It wasn't a slow boat really, it was a Boeing 747, but the destination was the same: China. Ni hao, greetings, and salutations from Boise, Idaho. I'm home, I'm tired, I'm jet-lagged, but I'm completely satisfied and fulfilled. My trip to Shanghai was quite an experience.
It was a twelve-hour flight from San Francisco to Pu Dong International Airport (Shanghai.) The flight from Boise to San Fran was an additional two hours. Fourteen hours in total on an airplane is enough to make my butt numb for days.
There were (at least) two things I was unprepared for about China: One, it's hotter than hell in Shanghai in the summer with a relative humidity in the 80-90th percentile to match the temperatures in the 80's and 90's, and Two, Chinese men are fascinated with breasts that are larger than a B cup.
I have never been stared at so much in my entire life. I'm not talking about a furtive glance or a darting of the eyes, I'm talking about full-out frontal stares, stares that cause the starer to fall off his bicycle, stares that last not only for the time it takes me to pass them on the street, but stares that last after I pass by and happen to glance over my shoulder to see them stopped and staring behind me. Yeowza.
At first I thought it was my imagination or jet-lag or something. After two days of the phenomenal staring, I knew I wasn't imagining. I thought I should start charging for the view. Either that or the imp in me wanted to flash them, and really give them something to stare at. It was an interesting -and at times creepy- experience.
I have since learned that in Hong Kong, they recruit Caucasian prostitutes with large breasts simply for the "phenomenon." I understand they command a high price, too. Eeesh. But anyway, back to the trip...
I arrived in the evening and immediately started to sweat. I didn't stop sweating for two weeks. I believe the next time I go to Shanghai in the summer, I will prepare myself by sitting fully clothed in a suana for a couple of hours. That should just about be the same as an ordinary summer day in that area of China.
From the airport I rode a MagLev train, the fastest train I've ever been on in my life. It reached 430 kph (approx. 265 mph) and travelled 33 km in seven minutes. It was also airconditioned, which was a blessing: It kept me from passing out from the heat.
From there we took a taxi to our apartment. Our apartment was on the "56th" floor of our building. I say "56th" because in China, the number 4 is considered bad luck, so no floor in our building was labeled with a "4." Therefore (punny, no?) the floors 4, 14, 24, etc. are skipped, as well as the 13th floor. A wee bit on the superstitious side, but I thought it was charming in its own way. I think technically we were on the 49th floor, but whatever, the view was awesome. I've never seen so many skyskrapers in my life. With a population of 25 million, I can safely say Shanghai is the largest city I've ever visited in my life. Of course arriving at night afforded me quite a view of the night-lights. It almost felt like Vegas.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e395/KennaMc/China2006002.jpg
view from the apartment
The day after my arrival I learned to take the subway. I visited a market known as the "knock-off" market. My understanding is that in China, they don't have (or maybe it's just they don't enforce?) laws against copyright infringement, so this market had all kinds of "name" brand items for dirt cheap: Nike, Timberland, Polo, Prada, etc. An interesting place, but it was busy and I started to get claustrophobic in the crowd, not to mention the staring thing was driving me a bit nuts. I will say that being one of the few Caucasians in the midst of this vast city was an incredibly humbling experience. Nothing like being a minority to give you a fresh perspective in life. By the time I got back to the apartment, I was soaked with sweat. I learned that the best way to combat the heat was to get out early, do some sightseeing, go back to the apartment to change sweat-soaked clothes and cool off, then go back out again in the evening after things had cooled off a bit. When it comes to heat, I am a wuss.
While at the market, I stepped into one of the MANY prevalent KFC's to use the facilities. This was my first experience with what I have come to call a "squatter." A "squatter" refers to the toilet, which is basically a hole in the ground over which you squat to do your business. If you are not blessed with a good sense of balance and aim, you're screwed. I also learned that it's common to have a communal toilet paper dispenser in the hall BEFORE you enter the WC. Of course I didn't learn this until after I had drip-dryed over the squatter. I have since heard stories from ex-pats living in China about some of their more interesting experiences with restrooms in China. Suffice it to say, it's quite different than anything I've experienced in Western countries.
Speaking of Western countries... another shocking thing (for me) about China was the presence of Western influence. I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't think I'd see so many Western businesses in "communist" China -and I'm not just talking about American businesses, although there were plenty of KFC's and Starbucks in the city, even the occasional McDonald's. I am convinced now more than ever that governments don't rule the world, businesses do.
Anyway, enough for now. I'm going to go see if I can rustle up some grub and maybe even sleep tonight. Getting used to a 14-hour time differences has me all confused.
P.S. I'll share more pictures and whatnot later.
It was a twelve-hour flight from San Francisco to Pu Dong International Airport (Shanghai.) The flight from Boise to San Fran was an additional two hours. Fourteen hours in total on an airplane is enough to make my butt numb for days.
There were (at least) two things I was unprepared for about China: One, it's hotter than hell in Shanghai in the summer with a relative humidity in the 80-90th percentile to match the temperatures in the 80's and 90's, and Two, Chinese men are fascinated with breasts that are larger than a B cup.
I have never been stared at so much in my entire life. I'm not talking about a furtive glance or a darting of the eyes, I'm talking about full-out frontal stares, stares that cause the starer to fall off his bicycle, stares that last not only for the time it takes me to pass them on the street, but stares that last after I pass by and happen to glance over my shoulder to see them stopped and staring behind me. Yeowza.
At first I thought it was my imagination or jet-lag or something. After two days of the phenomenal staring, I knew I wasn't imagining. I thought I should start charging for the view. Either that or the imp in me wanted to flash them, and really give them something to stare at. It was an interesting -and at times creepy- experience.
I have since learned that in Hong Kong, they recruit Caucasian prostitutes with large breasts simply for the "phenomenon." I understand they command a high price, too. Eeesh. But anyway, back to the trip...
I arrived in the evening and immediately started to sweat. I didn't stop sweating for two weeks. I believe the next time I go to Shanghai in the summer, I will prepare myself by sitting fully clothed in a suana for a couple of hours. That should just about be the same as an ordinary summer day in that area of China.
From the airport I rode a MagLev train, the fastest train I've ever been on in my life. It reached 430 kph (approx. 265 mph) and travelled 33 km in seven minutes. It was also airconditioned, which was a blessing: It kept me from passing out from the heat.
From there we took a taxi to our apartment. Our apartment was on the "56th" floor of our building. I say "56th" because in China, the number 4 is considered bad luck, so no floor in our building was labeled with a "4." Therefore (punny, no?) the floors 4, 14, 24, etc. are skipped, as well as the 13th floor. A wee bit on the superstitious side, but I thought it was charming in its own way. I think technically we were on the 49th floor, but whatever, the view was awesome. I've never seen so many skyskrapers in my life. With a population of 25 million, I can safely say Shanghai is the largest city I've ever visited in my life. Of course arriving at night afforded me quite a view of the night-lights. It almost felt like Vegas.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e395/KennaMc/China2006002.jpg
view from the apartment
The day after my arrival I learned to take the subway. I visited a market known as the "knock-off" market. My understanding is that in China, they don't have (or maybe it's just they don't enforce?) laws against copyright infringement, so this market had all kinds of "name" brand items for dirt cheap: Nike, Timberland, Polo, Prada, etc. An interesting place, but it was busy and I started to get claustrophobic in the crowd, not to mention the staring thing was driving me a bit nuts. I will say that being one of the few Caucasians in the midst of this vast city was an incredibly humbling experience. Nothing like being a minority to give you a fresh perspective in life. By the time I got back to the apartment, I was soaked with sweat. I learned that the best way to combat the heat was to get out early, do some sightseeing, go back to the apartment to change sweat-soaked clothes and cool off, then go back out again in the evening after things had cooled off a bit. When it comes to heat, I am a wuss.
While at the market, I stepped into one of the MANY prevalent KFC's to use the facilities. This was my first experience with what I have come to call a "squatter." A "squatter" refers to the toilet, which is basically a hole in the ground over which you squat to do your business. If you are not blessed with a good sense of balance and aim, you're screwed. I also learned that it's common to have a communal toilet paper dispenser in the hall BEFORE you enter the WC. Of course I didn't learn this until after I had drip-dryed over the squatter.
I have since heard stories from ex-pats living in China about some of their more interesting experiences with restrooms in China. Suffice it to say, it's quite different than anything I've experienced in Western countries. Speaking of Western countries... another shocking thing (for me) about China was the presence of Western influence. I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't think I'd see so many Western businesses in "communist" China -and I'm not just talking about American businesses, although there were plenty of KFC's and Starbucks in the city, even the occasional McDonald's. I am convinced now more than ever that governments don't rule the world, businesses do.
Anyway, enough for now. I'm going to go see if I can rustle up some grub and maybe even sleep tonight. Getting used to a 14-hour time differences has me all confused.
P.S. I'll share more pictures and whatnot later.
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