see the smoggy sky and tall, skinny buildings. There is a loft in our rooms with a bed in addition to the two on the "lower level". The bathroom is small, the area not taken up by the shower little more than the size of a normal bathroom stall. You had to climb over the toilet to get into the shower.

When we got to the hotel, we unloaded and filed in. We got our room assignments and moved out.

There is a loft in our rooms with a bed in addition to the two on the "lower level".

After we showered we quickly went downstairs to dinner at a nearby restaurant. The food we were served was traditional for a certain province or ethnic group, I was told. There I learned my first Chinese words in China. "Ha la!" my table-mate cried. "Ha la! Ha la!" she exclaimed, pointing at all the dishes on the table. Ha la means "too spicy". But for the painful burn in our mouths at the heavy spice, the food was delicious. We had frog, fish, shrimp, and beef from my memory and understanding.

It was amazing. Welcome to China.

Jya~
~E